Consequences of Attraction

4

𝒦𝒶𝓈𝓈𝒶𝓃𝒹𝓇𝒶

I now firmly believe that God has decided to make it his personal mission to complicate my life. What could I have possibly done wrong to deserve this? I used to attend church every Sunday, participated in communion, and was even baptized twice—just to be safe. Was it because I swore a little too much? Or because I haven't stepped foot in a church since college started? But today—today had to be the day God decided to test me. I didn't think I deserved such a cruel punishment. And yet, there he stood.

Mylo.

He was standing so close that anyone passing by would think we were sharing a moment. But nothing could be further from the truth. If there was one person on this planet I couldn't stand, it was Mylo Cooper—the bane of my existence, the boy who ruined my life all through high school.

I took a step back, putting distance between us, but it felt like no matter how far away I moved, the ghost of his presence clung to me. Mylo was supposed to be studying abroad. I had heard the news sophomore year and felt like the universe had finally thrown me a bone. But now, here he was, standing in front of me at a party I had no business attending, looking...different.

"Long time no see, Kassy." The sound of his voice was enough to make my stomach churn, but that nickname—the one he used to taunt me with—felt like nails on a chalkboard.

"Get lost, Mylo. I don't have time for your bullshit." I brushed past him, determined to find Sarah and get the hell out of there. But, of course, he grabbed my arm before I could make it two steps.

"Come on, Kass! It was just a joke." His grip was light, but the smugness in his voice made me want to slap the smirk off his face. I whipped around, prepared to tear him a new one, but when my eyes met his, I froze.

He had changed. A lot.

The geeky, awkward Mylo I remembered was gone. In his place was a leaner, more refined version of himself. His once pale skin was now bronzed, his shaggy brown hair was trimmed neatly, and his jawline—God, his jawline—looked sharp enough to cut glass. But it was his eyes, those deep blue eyes that once hid behind thick glasses, that caught me off guard. They were still the same, only now they held a strange intensity that sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine.

My gaze flicked away quickly, refusing to linger on how much Mylo had grown into himself. No, I couldn't let myself think that. Not after everything he'd done.

"I didn't laugh, Mylo," I spat out, "so your joke's a failure. Leave me alone."

I turned to walk away, but he was relentless, moving beside me as if we were friends. As if we shared some kind of inside joke.

"It wasn't supposed to make you mad, Kass. I just thought it'd be funny to see if you'd actually show up. You hate math, after all." He gave a half-laugh, clearly trying to make light of the situation. I kept walking, frantically scanning the crowd for Sarah. Where the hell did she go? I swear, if she's making out with some random guy right now, I'm never letting her drag me to another one of these again.

Mylo grabbed my elbow again, stopping me in my tracks. "Come on, don't be like that. I didn't know you'd take it this seriously." His tone was softer, almost apologetic, but I wasn't buying it.

"Let go of me," I warned, jerking my arm free. My voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried enough venom to stop him in his tracks. "Why are you even here, Mylo? Shouldn't you be off in some fantasy expo, cosplaying as a wizard?" I bit back a smirk, remembering how obsessed he used to be with all that stuff.

He laughed, clearly unaffected by my jab. "I transferred back. France wasn't what I expected." His eyes scanned the room, probably searching for an exit. He wasn't going to leave me alone that easily, though.