Twisted Fates

the start of a semester

I woke up the next morning still annoyed, Noah's smug face and our argument playing on a loop in my head. I groaned, pulling the covers over my head in an attempt to push him out of my mind. It didn't work.

Deciding that coffee would fix at least half my problems, I grabbed my bag and headed to the café near campus. The air was crisp, a reminder that fall was finally here, and I let myself enjoy the walk, promising that today would be better than last night.

But as I stepped into the café, Noah was the last thing on my mind. Ethan was working behind the counter. Ethan, the guy I'd been secretly crushing on for the past few months. His easy smile and slightly tousled brown hair made him look like he belonged in some indie movie, not serving lattes at a campus café.

I suddenly felt self-conscious about my outfit—a hoodie and leggings—but I pushed the thought aside. It's not like I planned to run into him.

"Hey, Sofia," Ethan said when I reached the counter, his smile widening.

"Hi," I managed, my voice embarrassingly soft. "How's it going?"

"Not bad. Just surviving the morning rush," he said, leaning on the counter like he had all the time in the world to talk to me. "What about you?"

"Oh, you know," I said, shrugging. "Just trying to make it through the day. Coffee helps."

He chuckled, and my heart fluttered. "It definitely does. What can I get for you?"

I ordered my usual, and as he prepared it, we kept talking—small, harmless jokes that had me smiling more than I should've. He even threw in an extra shot of espresso, saying, "On the house. You look like you need it."

Was it flirting? It felt like flirting.

By the time I grabbed my coffee, I was on cloud nine, my irritation from last night completely forgotten. But as I turned to leave, I collided with a solid wall—or at least it felt like one. My coffee spilled forward, splashing onto someone's shirt.

"Seriously?" a familiar voice growled.

I looked up, horrified, only to see Noah glaring down at me, his once-clean shirt now covered in my coffee.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered under my breath.

"You really can't go a day without making my life harder, can you?" Noah said, his tone dripping with annoyance.

"Oh, please," I snapped, my good mood evaporating. "Maybe if you watched where you were going, this wouldn't have happened."

"I should watch where I'm going?" he said, incredulous. "You're the one walking around with a coffee like you've got no sense of balance."

"Well, maybe if your dad didn't own half of New York, I'd feel more confident throwing hands right now," I shot back.

Noah blinked, stunned for a moment, and then he smirked. "Wow. Classy as always, Sofia."

I rolled my eyes and pushed past him, not even bothering to apologize. My frustration boiled over as I stomped out of the café, ranting under my breath about how much easier my life would be if Noah didn't exist.

The rest of my day wasn't much better. I met up with my study group after class, and while the session was productive, I couldn't shake the lingering irritation from my run-in with Noah. By the time I got home, I was ready to collapse.

But just as I was settling in, my phone buzzed with a text from Ethan.

Ethan: Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to study together tonight? I could come over if that's cool.

I stared at the screen, my heart skipping a beat. Ethan, in my apartment? I didn't even think twice before replying.

Me: Sure! Come by anytime.

An hour later, Ethan was sitting on my couch, books and notes spread out on the coffee table. I tried to focus on studying, but it was hard with him so close, his voice soft and his laugh easy.

We were in the middle of reviewing a problem when a loud knock interrupted us.

"Who the hell..." I muttered, getting up to answer the door.

I opened it to find Noah standing there, his expression unreadable.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

He crossed his arms, leaning casually against the doorframe. "The walls are thin, Sofia. I can hear you flirting with him from my apartment."

My jaw dropped. "Are you serious right now? That's what you came here to tell me?"

Noah shrugged, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Just thought you should know."

"Unbelievable," I muttered, shaking my head.

Ethan appeared behind me, looking between us. "Uh, I think I should head out. It's getting late anyway."

"No, Ethan, you don't have to—"

"It's fine," he said with a small smile, grabbing his bag. "I'll see you around."

I watched him leave, frustration bubbling in my chest as I turned back to Noah.

"This is why no one likes you," I said, my voice cold.

His smirk faltered for a second before he recovered. "You're welcome for the heads-up."

I laughed sarcastically, slamming the door in his face without another word. My hands trembled as I leaned against the door, trying to calm myself down. Noah was infuriating—always had been, always would be.

And yet, as I crawled into bed that night, I couldn't stop thinking about him.