Alyssa rolled her eyes at him in a playful manner. An uncontrollable smile tugged at her lips as they headed down the stairs together. He teased her in a way that didn't make her uncomfortable or embarrassed.
She couldn't count how many times people had made jokes or teased her because she was quiet or smart. They did it in a way that was almost humiliating to her. He didn't do that to her, though.
He acted lighthearted and kind, but he had a bit of an intimidating edge to him. She saw that when he faced off with Kaleigh and Olivia. She didn't want to get on his bad side. She enjoyed the side of him that she was seeing now and hoped she would see a lot more of it.
"So, tea. Not coffee?" Alyssa asked Elias as they strode into Osland Café. It was a small place with bright golden lights, dark wood accents, and a large chalkboard menu behind the ordering counter. A few students lingered in the round tables scattered around the café as jazz music lightly sounded from the speakers.
