AUTHOR

Got stuck with this one for days. Thanks for waiting. Enjoy!

“What do you say?”

  She could feel warmth and soft fingers running along her lower back, giving her goosebumps. 

“I—” Winter stutters, finding herself speechless. “Um...” 

  Unconsciously, she tightens her hold on the latter’s jacket. Karina was leaning too close for her liking. Her sweet-scented vanilla perfume was rubbing on her body as if she were marking her. Her blue eyes were sparkling, seemingly in a daze.

“Winter!”

 Winter couldn’t be more thankful for that interruption. Karina loosened her hold a bit but didn’t let go. They both looked up and saw Yizhuo walking towards them with a raised brow and a smirk on her face.

“I’ve been looking all over for you.” She gestures to Winter with a hint of mischief. “I didn’t expect that you’d rather ditch class so that you could flirt. How rebellious of you. I couldn’t be so proud.” 

  Winter huffed in disbelief after hearing her best friend’s words. This is totally not what it looks like! She was supposed to retort that but was cut in the middle by Yizhuo.

She looks at Karina, nodding along the way, and says, “Hello, Karina. Fancy meeting you here.” 

  Her eyes travelled down Winter’s lower back, where Karina’s palm was resting. She couldn’t help but give her friend a devilish grin, which Winter just glared at in return.

“Likewise, Yizhuo.” She nods back in a cool gesture. Her hand was now resting on the side of Winter’s waist.

“We’re Lab partners.” Yizhuo gestured back to Winter. “Prof. Dudley says you’ll get detention later for being late.

“Ugh.” Winter groans in annoyance. This was the very first time she was late after entering college. Now, her reputation for trying to be a good student has gone to ruin.

“Y’know each other?” Karina asked. 

  Her hold tightened a bit around her waist. Winter clasped her hand and gradually removed it, but Karina intertwined them together.

“She’s my childhood best friend,” she simply said.

“How come you never introduced me to your childhood best friend before?”

“Well, Winter is pretty much allergic to people.” She shrugs. “She only tolerates me.”

That earned a chuckle from Karina, who said, “That pretty much sounds like Winter,” and looked at the little rascal glowering at them.

“I’m still here, y’know.” Winter narrowed her eyes, frowning a little bit, making her look like a little kid starting to throw a tantrum. “I can hear the both of you judging me.”

Both of them chortled in amusement. 

Karina pinched her cheeks playfully as she cooed, “No, we’re not. You’re just too adorable.”

 That only mad