Chapter Text
The crisp autumn air did nothing to soothe the nervous energy buzzing beneath Mel's skin as she hurried down the cracked sidewalk. Every uneven slab of concrete seemed determined to trip her before she reached campus.
She glanced at her watch. The second hand ticked steadily onward.
Her first lecture didn't start for another twenty-five minutes, but she'd left extra early to account for any potential disaster. Although she had walked the route several days earlier to calculate exactly how long it would take, and had even sent her advisor a late-night panic email confirming that the class was still being held in Room 208A of the Miller Building at 8:30 a.m., none of it quieted her racing thoughts.
Her mind insisted on imagining every possible scenario. She could get lost. The room number could have changed. The professor might lock the door if she arrived thirty seconds late. And the idea of having to find a seat while she had a million beady eyes watching her made her hands clammy. Somehow, despite all evidence to the contrary, she was convinced everything would go wrong.
By the time she reached the next intersection, her head felt fuzzy and her vision blurred around the edges. Her pulse hammered in her ears.
A car horn blared.
A warm hand grabbed her arm.
The world snapped back into focus.
An angry driver leaned out the window of a lifted truck, shouting something she couldn't quite process. All Mel could focus on were the blue eyes staring down at her. Sunlight caught flecks of amber hidden within them.
Concern filled those eyes.
"Are you alright?"
It took a moment for Mel to realize the question was directed at her.
She blinked and finally took stock of her surroundings.
A dark-haired stranger stood beside her, one hand cupping her elbow while the other rested lightly against her waist to steady her. The curb sat only a few feet away. Judging by the frustrated drivers and lingering horns, she had apparently wandered into the street without noticing.
Heat flooded her face.
"I…uh…I'm fine," she squeaked.
The words came out much higher than she intended.
Great.
She would absolutely be replaying that in her mind at three in the morning instead of sleeping.
The stranger seemed relieved by her answer. His expression softened, and he guided her back onto the sidewalk before stepping away.
"You sure?" he asked.
Mel nodded quickly.
"Yeah. Sorry. Just distracted."
The stranger unscrewed the cap of his plastic water bottle and offered it to her.
She hesitated. Years of cautionary stories about college students getting roofied flooded her subconscious.
"Thanks, but I'm okay."
He accepted the refusal without offense.
An awkward silence settled between them.
Her phone buzzed.
Twenty minutes until class.
Panic immediately returned.
"Shit."
The word slipped out before she could stop it.
"I have to get to class."
The stranger's lips twitched, as though he were trying not to smile.
Mel hurriedly adjusted her backpack and smoothed down her jacket.
"Thank you. For, you know... saving me from becoming roadkill."
That earned a small laugh.
"Anytime."
Her face somehow grew even warmer.
After checking both directions twice, she crossed the street. Once she reached the other side, she glanced back.
The stranger was gone.
For some reason, that disappointed her more than it should have.