With Love, Étienne | ✓

Chapter Ten

"Clever," I noted with an impish grin. I dumped all of my books on the table and released a tired sigh. There was so much work that I needed to complete in a short amount of time but I didn't have the energy to do any of it. So, I glanced around the library instead - hoping that seeing others study would motivate me to do it. Louella's pen was scribbling furiously across her page and every few seconds, she'd glance back up at her laptop screen where her lecture notes were displayed.

"Why don't you print them out?" I leaned closer to whisper to her. Startled, she blinked at the sudden question and shrugged her shoulders.

"I learn faster when it's in my own writing. That, and I'm using this as a method to procrastinate longer so I don't have to do actual work," she confessed.

"Ah, I see," I hummed and bit down on my lip to hold back the large smile that always threatened to surface when she was around.

"Come on, do some work," she pointed her pen at me, "Don't tell me you came here just sit and stare out the window?"

"What if I say I came to keep you company?" I asked with a suggestive smirk and Louella rolled her eyes but even she let her grin loose. She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and shook her head in disbelief at the cheesiness of my lines. I muffled laugh and held my hands up in defense and gestured to the pile of notes and books in front of me as proof that I was going to work.

"Good," Louella murmured under her breath, "Remember, you need to pass so we can head into the second semester together."

"I won't fail you then," I assured her and nudged her shoulder, "I can't not have my lecture-buddy with me next semester. I'll die of boredom."

Louella elbowed my side and I loved seeing the joy and humor on her face. It was like a small daisy peeking out in the middle of a thunderstorm and it made me happy that I was the one who had elicited that kind of response out of her. She raised an eyebrow at me and gestured towards the work in front of me when I got lost in her eyes and I sighed at the thought of actually having to concentrate. How was I supposed to do that when she was sitting right there?

She hated her eyes. I remembered she would always tell me that they were ugly and boring; that there was nothing captivating about them. She wanted blue or green eyes - the kind that stood out at a first glance. But I loved them. I loved how they would turn a rich, golden honey under the sun. I loved how they reminded me of soft caramel and made my insides feel warm. I loved how they would shine brighter than any city and I saw forever in them where she didn't. But most importantly, they weren't just brown eyes, they were her brown eyes.

Her phone buzzed on the table and she peeked a quick glance at it before picking it up and typing out a quick response. Even though curiosity burned at me, I didn't move my head a single inch but noted how she clicked the screen off and laid it back down next to her.

A comfortable silence passed between us. Slowly, I became engrossed in my studies and I blocked out everything around me. I wasn't sure how much time had passed while I was looking over notes, completing the assigned reading and starting the research for a few of my assignments. For once, I was becoming on top of my work instead of behind and it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders.

The peaceful stillness didn't last as long as I had hoped and when a dark shadow loomed over the table, we both glanced up. A frown knitted between my brows and I didn't recognize the guy standing there. He was short with green eyes and wavy blonde hair that suited his angular face. He was bundled up in a black hoodie and a red bag slung over his shoulder and he had a friendly expression on his face while he lifted a hand to wave at us. I blinked in rapid succession and bewilderment clouded my features at who he was.