19. Chapter Nineteen #3
“Was that really Elodie?” he asks, a little out of breath. “I thought I saw her hair. Did you guys actually talk to her?”
The hope in his voice makes my chest tighten. He looks so damn optimistic, like maybe this time things went better than they actually did.
I rub the back of my neck and let out a low groan.
“Yeah, it was her,” I say. “And I scared her off. Again.”
The words come out harsher than I intend, but there’s no point in pretending. Jamie needs to hear the truth.
His hopeful expression collapses right in front of me. The light in his eyes dims instantly, shoulders dropping as the reality sinks in. For a second he just stands there, mouth slightly open like he can’t quite process what I just said.
The sight of it twists something in my gut. Jamie’s usually the optimistic one, the one who keeps trying with that easy smile of his. Seeing that hope drain out of him because of my actions feels worse than I expected, I want to pull him to me but it’s not what he needs.
He runs a hand through his floppy blond hair and lets out a disappointed breath.
“Damn,” he mutters. “I really thought maybe…”
He doesn’t finish the sentence. He doesn’t have to. We all know what he was hoping for.
Adrian clears his throat, the smallest smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Actually,” he says, pushing his glasses up his nose in that thoughtful way of his, “I somehow managed to land a study session with her tomorrow in the library.”
The words land like a silent bomb.
Jamie’s head snaps up so fast I am surprised he doesn’t get whiplash. His eyes go wide with fresh hope. Even I feel my eyebrows shoot up.
Adrian just shrugs like it’s no big deal, but I can see the satisfaction in his expression.
I scoff before I can stop myself.
“Studying?” I say, folding my arms tighter across my chest. “There’s nothing flirty about studying, man. She’s going to sit there with her color coded notes and talk about bugs while you try not to stare at her. That isn’t exactly sweeping her off her feet.”
Adrian’s smile only grows, small and knowing.
Jamie’s already grinning again, the earlier disappointment fading fast.
I shake my head, but I can’t quite hide the reluctant spark of hope that flickers in my own chest.
Maybe Adrian is onto something after all.
Jamie’s grin turns downright mischievous. He nudges Adrian with his elbow, eyes sparkling with trouble only he can get away with.
“So,” he says, voice light and teasing, “the last time you and Elodie were alone in the library together, things got a little… heated. Should we be worried you two are going to accidentally start another spike tomorrow?”
Adrian’s cheeks flush the faintest shade of pink, but he laughs under his breath, shaking his head.
“Very funny,” he mutters. Then his expression turns thoughtful again.
“Actually, I think Sophie might be the key here. Elodie’s roommate.
Did you see how invested she was in pushing us to spend time together?
She basically set up the study session for me right in front of Elodie.
She kept jumping in, answering questions, encouraging the whole thing.
I got the feeling she is very much on our side. ”
I raise an eyebrow.
Adrian keeps going, that analytical mind of his already turning the situation into a strategy.
“She seems protective of Elodie but also genuinely excited about the idea of her spending time with us. If we can win Sophie over, she might be the one who helps Elodie see us as safe instead of overwhelming.”
Jamie is nodding along, his hope fully back in his eyes.
I stay quiet, but I feel the shift in all of us. One study session might not seem like much. But with Sophie in our corner?
It could be the beginning of something.
By that point Alex has finished with the team and comes walking over to join us. He’s still in his lacrosse gear, helmet tucked under one arm, hair messy and jersey dark with sweat. He carries that natural command in every step, the kind that makes the rest of us straighten without thinking.
We quickly catch him up on everything that just happened. Jamie fills him in on spotting Elodie at the railing, Adrian explains how he somehow landed a study session with her tomorrow in the library, and I grumble about how she took one look at me and ran. Again.
Alex listens carefully, nodding as the pieces come together. When we finish, a knowing smile spreads across his face.
“Well,” he says, voice low and steady, “we’ll need to make sure Adrian is properly prepared to treat Elodie like a queen during that study session. No half-measures. She deserves the full experience.”
He looks at Adrian with a raised eyebrow. “You hear me? Flowers, coffee, whatever she likes. Make her feel like the most important person in the room.”
Adrian straightens, a determined glint in his eyes. “I can do that.”
Jamie is already grinning again.
I just shake my head, but even I feel the shift in energy.
Alex has spoken.
And when our apex decides on a plan, the rest of us fall in line.
This study session just became a hell of a lot more important.