When Marcus heard that the Talia had finally returned, all restraint vanished.

"Holy crap! This is awesome."

The words spilled out before he even realized he was speaking aloud. He laughed to himself, completely unguarded, grinning at his phone as excitement bubbled up from somewhere he usually kept carefully hidden.

"Marcus."

On the other end, Talia watched his reaction through the video call, and the tight knot she had been carrying in her chest quietly unraveled. The frustration, the uncertainty, the years of wondering whether she mattered to him at all slowly melted away. Her eyes softened, almost misting over. So he did care. Maybe more than she had ever dared to believe.

"Smooth talker," she said lightly, though there was no real reproach in her voice. Warmth crept into her expression despite herself, and she finally gave in to the impulse she had been fighting since arriving back in town. "Marcus, are you busy? Can you come out for a bit?"

"No problem," he replied instantly. "Are you at the school gate? I’ll come find you."

"Mhm."

She nodded, her already striking features brightening into something almost radiant.

"I’m going shopping," she added, tilting her head playfully. "I need a handsome guy to be my arm candy."

Marcus snorted. "Handsome guy? Just say you need a pack mule."

His protest carried no real resistance. He knew exactly how this worked. He would be carrying bags before long, and honestly, he did not mind in the slightest. Arm candy or porter, it made no difference. Opportunities like this were reserved for exactly one person, and he was well aware how lucky he was to hold that position.

"Fine," he said with a small laugh. "Hang up for now. I’ll be right there."

"Okay. Hurry."

’I guess it’s a date?’

The thought lingered in his mind after the call ended. He remembered the crisp white casual outfits she liked to wear, simple yet elegant in a way only she could pull off. After a moment of hesitation, he changed into a light ivory outfit of his own. Matching might have been unnecessary, but somehow it felt right. Then he headed straight for the campus gate.

Meanwhile, Talia ended the call and immediately began scanning the crowd.

Crestwood University’s front entrance was unusually crowded that afternoon. Students slowed as they passed, conversations stalled, and even the flow of traffic near the gate began to choke.

The reason was obvious.

Her presence alone drew attention like gravity. Upperclassmen recognized her instantly, their reactions tempered by familiarity, but the freshmen were another story entirely. Wide-eyed and stunned, they stared openly, some practically frozen in place as if they had just walked into a scene from a movie. More than a few were likely experiencing their first real crush at that very moment.

The girls noticed too. Whispered comments drifted through the air.

’Show-off.’

’Man-stealer.’

Their boyfriends kept sneaking glances despite themselves, earning sharp elbows and increasingly dark expressions from their girlfriends. A few girls looked ready to march over and confront her outright, but the moment they truly looked at Talia, the courage drained away. Her elegance felt effortless, her confidence natural rather than arrogant. Standing before her, irritation gave way to reluctant admiration. None of them actually stepped forward.

Several freshmen boys gathered their courage, clearly debating whether to approach her. Then they noticed something strange. Older students, even graduate students, wore the same hesitant expressions they did. Everyone wanted to go up and talk to her, yet no one dared cross that invisible line.

"Senior, who is she?" one freshman finally asked a graduate student nearby. "She seems... important."

The graduate student exhaled slowly, eyes fixed on Talia as complicated emotions passed across his face.

"Her name is Talia Quinn," he said. "One of the Four Campus Queens back in her year. A dance prodigy. Honestly, probably the most captivating woman Crestwood has ever had."

He paused, lost briefly in memory. Years ago, he had watched one of her performances and fallen into a hopeless crush that lingered far longer than he cared to admit. Even now, in graduate school, he had yet to meet anyone who matched the impression she left behind.

"So that’s Talia Quinn..."

The freshmen felt oddly honored just hearing her name. Any reckless confidence they had moments ago vanished. She had spent four years at Crestwood without letting wealthy peers or campus celebrities get close to her. Compared to that, what chance did they have?

Then she smiled. Not politely, and not casually. She smiled directly at someone walking toward her.

Instantly, the air shifted. Who was that guy?

Jealousy ignited across the crowd. A few students looked genuinely offended, as if witnessing a personal betrayal. Some even squared their shoulders, ready to size up the newcomer. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Then recognition set in.

Oh. Him.

Upperclassmen sighed in resignation and turned away. Those who knew Marcus better simply shook their heads. Somehow, impossibly, every Campus Queen seemed to be close to this guy. At this point, no one even questioned it anymore.

"Marcus, over here."

The moment she saw him clearly, Talia stepped forward to meet him instead of waiting.

"Talia."

The same familiar figure stood before him, unchanged yet somehow even more beautiful than he remembered. Her smile, her voice, the easy warmth in her eyes, all of it struck him at once. Seeing her through a screen earlier had not prepared him for the real thing.

"Beautiful..." he said honestly, unable to stop himself. "You just keep getting prettier."

"Smooth talker," she replied again, smiling softly.

She studied him for a moment before asking, "You’re not busy, right? I’m not interrupting anything?"

"Not at all." He shook his head, then added, unable to hide the small grievance he had been holding onto, "But why didn’t you tell me when you came back? You moved and didn’t even say anything."

The disappointment slipped through before he could soften it. To him, it had genuinely hurt. For a moment, it felt as if she had not considered him important enough to inform.

"Don’t be mad."

She reached out instinctively, taking his arm and giving it a gentle shake as she leaned closer, her tone soft and coaxing.

"I’ve been completely swamped since returning. The timing was messy, and honestly, someone else handled all the arrangements for me, so I didn’t have to worry about anything. That’s the only reason I didn’t call you."

"Someone else handled it?"

Marcus stiffened slightly. His heart began pounding faster than he liked.

"You... have a boyfriend?"

"A boyfriend?"

Talia blinked, then burst into laughter. She almost teased him further, but the genuine anxiety on his face stopped her. Instead, warmth rose in her chest, and she moved a little closer, holding his arm more naturally now.

"Marcus, it’s only been a year. Since when did your imagination get so wild? A boyfriend? Please. I’d love to have one, honestly, but no one’s managed to qualify yet."

"You’re pretty full of yourself," he replied, though relief had already smoothed the tension from his expression.

His pulse steadied as he looked at her standing beside him, playful and dazzling in a way that felt dangerously easy to grow attached to. The realization crept up quietly but firmly.

He cared about her. More than he had ever admitted, even to himself.

Still, one question lingered.

"So," he said, glancing at her sideways, "who exactly is this ’someone’ who handled everything for you? Sounds like they’re even more important than your so-called best friend."