As Khai watched Anaya pick out a basket, he fought the urge to ask her if she wanted to eat with him. He considered how she hurt her hand and that she grabbed food that was easy to eat with one hand. He concluded that she probably wanted to be by herself.
Sulking internally, he picked up a basket, adding more of the type of food she got for herself when he saw that she didn't plan to buy enough for more than a small meal. He stretched his hand, asking for her basket so he could pay for everything and walk her to her room.
She quickly shook her head, claiming that she could pay for it herself. "Just give it." He said. He scoffed and wondered if chivalry was dead in Bellevue. But again, he was glad at the idea that no man ever paid for Anaya's food.
As he walked her back to her dorm, his eyes darted to her long hair that reached her waist. Her soft lips were slightly open as she watched everything and everyone around her. Her shoulders and her curved chest rose and fell ever so slightly in a steady rhythm. Her pale thin arms looked like they had never seen a day's work and her slim waist was enhanced by her black skirt. He was still in awe of how beautiful she looked.
She raised her left hand to tuck her hair behind her ear and Khai noticed a small mole right below where her jaw and ear connected. He sucked his bottom lip in, diverting his attention to where they were walking. Maybe he would trip and fall if he was so engrossed in her.
He noticed that her pace had slowed down compared to earlier. 'She must be exhausted.' He thought. He hoped she had enough energy to eat some food before she fell asleep and just like that, his thoughts abruptly drifted to how she would look if she was sleeping peacefully.
'Probably like an angel.' He imagined her lying on a bed with her eyes closed, her long black lashes brushing her cheeks. 'What a fucking creep.' He thought to himself in disgust. 'Who imagines how a girl would look while sleeping?'
As her dormitory came into view, a feeling of desolation consumed him. She would be out of his view in a short time and he had no excuse to meet her again any time soon.
Steeling his expression, he looked back at her and noticed that she was texting someone. He looked away, in fear that she might think he was snooping. Hadn't his reputation to her been ruined enough?
When he reached the entrance to her dormitory, he skimmed over the layout in his mind to see where her room was. He opened his mouth to give her the exact directions before resisted. She might think he went there too often, he told himself.
He faced her and she looked up at him with her big eyes. He sucked a sharp breath in before he reminded himself to speak. But he was at a loss of what to say and shifted his legs aimlessly.
"My friend will be out to get me in a moment." She said. "Thank you, for taking me to Maeve and buying me food." A small smile crept up her lips and Khai's lips curved up involuntarily. His hands twitched to brush his fingers on her soft cheeks, but he stopped before he made a complete fool out of himself.
"Take care of your hand. I'm really sorry I bumped into you. I wish you didn't get hurt so bad." He said with sincerity.
Anaya shook her head, "It was my fault, I should've been more careful."
Just as he was about to ask for her number so he could check in on her, he heard someone rush towards them.
"Ana, finally! What took you so long?" The girl smiled as she walked towards Anaya, spreading her arms out to hug her. Anaya hugged her tight for a few seconds before she looked back at Khai.
"Meghan, this is Khai. He helped me until here because I hurt my hand." She explained. "Khai, this is Meghan, my best friend." Her voice was affectionate when she introduced Meghan to him. They must be close, he thought.
He felt comforted at the idea that she had a close friend that could take care of her.
"Hi Khai! It's nice to… Wait what? You hurt your hand? Ana, show me!" Meghan's realization distracted her mid sentence.
"Ugh..Meg" Anaya's brows slightly knit together as Meghan grabbed her hand, but her friend softened her touch instantly and the worry on her face warmed Anaya's heart.
"Oh my god, what happened? This looks bad! Ana, you're so clumsy!" Meghan scolded Anaya with concern. She looked at Khai who was looking down at them both, somewhat upset. Meghan's eyes moved to his hands, that held a bag filled with food.
"Is that for us?" she asked. Khai nodded, fixing his glare to a blank expression as he handed the bag to Meghan. "I got it from here. Thank you for your help Khai!" She smiled and took the bag of food from him.
Khai reluctantly let go of the bag and watched Meghan grab Anaya's hand and drag her towards the dorm. His fists clenched as he watched her walking away from him, flustered because she had to leave all of a sudden. He wished for Meghan to disappear. The stupid girl hadn't even let him ask for Anaya's number.
Though she started walking towards where Meghan was taking her, she turned to look back at him with an apologetic expression.
"Sorry!" She mouthed and Khai shook his head, as if to say she didn't have to apologize. His face softened and his fists unclenched. She flashed him a smile and his world suddenly froze.
Her smile was breathtaking. Her lips moved upward in a gentle curve, revealing a row of perfectly aligned teeth. Her eyes crinkled at the corners, adding a touch of warmth and playfulness to her expression. The way her face lit up when she smiled, it was as if the sun had suddenly appeared on a cloudy day.
His hands turned clammy when he realized what was happening. He was falling for her and he was falling hard. This girl was going to keep him awake at night for the foreseeable future. He needed her, almost like her needed to breathe. The feeling was exciting, confusing and new.
He felt restless as she disappeared into the building, standing still for a long minute before he turned to leave, scouting his brain for ideas on how he could spend more time with her.
*****
Anaya ignored how her exhaustion suddenly increased ten folds as she walked into the dormitory. Meghan bombarded her with questions about what happened and she explained everything.
Meghan paid close attention to all the instructions Maeve had given Ana. She wanted her friend to recover at the earliest and she was determined to help her in every way possible.
Ana looked at Meghan's bright green eyes as she reassured her about how she's got the whole 'help' situation handled. She smiled at her red haired friend. Meghan carried herself with confidence and positive energy. Her warm personality reflected in her friendly demeanor and her ability to connect with others easily. She was kind, considerate, and genuinely interested in the well-being of those around her.
George had chosen well. Thank heavens!
As they reached their adjacent dorm rooms, Meghan took Ana's keys from her hand and pushed the door open. Ana's eyes happily darted around her new room. She saw her luggage placed neatly inside the closet, waiting to be unpacked. Meghan walked in to open her suitcase and pull out something comfortable for Ana while she took in the rest of the room.
A wooden desk sat on the left wall with a small lamp on it. Her queen bed was pushed against the right wall, already equipped with a mattress, two pillows and a comforter. The wooden theme continued to the door on the left, a few feet from her desk. It opened up to a cozy bathroom, with a sink, toilet, shower and bathtub. Ana's shoulders relaxed as she accepted her new home. She loved it, a few plants and candles here and there was all she needed to make it perfect.
Meghan walked in behind her and handed her a pair of pajamas. She helped Ana change into them and proceeded to unpack the food from the bag. Ana saw that Khai forgot to take his food and gave her everything that he bought.
She pursed her lips with guilt. She should've noticed what he was handing to Meghan, but she was distracted on seeing her best friend. She told herself that she'd buy him some food the next time they ran into each other.
She ate some hot cup noodles that Meghan prepared for her and snacked on an orange as she described the main building and the library to Meghan. The two girls decided to meet up with George tomorrow and peruse the entire library. They were all bookworms and Ana loved that.
With her stomach full, Ana started to feel sleepy. Meghan tucked her friend in, promised to come back later that evening to help her unpack, and walked out - quietly closing the door behind her. Anaya fell asleep soon after she heard the soft click from the door. The last thought she remembered before slipping into a deep slumber was the handsome face of the stranger she met today, Khai.