A fractured fairytale

35

"Where are you going?" Alex asked me as I rose to my feet, pushing my empty plate away from me.

"Stupid question," Jay said from across the table, rolling his eyes. "He's off to see the love of his life... again." He shot me a look that I ignored.

"Seriously, give the girl a break, Matt. You're like her mother hovering over her all the time," my brother stated with a laugh.

I walked away from the both of them while they sniggered like children. On my way up to the food counter, I passed Kelly and did my best to keep my eyes on the spread of food in front of me but I could feel her glare burning the side of my face. I'd seen her around a few times recently and she'd shot me the same look every time. It was a murderous glare that I didn't have the energy to care about.

Instead, I grabbed another plate and loaded it with food. Alex had mentioned that in their chemistry class today they'd been given partners to do a homework project with. He'd been whining about being lumped with a boring, stuck-up prick who was aiming to go to Harvard in the fall. I didn't imagine that the other guy was particularly happy to be paired with Alex either. But I didn't really give a shit about Alex. What I did care about was Rose and the 'some guy' that she'd been paired up with. I'd tried to grill my brother about the guy but he'd just said he was some 'bookish, geeky type'.

So, I decided to go and find out for myself. Rose had mentioned to me on one of our morning commutes that she hated paired or group work. She hated relying on someone else to get the work done and didn't like the idea of working on someone else's schedule, so I knew she'd be stressing. She'd also told me that she always started a project on the day it was set so she could plan it while she still had all the notes from the professor in her head.

That meant, chances were, she was with this guy right now making a start on this project.

I picked a few of her favourite things for lunch. Today there was pasta – her favourite - so I piled it high despite the disapproving looks from the cooks on the other side of the counter. I also grabbed her a bag of chips and a chocolate bar before making my way to the library.

It wasn't difficult to spot her. I think my brain had been rewired to focus entirely on her existence. Everything I did reminded me of her, everywhere I went, I wanted her with me and as soon as I entered a room, I was looking for her. My gaze drew to where she sat immediately. She didn't notice me, too busy scanning her notebook and aggressively highlighting certain notes. I couldn't help but smile. Her face was scrunched up in the most adorable way and her bottom lip was trapped between her teeth.

She was stressed.

I walked towards her, moving slowly and quietly and using the opportunity to observe the guy sitting beside her. His intense stare was directed at the screen of his laptop and not at Rose, thankfully, and when I got closer, I could see his pupils flickering from left to right beneath his thick rimmed glasses as he read.

It wasn't until I reached the other side of their little table that Rose finally looked up. Her eyes widened, surprise flaring within them before she smiled and fuck me did that smile do things to me. "Matt," she said. Hearing her say my name always made my heart stutter and I'd made it my own personal mission to get her to one day say my full name.

"Hi beautiful," I said. I knew I was laying it on a bit thick but I wasn't ashamed to admit I was a territorial guy and I needed her new study buddy to know she was mine.

Her smile widened and then her eyes fell to the plate of food in my hand. "I brought you lunch," I told her, my own gaze flickering down to the dish in front of her with some bites taken out of it. My brows raised. "You already got something?"