Chapter 2 Under His Umbrella

Rain fell harder, drumming loudly against the canvas tents nearby, turning the grass beneath our feet into mud within seconds.

But I barely noticed.

Because I was staring at him.

Up close, he was even more unfairly attractive.

Tall - at least a head taller than me. Broad shoulders stretching the thin fabric of his white T-shirt. Dark hair already damp from the rain, a few strands falling slightly over his forehead.

And his eyes.

God.

They were locked on mine like he couldn't look away.

Neither could I.

For a few seconds, neither of us moved.

Neither of us spoke.

It was ridiculous.

We were complete strangers standing in the middle of a rainstorm, holding onto each other like we had known each other for years.

I became aware of his hands still gripping my arms.

Warm.

Firm.

Steady.

The realization sent a strange flutter through my stomach.

He seemed to notice at the same time because his grip loosened slightly, though he didn't fully let go.

"You okay?" he asked.

His voice was calmer than mine felt.

"Yeah," I said quickly. "I- sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going."

A corner of his mouth lifted.

"Good thing I was."

Something about the way he said it made heat crawl up my neck.

Was that flirting?

No.

Probably not.

I was overthinking.

But then thunder cracked loudly overhead, and the rain intensified even more, pelting against us in cold, heavy drops.

I squealed instinctively as water splashed across my face.

And that was when he did it.

Without hesitation, he lifted his arm, opening a black umbrella above us.

I hadn't even noticed he was holding one.

The sudden shelter felt surreal - like the world had narrowed down to just the two of us beneath that small circle of dryness while chaos continued everywhere else.

Students rushed past us, laughing, shouting, running for cover.

But inside the umbrella...

It was quiet.

Intimate.

Too intimate for strangers.

"You looked like you needed rescuing," he said.

I blinked up at him.

"Are you always this dramatic?"

His lips twitched.

"Only when necessary."

I laughed.

And the sound seemed to surprise both of us.

Because his expression changed.

Softened.

Like hearing me laugh did something to him.

My heart skipped.

Why does this feel... familiar?

It made no sense.

We had literally just met.

Yet standing this close to him felt strangely natural - like my body already recognized his presence.

I shifted slightly, realizing how close we were.

Our shoulders brushed.

Electricity shot through me.

Did he feel that too?

His jaw tightened subtly.

Okay.

He definitely felt it.

Neither of us stepped away.

Instead, we started walking together toward the main building, still sharing the umbrella.

The silence wasn't awkward.

It was charged.

Comfortable.

Dangerous.

"So..." he said after a moment. "What's your name?"

I opened my mouth to answer.

Then paused.

For some reason, teasing him felt irresistible.

"Why?"

One eyebrow lifted.

"Why?"

"Maybe I don't give my name to random strangers in the rain."

His eyes darkened slightly with amusement.

"Random?" he repeated.

"Yes. Random."

He leaned a little closer.

Close enough that I could feel his warmth despite the cool air.

"I caught you," he said quietly. "That makes me slightly less random."

My stomach flipped.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

"And what does that make you?"

His gaze dropped briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes.

"Your hero."

My breath hitched.

Okay.

That was definitely flirting.

I tried to ignore the way my pulse sped up.

"Well, hero," I said, attempting confidence, "you still haven't told me your name either."

"Adrian."

The word settled somewhere deep inside me.

Adrian.

It suited him perfectly.

Strong.

Confident.

Memorable.

"I'm-"

Before I could finish, a group of students ran between us, splashing muddy water everywhere and forcing us apart for a moment.

By the time the chaos passed, we had reached the building entrance.

People crowded inside, shaking off rain and laughing loudly.

The moment shattered.

Reality returned.

And suddenly, I became painfully aware of something.

We were strangers.

Real strangers.

The connection I felt?

It might only exist in my head.

I stepped back slightly from under the umbrella.

"Thanks," I said softly. "For... you know. Saving me."

His expression shifted again.

Something unreadable flickered behind his eyes.

Like he didn't want me to leave.

Like he was debating whether to say something.

Ask something.

Stop me.

But then someone called his name from behind us.

"Adrian! Bro, come on!"

He glanced over his shoulder.

That split second changed everything.

Because when he looked back at me...

The moment was gone.

I gave him a small smile.

"See you around."

And before he could respond...

I turned and walked away.

⸻

I didn't realize until much later...

That I had just walked away from the boy who would change my entire life.