Chris accepted the fresh cup of coffee without a word, his fingers briefly brushing against Skylar's as he took it. It was a fleeting touch, barely noticeable, but for some reason, she did notice.
"Thanks," he murmured, taking a sip.
Skylar tilted her head slightly, watching him over the rim of her cup. "You don't talk much, do you?"
Chris smirked, a barely-there curve of his lips. "Depends on who I'm talking to."
Her brows lifted in amusement. "So I made the cut?"
He shrugged, glancing toward the busy crowd in the cafeteria. "For now."
Skylar let out a soft laugh. "You're different."
Chris raised a brow. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"Not bad. Just… unexpected." She stirred her drink, her gaze distant for a second before flicking back to him. "Most people I know talk too much, act too much. You don't."
Chris leaned back slightly, studying her. He knew her type—or at least, he thought he did. The effortlessly elegant kind. The ones raised on wealth, bred to maintain an image. He had spent years avoiding people like her. Yet something about Skylar didn't quite fit the mold.
Maybe it was the way she spoke, not with arrogance but with something closer to honesty. Or maybe it was the way her eyes darkened when she thought no one was looking, like she was carrying something heavy.
"So," she continued, tilting her head, "what's your deal?"
Chris took another sip before answering. "Just a guy trying to get through university."
She narrowed her eyes. "That's the best you've got?"
Chris chuckled under his breath. "I could say the same to you."
Skylar hesitated, gripping her cup tighter.
Chris noticed immediately. He always noticed. "Thought so."
A silence stretched between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was charged—like an unspoken understanding had formed between them.
Then, before she could think twice, she spoke. "My family's… going through something."
Chris didn't pry. He didn't have to. He had seen the way she checked her phone earlier, the tension in her shoulders whenever she wasn't looking. Whatever it was, it mattered.
And yet, here she was, pretending like it didn't.
"That's life," he said simply.
Skylar scoffed. "That's it? No fake sympathy, no 'I'm sure it'll be fine'?"
Chris met her gaze. "Do you want that?"
She opened her mouth, then shut it. She wasn't sure what she wanted.
"Didn't think so," he added.
For the first time in a while, Skylar felt something unfamiliar—curiosity. About him. About why he didn't talk like everyone else. Why he didn't seem interested in impressing her, like most guys would be.
Her phone buzzed again. Another message. Another reminder of the choices she didn't want to make.
She exhaled sharply, shoving the phone into her pocket. "Well," she said, forcing a light tone, "I guess I'll see you around, Chris."
Chris nodded, but as he watched her walk away, he had a strange feeling.
This wasn't the last time their paths would cross. And deep down, he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.