Rowan's POV:

The word stupidity didn't do enough justice in describing how much of a scatterbrain I was.

I glanced toward the grey sky with a shake of my head, flexing my fingers and urging my shoulders to let go of the tension that lingered in them. I counted to three in my head before backtracking to one. With a breath, I inhaled the petrichor scent of the earth before exhaling the chaos of my thoughts.

I hadn't hit him.

I held on to the truth, as I stood still, willing the rivers of adrenaline coursing through me to calm down. Although I knew no harm had been done, my body had yet to catch up. My hands still trembled, preventing me from keeping a steady hold on my bag, while my heartbeat stampeded around in my chest.

Perhaps if I'd tried really hard, I could have been able to rid my memory of the interaction that had just happened. Yet as much peace that would have brought me, I found myself not wanting to forget entirely.

I couldn't believe I'd almost hit someone...an inhumanly gorgeous someone at that.

Although that was definitely beside the point.

With a frown, I leaned off of the wall I had paused at on the way to the health sciences wing. I'd needed a moment to clear my head. Especially after all that had gone down.

It was terrifying to think of how easy it could have been for something to go wrong. For me, to have hit him. I winced as I played the encounter back in my head, my footsteps leading me in the direction of the lecture halls ahead. Gosh, I needed to be more aware. I took a deep breath, my chest expanding but still not freed from the foreboding pressure of shame. My eyes roamed, taking in the orange mosaics of leaves on the trees and the earthy scent of fall that lingered in the air.

Yet, my attempt at a distraction was useless. Not when my mind only wanted to focus on one thing.

He'd been something else. Well-mannered, humorous, and blessed in the looks department.

Like really blessed.

Undeniably thick dark hair, flawless bronzed skin, and a sculpted jaw....yeah he definitely checked the boxes when it came to all things physical. His t-shirt had fit snuggly against broad shoulders, giving away the body of an athlete, his build accentuated by a tapered waist. Yet what had been so attractive about him hadn't been purely superficial either.

There was something about him...something that had been intense in the same way it was calming.

Maybe it had been his easy-going nature, which had tugged his suggestive lips into the most perfect grin, that was making me feel so strange. Or maybe it was the way that, paradoxically, he had seemed more concerned for me than he had for himself. I wasn't sure what it was. But what I did know was that the encounter would forever be engraved in my mind.

Along with the rest of him.

His smile.

His laugh.

His eyes.

The light had hit them perfectly, creating a gorgeous collage of green, amber, and something else I wasn't sure how to describe. Every step he took had been aired with ease, contrasting with the depth in his eyes.

It suddenly hit me that that could have been why he'd been so alluring.

Because he was the exact opposite of me.

Calm. Laidback. Worry less.

Don't even get me started about the way my name has rolled out of his mouth. My face had automatically gone hot then, in a way I hoped hadn't been noticeable. His voice had been teaming with surety, cradling the syllables as if the heavens themselves had crafted my name just for him to say.

What's in a name, people ask?

Well, obviously a lot. I don't care how much of an intellect, Shakespeare was. Even he couldn't change my mind.

My thoughts were jerked out of my head when my body lurched. A gasp left my mouth as my heart skipped a beat at the impending doom. Fortunately enough for me, after a fair amount of flailing around, I regained my balance before glancing down to see the jagged crack in the pavement I'd tripped over.

I let out a heavy breath, shaking my head with an amused laugh. That was until I glanced back up, my face ablaze as I took in the few bystanders who were shooting me a mix of concerned and perplexed looks.

Cheeks burning, I managed a tight smile before beginning to walk again.

I definitely was still a little off the rocker from the whole encounter.

Yet, even though being distracted had caused me to nearly faceplant just seconds earlier, the memory of Elijah and his apology had wrapped around my mind again. My eyes stayed on the ground as I thought about the expression that had been in his eyes. At first, he had seemed worried, but then there had also been understanding. I had expected him to be angry at almost being it, but he had been oddly forgiving.

Most people would have probably let me have it. But he hadn't. I bet he didn't even realize how much it meant to me.

The door to my lecture room was already open when I slipped inside, checking the time on seeing that the professor still wasn't there. Perfect.

Finally able to catch my breath and slow down for the first time that morning, I scanned the room for an empty seat. Triumph rose within me when I spotted the lone wolf in the middle of the auditorium. But my victory was short-lived, my breath catching as my eyes slipped to the seat beside it.

A seat that was occupied.

What were the odds?

My eyes widened, and I hesitated, scanning the room for any other possible empty seats. Of course, the odds weren't in my favor. They never were. My stomach dipped when I didn't find one, my nerves playing tag throughout my body.

Oh boy. This wasn't good. Not one bit.

I began to trod forward slowly, after realizing that my only options were to sit in the seat or keep standing at the front of the auditorium. I chose the latter since I was already drawing eyes. The attention made my skin prickle. With my gaze trained straight ahead, I continued to walk, my palms clammy as I gripped them into fists.

Lord give me strength.

Elijah continued to stare straight ahead as I approached, his chin propped on his palm, and his legs extended. His position showed off strong arms, his shirt doing wonders to show off the definition I'd been quick to take notice of earlier.

I couldn't help but notice that he sat as if he owned the seat, the ridiculously attractive and lazy smile from earlier still fitting his lips. His eyes were slightly unfocused as if although his body was present in his room, his mind wasn't. For a brief moment, I caught myself wondering what he was thinking about. But that was until I realized I only had seconds to figure out something to say when I made it over to make what was about to happen less awkward.

Holding my breath, I stepped over backpacks that were littering the aisle, whispering my pardons as a part of me hoped he'd never look up. For good reason, running into him a second time made me even more jittery. I mean I had almost hit him with my car the first time I'd met him. Who knew what I would do during the second encounter?

I didn't even want to know.

Maybe there was still time for me to find another seat?

I guess my prayers got lost on the way to heaven because as I looked around I realized that I was out of luck. I continued the rest of my way to my doom, encaptured in the way that as soon as I sat down, hazel eyes shot to mine. I managed a small smile in response to Elijah's surprised one. His expression was followed by a low laugh that washed over me in waves and settled deep in my stomach.

A siren herself would have been tempted.

"Hey." His eyebrows lifted, as his eyes roamed my face. I'd never felt more exposed before in my life. I wasn't sure how I felt about it yet. "Fancy seeing you here."

I let go of the breath I was holding seeing that his words were followed by a slow twitch of his lips, as he sat up straighter in his chair.

I could do this. So far nothing bad had happened again. Yet.

"I know," I laughed, hoping to subdue the flutter of my stomach as I nodded. "What a small world it is." I cringed as soon as the words left my mouth, wishing fate could have spared a minute to make me more calm, cool, and collected.

To my relief and despite my growing embarrassment, Elijah chuckled.

"Darn straight about that." His grin grew. "You aren't here to hit me with your car again, are you? Or maybe you are just trying out the stalker lifestyle."

I shrugged, feeling slightly more comfortable at the sight of his humorous gaze.

"You never know." He raised an eyebrow, his grin growing handsomely. "Fortunately enough for you, my car isn't big enough to fit in the lecture hall. And maybe I should be asking you about the stalker thing."

After all, I had never seen him in this class either.

Amusement flashed in his eyes as he propped his elbow on the armrest of his seat.

"Not a stalker, just here for the lecture. Although, I don't know how I could have missed that you were in this class too."

Even though he said it as a statement, there was a question in his eyes.

"I usually sit in the back." It was true, I preferred to be out of the spotlight.

He nodded. "Well for what it is worth, I am glad all the seats in the back were filled today."

I said nothing to that at first, letting his words roll around in my head. The line had been delivered smoothly, and if he was anyone else I would have been flattered. But with those looks and the confidence, I wasn't so sure that the words hadn't met the ears of plenty of eager damsels before me.

Telling myself that it wasn't wise to play into his words, I grabbed my bag, pretending to look for something and giving myself time to gather my thoughts.

"Yes, because I am sure it is your life goal to sit next to the person who almost ran you over," I said a second later, still searching for my mystery item.

Witty. I know.

My words were received with a laugh so rich, that it caused my cheeks to go hot, my gaze flitting to a girl one row down when she turned. Her eyes landed on Elijah and mine did the same. Warmth blanketed my face when I took in the fact that he was still smiling at me, a single dimple having formed on his right cheek. It almost seemed out of place considering how defined the rest of his features were, giving him an almost boyish charm. But it didn't make him any less handsome.

Oh boy.

I didn't blame the girl for the dazed look in her eyes.

"How long are you going to keep beating yourself up about that?"

I laughed with a nonchalant shrug, even though on the inside the guilt remained. I knew better than anyone that driving while unaware of the surroundings was dangerous. The smile I pinned on my face felt slightly strained.

"Until I forget it."

The sentence fell out of my mouth with ease, despite the gravity weighing them down. I inhaled slowly, my words landing heavily in my stomach.

How funny.

Elijah opened his mouth to respond, but he stopped short his eyes darting forward when a small stocky man entered the room. I followed his gaze, immediately holding back a smile. Something told me we students weren't the only ones wishing they were somewhere else at nine in the morning. The short man at the front of the class appeared slightly disheveled, his suit jacket slightly rumpled and a frown on his face. I was stuck between trying to figure out if he was attempting to remember what today's lesson was, or wondering why he had decided to show up to teach it in the first place.

It was an aura he sported every day.

"Seems like someone is not having a good morning."

That was an understatement.

"Yeah," I answered. "I think our conversation has to come to a close or Professor Burns will have a fit." Elijah scoffed in amused agreement, and I glanced in his direction. "Well, it was nice talking to you. I am sorry for almost running you over by the way."

When his eyes met mine his mouth curved upward, his eyebrows raising as if in question,

"That sounded a hell of a lot like a goodbye, sweetheart." I took a breath when he leaned in. The tight seating had already placed him close enough for me to have more than a lungful of the gentle spice of whatever body wash he had used that morning, but this was almost too much. My eyes dipped, breaking eye contact as I watched his smile grow. "Might be too early for that considering you are still sitting next to me." "And like I said in the parking lot, you didn't even hit me. I am still in pristine condition."

That he was.

When my gaze flew back to his I managed a smile, appreciating his attempt to make me feel better, even if I knew I couldn't let it go. I shook my head, glancing at my hands partly to keep from staring at him anymore, and partly because I was still embarrassed about everything.

"Still, if there is anything that I can do to make it up to you, let me know," I heard myself say before I could stop myself. Even though a part of me told me he would have forgiven me without my offer, I felt as if it was needed. At this point, I was betting on weeks of buying him dinner to ease just an ounce of my guilt.

Elijah had just opened his mouth to reply when three dull taps cut through the air, all eyes in the room focusing on our professor who was testing the microphone attached to his podium. I glanced at Elijah who sent me a knowing smile as the professor began speaking, causing me to silently curse the fact that we were in class at the moment. Reluctantly, I opened my textbook, prepared to hunker down and spend the next hour absorbing things that I hoped would stay with me.

They usually did. Yet another paradox to my condition. While anything was up for grabs, in most cases, my memory loss specifically plagued my retention of new faces and conversations. Most of the time events that lasted more than just a few minutes remained intact.

"Would you like to get coffee sometime?"

I'd been so engrossed in what the strange man ahead had been saying that it took me a moment to realize that Elijah was speaking to me. When I did I blinked once before stilling. His eyes were downcast when I glanced at him, despite the words that had just fallen from his mouth moments before. I would have begun to believe I'd imagined them if his gaze hadn't lifted a second later, green eyes lingering on me expectantly.

"It's on the tip of your tongue," He added in a hushed whisper, drawing my gaze to his mouth. I cleared my throat when I realized my lack of subtleness. I would have felt embarrassed, but then his own gaze dipped a moment later. My breathing stuttered.

"What is?"

I felt my face grow warm when his mouth curved into a confident smile and his gaze rose to mine.

"You saying yes."

A hint of warmth that I knew gave away my blush fanned over my cheeks as I watched him watch me.

Oh, he was good.

"You are so sure aren't you?" The response came out before I could think, surprising even me. But any upper hand I had gained disappeared when Elijah let out a small laugh shaking his head.

"Just hoping."

I couldn't contain my smile this time as I glanced at my notebook with a small shake of my head. In an alternate reality, where I wasn't flawed, I wouldn't have seen anything wrong with the request. Still, I wasn't delusional enough to forget that in the universe I was living in, there were a million things that could go wrong if I were to agree.

All possibilities that I had to face every waking moment of my days.

Yet still, there was something at the back of my mind that hoped that maybe this one time, my fears wouldn't come to pass. Perhaps this would be one of those instances where the memory benefactors would choose not to make me forget this moment. Especially since the last word that could be used to describe him, was forgettable.

Perhaps the imaginary penny I had yet to relinquish to fate, wouldn't be wasted after all.

It was the way he looked at me that made the proposition true. His unforgettableness was further solidified by his patience and kindness. It was the way that I found myself wanting to agree to his question, and for once not worry about what I would and wouldn't remember in the morning, that had me considering his invitation.

I bit my lip with a tilt of my head, fully aware that I was missing whatever it was the professor was saying.

I mean it was just coffee.

"Fine. But I am buying. It is the least I can do after nearly flattening you."

Even though his mouth was covering his hand, I could see the smile that curved on his face.

"Or it could just be two people getting to know each other...since you didn't actually flatten me."

I tilted my head at that, searching his eyes.

I should have said no.

Getting to know each other meant prying. It meant confusion. Even though he was waiting for my reply with total calmness I was anything but.

Yet still, things felt different with him. Even if it was irrational considering precedent, for once saying yes to something, despite the unknown outcome attached to it didn't seem as daunting.

I wasn't sure why he made me feel that way. But it was different. I wanted to accept that change.

"Okay. " I nodded, the sinking feeling in my stomach contradicting my words. I ignored it, telling myself that this was okay. "I will have to find time in my schedule but I can let you know."

"That works out perfectly for me."

Lord help me...what was I doing?

I shifted in my seat debating on if I was going to retract my words or not.

I would need to be on top of things if this was going to work. I needed to do was write the plans down and I would be okay. That was what I told myself after Elijah turned away and the lecture continued.

But it didn't ease the grimy hand of anxiety that tugged at my heart each time I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. When the lecture finally ended, I purposefully rushed up from my seat, leaving the room before he could say anything.

I took a deep breath when I knew I was out of sight, my muscles easing from the tension of discomfort as I started walking towards the chemistry building. And when I say discomfort, I don't mean that his nearness had disgusted me. Nope, I was uncomfortable because I couldn't stop thinking about it.

...About what I had agreed to.

Coffee.

It didn't help that every single movement he made was at war with my senses either.

My body had been too aware of the moment his arm had accidentally brushed against mine, and the time he had glanced at me with a smile in response to a joke the professor had made.

Was it normal to be this intrigued by someone I had just met?

"Rowan over here!"

I followed the sound of the voice, pushing Elijah to the back of my mind, and grinning as I was greeted by a tall blonde knockout. Her hand swayed in the air rapidly, her jewelry flashing in the sunlight as she waved at me as if I was a celebrity, and not someone she saw every day. I grinned, my eyes falling on the person standing next to her. I didn't miss the grin that was being directed at my best friend's pretty head. He was the storm to her sunshine. The brawn to her beauty.