The first time I touched Lucien Ashford , every light in Blackwood University exploded.
That probably should have been my first clue that he wasn't normal .
Unfortunately, I was too busy lying flat on my back in the middle of the student union, covered in iced coffee and wondering wether humiliation could legally qualify as a cause of death.
"My interview" I whispered.
A few feet away, my carefully prepared documents floated through a puddle of caramel latte.
Four weeks of application.
Three recommendations letters.
One resumé I had written so many times that I could recite it in my sleep.
All ruined.
People gathered around us , but nobody moved to help. Their attention was fixed on the man above me.
Lucien Ashford.
Even before arriving at Blackwood , i knew this name.
Everyone did .
Captain of the university undefeated hockey team. Son of billionaire businessman stan Ashford. Future heir to an empire that owned half the buildings in the city according to campus gossip, the building currently witnessing my public execution.
He was tall enough to block the emergency lights glowing above us . His black training jacket stretched across his broad shoulders, and his dark hair looked as though he had run an impatient hand through it one too many times.
He stared at me without speaking .
Not angry.
Not annoyed.
Just stunned
I pushed myself into my elbow . "You could at least ask wether I'm alive".
His eyes remained locked on mine.
They were gray. Not soft gray like rain clouds or silver like the description in romance novels
Cold gray
The color of metal.
"Did you do that" he asked
His voice was low, but it carried through the sudden silence
I looked around.
Every bulb in the student union had gone dark. The screens above the cafe were dead, and the automatic doors had frozen halfway open.
"Do I look like an electrician?"
His jaw tightened. "You touched me"
"You walked into me".
"You were running"
"I was late"
"That doesn't answer the question"
I blinked at him. "What exactly are you accusing me of? Assaulting the electrical system with my shoulder?"
A laugh escaped someone in the crowd
Lucien's attention flicked towards the sound . The person immediately stopped.
Interesting
Terrifying but interesting
A hand appeared beside me
"Come on"
The stranger helping me wore a Blackwood hockey sweatshirt and an expression that suggested this was the most entertaining thing he had seen all week.
I accepted his hands and stood.
Thanks
"No problem" he glanced at Lucien. "You planning to keep interrogating her, captain or should we let campus security handle the attempted murder attempt?"
"I didn't attempt to murder anyone" I said
"Give him time" the stranger replied . "He enjoys being dramatic"
Lucien ignored him
His focus returned to me sharper than before.
The strange thing was he looked less freighting now.
For one brief moment , he looked almost relieved
"What's your name"
I glanced at the clock above the information desk. It had stopped at 9:29 and my interview time was 9:30
Across campus!!
"Oh nooo"
I dropped to my knees and began gathering my papers
The hockey player bent beside me "that sounded serious"
I looked at him "how do you know that"
"My sister applied last year . Whitmore locks the door the second the interview starts"
Perfect
I shoved several wet pages into my folder .
Lucien bent down and picked up my resumé before I could reach it .
His gaze moved across the page.
"Stacy Bennett" he read
I stood and snatched it from him
"Congratulations. You solved the mystery".
"Stacy" he repeated, as though testing how my name sounded .
Something uncomfortable shifted in my chest.
"Now you know to to report for destroying the building" I said "enjoy"
I turned and ran
Behind me , Lucien called my name .
I didn't stop.
Whatever strange problem he had with being touched could wait. My scholarship could not.
Blackwood university had accepted me because of my grades and not my bank account or family name. Students like Lucien could miss interviews and make phone calls until doors reopened.
Students like me receives one chance
And I had just wasted mine by colliding with the most irritating man on campus.
By the time I reached Hawthron hall, my lungs were burning
The hallway outside prof whitmore office was empty.
The door was closed
Nothing
" professor Whitmore?"
Silence
I knocked again harder . "I'm sorry I'm late" . There was an accident in the student union
The door opened three inches .
Prof Evelyn Whitmore peered at me through the gap. Her silver hair was pinned into a bun and her expression suggested that forgiveness was not included in the university curriculum.
"M.s Bennett"
" professor I can explain"
"You were instructed to arrive 10 mins early"
"I did. I mean I was going to but someone ran into me".
Her eyebrow rose
"That sounded more believable in my head"
"I imagined it did"
"Please" I held my ruined folder.coffee dripped from one corner ."I worked all semester for this interview"
Then I heard footsteps from behind me
Slow
Unhurried
As though the person walking down the corridor had never been late for anything in his life.
I didn't need to turn around
Prof Whitmore opened the door wider
"Mr.Ashford"
Of course
Lucien stopped beside me
He had changed since the student union or maybe I was only noticing more now that I was t on the floor. There was a faint tension around his eyes and one of his hands was clenched at his side.
"Professor" he said
What brings you here
"I need ms Bennett"
My mouth fell open
Professor Whitmore looked between us "for what"
"A private matter"
"I don't have private matters with him" I said quickly
Lucien glanced at me "you do now"
I stared at him
He stared back
Prof Whitmore appeared far too Intrested
"Ms.Bennett is scheduled to interview my research program " she said
" then interview her"
"She was late"
"Because of me "
That surprised me enough to silence my next argument
Prof Whitmore studied him "you're accepting responsibility "
"Yes"
The word came out like it physically hurt him.
Her mouth twitched
Was she trying not to smile?
"Very well" she said "ms Bennett come inside"
Relief rushed through me
"Thank you"
But first , prof Whitmore added " perhaps you should hear what Mr Ashford wants . He rarely interrupts my morning without a reason "
"Im sure it isn't important"
"It is" Lucien said
Prof Whitmore stepped back into her office
"You have five mins"
The door shut
I turned on him
What is wrong with you ?
Quite a lot , apparently
That was almost funny
I wasn't joking
He moved closer
Every instinct told me to mates away but I refused to give him the satisfaction
Up closed I noticed how pale he looked.
A line of blood ran beneath his nose
My anger faltered " you're bleeding "
He wiped it away with his thumb and stared at the red mark
Does that happen often
Lately
Then you should see a doctor instead of following a stranger on campus
I have doctors
Plural.how comforting
His expression didn't change
What happened when you touched me
We crashed into each other
Before that
I had never seen you before
That's not what I asked
I folded my arms "I don't know what answer you're searching for"
Lucien looked down the empty hallway before lowering his voice
Did you hear anything
Other than you accusing me of attacking the electricity ?
Inside your head
The seriousness in his face unsettled me . I considered walking away then I remembered the lights. The way he looked at me afterwards
Not furious
Shocked
"I heard nothing" I said carefully "why?"
For the first time , the confidence drained from his expression
Exactly
A door open somewhat downstairs
Lucien caught my wrist and pulled me into the shadowed corner beside prof Whitmore office
What are you doing
Be quiet
Let go of me
The moment his fingers fully around my skin his entire body went still
His eyes shut
The tension in his face disappeared
It was as though someone has removed an invisible weigh from his shoulder
He breathed out slowly
I should have pulled away instead i watched him
For several seconds the cold and arrogant hockey captain vanished. In his place someone stood exhausted. Someone who hasn't experienced peace in a long time.
Then his eyes opened . They were no longer gray . A ring of bright silver burned around his pupils. I stopped breathing .lucien realeased me as though my skin had burned him.
"You're not registered" he whispered
Registered for what
He backed away
Fear appeared in his expression so quickly that I nearly convinced myself I had imagined it
Stacy listen to me
The way he said my name made my stomach tighten
You cannot tell anyone what just happened
I don't even know what happened
That won't matter to them
To who
He looked towards prof Whitmore closed door
Then the fire alarm began screaming, red lights flashed through the corridor, students poured from the surrounding classrooms.
Prof Whitmore opened their office door, but Lucien stepped between us before she could speak
His hand settled against my lower back , firm and protective
"Stay with me" he ordered
I shoved his hand away "stop telling me what to do"
The building shook
A crack split across the ceiling
Screams echoed from the stairway
Lucien's eye flashed silver again
This time everyone saw them
A man in black uniform appeared at the end of the hallway
He looked at Lucien
Then at me
Recognition hardened his face
"There she is"
Lucien grabbed my Hand
"Run"
And for reasons I still don't understand , I did.