Raquel's mind buzzed with confusion as she stepped out of the classroom. Her professor's lecture had spiralled like a wayward river, veering into tangents until she felt utterly adrift. Frustration prickled under her skin, but it ignited something restless in her fingers. Almost without thinking, she flipped open her notebook and began sketching an oddly intricate portrait of Prince Jonas on the back page.
"Raquel," Nina called, rubbing her temples as she caught up. Her voice was frayed with exhaustion. "Did any of that make sense to you?"
Raquel sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Not a word. But if you're thinking of switching programmes, that's your call."
Nina grimaced. "And reset my entire degree? Start from semester one again? No thanks." She slumped against the corridor wall, then brightened slightly. "Anyway, you look knackered. Fancy heading home?"
"God, yes." Raquel shut her notebook with a snap. "All I want is a bath and silence."
"A bath?" Nina's tired eyes lit up. "I've got that new sunflower bath oil. Imagine sinking into cool water, soaking until the day's stress melts…" She trailed off, then smirked. "Wait—you're not actually going home, are you? What about your date with Jonas?"
Raquel's cheeks flushed, but she grinned. "I'll meet him in the lobby. No backing out now."
Nina rolled her eyes, laughing. "Priorities, eh?"
"Always," Raquel said, shoving her notebook into her bag. The sketch of Jonas peeked out, half-finished and faintly absurd. For now, at least, clarity could wait.
"Well done," Nina said, her voice edged with sarcasm as she crossed her arms. "Did you even think to message your aunt before running off to meet Jonas?" Her eyes narrowed, sharp as a blade.
Raquel offered a sheepish shrug, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'll catch up with her later. Jonas said he'd walk me home."
Nina snorted, her smirk tinged with irony. "Still playing tour guide through your own personal limbo, then?"
Raquel opened her mouth to reply, but a warm, familiar voice cut through the tension.
"There you are, love." Jonas leaned casually against the doorframe, his grin effortless.
"Jonas!" Raquel spun toward him, cheeks flushing. "I didn't see you—"
"Caught you daydreaming again," he teased, reaching out to flick her nose playfully. A soft laugh escaped her, and for a moment, the corridor seemed to brighten.
Nina rolled her eyes. "God, must you two?"
But neither noticed. Raquel's gaze lingered on Jonas, equal parts hope and nerves flickering in her expression. He tilted his head, offering his arm. "Ready?"
She nodded, tucking her notebook under her arm. Some questions, it seemed, could wait.
"Oi. Keep the nose-pinching to a minimum, yeah?" Nina muttered, watching Jonas tweak Raquel's nose with a grin. Raquel batted his hand away, laughing—a sound so light it seemed to irk Nina further. Her stomach churned as they leaned into each other, sharing whispers that felt too intimate for the grubby university corridor.
"Could you tone it down a notch?" Nina snapped, gesturing vaguely at the pair. "I'd rather not spend my afternoon chaperoning a rom-com."
Behind Jonas, his mate Alexander choked back a laugh. "Jealousy's an ugly look on you, Nina."
"Jealous? Of this?" She flung a hand toward Raquel and Jonas, now lost in their own bubble. "Please. I'm just allergic to secondhand cringe."
Jonas glanced up, feigning innocence. "You're welcome to join us, Nina. Plenty of awkward to go round."
"Pass," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'll stick to my dignity, thanks."
Raquel shot her a sheepish look but didn't pull away from Jonas's side. If anything, his arm tightened around her shoulder—a connection so bright it felt almost performative.
Alexander smirked. "Admit it. You're just bitter no one's writing you sonnets."
"Sonnets?" Nina scoffed. "More like bad fanfiction."
But as the group drifted toward the exit, her glare softened. For all her protests, even she couldn't deny the way Raquel's anxious edges seemed to smooth under Jonas's attention. Annoying? Absolutely. But oddly... sweet.
God, she needed a drink.
"Jealous? Please." Nina rubbed her temples, shooting Alexander a withering look as he smirked. "Why would I care about my best mate snogging someone who looks like a Disney prince? Thrilled for her. Obviously."
Jonas leaned against the wall, all lazy charm. "If you're that desperate, Alex here's available. Temporary fix for your tragic singlehood."
Alexander raised his hands. "Oi—don't volunteer me like a stray dog."
Nina's glacial stare could've frozen lava. "I'd rather lick a cactus," she said flatly. "Or date a seagull. Or literally anything with a pulse that isn't you."
Alexander clutched his chest, grinning. "Harsh, Greene. Didn't know I ranked below roadkill."
"You don't," Nina snapped. "Roadkill's useful. Fertiliser, at least."
Raquel bit her lip, torn between laughter and guilt. "Nina—"
"Save it," Nina cut in, hoisting her bag. "Just… try not to swallow each other's faces in public, yeah? Some of us have standards."
Jonas snorted. "Jealousy does suit you. Brings out the… ah, venom."
"Piss off," she muttered, stomping toward the exit.
Alexander fell into step beside her, undeterred. "Admit it. You're just gutted no one's writing you love letters."
"Love letters?" She barked a laugh. "From you? I'd use them as firelighters."
Behind them, Raquel and Jonas exchanged glances—hers apologetic, his amused. Some friendships, it seemed, thrived on chaos. "Hey, my love. Don't pretend to hate me. Who knows? Five years from now, we might be sharing a cozy nest, our laughter echoing through the walls."
"Well, you are my butler and I am your highness master," Nina interjected.
Raquel and Jonas's eyes crinkled with laughter as they shared a knowing chuckle, the sound like the gentle tinkling of bells on a summer breeze.
"Ugh, I'm losing my mind here. I'd better go home before I explode." Nina enveloped Raquel in a warm hug before slipping out of the campus lobby, her heart heavy as lead.
"Her eyes are like ice cubes when they meet mine." Alexander rested his chin on his hand, his lips pursed in thought.
"Maybe she's immune to your clumsy attempts at flirtation, like a seasoned bouncer at an exclusive club." Jonas's hand landed on Alex's shoulder with the weight of a reassuring boulder. "Change your ways."
"Damn you, Jonas, to the seventh circle of hell!"
Jonas's arm slid around Raquel's waist, drawing her close as they strolled towards their secluded hideaway. The setting sun painted the sky in hues of fiery orange and amber, casting a golden glow over the path ahead.
"Did you nail your presentation? Did it knock your audience's socks off?"
Raquel's tears welled up in her eyes like a river about to burst its banks. "It was quite challenging."
"Oh really? Do you want to tell me about it?" Jonas's lips curved into a smile as his beloved began to speak. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, savoring the moment.
Raquel nodded, but the tension in her temples felt like a throbbing drumbeat. "Mr. Josh Cullen's droning voice droned on and on, lulling me into a hypnotic state. His words were like a thick fog, obscuring my understanding of the topic. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of confusion, and I couldn't find my way to the surface."
With a playful glint in his eye, Jonas cupped Raquel's cheek in his palm, his fingers tracing the soft curve of her jaw. "It's okay, you're just tired after the presentation, and your capacity is like that. When you're tired, it's okay to take a rest, and absolutely don't feel like giving up. A good rest will leave you ready to tackle it with fresh eyes tomorrow."
"Jonas, I feel like my brain is a dumpster fire right now. I'm so burnt out, I can't even think straight. Is there any way I can switch educational programs?" Raquel's bottom lip jutted out like a petulant child's, and she muttered a complaint under her breath.
Jonas hugged to the girl of his dreams, his heart pounding like a caged bird. "Didn't you tell me that your parents are pushing you to take over the family business someday?"
Raquel's sigh was so deep and mournful, it sounded like the wind whistling through a graveyard. "My parents would drill me like a sergeant if I switched educational programs."
"That's why. Take a break and bounce back soon." Jonas chuckled. "I know how to temporarily forget about this problem."
Raquel turned towards him. "What is it, Jonas? What's your plan?"
"What if we visit the shopping center and play games or just indulge in delicious food?"
"Great idea." Raquel smiled widely.
"Well, princess. Let's go right now." Jonas took off his leather jacket and handed it to Raquel.
Raquel slipped on the sleek, black helmet, feeling its weight settle on her shoulders reassuringly. Jonas helped her tighten the chin strap, his fingers brushing against her skin gently. She smiled, knowing that he always took care of her, especially when they were riding his beloved Ducati motorcycle.
Jonas's gaze lingered on Raquel's face as he finished fastening her helmet strap.