Chapter 2 Psychology class

Emily settled into her seat in the psychology lecture hall, Ryan walking her to the door before heading to his meeting. As the professor began discussing Freud's psychoanalytic theories, Emily's mind wandered. She scribbled notes absent-mindedly, her thoughts drifting back to Ryan. Their friendship had always been easy, but lately, she'd noticed little things about him – the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, the way his hair curled slightly at the nape of his neck. She pushed the thoughts aside, attributing them to her overactive imagination.

After class, Emily packed up her bag and headed to the library to study. As she walked, her phone buzzed with a text from Ryan: "Project meeting went well. We're good to go for the presentation tomorrow. You free to grab dinner later?" Emily's heart skipped a beat. She loved their casual hangouts, but tonight felt different. Maybe it was the way he'd phrased the text, or the way she couldn't shake the feeling he'd looked at her differently that morning. "Yeah, free tonight," she replied. "Where did you have in mind?" Ryan's response came quickly: "How about that new Italian place downtown? 7 pm?" Emily's stomach fluttered. She hadn't been to that restaurant yet, but she'd heard great things. "Sounds perfect. See you then!" As she pushed open the library door, Emily felt a sense of excitement she hadn't experienced in a while. Tonight's dinner plans seemed like just another friendly get-together, but a tiny voice in her head whispered that maybe, just maybe, something more was brewing.