I was not thinking about Julius Sterling
Not his smirk. Not his rolled-up sleeves. Not the way he looked at me like I was something to be studied and teased in equal measure.
Nope. Not thinking about any of it.
Which is exactly why I was staring blankly at my open textbook in the girls' hostel common room, rereading the same line over and over while my brain betrayed me.
"I hope you keep getting stuck with me."
Ugh.
I slammed the book shut harder than necessary, earning a curious glance from my roommate across the room.Ava raised a brow but said nothing, clearly used to my dramatics by now. I gave her a tight smile and turned away, feeling my cheeks heat.
Why did that boy get under my skin so fast? There was something about Julius that was… too much. Too polished. Too confident. The type of guy who knew exactly how to spin words, wear charm like cologne, and walk away without a scratch.
And me? I was a scholarship girl just trying to survive in a school where designer shoes cost more than my entire year's tuition. I didn't have time for golden boys with flirtatious smiles and cheekbones sculpted by the gods.
But still.
He hadn't been what I expected.
He was smart. Witty. And when he said I was different—when he looked at me like that—I almost believed him.
"Earth to Elena," Ava called, snapping her fingers. "You've been zoning out since we got back. Did something happen?"
I hesitated. "Nothing dramatic."
She narrowed her eyes. "Which means definitely something."
I sighed and flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. "It's that Julius guy."
Ava grinned. "The rich one with the messy hair and criminally good looks?"
I groaned. "Please don't call his looks criminal. His ego is already illegal."
"What did he do? Trip you in the hallway? Confess undying love?"
"He talked to me."
Avablinked. "That's it?"
"No, he really talked to me. Like, smart banter and compliments and ugh—eye contact."
Ava laughed. "Wow. So, he was decent. That's new."
"It's not that he was decent," I muttered. "It's that I didn't hate it. And I should have."
Because boys like him never looked twice at girls like me. And if they did, it wasn't for anything real.
That night, I tried to push Julius out of my mind, but sleep was stubborn. My dreams were a weird mess of classroom lights, tilted grins, and the faint scent of citrus cologne. When I woke up, the first thing I did was groan into my pillow.
The next day, I made sure to arrive in class five minutes early.
Not because of him.
Definitely not.
I was just being punctual. That's all.
Of course, Julius strolled in two minutes later like he owned the air we breathed. His tie was even looser today, and his hair looked suspiciously better than it had any right to. He caught my eye and smiled—slow, deliberate, maddening.
"Good morning, partner," he said as he took his seat.
I muttered something noncommittal and pretended to adjust my pen.
"You look tired," he noted, leaning a little closer. "Late night?"
"None of your business."
He chuckled. "You're cute when you're defensive."
I turned to him, eyes narrowed. "You're annoying when you speak."
"Balance," he said with a wink. "It's what makes our friendship work."
I scoffed. "This is not a friendship."
"Right. I forgot. We're academic soulmates."
Before I could reply, Professor William walked in, and the class began. Thankfully, she paired us differently today—some cruel twist of fate finally undone. I tried to focus on the lecture, but Julius had left a thought lodged in my head like a song stuck on repeat.
Academic soulmates.
Ridiculous. Ridiculously catchy.
When class ended, I packed up my books and made a beeline for the door. But just as I stepped into the hallway, I felt someone fall into step beside me.
"You always walk this fast?" Julius asked.
"I walk fast when I'm trying to escape."
"Ouch," he said, mock-wounded. "You wound me, Elena."
"How do you even know my name?"
He smiled. "I make it a habit to know the names of interesting girls."
"And how many interesting girls are there?"
"Right now?" He paused. "Just one."
I stopped walking and turned to him. "Why are you talking to me?"
He blinked. "Because I want to?"
"That's not an answer."
He studied me for a second. "You're not like the others. You don't try to impress me. You don't care who my father is. You speak your mind."
"That's supposed to be rare?"
He shrugged. "In this school? Very."
I crossed my arms. "And that interests you?"
"Yes."
I stared at him, unsure what to say. Part of me wanted to believe him. Part of me didn't trust it.
"Look," he said, more serious now. "I'm not trying to mess with you, Elena. I just think you're… worth knowing."
The hallway felt too quiet all of a sudden. I looked away.
"I should get to the library," I mumbled.
"Mind if I walk with you?"
I glanced at him. "Do I have a choice?"
"Nope."
So we walked—awkwardly at first. Then not so awkwardly. He asked about my favorite books, and I rolled my eyes when he confessed he hadn't finished a single one in the curriculum but had read five mystery thrillers on his own.
"I like surprises," he said. "And finding out who did it."
I smirked. "So, you read books backwards too?"
"Only when I can't stand the suspense."
When we reached the library, he didn't follow me in. He stopped at the door.
"Thanks for letting me walk with you," he said.
"I didn't."
He grinned. "Still. Thanks."
I watched him walk away, and for a second, something fluttered in my chest. Not butterflies. More like… a soft tremor.
That was the problem with golden boys. They made you feel things you didn't want to feel. And they were always good at pretending they meant it—until they didn't.
But Julius didn't feel like he was pretending.
And that scared me more than anything else.