Page 61 of Only Fate

The Past

College

Essie is coming today.

I wipe a sweaty hand over my pants.

Why am I so nervous?

We’ve secretly hung out for months. But this time, we’ll be with her friends and River.

I already hear voices drifting from the dorm room when I reach it. I tuck a bag of Skittles into my pocket and walk inside.

Everyone stops and turns in my direction. My gaze immediately anchors on Essie. A rush of air escapes me as we stare at each other. Her eyes sparkle, and a smile twitches on her lips.

“Dude,” River says, interrupting our moment, “quit creepily staring at my sister.”

“Relax,” Essie tells River. “Iwasthe one doing the staring.”

“She’s right.” I wink at Essie. “She was doing all the creepy staring.”

“So, this is the roommate?” a dark-haired girl asks, eyeing me. She extends her arm toward me. “I’m Amelia.”

An introduction isn’t necessary.

I recognize Amelia from Essie’s Instagram and photos she’s shown me.

To not make that obvious, I still shake Amelia’s hand. “Adrian.”

Ava introduces herself next.

“You’re right,” the strawberry blonde beside Essie says, elbowing her. “He is cute.” She lifts her fingers in a wave. “I’m Callie.”

I return the wave and smile at Essie, whose cheeks are now red. “Oh, you said I was cute, huh?”

“It was my way of convincing them to visit River,” she explains. “Ava was adamant she didn’t want to hang out in his smelly dorm.”

River rolls his eyes. “Ava’s behavior has proven otherwise.”

Ava flips him off.

“Help me convince Essie we should all go to a frat party tonight,” Amelia says.

“I’d suggestnotgoing to a frat party tonight,” I say.

River nods in agreement. “Frat parties are lame.”

“Too bad.” Amelia crosses her arms. “We can’t go alone, so you two are chaperones.” She claps her hands. “We’ll be here at nine. Be ready.”

River scoffs. “Doubt Adrian will go.”

“Why’s that?” Callie asks.

River smirks at me. “He prefers to stay in every night, talking to his secret girlfriend.”

“The cute ones always have a girlfriend,” Ava mutters.

River mimics her in the background, and she springs across the room to push him back onto the bed. He drags her onto it as he falls.

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