Knox's Girl (Carmichael Series #1)✔️

Harsh Words

**Edited**

Poppy's POV

I woke with a start, skidding my chair back about a foot while gasping. My brain worked quickly to register my surroundings, my heart ceasing its pounding only after realizing I was still in the same coffee shop, but I'd just been shaken awake. I jumped once more when the sight of someone standing right next to me caught me off guard. I wasn't normally that jumpy, but I was still half-asleep.

He had to have been the one who jostled me awake, but why? I crossed my arms over my chest, using my body language to portray my distrust while regarding him with cautious eyes. We stared at each other for a few seconds before I deemed him safe. I harshly rubbed the sleep from my eyes while scolding myself for allowing my guard down.

How long had I been asleep for? I gave myself a little slack seeing as I was up late the night before completing a heap of odd assignments that I'd procrastinated until last minute. I still had a long list of things that needed to be done, and now this unexpected nap was probably going to put me behind in my schoolwork yet again. Ever since my confession of love, Knox and I have been absolutely inseparable and I would be lying if I said it wasn't taking a slight toll on my productivity where my classes were concerned.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but I just overheard the manager say she was going to kick you out in fifteen minutes if you weren't awake by then. They have a really strict no loitering policy," he murmured with a sympathetic smile. I blinked twice, my sluggish brain processing what he was saying at a snail's pace. I blew out a breath of air through my lips, resulting in a quiet raspberry noise.

"No, it's alright. Thank you so much for waking me up. Besides being almost kicked out, I also have quite a bit of work to get done and taking a nap isn't going to help me out at all. Can I ask, how long was I out for?" I inquired, curious how much time I'd wasted.

"Just about an hour or so. Nothing too horrendous," he assured me. I sighed in relief. Alright. An hour isn't so bad, I can make up for lost time if I buckle down. "Thanks again," I murmured, giving him a grateful smile. I studied his face for a few seconds, trying to decide if I'd seen him around campus before. I came up short and opted to scoot my chair back to the table, placing my hands on my computer keyboard.

"Can I sit here?" he abruptly asked, pointing to the chair directly across from me at the small table. Hope blossomed in my chest almost immediately. Did he want to hang out with me? Could I finally make a friend other than Kiara? I smiled and nodded enthusiastically, taking my time to really take in his features as he sat.

He was decently good looking with deep brown hair that was styled into a neat quaff and a clean-shaven face. His eyebrows were perfectly plucked and I envied his thick eyelashes. He was definitely the "pretty boy" type that Kiara usually went after. It's too bad she was taken now or I would try to hook her up.

I had to laugh at myself because a month ago I would've probably blushed like crazy if a guy this good-looking even glanced my way. Now, though, his looks and charming smiles did nothing for me. No one could invoke the same fire-burning, all-consuming feeling inside of me that Knox does. He's ruined me for any man that isn't him. I wasn't complaining, though. On the contrary - I was lucky to have the opportunity to be with a man that made me feel such intense things.

"So, what's a pretty girl like yourself doing sleeping in a cafe at half past seven on a Thursday?" he asked.

"It might be hard to believe, but some of us choose not to participate in the usual "Thirsty Thursday" festivities," I joked, "it's shocking, I know," I finished with a giggle.