Slow It Down

Part 6 •REWRITTEN•

Natalie blinked at him, then turned to me with a slow, knowing smirk. "Ohhh, so this is why you didn't answer."

"I hate you," I muttered, covering my face with my hands. My cheeks began to burn again.

She cackled, pulling out her phone. "Oh please, I'm just jealous. Where'd you find this one?" She pointed to Nate as if he wasn't even included in the conversation, and I playfully rolled my eyes at her.

"Nate," he smoothly chimed in, offering a small wave. Natalie glanced over at him, giving him a friendly smile of approval, before looking back at me, waiting for me to explain.

Before I could answer, the bell on the café door chimed, signaling a new wave of customers. A quick glance at my phone told me I had fifteen minutes before my next class.

"I should probably start heading back," I said, gathering my things. "I've got a business class next."

"I can walk you," Nate offered, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

I hesitated, feeling Natalie's elbow nudge me under the table. She wiggled her eyebrows in a way that was absolutely not subtle. I gave her a look, not able to fight the smile tugging on my lips.

My gaze turned back towards Nate. "Sure."

The walk back was easy, filled with light conversation and a few more of Nate's easy-going jokes that had me laughing more than I expected. Natalie walked with us, and I was shocked to see how easily the two of them got along. When I realized how charismatic they both were, it suddenly made sense. We all walked together until she had to go a different direction towards her next class. We said our goodbyes, promising to still meet after this class at the entrance of the campus, before Nate and I walked our own direction.

Luckily my class wasn't too deep into the building, and it didn't take long to reach. As we slowed to a stop in front of my next class, he hesitated. "I had a lot of fun," he cheerfully said. "Before I go—could I, uh, get your number?"

I barely held back my surprised inhale. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. I had never been asked for my number before. Not in this way.

I nodded my head in agreement. With slightly shaky fingers, I took his phone, typing in my number before handing it back. He glanced down, his smirk growing as he added a purple heart next to my name.

I blinked. "Wow. You've got all the tricks, huh?"

He winked. "You have no idea."

The second bell rang, pulling me back to reality. "I have to go," I said quickly, stepping back.

"Yeah, yeah," he teased. "See you around, Lilah." He offered a small wave.

As he turned to leave, I let out a slow breath, trying to process what just happened. Maybe this fresh start wouldn't be so bad after all.

Or so I thought.

With one last glance at Nate's retreating figure, I exhaled sharply and turned toward my classroom. Whatever lingering warmth I felt from lunch quickly faded as soon as I began to walk forward. The moment I stepped into the classroom, I felt the weight of nerves settling in my stomach.

Business marketing. The class I was looking forward to the least. Not because I hated the subject—though I wasn't exactly thrilled about it—but because it meant speaking in front of people, engaging in group work, and worst of all, standing out.

The seats were already filling, students chattering as they settled in, and I quickly slipped into a spot near the windows. I was about to pull out my notebook when the door opened, and a hush fell over the room.