CRAVE| 18+

two

OLESIA

I woke up the next morning with the sun streaming through my window. The room felt warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the chaos in my head. I stretched and glanced at my phone.

Giselle was gonna be here soon to pick me up for coffee.

I quickly got dressed and did my makeup. Putting on a dark blue jean mini skirt and a orange baby tee, the orange contrasting well against my freshly tanned skin. Brushing and running my hands through my hair seemed like enough for today. I already like the natural wave in it so I barely ever do something to my hair unless it's a special occasion.

I threw on some pink lip gloss and headed to the kitchen, hoping to grab a bite before Giselle arrived.

As I walked in, I found Liam already there, sipping from a steaming mug. He looked up and smiled, a slow, lazy grin that made my heart skip a beat.

"Good morning," he said, his voice smooth and warm.

"Morning," I replied, trying to sound casual as I grabbed a mug and poured myself some coffee. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, pretty well," he said, watching me intently. "You?"

"Not bad," I said, my voice a little shaky. "Just trying to get used to a new place, you know?"

He nodded, his gaze never leaving mine. "I get that. Moving can be stressful."

I took a sip of my coffee, the warmth doing little to calm the fluttering in my stomach. "Yeah, but it's nice to be closer to campus. And to see Theo more often."

"And me," he added with a teasing look in his eye.

I laughed softly, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, and you."

He laughs back and looks down. We stood there for a moment, the silence between us charged with unspoken words. Every time our eyes met, it felt like a spark of electricity.

"So," he said, leaning against the counter, his body angled towards me. "What are your plans for today?"

"Meeting my best friend for coffee," I replied, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. "She's picking me up soon."

"Sounds fun," he says, "I'm sure you'll have a lot to catch up on."

"Yeah, we always do," I said, trying to ignore the way his gaze made me feel.

"And then she'll help me finish unpacking."

"I could help with that too," he offered, his voice low and suggestive. "If you need it."

The way he looked at me made my pulse quicken. "Thanks, but I think Giselle and I can handle it."

He nodded, but the way he looked at me told me he wasn't just offering to help with unpacking.

"If you change your mind, you know where to find me." I couldn't help but notice how his voice dropped a little when he said that, making my skin tingle.

"I'll keep that in mind." I say back, trying to keep my voice steady.

Liam stepped a little closer, closing the gap between us just enough to make my knees quiver. "Have you checked out any good spots around here yet?"