“You have got to get your ass over here, like now, there are so many hot guys here. I’ve died and gone to hot guy heaven… Actually hell because not one of these guys here looks like an angel,” my best friend Harper, chirps into the phone, talking a million words a second, probably brought on by too many cups of jungle juice. It’s the last week of school before a month long holiday break, and I’m stuck in the library because, of course, I have a final on Friday and can’t get wasted like ninety percent of the freshman class who have already completed their finals. Not to mention it’s fucking statistics, which I’ve struggled with all semester. I’m teetering on the line of a B plus—the lowest grade I’ve ever gotten, so I’m doing everything I can to maintain my A minus in the class.

“Harp, I’m at the library, I told you,” I whisper into the phone before darting my eyes around the room to make sure I’m not disturbing anyone. There’s a blonde girl sleeping on her textbooks one table over and a guy at the other end of my table with his AirPods in and music blasting so loud I’m surprised he hasn’t burst an eardrum.

“But that cute guy from our business class is here!” The music is loud behind her making her scream into the phone.

I pull it away and put the phone in front of my lips. “It’s too loud, text me,” I tell her and hang up before she can protest.

The bubbles appear instantly, and although I have zero interest in the guy from our business class, I know Harper does, and I feel bad that I’m not there to be her wing woman. The thoughts instantly float away when my phone buzzes again. I can’t even stop the embarrassingly large smile from crossing my face when I see his name and picture on the screen.

“James.” I smile. “I’m at the library,” I whisper, even though nothing short of death could force me to cut a conversation short with him.

“Hi, beautiful.” I can hear the smile in his voice too, just like whenever he talks to me. I fucking melt. It wasn’t a surprise to hear this praise from him. He’s always told me how beautiful I am and how perfect I am. If I even had an inkling that he is as fucked up as I am, I would think he’s flirting with me. But there’s no way.

James is perfect.

He doesn’t make mistakes.

“Have you left the library this semester? I swear every time I talk to you, you’re studying.”