Chapter 2 With Him

• Raquel’s heart pounded with excitement as she stepped out of Emma’s car and onto the bustling campus. Her eyes scanned the crowd for a glimpse of her crush, Jonas Hemington, and her best friend, Nina Moore.
• “Morning, sweetie,”
• Raquel’s face blossomed into a sweet smile as Jonas, a towering figure, materialized behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, his touch as tender as a summer breeze.
• Jonas Hemington is a young man with a charming smile and kind eyes that draw many to him. He is greatly admired across campus for his compassionate nature and passionate leadership of various charitable initiatives that better the student community. His popularity seems to stem from selflessly giving his time to help others.
• More importantly, Jonas’s intellect is evident in his seamless progress as a medical student. While some classmates struggle, repeating semesters, he is already finishing his final term, drawing admiring glances as he aces exams.
• “Jonas, you sneak,” Raquel said with feigned surprise, placing a delicate hand over her chest as if startled by his sudden appearance.
• Jonas’s warm chuckle escaped his lips as he noticed the delicate flush that had painted Raquel’s cheeks. With a loving expression on his face, he reached out and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb, his fingers lingering on her soft skin. Then, he reached into his backpack and pulled out a small jar.
• Jonas held out a small, amber jar filled with a rich, velvety chocolate. “I ordered this just for you, sweetie,” he said. “To celebrate your finishing the diet program.”
• “You’re too kind, Jonas,” Raquel said, her face glowing with joy as she accepted the gift. His considerate gesture warmed her heart.
• “It was nothing,” Jonas replied bashfully. “I wanted to select something special for you, my dear, so I chose low-sugar chocolate to indulge your sweet tooth without guilt.”
• Raquel’s silvery laughter cascaded like a waterfall, her hand fluttering to cover her mouth in a delicate gesture.
• “Displaying fondness at dawn?” Nina teasingly inquired upon her arrival.
• “Why greet the morning as happily as the birds?” Raquel laughed.
• “Come now, it’s too early to flaunt affection before a single soul like me,” Nina complained, though her sour smile didn’t reach her eyes.
• “Hey, Nina,” Jonas grinned, his eyes twinkling like stars in the night sky.
• Nina chuckled, teasing him. “Well, Jonas. I think it’s about time you meet your fake girlfriend in the lab. I hope she’s worth all the trouble.”
• Nina always teased Jonas because she knew that recently he had been studying human anatomy with a fake human model in the lab.
• “Come on, Nina. It’s only 9 in the morning. I don’t want to rush into the lab and meet that professor,” Jonas turned his head in frustration.
• “Nina, please stop bullying him all the time,” reprimanded Raquel, feeling remorseful for Jonas.
• Jonas leaned in, aligning lips to Raquel’s ear. “I understand her well, dear heart, so do not fault yourself,” he whispered reassuringly.
• At his soothing tone, Raquel smiled, tension easing from her shoulders. His empathy dispelled lingering doubts as always, leaving only warmth between souls long attuned.
• Eyes aflame, Nina provoked, “Must you cater to their whims so, Raquel? Your kind heart blinds you to designs less noble.”
• Raquel squirmed in Nina’s grip, like a fish out of water. “Nina, let me go!” she pleaded. “Jonas, I’m so sorry, but I have to run to my class. Thank you for the chocolate.”
• “Alright, my darling. After class, I’ll be waiting for you beneath the ancient oak tree, where the sunlight dances on the leaves and the birds sing their sweetest songs. See you soon.”
• Since the previous semester, rumors had swirled about Jonas’s relentless pursuit of Raquel, the daughter of a prominent city investor. Once unkempt, he now sported a polished new look, his once-ragged clothes replaced with tailored suits. His eagerness to win Raquel’s favor was as palpable as the scent of his newfound cologne.
• Despite the sparks flying between them, Raquel and Jonas’s relationship never blossomed into a full-fledged romance. They danced around each other like moths drawn to a flame, but neither dared to take the first step.
• Raquel, scarred by a trail of immature boyfriends since high school, guarded her heart like a fortress, refusing to give Jonas the key, even though she felt a growing fondness for him. Their relationship was a tangled web, a dance of intimacy and distance, a “friends with benefits” arrangement that left her feeling both fulfilled and unfulfilled.
• “Jonas is a veritable Romeo, his lips dripping with honeyed words like a 70s ballad,” Nina sighed, her heels clicking on the marble floor as she walked ahead of Raquel.
• Raquel’s eyes sparkled with fondness as she gazed at the jar of chocolate in her hands, her grip tightening reflexively.
• “Isn’t it true that lovers have always been this way, through the ages?” she asked with a chuckle.
• Nina darted a glance, rolling her eyes. “Raquel, aren’t you tired being in some unconventional bond without labels like that with Jonas?”
• “We’re quite comfortable with one another, Nina,” Raquel shrugged lightly. “Through open talks more intimate than any act, Jonas and I have found solace few enjoy. This liberates, not confines us.”
• Nina let out a small sigh and paused, her eyes boring into Raquel’s. “Raquel, think about this carefully. You and Jonas have feelings for each other, but you’re not really dating. Consider that in this world, nothing is impossible, my dear. Even the stars could align and bring you together, if that’s what you both want.”
• “Nina, please,” Raquel smiled gently. “I don’t wish to dwell on it further. I know myself - wild at times, yet I hold fast to my mother’s message ‘no sex before graduation’, with Jonas or otherwise.”
• “Well, whatever - I hope Jonas knows better than to toy with your heart like other immature boys.”
• “Of course,” Raquel replied, her eyes lighting up. “I heard his father’s a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Growing up in such a privileged and nurturing environment must have instilled in Jonas not only impeccable manners, but also a deep sense of compassion and empathy.”
• “Yes, it’s your choice,” Nina shrugged. “But rest assured, if he hurts you, I will hold Jonas accountable - with care.”
• “He wouldn’t,” Raquel insisted as their steps fell in sync. She gifted Nina a smile, hand on her arm conveying resilience. Nina returned the smile, hitting the elevator’s button to respect her friend’s judgement while maintaining guardianship from afar should she be needed.
• ***
• Raquel’s mind was a tangled mess of confusion as she left her class. Her professor’s words had swirled around her head like a tornado, leaving her feeling lost and bewildered. The professor’s lecture meandered like a drunken river, veering off course at every turn to discuss unrelated topics.
• Her annoyance sparked a creative fire within her, and she began to sketch a peculiar portrait of Prince ‘Jonas’ on the back of her notebook.
• “Raquel, can you still wrap your head around what Mr. Will said?” Nina asked, her face etched with exhaustion.
• Raquel’s brow furrowed as she sighed heavily. “I didn’t understand a lick of what he droned on about for two hours straight. But if you want to switch programs, that’s fine.”
• “And of course, I would have to start all over from semester one,” Nina shook her head as if unwilling to accept Raquel’s idea.
• “By the way, you must be tired. Do you want to go home?” Raquel turned in concern.
• “Of course. I can’t wait to sink into the cool, sunflower-scented water and let the day melt away.” Nina paused, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. “And you still want to go on a date with Jonas, right?”
• “I’ll wait in the lobby,” Raquel smiled radiantly, eyes dancing.
• “Well done. Did you not even bother to contact your aunt before meeting Jonas?” Nina’s eyes narrowed, like the slits of a snake waiting to strike.
• “No, I didn’t,” Raquel admitted reassuringly. “But I’ll wait for Jonas and go home with him.”
• Nina nodded knowingly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “Still stuck in the driver’s seat of purgatory, eh?”
• Raquel shook her head, expression part hopeful, part anxious.
• “My sweet, so good to see you here waiting,” Jonas’s voice, like a warm embrace on a chilly day, startled the girls from their reverie.
• “Jonas...” Raquel’s lips curved softly as her eyes lifted, noticing Jonas there. A gentle gasp escaped.
• Mischievously, Jonas pinched Raquel’s nose, eliciting a surprised giggle. Her scrunched nose showed how she treasured his teasing ways. Warmth blossomed in their gazing, this bond one to nourish all who bore witness.
• Nina’s stomach churned like a roller coaster as she watched the lovebirds whisper sweet nothings to each other, oblivious to her presence. “Could you two please tone down the PDA? It’s making me feel like a third wheel.”
• Alexander, Jonas’s shadow, stifled a chuckle as he watched Nina’s green eyes narrow with jealousy. “Is your soul poisoned by the venom of jealousy?”
• “Jealous? No way. Why would I be jealous of my best friend, who’s always been there for me, through thick and thin?” Nina’s eyes scrunched up in annoyance as Alexander teased her with a playful grin.
• “If you’re green with envy over our bond, Alex is willing to be your temporary beau.” Jonas’s voice pierced through the silence like a sword, startling the others.
• “Have you ever seen a donkey try to eat a cactus? It’s not pretty. But I’d rather go on a date with one of those prickly bastards than with Alexander Watts.” Nina’s steely gaze pierced Alexander’s soul, like a dagger cutting through butter. Her scorn was palpable, like the thick, acrid smoke of a burning forest.
• “Hey, my love. Don’t pretend to hate me. Who knows? Five years from now, we might be sharing a cozy nest, our laughter echoing through the walls.”
• “Well, you are my butler and I am your highness master,” Nina interjected.
• Raquel and Jonas’s eyes crinkled with laughter as they shared a knowing chuckle, the sound like the gentle tinkling of bells on a summer breeze.
• “Ugh, I’m losing my mind here. I’d better go home before I explode.” Nina enveloped Raquel in a warm hug before slipping out of the campus lobby, her heart heavy as lead.
• “Her eyes are like ice cubes when they meet mine.” Alexander rested his chin on his hand, his lips pursed in thought.
• “Maybe she’s immune to your clumsy attempts at flirtation, like a seasoned bouncer at an exclusive club.” Jonas’s hand landed on Alex’s shoulder with the weight of a reassuring boulder. “Change your ways.”
• “Damn you, Jonas, to the seventh circle of hell!”
• Jonas’s arm slid around Raquel’s waist, drawing her close as they strolled towards their secluded hideaway. The setting sun painted the sky in hues of fiery orange and amber, casting a golden glow over the path ahead.
• “Did you nail your presentation? Did it knock your audience’s socks off?”
• Raquel’s tears welled up in her eyes like a river about to burst its banks. “It was quite challenging.”
• “Oh really? Do you want to tell me about it?” Jonas’s lips curved into a smile as his beloved began to speak. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, savoring the moment.
• Raquel nodded, but the tension in her temples felt like a throbbing drumbeat. “Mr. Josh Cullen’s droning voice droned on and on, lulling me into a hypnotic state. His words were like a thick fog, obscuring my understanding of the topic. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of confusion, and I couldn’t find my way to the surface.”
• With a playful glint in his eye, Jonas cupped Raquel’s cheek in his palm, his fingers tracing the soft curve of her jaw. “It’s okay, you’re just tired after the presentation, and your capacity is like that. When you’re tired, it’s okay to take a rest, and absolutely don’t feel like giving up. A good rest will leave you ready to tackle it with fresh eyes tomorrow.”
• “Jonas, I feel like my brain is a dumpster fire right now. I’m so burnt out, I can’t even think straight. Is there any way I can switch educational programs?” Raquel’s bottom lip jutted out like a petulant child’s, and she muttered a complaint under her breath.
• Jonas hugged to the girl of his dreams, his heart pounding like a caged bird. “Didn’t you tell me that your parents are pushing you to take over the family business someday?”
• Raquel’s sigh was so deep and mournful, it sounded like the wind whistling through a graveyard. “My parents would drill me like a sergeant if I switched educational programs.”
• “That’s why. Take a break and bounce back soon.” Jonas chuckled. “I know how to temporarily forget about this problem.”
• Raquel turned towards him. “What is it, Jonas? What’s your plan?”
• “What if we visit the shopping center and play games or just indulge in delicious food?”
• “Great idea.” Raquel smiled widely.
• “Well, princess. Let’s go right now.” Jonas took off his leather jacket and handed it to Raquel.
• Raquel slipped on the sleek, black helmet, feeling its weight settle on her shoulders reassuringly. Jonas helped her tighten the chin strap, his fingers brushing against her skin gently. She smiled, knowing that he always took care of her, especially when they were riding his beloved Ducati motorcycle.
• Jonas’s gaze lingered on Raquel’s face as he finished fastening her helmet strap.
• “You look like Aphrodite herself today,” he said