The library was unusually quiet, the only sound being the gentle rustling of pages as you and Ron sifted through your notes for your joint project. You were seated at one of the long tables, a stack of textbooks spread out in front of you. Ron was leaning in beside you, scribbling down notes with a furrowed brow, his face scrunched in concentration.

You didn’t notice how close you had gotten to him, too focused on the work at hand. But then your phone buzzed sharply, pulling you out of your concentration. You glanced at the screen. It was a message from Mattheo, your boyfriend, and you couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his name.

Mattheo: Baby, come on.

You sighed, glancing at Ron who was deep into his own notes, not paying any attention to you. You quickly typed back.

You: Babe, I am working. Can’t it wait?

The reply was almost instant.

Mattheo: Why are you sitting so close to Ron?

You blinked, momentarily confused. You looked down at where your knee brushed against Ron’s under the table. You weren’t really close by any means, but maybe Mattheo’s protective instincts were kicking in.

You: I’m not. We are just working.

Mattheo: Do you have to do it sitting on his lap practically?

Your eyes widened at the accusation, glancing up at Ron. There was no way you were sitting that close to him. Still, the way Mattheo had worded it made you realize he wasn’t going to let this go without an argument.

You: Fine. I’ll move, happy now?

You scooted your chair a little to the side, making sure you weren’t even remotely close to Ron now, just to appease Mattheo.

The moment you moved, your phone buzzed again.

Mattheo: Very.

You shook your head, a mixture of amusement and frustration bubbling up inside you. You knew exactly what he was like when he got in his head about something, but at least he cared, even if it was a little over the top.

Ron, who had been oblivious to the whole exchange, finally looked up from his work. “Everything okay?”