Cole isn’t the type to get caught up in first impressions. People come and go, faces blur together, and he’s never been the guy to chase after something—or someone—just because they’re new.

But then she walks in.

It’s not love at first sight. Not even close. But there’s something about her that sticks. Maybe it’s the way she carries herself—like she doesn’t feel the need to impress anyone. Maybe it’s the way she scans the room, not nervous, just… observing. Taking it all in. She doesn’t look lost, but she doesn’t quite belong yet either. And for some reason, that thought lingers in the back of his mind.

They don’t talk at first. There’s no dramatic, fate-driven moment where they’re thrown together. Just coincidence. A few shared classes, a group project where they barely exchange more than a few words. But then—slowly, quietly—she starts showing up in the little spaces of his day. Walking the same halls, passing by his usual spot at lunch, ending up next to him in line at the coffee cart.

And before he knows it, he’s noticing things. Like how she always hums under her breath when she’s focused, or how she doesn’t fill silences with unnecessary words. How she holds her ground, steady and sure, in a way that’s different from the people around him. She’s not trying to stand out. She’s just… there. And for some reason, that’s enough to throw him off balance.

It’s not immediate. It’s not a spark—it’s a slow, quiet ember that takes its time burning. He doesn’t even realize it’s happening until one day, he looks over and realizes he knows exactly what kind of music she likes, what makes her roll her eyes, what gets her to smirk when she thinks no one’s looking.

And that’s when it hits him.

She’s not just there anymore. She’s part of his rhythm, part of the steady beat of his day. And maybe—just maybe—he doesn’t want that to change.