I loved Killian. As if a dam had finally broken, the feeling consumed my thoughts as I climbed into my car and rushed to school. In love. Me. Wow.
How the hell did I not notice that?
Then again, I never had been, so there was that.
I stood at the entrance of the science building, shifting my weight from one foot to another. I'd chosen this very spot for two reasons. One, he'd have to pass here to walk to his car, and two, I stood higher than the other students, which hopefully would make it easier to spot him.
Rocking on my heels, I combed my fingers through my hair and stole a quick glance at my reflection in the long glass front. Did I look okay?
Argh. I had to stop fixating on how I looked.
Yeah, as if I'd ever. Wait. What was I even going to say?
Shit. With all my planning I hadn't thought about what to actually say to him.
How the hell did you talk to someone you loved but dumped? I couldn't just stop him and stare, right? Or...could I?
No. That was dumb. God, our conversation hadn't even started, and I was already making a fool out of myself.
Words. I needed words.
Hey, Killian, let's make up. Let's go back to before I left you hanging in the worst moment possible and dumped you.
Okay, maybe not like that.
Hey, Killian, I know I sort of dumped you last month, but I finally realized that I love you. Hooray.
Ugh. That was even worse. Perhaps I should simply tell him that I wanted to talk if he was up for it. But even if he wasn't, I should still make sure he listened. Yes, I should inform him that we needed to have a conversation.
Or was I coming on too strongly?
Fucking hell.
I was completely out of my element. When had I ever approached a guy? Never. I was usually a bit passive. But I couldn't give up. Not this time.
Okay, force Killian to talk, good plan.
The feeling of standing at the edge of a cliff surged through me. Time seemed to stretch, every second feeling like an hour. Yet at the same time, time seemed to fly. Another look at my phone confirmed that he had to be here any second—if I hadn't missed him already.
Shit, what if I missed him?
No. Focus.
As students began spilling into the open plaza, I stood on my tiptoes, grateful that I had chosen a higher spot to wait.
And there he was. Despite the baseball cap he had pulled low over his face, I could easily pick out his large frame among the crowd. However, my calculations were off. Instead of heading towards the parking lot as I had anticipated, he turned right and strode towards a different building, moving away from me.
Shit. I hadn't forced—uh, cornered—him yet.
I pounded down the steps and chased after him. More and more students spilled into the yard, making it harder for me to follow. Just when I squeezed past another group, I came face-to-face with Jared, Chris, and Jessica, surrounded by their usual group of friends.
Of course, this was my luck. Just great.
"Hey, Taylor!" Jess greeted me with a fake smile. "Haven't seen you in a while."
"Yeah," I replied curtly. "Things happened. Gotta go."
I attempted to move around them, but she blocked my way, apparently determined to play out whatever skit she came up with this time. "What's the rush?" she asked. "I heard you had some health issues."
Oh, for the love of... I fixed her with a hard stare, not even trying to hide my annoyance. "I don't give a flying shit what you've heard, Jess. I know your life must be incredibly boring to be so invested in others, but unlike you, I'm busy. So get the hell out of my way, or I'll make you."
"The fuck?" Chris interjected, puffing his chest. "I didn't know you were like this."
Oh, please... I glanced at the sky before directing my glare at him. "And I didn't know you were a lying, cheating ass when I first met you either. Yet, here we are. So, how about you two screw over someone else, or better yet each other, so we can all go about our day."
Their mouths dropped, stunned into silence. Jared gazed at me with a mix of awe and surprise. Whatever. I had to keep moving.
"Are you out of your mind?" Chris hissed.
"I don't care. You two are a waste of space, standing in my way, and this whole conversation is a waste of my time. So, have a horrible day. Or a nice one. I don't give a crap."
Chris flushed red and was about to reach for me when Drew stepped up, clamping his hand down on his shoulder. He gave me a nod and a small smile.
I side-stepped and disappeared into the groups of students. I managed to put about five yards between us before a hand snatched my wrist, forcefully pulling me back.
"Tay," Jared said, his face pinched. "Did something happen?"
"No," I replied, wrenching my hand out of his grasp. "I'm sorry, I don't have time for this."
"Tay, wait. Are you okay? We're friends. You can—"
"No," I repeated, really annoyed now. Last time he'd basically ignored me, but now he wanted to be friends again? "We're not friends. We're not anything. I don't want to be your friend. So, stay out of my business."
I whirled around, craning my neck, and for a moment, I panicked. Then I saw Killian enter the psychology building, heading for the stairs.
Leaving Jared behind, I hurried my steps and entered the first floor just to realize Killian was gone. Two long corridors stretched away from me and one small one, leading deeper into the building. If he had taken the long way I should've been able to catch a glimpse of him. I quickly took the small one, turned the corner, and ran straight into—
Killian.
I stumbled backward, my breath hitching in my throat. With his arms crossed, he leaned against the wall as—as if he'd been waiting for me.
I stared at him, feeling my already racing pulse speed up even more and my limbs twitching with restless energy. Being this close to him felt like being hit with a sugar high after weeks of deprivation.
He looked even more tired than the last time I saw him but strangely bulkier as well. A hint of stubble lined his jaw, giving him a fiercer look than usual, especially with that dark green baseball cap and black hoodie. His eyes zeroed in on me, unreadable as always, and I could swear they felt like a spotlight, illuminating every hidden corner of my being.
Okay, breathe. Start with words.
I had to say something.
My mouth opened to speak and I—hiccuped. Hiccuped!
Killian's face twitched, a flicker of emotion dancing across his countenance. However, in the blink of an eye, his features morphed back to a blank mask.
He arched a brow when I remained silent. He was so close yet somehow there was a distance between us. Ugh. I had to say something.
Holding my breath, I said in a curt tone, "We need to talk."
"Do we now?" Killian drawled.
"Y-yes," I stammered, trying to suppress the surge of pressure building in my chest. "R-right now."
"Now's a bad time," he replied.
Another involuntary hiccup bubbled up as I winced at his words. I pressed my lips together, trying to hide the hurt that welled up inside me. Did that mean I was too late?
I glanced over the wall as if the answer would magically appear there. My eyes found his again.
"I don't care—" A small hiccup interrupted my words, causing a momentary pause. Heat spread over my cheeks, but I forced myself to continue, "We're going to talk."
He flattened his lips, his jaw trembling. "About what?"
"A-about us."
"Us?" Killian echoed, arching his brows. "I thought there is no us."
I couldn't help two more hiccups that escaped my lips. He didn't want to talk. He was over it. I didn't think I'd ever recover all the pieces of myself if he tossed me aside. But maybe that realization had come too late.
"You're still going to listen," I said, but my determination was crumbling. The hiccuping didn't help either. Things never worked out for me.
A flash of annoyance crossed Killian's face as Jared's voice sounded from behind my back, calling my name.
Please. I didn't want to deal with him. Preferably not ever but especially not now. I thought I'd made myself crystal clear. Why the hell did Jared never listen?
I blinked at my feet, swallowing down the lump rising in my throat. Damn it. I had to pull myself together.
Footsteps drew closer. I had to say something, but Killian's behavior—albeit not unexpected—had thrown me off my game. The barrier between us was almost tangible.
Killian flicked his gaze over my head, a storm brewing in his eyes.
"You," Jared said. "Why is it always—"
"Anderson," Killian interrupted him in a deadly quiet voice. "This is my last and only warning. Leave my girl the fuck alone."
My mind went blank, trying and failing to process what I had just heard. Had he just said...? No. Maybe I misheard? Jared said something else but it all sounded like white noise as I stood there, mouth slightly agape, feeling my heart pounding in my chest.
One moment I was standing there, the next Killian crushed me against his chest in a tight grip that pushed the air out of my lungs. I didn't complain though. Because he was touching me, holding me, and his scent was everywhere... He felt so good it made me dizzy. I dug my hands into his back, just in case he'd change his mind. Nothing could move me away from this spot. Nothing, except...
Somebody cleared their throat loudly. "Mr. Prescott," an unfamiliar voice said. "I believe you have an exam to attend."
What? Oh. Oh. This was actually a bad time. It was good that my face was hidden in Killian's chest because I had to resemble an overripe tomato by now.
I spoke the words anyways, muffled by his hoodie. "You should go."
"Five minutes," Killian demanded, not loosening his arms one bit. Which was fine by me, because I was not ready to let go of him just yet. Or ever.
"I can't postpone a test, Mr. Prescott, just so that you can finish—"
"I know you need an assistant for next week's event. I'll help out for free."
Silence.
"No, I-I can't do that. The exam will start on time—"
"Plus the other two next month. And I'll help with sorting through the papers for the seminar. Five minutes."
"Deal," what I could only assume was his professor, replied in a much more chipper tone. "But not a second later."
A door closed.
"One hour, Princess," Killian whispered into my ear. "Can you wait until then?"
No, but I supposed I had to. "Your exam is only one hour?" I mumbled into his chest.
"No. But that's all I need."
"But—"
"Tay," he growled. "Don't fight me on this. One hour. Promise me, you'll wait."
I nodded, not trusting my voice. After over a month of not seeing each other, one hour was easy. Before Killian could step away, I hugged him harder, squeezing his waist with all my strength, and he let out a muffled grunt.
I could do one hour.