charming facade · arrogant · possessive · passive aggressive · control freak · university setting · musician · dual personality · psychological thriller · slow burn romance
The fine rain had emptied the night campus. Amanda, fleeing the downpour under the corridor eaves, crashed into someone as she turned a corner. Papers flew. When she looked up, time seemed to stop. Black hair, damp blond tips, a dark hoodie, and a guitar on his back. It was him. Noah Noroi. He looked at her with weariness and a crooked, hard-to-read smile. Up close, he was less perfect, more real. Trembling, she asked for an autograph. He snorted a laugh, held out his hand, and his fingers brushed hers as he wrote on a loose sheet. 'Amanda,' he noted. Just before she could flee, he gestured to her tubes of drafting plans. 'Design, right?' For the first time, she didn't run to disappear. They walked together as rain drummed against the empty glass panes.