you were
beautiful and rare
and i was entranced
by you - unknown
Alex's POV:
I watch as the quiet brunette is dragged away from me by the annoyed block of pure muscle next to her with a steel grip on her arm. His head is bent down towards her and he's whispering something in her ear I can't hear it but it doesn't seem pleasant because Harper's shoulders drop. I don't know what it is about this girl. I shouldn't care, I shouldn't have sat by her today or even told her my name last night. But something about her just makes me want- No, need to be near her, there are these little moments where I see a smile peeking out of her full peachy lips or when she'd scoot a little closer only to retreat a bit further away than before.
I realize I've been standing in the same spot just staring into the distance for a while now which startles me out of place as I force my limbs to carry me back to my apartment. I couldn't afford rent by myself so I clicked on the first roommate ad I saw and got the room. The apartments not in a bad area and it seems pretty nice so I'm happy with it.
The first thing I notice when I step into the living room is the collection of old band posters plastered to the wall above a dark grey couch with the guy I'm assuming is my roommate sitting on it. The guy looks pretty cool to be honest, he's got bright red hair with a pair of light blue eyes to match.
"Oh my god you must be my new roommate!" The guy jumps out of bed running towards me. "I'm Oakley but you can call me Oak, you must be Alex" he reaches his hand out to shake mine, and I return the gesture.
"Yeah, nice to meet you too man"
"I'm so happy you're you and not one of those other ones, I've heard they're kinda.... annoying.." he lets out with a relieved sigh a light chuckle escapes my lips.
"Well you just met me maybe I'm just quietly annoying."
"At least you'd be fun. Anyway tell me about yourself. Where are you from? What do you like to do? You know?" Well someone's enthusiastic
"Um I'm from Wyoming... I like.. I don't really know I don't really have hobbies." He shoots me a bored expression
"Seriously that's all you got?" All I can offer is a shrug back "Fine fine well I'm from Cali but came here for school obviously, I like music if you can't tell. Good music none of that half assed shit."
"Yeah I mean I don't listen to much but music's good"
"Anyway have you met anyone else around campus yet?" The first name that comes to mind is Harper.
"well uh I mean a few people"
"Who?" he asks this with a slight arch of one brow
"This girl her names Harper we have the same philosophy class." His brows rise above his hair line at this.
"You mean Harper Reese? Like Jackson's Harper Reese?"
"Uh yeah I guess"
"And you talked to her?"
"Well yes"
"Damn that man has the tightest leash on that girl." Hearing him confirm what I already knew makes my jaw clench and my hands form into fists.
"What do you mean "tight leash"?" There's almost a growl in my voice but I can't help it.
"She's ALWAYS with him, glued to his side" I relax a bit. It's probably nothing that bad then right?
After I talk a bit more with Oak and unpack some of my stuff I end up walking around campus exploring a bit when I see a small coffee shop. The big red sign above the door reads "rise n' shine" it looks cute and I see a hiring sign out front which seems like fate because I need a job anyway. I walk in and little bells at the top of the door ring but no one seems to hear, being too immersed in their own conversations and work. Making my way up to the counter I ask for an application and the guy at the register disappears into the door behind him. Soon he returns with an older looking woman.
"You're hired." My jaw drops.
"What?"
"You're hired. You get the job." She ends up explaining that they're so short staffed she doesn't care who she hires at this point. "Reese gets over here to train the new guy" She yells to the kitchen area.
"Hey! It's you" I hear the sweet voice and immediately know the owner and I'm not surprised to see Harper looking up at me. Something's different than before, she looks tired and there's a layer of heavy makeup cover her face. Not only that but the black turtleneck she's wear doesn't fit the weather at all it's in the mid 80s.
"Hey I uh I didn't know you worked here" I wouldn't have walked in if I had known.
"Oh yeah it's pretty easy work pays well." She explains smiling lightly up at me, and begins to walk back towards the kitchen area, I follow her as she begins to point things out to me.
"And to mix the Chai you just use this one and then-"
"What happened?" I ask breaking her focus as she's going through her explanation. Her eyes find mine and for a second I see a flash of panic but Harper covers it quickly
"What do you mean?" She asks with a nervous laugh.
"I mean who hurt you because there's a bruise under that makeup and it's way too hot for a turtle neck" She looks taken aback.
"Oh um I fell in the shower earlier.. and I just like long sleeves" She wasn't wearing long sleeves earlier but I drop the subject not wanting to make her anymore uncomfortable.
I spend the next few hours avoiding any and all conversation with her and shit is agony, every time she barely skims my skin passing by or reaching for something I feel electricity ignite in my bones. By the time the shift is over I'm mentally exhausted. And by the time I'm in my dorm I'm passed out in bed.
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Sorry this chapter wasn't very Juicy!!
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How it happened
RomanceHarper has been with Jackson since freshman year of high School. Now shes a Junior in college and things between them have changed. She feels trapped and confused because she loves this man. Or loved who he was but Jackson isn't Jack anymore. He's n...
