|CHASING VERONICA|

|CHAPTER EIGHT|

The classroom air was thick with the monotony of an afternoon economics lecture. Veronica slouched in her seat, her notebook lying abandoned on the desk in front of her. She had made a half-hearted attempt to jot down notes earlier, but now her pen hung limply between her fingers.

Her eyes were heavy, lids drooping with every passing minute. The professor's voice was a distant drone, like white noise barely registering in her mind. All she could think about was her bed—a haven she craved more than anything. Her thoughts wandered to the soft pillow she’d left behind this morning, the cool sheets that would embrace her if only she could teleport back home.

Her chin tilted forward, just a little too far, and she jerked upright, blinking furiously. Stay awake, Veronica. She pinched the bridge of her nose, but it was no use. Her mind was fogged with exhaustion, and the numbers and graphs on the board blurred into nothingness.

Then, mercifully, the bell rang.

Class was finally over.

Her bag was slung lazily over her shoulder as she shuffled out of the lecture hall. Sarah caught up with her, looking fresh and annoyingly alert.

“Where to next?” Sarah asked, glancing at her phone.

“The next class isn’t for two hours,” Alex chimed in, appearing beside them. “Let’s grab something to eat. Albert’s is only a few blocks away.”

Veronica groaned internally. Food sounded good, but her energy levels were practically nonexistent. She was hesitant, her feet begging her to find the nearest quiet corner for a quick nap.

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Sarah prodded, already tugging at her arm.

“Yeah, you need caffeine anyway,” Alex added, flashing a grin.

She sighed, resigned. “Fine. But if I fall asleep at the table, you’re carrying me back.”

“Sure thing lazy girl” Aston said, swinging his arm over her shoulders as they walked towards his car.

The three of them piled into Alex’s car, the engine rumbling to life as they headed toward Albert’s. Veronica leaned her head against the cool glass of the window, wondering if she’d made the wrong choice.

Albert’s was warm and bustling, with an earthy charm and the scent of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the air. They found a corner table, settling in as a waiter handed them menus.

Veronica’s fingers were already numb from the chill of the air conditioning. She shivered slightly but scanned the menu with a determined expression.

“Hot coffee?” Sarah asked pointedly, watching as Veronica considered her options.

“Nope, cold coffee,” Veronica said stubbornly, earning an exasperated look from her friend.

“You’re always freezing, and you’re still ordering a cold drink?” Sarah shot back, her tone playful but laced with genuine concern.

“I like it,” Veronica said, shrugging off Sarah’s disapproval. She signaled to the waiter. “Cold coffee, please.”

Their food arrived shortly after: a mix of sandwiches, pastries, and their drinks. Veronica frowned at her sandwich, meticulously picking out the pickles and setting them aside.

“You’re not eating those?” Alex asked, already reaching for them.

“Be my guest,” she said, pushing the pickles toward him. He popped one in his mouth, grinning.

“Waste not, want not,” he teased, earning a mock glare from her.

As they ate, Sarah couldn’t help but notice Alex’s constant attention on Veronica. His eyes lingered just a little too long when he wiped crumbs off her cheek with his thumb.

“Messy eater,” he teased, grinning as she swatted his hand away.

Sarah’s eyes darted between the two of them, a sly smirk forming on her lips. It wasnt just Sarah, Jack noticed how Alex constantly tried to be noticed by her, but to him Veronica never pushed it, never seemed to see Alex’s affection. Jack knew she saw him only as a friend. At least for now.

“You have to ask her before jumping to conclusions dude, you gonna keep acting like that being a puppy behind her knowing she sees you only as a friend?” Jack’s concern went over Alex’s head. Alex ignored him.

“Tell her and then what? Make it awkward ? Hell no”

“Shut up,” Veronica muttered, rolling her eyes as Sarah’s smirk only grew wider.

“Just friends, huh?” Sarah quipped, her tone dripping with mischief.

“Yes” Veronica shot back, making a face at her.

Sarah chuckled but let the matter drop, returning to her food. Veronica huffed, trying to ignore the heat rising in her cheeks.

As they lingered over their drinks, Veronica couldn’t shake her drowsiness. But despite her fatigue, she found herself smiling at her friends’ banter, the playful teasing making the afternoon feel lighter.

The clock ticked closer to their next class, They finished their food and with reluctance, about to leave Albert’s, and head back to campus to face the rest of the day. As their conversation faded into comfortable silence, Alex flagged down the waiter.

“Cheque, please,” he said, pulling out his wallet.

They pooled their share of the bill without fuss. Alex handed over the cash, making sure to leave a decent tip, and they slid out of the booth, gathering their things.

Veronica stretched slightly, the ache in her back from sitting too long easing as they made their way toward the exit. Her cold coffee had left a chill lingering in her bones, but she shook it off, focused on following Sarah and Alex.

The café was still bustling with chatter and clinking cutlery, but Veronica’s mind drifted lazily, caught between the haze of fatigue and the thought of enduring another lecture.

As they walked past the bar counter, her eyes flitted briefly toward a figure perched on one of the barstools. He sat with an effortless stillness, hands on the counter flexing his biceps, a tall man with sharp features, dark hair tousled in that casual, careless way that seemed deliberate. His leather jacket fitted perfectly around his shoulders.

He held a steaming cup of coffee in one hand, the other tapping idly on the counter in rhythm with the faint jazz playing overhead. His gaze was fixed somewhere distant, but as they passed, his eyes shifted.

For the briefest moment, Veronica caught his stare.

She froze mid-step, her breath hitching, a faint sense of recognition stirring in her mind. There was something familiar about him—his posture, the sharp lines of his face.

But she quickly dismissed it. Probably just someone I’ve seen around before, she thought, shrugging it off as her friends called for her to keep moving.

She looked away and continued toward the door, the moment already fading from her thoughts.

Behind her, the man stood abruptly, leaving a large bill and never waiting for his change, leaving his coffee untouched.

Outside, Alex unlocked his car as Sarah climbed into the backseat. Veronica lingered for a second, fumbling with her bag as she moved toward the passenger side.

It was then that she felt it—an almost magnetic pull, the undeniable sense that she was being watched.

She turned, her eyes scanning the café’s large windows.

There he was, standing by the counter now, his figure framed by the glass. His eyes, dark and piercing, locked onto hers.

This time, there was no mistaking it.

Her breath caught in her throat.

He opened the doors, putting his helmet on and starting his bike, she heard Sarah’s voice but didnt catch what she said, getting in the car and gulping down her fear.

She whipped her head back to the window.

The man was gone.

It was him, no doubt it was him. She couldnt think anymore, her stomach dropping with a million thoughts in her mind. Her friends didnt seem to notice because she was actively smiling in panic at their jokes. She looked in the rare view mirror but this time he wasnt following the car. He was simply gone.