the fall | abel tesfaye

chapter two - the cafè

"I can't believe that just happened," Monique huffs as she begins to unpack her belongings in our actual room. I nod my head without saying a word, still furious about the way that rude boy treated me.

"Whatever. I just hope we don't have to see him again," I tell her.

After about an hour or so, I'm in desperate need of a coffee. I realised I haven't really eaten properly all day either.

"I'm going to head past the cafe," I announce. "Want anything?" Monique shakes her head, her eyes focused on her laptop in front of her. "I'm good, thanks though." 

Making my way down to the cafe, I take in the sights of the beautiful campus around me. The lawns are lush and green, and there are students swarmed everywhere, settling into their dorms and signing up to various clubs and sports teams.

I catch sight of the cafe ahead and sigh in relief when I see that it isn't too crowded inside. I don't think I can deal with any more rude people today.

When I enter, the room is warm and smells of roasted coffee beans and vanilla. The barista smiles warmly at me as I enter, his dark brown eyes friendly and welcoming. A nice change from Abel's cold, deathly glare.

"Hi there, what can I get for you?" He asks as I approach the counter. His name tag reads Ben.

"I'll have a soy mocha, please," I say quietly, feeling myself grow a little shy under his intense stare.

Ben smiles and taps my order into the computer. "Anything else?" He asks kindly. "I can vouch that we have the best white chocolate muffins on the whole campus." I laugh lightly and nod my head. "Sure, I'll try one."

After paying for my coffee and muffin, I move to sit over in a small booth closer to the back of the room. I pull out the book that I brought with me to pass the time while I wait for my coffee to be ready. 

The light chime of the door opening distracts me from the page of my book, and I look up, immediately regretting my decision.

No, surely not.

It's him.

He glides into the cafe surrounded by two other guys, without having noticed me yet, and they loudly order from the counter. I quickly try to bury myself back into my book, refusing to make eye contact with him and get his attention. As if on cue, I feel someone sliding into the booth next to me, and my stomach drops.

His heavily cologned scent fills my nostrils, and I notice my breathing begin to quicken. Without looking up from my book, I hear him huff.

"Well, look who it is," he says, his voice laced with arrogance. 

I look over to meet his gaze to find him smirking at me, spinning his phone on the table beside me.

"What do you want," I snap, confused as to why he had to come and sit next to me, when he is clearly here with company.

He chuckles at my tone and shifts closer to me, causing my breath to hitch in my throat.

"Such an attitude," he draws out the word. "I didn't even catch your name."

"Why do you care," I retort, snapping my book shut and placing it on the desk. "Didn't seem like you were very interested in my name when you were all up in my face back at the dorm rooms."

He raises an eyebrow at me, an amused look painted across his face. 

I am thankful for Ben interrupting us at the table, setting down my coffee and muffin in front of me.

"Enjoy," he says, ignoring Abel's presence next to me. "Tell me what you think after."

Giving me a few extra seconds to think of how to get out of this situation, I thank him and take a sip of my drink.

Abel's eyes follow my every move, and I feel my hands shaking lightly as I put down the coffee again. 

"Aren't your friends waiting for you," I raise my eyebrows in the direction of the two boys knocking arms and whispering to each other at the sight of Abel and me next to each other. 

He smirks in their direction and just shrugs. "They can wait. Besides, I'm not leaving until you tell me your name." He leans over to completely face me and plants a sly grin on his face. 

What? What happened to the rude, intimidating boy back at the dorm rooms? My mind swims with confusion. Although one thing is for sure, he is definitely not getting my name.

"It's none of your business," I tell him flatly, downing the rest of my coffee and taking a small bite from the muffin in front of me. "Besides, you were extremely rude to me, not even three hours ago, and I still haven't heard an apology."

He lowers his eyes and clears his throat. "Oh, I don't do apologies baby girl."

I shoot him a glare and put down the rest of my muffin. "Don't call me that."

"Well, if I don't know your name, I guess I can call you whatever I want," he responds cunningly.

This boy is going to be a problem, I can already tell. As if to confirm my thoughts, I feel his hand rest on my inner thigh, and I gasp. 

"W-What are you doing," I whisper. I watch him reach over and whisper in my ear, "You're going to be a good girl, aren't you?"

My chest heaves silently and I feel his body heat radiating next to me. His fingers trace light swirls on my thigh and my stomach spins. 

"The things I would do to you," He trails off, sliding his hand further up my thigh, making my head spin. "If you let me." He grins, knowing exactly what he is doing to me.

I stop him. What is going on?

I sigh and begin to stand, but I feel him grab my wrist.

"You can't leave just yet," Abel tells me, and I rip my arm from his grip. "We're only getting started here."

"You need to stop," I tell him. "I need to go. And I don't want your company anymore."

That sets him off.

"Wow, someone's an uptight little bitch, aren't they?" He spits. My mouth drops open. There's the boy I met three hours ago.

"Leave me alone," I demand,  reaching for my book. He's too quick for me, snatching it from my grip, and analyses the cover.

"Romeo and Juliet, huh," Abel trails off, avoiding my flying hands trying to snatch it back.

"Give it back!" I yell, trying not to cause a scene in the small cafe. He smirks and looks directly into my eyes now.

"Oh yeah? Sure, have it your way," he says. I sigh in relief, but my mouth drops as he instead grabs his cup of half-empty coffee and empties the contents onto the crisp, white pages of my favourite book. 

"No- " I breathe, unable to speak. I am frozen to the ground at the pure cruelty of this boy that I barely know. 

"Have your damn book," Abel growls, tossing the ruined mess on the table in front of me. He gets up abruptly and indicates to his friends that it's time to leave the cafe.

My chest heaves up and down as my mind struggles to process what just occurred.

This is going to be a real problem.