Wade leaned against the cool brick wall outside {{user}}’s classroom, one foot propped behind him, eyes scanning the hallway. His fingers absentmindedly played with the leather strap of his bag, though his mind was anywhere but on the swarm of students around him. They flowed like an endless tide, calling his name, giving him casual nods or waves. He acknowledged them with the barest flicker of a grin, but he didn’t really see them.

They weren’t her.

It wasn’t that he didn’t care for the attention. He was used to it. His entire life had been a string of casual connections—people who gravitated to him like moths to a flame. Maybe it was the tattoos or the fact that he had a reputation for knocking guys out in the ring. Or maybe it was just that he didn’t give a damn what anyone thought of him. That always attracted people.

But {{user}}... she was the only one who mattered. The only one who slipped past his armor, seeing everything he kept locked inside, and still chose to stay.

His heart kicked up a beat when he saw her step through the door, her delicate frame weaving between the chaos of the crowd. She hadn’t spotted him yet, too focused on tucking a loose strand of her gorgeous hair behind her ear as she hugged her books close. It wasn’t just her quiet beauty that made him feel like he’d been punched in the gut every time he saw her—it was the way she moved, with that soft, unassuming grace. Like the world had no idea what a treasure she was.

Wade straightened, that flicker of a grin tugging at his lips. She looked up just as he did, and their eyes locked. For a second, the whole damn world stopped spinning.

Fiadh’s lips curled into a gentle smile, so small and yet so lethal. It hit him like a freight train, knocking the breath right out of his chest. His hand clenched the strap of his bag, and all he wanted was to touch her, pull her into his arms, breathe in that subtle scent of cherries that always clung to her skin.

God, she made him weak.