Chapter 3
Faye Sinclair had always believed first impressions mattered.
Maybe they weren't always right, but they usually told her enough. The way people treated strangers, handled mistakes, or carried themselves when no one was watching revealed more than they realized.
And Ethan had made a terrible first impression.
He stole her bus seat.
He teased her without apology.
He laughed like irritating her was the highlight of his day.
Naturally, Faye decided Ethan was someone she didn’t need in her life. Yet somehow, he kept appearing, on the bus, at Starbucks, and now in the library.
She had come to study in peace, and for a while, everything went perfectly. Until her thoughts drifted to Ethan and the moment he noticed she was exhausted.
Faye quickly pushed the thought away, forcing herself to focus on her studies instead of the annoying basketball player. The chair across from her scraped against the floor, but she didn’t bother looking up.
"Absolutely not."
A familiar chuckle answered.
"You haven't even looked at me yet."
She slowly lifted her eyes.
Of course.
Ethan dropped into the seat across from her as if he belonged there, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
"Don't," she warned.
He blinked innocently. "Don't what?"
"Whatever you're planning."
"I'm just sitting."
"You've proven that's never all you're doing."
He laughed as he set his notebook on the table.
"I didn't realize you thought about me that much."
"I don't."
"Really? You remembered every one of our encounters."
Faye frowned.
"I remember being annoyed."
"So you do remember."
She immediately regretted answering.
Ethan smiled like he'd just won an argument.
"You're impossible."
"And yet," he said casually, "you keep talking to me."
Her mouth opened, then closed again. Much as she hated to admit it, he had a point.
"Why are you here?" Faye asked instead, refusing to acknowledge the fact that she was even slightly curious.
"To study."
Her eyes dropped to the notebook in front of him, then slowly returned to his face.
"Seriously?"
Ethan looked offended. "Believe it or not, I’m capable of opening a book."
"I’m still waiting for proof."
He pressed a hand against his chest, dramatically wounded. "That actually hurts."
"Good. I was hoping it would."
A laugh escaped him, and against her better judgment, Faye almost smiled. She quickly hid it, expecting a teasing remark from Ethan, but instead, he simply opened his notebook and stared at the page filled with equations.
"I hate math," he muttered.
Faye glanced at the numbers scattered across the page.
"That much is obvious."
Ethan looked up, a small grin forming.
"So... does that mean you’re going to help me?"
Her eyes narrowed immediately.
"Nice try."
He sighed, closing the notebook like he had just suffered a great loss.
"Can’t blame a guy for trying."
"Actually, I can."
He laughed again, and somehow, despite herself, Faye found it harder to stay annoyed.
Faye rolled her eyes and returned to her textbook, determined not to let him distract her.
It lasted less than a minute.
For the next several minutes, silence settled between them.
Faye expected Ethan to start another conversation, crack another joke, or find a new way to get on her nerves.
Instead, he actually studied.
She tried to ignore him, but curiosity got the better of her.
He frowned at the page, erased an answer, muttered something under his breath, then scratched the back of his neck in frustration.
He wasn’t pretending. He genuinely had no idea what he was doing, and somehow, that caught Faye completely off guard.
She had already decided Ethan was the type who relied on charm to get by. Seeing him quietly struggle with a math problem didn't fit the picture she'd painted.
A few moments later, he sighed.
"I've been staring at this for ten minutes," Ethan muttered, still looking at the same equation.
"Maybe because you're solving it wrong," Faye replied without lifting her eyes from her book.
His head snapped toward her. "You've been watching me?"
"I've been trying not to."
A slow grin appeared on his face.
"So... you were watching."
"I was making an observation."
"An observation about me?"
Faye finally looked up, giving him a blank stare.
"Don’t flatter yourself."
Ethan laughed and pushed his notebook across the table.
"Then make another observation."
She sighed but glanced at the problem anyway.
"You moved the variable to the wrong side."
He leaned closer, following where she pointed.
"I did?"
"Right there."
Ethan stared at the equation for a few seconds before dropping his head back with a groan.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
He dragged a hand down his face. "I've been making the same mistake this entire time."
"I noticed."
His eyes narrowed playfully. "And you just let me suffer?"
"I wasn’t planning to help you at all."
He laughed, shaking his head.
"You're ruthless."
"No," Faye said, returning to her book. "I'm selective."
Ethan smiled.
"Somehow, that’s not any better."
He looked at her for a moment before shrugging.
"Maybe I like a challenge."
Faye reached for the notebook before she could change her mind.
"Move this here first," she said, writing one line beneath his work. "Then simplify."
Ethan watched carefully.
When she finished, his face lit up.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"That was way easier than whatever I was doing."
"That's because whatever you were doing made no sense."
He looked at her for a moment before smiling.
"You know, you're a surprisingly good teacher."
Faye handed the notebook back.
"Don't get used to free tutoring."
"I wasn't going to ask."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You were thinking about it, though."
"I absolutely was."
She shook her head.
"At least you're honest."
"I figured lying to you wouldn't get me very far."
"No."
"It'd probably make you yell at me."
"It definitely would."
He laughed again. This time, Faye didn’t roll her eyes. She simply returned to her notes, pretending his laugh wasn’t starting to feel strangely familiar.
A few minutes later, a student at the next table accidentally knocked a stack of papers onto the floor. Before anyone else could react, Ethan was already on his feet, helping pick them up.
"There you go," Ethan said, handing the papers back.
The student smiled. "Thank you so much."
"No problem."
He returned to his seat, but instead of immediately opening his notebook, he looked at Faye.
She noticed and frowned.
"What?"
"I’m just surprised."
"Surprised about what?"
"That you actually helped someone."
Faye raised an eyebrow. "What? You thought I was incapable of basic human kindness?"
Ethan shrugged. "Maybe a little."
She stared at him, then shook her head, unable to stop the small smile forming.
"Honestly, for a moment, I really thought you were incapable of learning."
Ethan gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his chest.
"Wow. That was brutal."
"You survived."
"Barely."
Faye rolled her eyes.
"You really had a terrible first impression of me."
Faye let out a quiet laugh. Ethan froze.
"Did you just laugh?"
Her smile vanished immediately.
"No."
"I definitely heard that."
"You imagined it."
"Sure," he said, grinning. "And I definitely imagined you almost smiling five seconds ago too."
Faye returned to her notes, refusing to give him the satisfaction of being right, though she couldn’t hide the small smile on her lips.
They studied in a quiet rhythm, interrupted only by Ethan’s dramatic sighs and occasional complaints about math.
"I swear these numbers are plotting against me."
Faye glanced up from her book. "They're numbers, Ethan."
"Exactly. That's what they want you to think."
She stared at him for a moment. "You've been studying too long."
A grin tugged at his lips. "There it is."
"What?"
"That look you give me when you think I'm ridiculous."
"Because you usually are."
"Fair enough."
Somehow, talking to him had become easier than she expected. That realization was slightly annoying.
A few moments later, Ethan closed his notebook.
"My brain just gave up."
Faye laughed. "I'm surprised it lasted this long."
He pressed a hand to his chest. "Wow. No sympathy at all?"
"None."
Ethan shook his head, smiling as he packed his things. "I should leave before you find another way to insult me."
"Probably a wise decision."
He stood, but before leaving, he paused.
"Hey... thanks for helping me."
The teasing was gone from his voice, and that caught Faye off guard.
"It's not a big deal."
"Maybe not to you."
He gave her a small smile. "But I appreciate it."
Faye looked away, unsure why that simple sentence affected her.
"I'll see you around, Faye."
She nodded. "Try not to fail your math test."
His eyebrows lifted. "Was that your way of wishing me luck?"
"No."
A grin spread across his face. "Sure sounded like it."
And with that, he walked away, leaving Faye staring at her notes and wondering why his absence suddenly felt a little too noticeable.
He slung his backpack over one shoulder and started walking away.
Before she realized it, Faye’s eyes followed Ethan until he disappeared through the library doors, leaving her staring at the same page without reading a word.
By the time Faye started her Starbucks shift, she had almost forgotten the strange feeling from that morning, until the café door opened, and she instantly regretted looking up.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
Ethan walked in, spotted her almost instantly, and smiled.
"You know," Ethan said as he stepped up to the register, "I’m starting to think you’re following me."
Faye stared at him.
"I work here."
He nodded seriously. "Sure… But I still think you are following me."
She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she faced him.
"What do you want?"
"Coffee."
"Surprisingly normal."
"I have my moments."
Faye sighed and opened the register.
"What can I get you?"
"Medium iced americano."
She entered the order, but when she looked up, he was still smiling.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You're staring."
"Just wondering if you’re always this friendly."
"Only with difficult customers."
"So I’m special?"
"Don’t push it."
He laughed. She shook her head and grabbed a cup.
"Name?"
"You forgot?"
"I want to make sure I spell it wrong."
Ethan grinned. "Ethan."
She wrote it down, correctly.
He noticed.
"I’m disappointed," Ethan said, glancing at the name on the cup. "I expected a fake name."
"I didn’t want to waste a marker."
He laughed, clearly amused.
"I’ll count that as progress."
A few minutes later, Faye called out his order.
"Medium iced americano for Ethan."
He walked over and took the cup, flashing her a smile.
"Thanks."
"Don’t make this a habit."
He raised an eyebrow. "Buying coffee?"
"Showing up everywhere."
Ethan grinned. "I was actually going to say the same thing."
Faye rolled her eyes.
"You’re impossible."
He laughed and took a sip of his drink.
Then he frowned.
"It's hot."
Faye stared at him.
"You ordered a hot americano."
"I know."
"Then why are you surprised?"
He looked at the cup, then back at her.
"I forgot."
She shook her head.
"You really are hopeless."
"I prefer 'occasionally distracted.'"
"That’s a generous description."
Ethan smiled.
"Maybe the universe is trying to tell us something."
Faye narrowed her eyes. "Should I be worried?"
"Maybe it’s telling us we should stop pretending we’re strangers."
"We’re barely acquaintances."
"Exactly. We’re making progress."
"We’re tolerating each other."
"I’ll take it."
She tried not to smile, but failed.
"You really celebrate the smallest victories."
"You just smiled. I’d call that a pretty big one."
"I did not."
"Sure."
Before she could argue, another customer stepped forward, and Faye quickly pointed Ethan toward the waiting area.
"Move. You’re holding up the line."
"So this is your way of getting rid of me?"
"This is my way of reminding you that other people exist."
Ethan laughed and stepped aside, but before leaving, he lifted his cup.
"Thanks for the coffee."
"You paid for it." That genuine smile appeared again.
She watched Ethan walk away, wondering why she was starting to believe he meant it, and annoyed by the fact that he was somehow becoming harder to dislike.
The rest of her shift passed quietly, yet she still found herself glancing at the café door, insisting she wasn’t waiting for Ethan to come back.