The campus courtyard was unusually busy that afternoon.
Damian had finished his last lecture for the day and was waiting near the fountain for Emily.
He checked his phone.
Emily: I’m coming. Give me five minutes.
Damian put the phone away.
He’d gotten used to this.
A few weeks ago, he probably wouldn’t have waited around campus for anyone unless Ethan was involved.
Now, somehow, he had plans with Emily several times a week.
Not anything serious.
Sometimes they studied together.
Sometimes they grabbed food after class.
Sometimes they just walked around campus talking about whatever came to mind.
He’d started looking forward to it.
"Damian."
He turned.
Emily approached with her bag hanging over one shoulder.
"Sorry."
"You said five minutes."
"It was five minutes."
"That definitely felt longer than five."
She smiled.
"You’re still here, though."
"I considered leaving."
"You wouldn’t."
Damian laughed
"...You’re right."
They started walking.
"Where are we going?" Damian asked.
"There’s a café near the west gate."
"You’ve been there before?"
"Once."
"And?"
"The food was good."
"That’s all the research you did?"
"I’m not writing a business report."
Damian laughed.
They crossed the courtyard.
Emily was halfway through telling him about one of her professors when someone called her name.
"Emily."
She stopped.
Damian looked over.
A guy was walking toward them.
He looked around their age, maybe slightly older.
Well-dressed.
Not ridiculously so.
A fitted shirt, expensive-looking watch, clean sneakers and the kind of confidence that came from being comfortable wherever he went.
Two other students were walking behind him.
"Hey, Adrian," Emily said.
Adrian smiled.
"Didn’t expect to see you here."
"I have class."
"Right."
His eyes moved briefly to Damian.
"Who’s this?"
Emily gestured toward Damian.
"This is Damian."
Damian gave him a nod.
"Hey."
Adrian returned it.
"Adrian Cole."
There was a brief pause.
Then Adrian smiled again.
"I’ve seen you around."
"Have you?"
"Yeah."
Emily looked between them.
"Do you two know each other?"
"No," Adrian said.
"Not really," Damian added.
Adrian laughed lightly.
"I’ve just noticed him around campus."
Emily nodded.
"Okay."
Adrian looked at her.
"Are you heading somewhere?"
"To the café."
"With him?"
Emily glanced at Damian.
"Yeah."
Adrian’s smile remained, but something about it tightened.
"I was actually going to ask if you wanted to grab coffee sometime."
Emily blinked.
"Today?"
"No. Another day."
She considered it.
"Maybe."
"Cool."
Adrian pulled out his phone. She typed her digits.
"I’ll text you."
"Okay."
He nodded and stepped aside.
"See you."
Emily waved.
"Bye."
Damian and Emily continued walking.
They were halfway across the courtyard before Damian spoke.
"Friend?"
"Classmate."
"That didn’t look like a classmate."
Emily laughed.
"What did it look like?"
"Someone trying to ask you out."
She looked at him.
"You noticed?"
"Pretty obvious."
Emily smiled.
"Adrian’s nice."
"You like him?"
She gave him a strange look.
"I barely know him."
"Fair."
They kept walking.
After a few seconds, Emily said, "He’s from a pretty wealthy family."
Damian glanced at her.
"How wealthy?"
"Very."
"That’s specific."
"I don’t know the exact number."
She thought for a moment.
"His dad owns a couple of businesses. Adrian talks about them sometimes."
Damian nodded.
That explained the confidence.
Emily wasn’t particularly impressed by it, though.
She changed the subject.
"So, did you finish the economics assignment?"
"Almost."
"You said that yesterday."
"I meant almost."
"You’ve been saying almost for three days."
"I’m committed to consistency."
She laughed.
"You’re impossible."
Adrian Cole watched them disappear through the courtyard entrance.
His friend beside him folded his arms.
"You know her?"
"Yeah."
"Since when?"
"First year."
"And you’ve still never asked her out?"
Adrian glanced at him.
"I just did."
"She said maybe."
"That’s better than no."
His friend looked toward the entrance again.
"Who’s the guy?"
"I don’t know."
"She seems comfortable with him."
Adrian’s expression changed slightly.
"Yeah."
That was what bothered him.
It wasn’t that Emily had another male friend.
That was normal.
It was how naturally she walked beside Damian.
No awkwardness.
No effort.
They looked comfortable.
Adrian didn’t like that.
He’d spent enough time around people to recognize when someone mattered to another person.
He just wasn’t sure yet how much Damian mattered to Emily.
At the café, Damian and Emily found a table outside.
Emily ordered a drink.
Damian got something to eat.
For a while, they talked about classes.
Then Emily brought up Adrian again.
"You don’t like him."
Damian looked up.
"I didn’t say that."
"You made a face."
"What face?"
"That face."
"I have one face."
She laughed.
"No, you don’t."
Damian smiled.
"I don’t know him well enough to like or dislike him."
"Fair."
"Why’d you ask?"
Emily shrugged.
"Just asking."
She took a sip of her drink.
"He can be a little much sometimes."
"Because he’s rich?"
"No."
She shook her head.
"Because he knows he’s rich."
Damian laughed.
"Hmmmm."
Emily smiled.
Then she looked at him for a moment.
"You’ve changed, you know."
Damian paused.
"Changed how?"
She studied him.
"I don’t know."
"That’s reassuring."
She ignored him.
"You just seem more relaxed."
"Maybe I am."
"You used to look like you were always thinking about something."
"I probably was."
"And now?"
Damian leaned back.
"Now I’m still thinking about something."
Emily smiled.
"It different this these days."
He laughed.
She looked away.
There was something different about the way she looked at him lately.
Damian couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Or maybe he could.
He just wasn’t ready to.
His phone buzzed.
A message from Sarah.
Sarah: Quick update. Daniel says the pilot materials are almost ready.
Damian typed a quick response.
Damian: Good. Let me know when the student list is finalized.
He put the phone away.
Emily raised an eyebrow.
"Was that westbridge?"
"Yeah."
"How’s it going...are you thier employee?"
"Not quite I made an investment on them,"
"Your investment?"
Damian nodded.
"Long story but it’s doing Pretty well."
She smiled.
"I’m glad."
"Why?"
"Because you seem to care about it."
Damian looked at her.
"I do."
She nodded.
"Then I hope it works out better."
There was no ulterior motive in her voice.
No interest in his money.
Just genuine support.
Damian smiled.
"Thanks."
They stayed at the café for another hour.
Nothing dramatic happened.
They talked.
They argued about which professor was worse.
Emily made fun of Damian’s habit of researching everything.
Damian accused her of making decisions based entirely on vibes.
She denied it.
He proved it.
She threatened to leave.
He bought her another drink.
She stayed.
By the time they finally left, the sun was already beginning to set.
They walked back toward the main campus entrance together.
Emily checked her phone.
A message had arrived.
She glanced at it.
"Adrian."
Damian didn’t say anything.
She opened the message.
Adrian: Hope you had a good afternoon. Let me know when you’re free.
Emily locked her phone.
"You going to answer?"
"Later."
Damian nodded.
They continued walking.
Neither of them noticed Adrian standing on the opposite side of the courtyard.
He had seen them leaving together.
His expression remained calm.
But the easy confidence from earlier was gone.
He pulled out his phone.
Opened Emily’s contact.
Then paused.
His eyes shifted toward Damian.
He didn’t know anything about him yet.
That was soon going to change.
Because Adrian Cole wasn’t used to losing things he wanted.
And Emily had just become something he wanted.