Elena spent the rest of the evening in her dorm room, replaying the events at the poolside over and over again in her head. Gabriel and Andrew, two of the most feared and respected guys at the university, had just asked to be her friends. It made no sense. Every part of her screamed that this was some elaborate prank or a game they were playing.
She paced back and forth in the small room, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. What did they really want from her? And why now? She glanced at the clock-it was already past midnight, and sleep was the last thing on her mind. Their laughter, their teasing words, and most of all, Gabriel’s intense gaze kept haunting her.
“Why me?” she muttered under her breath, sitting down on her bed. “What could they possibly want with me?”
The knock on her door startled her. She froze, her heart racing. It was late-too late for anyone to be visiting. Slowly, she got up and opened the door, only to find a note slipped under it. She picked it up and unfolded it. The handwriting was sharp and bold.
“Meet us tomorrow after class in the library. Don’t keep us waiting.”
There was no signature, but she didn’t need one. She knew exactly who had sent it.
Elena sighed and leaned against the door, the note crumpling slightly in her hands. “This is getting out of hand,” she whispered. But deep down, she knew she had no choice. Ignoring them wasn’t an option-not anymore.
—
The next day, Elena walked into the library after her last class, her steps hesitant. Her heart pounded as she pushed open the heavy wooden doors. The place was quiet, with only a few students scattered at the tables, lost in their books and notes. Gabriel and Andrew sat in the far corner, their presence impossible to ignore.
Gabriel was leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed, a smug expression on his face. Andrew was flipping through a book, though he clearly wasn’t paying attention to it.
As soon as they saw her, Andrew waved her over with a grin. “Hey, little one! Took you long enough.”
Elena hesitated but forced herself to walk toward them. She stopped a few feet away, her hands gripping the strap of her bag tightly. “What do you want?” she asked, her voice firmer than she felt.
Gabriel raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over her. “Straight to the point, huh?” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “We told you last night. We want to be your friends.”
Elena frowned, her confusion deepening. “Why? You’ve never shown any interest in me before. Why now?”
Andrew chuckled, closing the book he’d been pretending to read. “Because you’re different, Elena. You’re not like the others who throw themselves at us. You’ve got guts. You stood up to Mia even when the odds were against you. That’s rare.”
She crossed her arms, not buying it. “And what about Mia? She’ll make my life even worse if she finds out about this.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened, his playful demeanor fading. “Mia won’t touch you,” he said, his voice low and serious. “Not if we’re around.”
The possessiveness in his tone caught her off guard. She stared at him, unsure how to respond. “I don’t need your protection,” she said quietly. “I can handle myself.”
Gabriel smirked, leaning back again. “Yeah, I’ve seen how well that’s been working out for you.”
Elena’s cheeks flushed with anger, but before she could retort, Andrew cut in. “Look, we’re not here to fight with you. We just think it’d be fun to have you around. Besides,” he added with a wink, “you could use a couple of allies.”
She hesitated, their words swirling in her mind. It still didn’t make sense, but a part of her was tempted. Having them on her side could make things easier, couldn’t it?
Gabriel must have sensed her doubt because he stood up and stepped closer to her. He towered over her, his presence overwhelming. “Here’s the deal, Elena,” he said, his voice softer but no less intense. “You don’t have to decide right now. But if you do, just know that no one-and I mean no one-messes with what’s ours.”
Elena’s breath caught at his words. What’s ours? The way he said it made her stomach flip, though she couldn’t tell if it was from fear or something else.
Andrew stood as well, his grin widening. “Take your time, little one. But don’t take too long. We’re not the patient type.”
With that, they walked past her, leaving her standing there, her thoughts a tangled mess.
—
The next morning, the university was buzzing with rumors again. This time, however, they weren’t just about Elena. Word had spread that Gabriel and Andrew had been seen with her in the library, and everyone was speculating what it meant.
Elena tried to ignore the whispers as she made her way to class, but it was impossible to escape the stares and murmurs. She kept her head down, her hands clutching her books tightly.
By lunchtime, things had only gotten worse. Mia had apparently caught wind of the rumors, and she was furious. Elena saw her in the cafeteria, surrounded by her usual entourage, glaring daggers at her from across the room.
Elena quickly grabbed her food and made her way to an empty table in the corner, hoping to avoid any confrontation. But of course, her luck didn’t hold.
“Look who it is,” Mia’s voice rang out, dripping with mockery. “Miss Nobody, suddenly thinking she’s important because Gabriel and Andrew decided to throw her a bone.”
Elena clenched her jaw, refusing to look up. She wouldn’t give Mia the satisfaction of a reaction.
Mia sauntered over, her heels clicking against the floor. “You think they actually care about you?” she sneered. “You’re just a charity case to them. A joke.”
Before Elena could respond, a shadow fell over the table. She looked up to see Gabriel standing there, his expression dark and dangerous.
“Mia,” he said coldly, his voice sending a chill through the air. “I suggest you walk away. Now.”
Mia’s confidence faltered, but she quickly masked it with a smirk. “Oh, come on, Gabriel. You’re not seriously defending her, are you? What’s so special about her anyway?”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened, and his eyes flashed with anger. “That’s none of your damn business. But if I see you or your little minions bothering her again, you’ll regret it.”
Mia’s face turned red with humiliation, and she stormed off, muttering under her breath.
Elena stared at Gabriel, her heart pounding. “You didn’t have to do that,” she said quietly.
He turned to her, his expression softening slightly. “Yeah, I did,” he said simply. “No one gets to mess with you. Except me.”
She blinked, confused by his words. “What does that even mean?”
Gabriel smirked, leaning down so their faces were only inches apart. “It means you’re mine to deal with, Elena. No one else.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Before she could say anything, Andrew appeared, clapping Gabriel on the back.
“Hey, bro, don’t hog all the fun,” he said with a grin. He turned to Elena, his eyes twinkling. “So, little one, what’s the verdict? Are you going to be our friend or not?”
Elena stared at them, her mind spinning. How had her life gotten so complicated so quickly?
“We’ll take that as a maybe,” Gabriel said with a chuckle. “Come on, Andrew. Let’s leave her to think it over.”
As they walked away, Elena couldn’t help but feel like her world had just been turned upside down. And she had no idea what to do about it.