REJECTED BY MY FIRST LOVE, CHASED BY THE CAMPUS KING

ELAINA'S POV

The entire university was screaming.

"ROMEO! ROMEO! ROMEO!"

The deafening chants rolled through the concert grounds as thousands of students raised their phones, waiting for the man who had turned music into a religion at West Ridge University.

Beside me, Kiara Sterling was practically vibrating.

"Oh, my God! He's coming out! Bella, he's actually coming out!" she shrieked, clutching my arm hard enough to stop the circulation in my fingers.

"Kiara, my arm!" I protested."Your arm will survive. My heart won't!"

I rolled my eyes, but a smile tugged at my lips.

Romeo King was undoubtedly talented. He was also ridiculously handsome, judging by the thousands of students who had spent the past hour screaming his name. As the leader of one of the most popular bands in the country, he could sell out concert tickets faster than most people could finish a meal.

And tonight, West Ridge University belonged to him, the stage lights flashed.

Then he appeared.

The screams that followed were almost enough to make me question whether we were attending a concert or witnessing a historical event.

Romeo stepped onto the stage with a microphone in one hand, his dark hair falling carelessly across his forehead. His band members followed, and within seconds, the entire crowd was singing along.

Kiara grabbed Bella's shoulders and shook her.

"LOOK AT HIM!"

Bella laughed so hard that she nearly spilled her drink.

"I'm looking! Stop trying to dislocate my shoulders!"

I shook my head at them.

Some people fell in love with books. Others fell in love with music.

My roommates, apparently, fell in love with men who had no idea they existed.

I preferred books.

Books didn't make my heart race for absolutely no reason.

At least, that was what I believed before my eyes wandered across the VIP section.

And landed on him.

Lucien Cross.

Even from a distance, he was difficult to overlook.

He stood among a small group of young men, dressed in black, with the sort of effortless composure that made everyone around him seem unnecessarily loud. His broad shoulders filled out his shirt perfectly, and his expression suggested that the entire concert was merely a minor interruption to his day.

I recognized him from the countless conversations I'd overheard on campus.

Third-year Engineering student. Brilliant. Wealthy beyond imagination. Heir to Nexora Technologies, one of the most influential technology companies in the world.

Apparently, he was also one of those men whose faces made people forget the very reason they'd approached them.

The students around us seemed to agree.

"That's Lucien Cross!" a girl squealed behind me.

"Who doesn't know Lucien Cross?" her friend replied. "I'd sell my soul for one date with that man."

I almost laughed.

Some people really needed hobbies.

As if sensing the attention, Lucien turned slightly.

For one brief second, our eyes met across the crowd.

I looked away.

Not because I was nervous.

I simply had better things to do than admire a stranger.

"ELIANA!"

I turned just in time for someone to collide with my shoulder.

My phone slipped from my hand.

"Oh, no!"

I bent to retrieve it, but another hand reached it first.

Long fingers. A black sleeve.

I straightened and found myself standing directly in front of Lucien Cross.

Up close, he was even more annoyingly handsome.He held out my phone.

I took it quickly, checking the screen for cracks.

"Thank you," I said.

He gave a brief nod.

Someone called his name from behind him, and he walked away.

I stared after him for approximately two seconds before returning to my friends.

"Who was that?" Bella asked.

"Lucien Cross."

Kiara's mouth fell open.

"You bumped into LUCIEN CROSS?" Bella asked by looking shocked "Technically, he bumped into me." I replied

Do you know how many girls would kill for that moment?" she said"

"And you're dramatic," I replied.

"I'm romantic," she argued

I laughed, slipping phone into bag. Lucien Cross might be man people wrote fantasies about, but he was stranger who returned phone, nothing more, and I had no intention of turning two-second encounter into love story.

By time concert ended, Bella developed appreciation for Romeo King's voice, while Kiara decided future depended on attending every concert he performed. Unfortunately, roommates celebrated evening with more enthusiasm than bodies could handle.

Bella leaned heavily against shoulder when we reached exit and whispered, "Eliana, I think I'm in love." "With Romeo King?" I asked. She considered. "His voice, specifically. It could make anyone believe in love," she said. "That's reassuring," I replied.

Kiara, holding Bella's other arm, shook head. "You two don't understand romance," she said. "Enlighten us then, professor of love," I said. "Romeo sings like man who knows how to break heart," she said. "Have you ever spoken to him?" I asked. "No," she admitted. "Then how would you know?" I asked. "It's intuition. A woman knows," she said.

I laughed so hard Bella nearly stumbled and I caught her. "Careful!" I said. "I am careful," she protested, swaying. "Yes, I can see that," I said.

Getting them back to hostel became mission requiring patience and strength I usually reserved for examinations. Bella insisted she could walk alone while Kiara argued shoes were too expensive for uneven walkways at night. At one point, Bella stopped beneath streetlight and announced she forgot the lyrics to a favourite song. "You sang it ten minutes ago, Bella," I said.

For all dramatics, I loved these girls deeply. Bella made worst days lighter. Kiara could turn afternoon into fashion emergency and make everyone laugh. And then there was Seraphina Ellis, fourth roommate, who would rather read law textbook than attend concert. We were unlikely group of four, but somehow we worked perfectly together.

When we reached room, I helped Bella onto bed, found water for both, and made sure they were comfortable before changing into my nightwear. Kiara was half-asleep when she opened one eye. "Eliana? If Romeo King asks for my number, will you give it to him? Promise?" she asked sleepily.

I stared. "Go to sleep, I said while laughing. "Promise first," she insisted. "I promise to consider it," I said. She smiled and closed eyes.

I shook head, laughing quietly. Then I settled at desk and opened medical notes, trying to focus. From the Outside, the campus grew quieter after concert. I was alone with books, alone with thoughts.

Or so I thought, because eyes wandered towards small photograph tucked inside transparent cover of notebook. Darian Blake. I traced edge with thumb gently. Three years of keeping secret that became so woven into life that sometimes I wondered whether I would ever find courage to speak aloud.

I closed notebook slowly. Tomorrow, I would have to decide whether I was brave enough to change everything, because I realised hardest thing about loving someone wasn't waiting, it was possibility you could wait forever and never know whether they would have chosen you. And I was tired of wondering.

In truth I had liked Darian since first year, watching him from library corner, listening to his calm explanations, admiring his patience with juniors. "Bella, do you think he even notices me?" I whispered later. Bella squeezed my hand and said, "Eliana, he will notice you when you finally speak. You just need courage." I nodded slowly. "Maybe tomorrow, maybe I will finally say something," I replied.