The Allure of Love

Chapter 7

As the car chewed up the final miles towards Central State's brick entrance gates, Anastasia felt her stomach twist into anxious knots. The stately oak trees lining the main boulevard looked just as she remembered from her undergrad days, their viridian canopies forming a kaleidoscopic tunnel over the roadway. Each glimpse of those sun-dappled paths and academic buildings she had practically lived in for four years sent a fresh pang of memories - some golden and wistful, others complicated by melancholy - coursing through her.

"You know, this campus is actually halfway decent as far as aesthetics go," Jack commented in a tone of faint surprise beside her as he navigated the winding streets. He had begrudgingly agreed to be her relatively unenthused plus-one for the reunion weekend festivities after much cajoling on Anastasia's part. "Not some bland concrete tundra like I was expecting from your stories."

"CSU may not have the most renowned brand recognition, but the grounds more than make up for it," Anastasia agreed, feeling a nostalgic swell of pride for her alma mater as they passed the manicured lawns and flowering arboretums. "Wait until I take you on a proper daytime stroll and you see the English gardens and that little hidden creek that cuts back through the woods..."

"If you say so, babe." Jack shot her an amused sidelong glance as he pulled into the parking lot for the alumni check-in event. "But I'm a little curious to see if this place can really live up to your epic legacy that you've built it up to be."

Anastasia swatted his arm as they exited the car, shouldering her overnight bag as the warm breezes and distant lilting echoes of the crowd ushered them towards the welcome tent. She could feel her pulse beginning to quicken in anticipation of who might be the first familiar face to greet her from the past. As they approached the registration queue, Jack laced his fingers through hers and gave her knuckles an affectionate squeeze - perhaps sensing her nervousness after all.

"Don't worry, I'll be on my best big-campus behavior," he murmured close to her ear with that signature rakish grin. "Promise not to completely embarrass your beloved alumni community right out of the gate."

Anastasia had to laugh at that, giving his hand a grateful reciprocal squeeze as they waited their turn. Part of her jittery energy stemmed from a nagging sense of uncertainty over introducing Jack to the world she had inhabited for those four formative years. Would he find CSU hopelessly provincial and quaint through his jet-setting lens? Or would he be able to immerse himself fully in the convivial school spirit? More importantly, how would he react if they happened to cross paths with any familiar faces from her past...including Chris?

The thought of seeing Chris in his old stomping grounds after over the year since that anguished final parting caused a ripple of melancholy. Though she had never been able to muster much more than the perfunctory social media well-wishes on his wall each year over the holidays, he still occupied a tender place in her heart. A part of her would always care for him, possibly love him deep down in that forever unspoken way between forever friends. But after everything they had endured, she wasn't sure how to even begin rebuilding a bridge of camaraderie.

Would it be easier to act like pleasant strangers, rebounding off of old surface-level anecdotes about their glory days of beer pong and all-nighters at the library? Or would Anastasia have to confront the full force of her guilt over decimating his heart at the expense of following her own? A sharp pang pricked behind her breastbone at the thought of Chris's warm caramel eyes glimmering with persisting hurt or resent - no, she couldn't let herself go there.

Fortunately, the first friendly faces to greet them at check-in were far removed from Anastasia's inner circle. A trio of sorority sisters she had vaguely remembered giggling down the hallways of their freshman dorms and across the dining hall oohed and aahed over her introduction of Jack with appropriately admiring enthusiasm. After a few polite pleasantries and catching up on job titles and marriages, the women were quick to gush over Jack's dashing looks and pose for selfies together.

"Oh my god, Annie, you landed such a major hunk," giggled Shayla, one of the more rambunctious blondes as she scrutinized Jack from head to toe. "That bone structure? Those baby blues? He needs to be signed for, like, a detergent commercial or something immediately."

Jack basked in their effusive praise like a preening peacock, flashing that magnetic grin that had first hooked Anastasia all those months ago. She had to laugh watching him soak up the admiration and cheesy cougar antics, giving him an affectionate nudge.

"Don't get too inflated with all this alumni ego stroking now. We've still got a whole weekend for you to impress," she teased as they headed towards the quad.

As if on cue, a jovial male voice resounded across the grassy esplanade, causing Anastasia's heart to skip a beat: "Well, I'll be damned! Is that little Anastasia all grown up and finally gracing us mere peasants with her royal presence again?"

Slowly, a wide smile bloomed across Anastasia's face as she whirled towards the unmistakable timbre, eyes drinking in the familiar forms of her closest childhood friend, Sam, and his lacrosse teammate Josh ambling across the emerald lawn towards them.

"You asshole!" She laughed as she dashed over to Sam's outstretched arms, breathing in his comforting, musky cologne as the two friends embraced in a tight bear hug. A wave of fondness crested in her chest - Samuel Henderson