VIVIAN

"And so, that's everyone you need to stay away from," Eli concluded, his voice carrying the same lecture-like tone it had for the past hour.

The car rolled to a stop near the college's main gate.

When Dad had said Eli would take me, I hadn't realized he meant it quite so literally. He had spent the entire drive talking my ear off. Right now, I would give anything—even my soul—to escape him.

A finger snapped in front of my face, making me flinch.

"You're not listening," he accused.

I turned to him, exasperated. "Eli, do you realize you just named almost every single person who could possibly be studying here and told me to avoid them?"

"Not everyone," he corrected. "Just people who aren't family or friends."

I narrowed my eyes. "You mentioned Landon."

"Exception."

I threw my hands in the air. "Eli, I've been living alone in a foreign country for five years. I think I can handle myself."

Ignoring my protests, he stepped out of the car and leaned against the door. But my attention wasn't on him anymore. It was on the enormous gates in front of me, the sprawling campus beyond them.

I had never imagined I would return here.

The last time I had been on this campus, I was barely three months into college when I received an offer to be a runway model for Roqsuel, one of Paris's most prestigious fashion brands. They had been recruiting fresh faces for their three-year integrated training and internship program.

The pay had been good. Travel and living expenses had been covered. It had been the opportunity of a lifetime—or so I had thought.

It had taken months to convince Dad to let me go. The idea of me moving miles away had been met with an instant 'no.' He had always protected me, cherished me like something delicate. The thought of sending me across the world left a bitter taste in his mouth. But after relentless pleading (and a few well-placed daughterly charms), he had relented.

That was how I had ended up in Paris, chasing my dreams at full speed.

Until I hit a speed bump and crashed.

Now, here I was again. Back at square one.

Eli's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Viv, listen. I know you think I'm being overprotective, but I'm serious. A lot has changed since you left."

I met his gaze, softer this time. "I know, Eli. But I need to do this my way."

He studied me for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. Just... be careful."

I smirked. "Always."

With that, I grabbed my bag and stepped forward, through the gates of a life I had once abandoned.

And into a future I wasn't sure I was ready for.

Someone from the reception desk guided me to my dorm. I had requested a single room, but none were available, so I had to settle for a shared one. It was a fairly large space—larger than the dorms back at the training program. Those rooms, despite being so tiny, were crammed with four bunk beds. The space was always a chaotic mess, and perhaps that was when I first developed a touch of claustrophobia and became a full-blown germophobe.

My roommate hadn't arrived yet; I didn't see any luggage around. I placed my bags on the floor near the bed and pulled out my phone when it beeped. It was a text from Eli:

'Kickoff Party at 7:00. Meet me at the gates. I'll drive us. Don't be late. Regards, Eli.'

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. He had always been a pain in the ass, awfully authoritative—probably inherited from Dad. This was exactly why I preferred Creigh. But knowing Eli, if I ever said that out loud, he would throw an epic fit.

I checked the time. I had a few hours to kill before the party, so I decided to explore the campus. Exiting my dorm, I found myself in the large garden area, often used for monthly lacrosse matches. Tall buildings surrounded the grounds from all sides, creating a charming little pocket of green amid the stone.

It was still the same as I remembered. Dad used to tell us that it had looked the same during his time too. The university took pride in preserving its architecture, allowing students to walk through history. They also preached a load of other romanticized nonsense.

Me? I was just happy to be here. I had loved this place during the short time I'd spent here before. It felt surreal—comforting, almost—to walk the same paths that Mom and Dad once had.

Time passed easily as I wandered. The campus was sprawling, and it grew increasingly crowded as dusk fell. Students were pouring in from every direction, buzzing with energy.

I was on my way back to the dorm when I bumped—no, collided—into someone. The impact was hard enough to knock me off my feet and onto the ground.

I winced and looked up, only to find a familiar face: the guy from the plane.

He immediately reached out his hand, and the moment our eyes met, I saw recognition flash across his features.

"Hey! It's you," he said, holding out his hand to help me stand up.

I brushed the dirt off my jeans and looked at him, opening my mouth to speak—then shutting it again. An embarrassing laugh escaped me.

"I'm so sorry, what was your name again?"

He shrugged it off easily.

"That's okay. I forget names too. It's Nathaniel, but please, call me Nate. And you're Vivian, right?"

I nodded, noticing the suitcase he was holding.

"You study here?" I blurted out, almost flabbergasted at the idea.

"Yes, indeed I do. I'm a tech major, second year," he answered casually.

"But..." I hesitated. Even though I hadn't been paying much attention to him on the plane, I was pretty sure he'd mentioned something else.

"Didn't you say you studied in London?" I asked.

He blinked at me for a few seconds, as if unsure what to say, then suddenly laughed.

"Did I say that? London? Must've been a slip of the tongue. I study here—have been for the past year! But I must say, I'm surprised to see you here, Viv. Small world, isn't it?"

He was entirely too cheerful about this, just as he had been on the plane. There was something about this man that set off alarms in my mind.

I gave him a soft smile and agreed,

"Small world, indeed. It was nice meeting you, Nate. But I've got somewhere to be. See you around."

I rushed away as fast as I could. I didn't remember Eli mentioning any 'Nate' or 'Nathaniel' in his long-winded monologue. I made a mental note to ask him about it later.

An hour later, when I met Eli outside the gates of the university, he was dressed in his usual attire: a black leather jacket and a scornful look on his face. The car ride was fairly short. As Eli turned a corner, the bright neon-pink sign of the downtown bar caught my eye. It was at the far end of the city, and the road across it marked the beginning of the forest. It would be quite a creepy place had it not been for the load of students. Groups of people spilled in and out of the entrance.

Eli parked the car in a corner and I got out. Even from here, I could smell the smoke and booze. Eli guided me through the crowd and into the club.

It was packed—no, that was an understatement. It was so full of people it was almost impossible to tell one person from another. Loud music blared from the speakers, vibrating through the walls.

We finally made it to the bar counter, and Eli ordered two drinks.

"Do you always exclude yourself from the party?" I shouted over the noise.

He gave me a confused look.

"Don't you have any friends?" I asked again, but he obviously didn't think the question was worth answering.

Realizing that talking to Eli was a waste of time, I took matters into my own hands, sweeping my eyes across the mass of people dancing, making out and taking shots..

I hadn't been back in years, so I wasn't expecting to recognize anyone—or for anyone to recognize me. But I had to try. At least find Creighton, so I could escape Eli's boring company. For some reason, he was especially broody today.

I looked back at him and found him staring intently at something across the room, his jaw clenched tight.

I traced his line of sight and my gaze landed on a certain blonde across the room, laughing heartily.

"Is that—wait, is that Ava?"

Eli made an incomprehensible sound.

"Jesus Christ! That's Ava. She was just a kid the last time I saw her. Look at her now—so bold and beautiful."

Eli scoffed and gulped down the contents of his drink. His hand lingered on the rim of the glass as his eyes drifted back to where Ava stood with her friends.

Oh, so that's what's up with him.

"Why don't you go talk to her?"

He shot me a bored expression.

"What?"

"You heard me—go talk to her."

He downed his drink in one gulp.

"One cannot really hold a conversation with her," he muttered.

"Is that so? Because those guys over there seem to be having a pretty fun conversation with her. Are you sure you're not the problem?"

His jaw tightened. If looks could kill, he'd have burned a hole through one of those guys' heads. A smile crept onto my lips—I had definitely hit the right chord—but I quickly toned it down.

Before I could say anything else, he slammed his empty glass onto the counter and stalked away toward the exit.

I shouted after him,

"Eli, stop! You cannot leave me here! Where are you going?"

But he walked out without looking back.

Jerk. He'd always been petty, even as a kid. Landon and he used to fight all the time, and Lan would always side with me when I fought with Eli. We used to be a team.

I wondered if he would even remember his little sister now.

Staring at the groups of people, laughing amongst themselves, a pang of hurt spread in my chest. It had only been a day here and I was already having bad feeling about this, as if I wasn't meant to have fun anymore. I missed my family, and I missed my friends. But Eli was right, a lot had changed since I'd left.

The thought of our childhood—and how much I must have missed out on—resurfaced again, dampening my spirits. I wished I had stayed with my brothers, studied with them. My eyes started burning and my vision became blurry. I wiped a single tear with my finger trying hard not to cry. A group of boys screaming chants passed across me and I quickly hid my face.

I shook my head, pushing the thought away. No. Nope. I'm not going to feel pathetic for two nights in a row. This was a party, and I was going to do what people did at parties.

-x-x-x-x-

This is the end of Chapter 3. If you liked the chapter, don't forget to vote and leave a comment for me! It's highly appreciated. Follow me on my Instagram (: authornephthys and paperhearts.x) for more updates.

Thank you for reading!

Nephthys