// Hello everyone! Thank you for the kind words on Chapter 1. I want to try switching perspectives with this story, so the next part will be from Jared's point-of-view. Again, any comments are highly appreciated, and I hope you enjoy! //
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It had been a long time since I felt so attracted to someone the way I was attracted to Jared. Sure, I had been around cute guys before. In fact, the months after Shawn broke up with me were filled with a myriad of cute guys; most of whom, I can't recall their faces if I tried. They were all just an attempt to lessen the pain I felt from having my heart ripped from my chest. Shawn and I had met and dated in secret during high school. The college we decided on was too far for his parents to regularly visit, so it was like a haven for us -- a place we could wholeheartedly be in love.
I think I stopped the bed hopping when I realized that it wasn't doing a damn thing to help me move on. Especially once I noticed all the guys seemed to have a little bit of Shawn in them; some with his brown hair that curled at the nape of his neck, some with his doe brown eyes that swallowed me whole, others with the dusting of freckles on his chest that I worshipped with my tongue. I broke the habit by throwing myself into my school work. It was a lonely existence, one that David didn't help by getting me hopelessly addicted to gaming on the weekends where the urge to go cruising was at its strongest.
My heart wasn't completely healed, though. I avoided relationships like the plague. My sex life was practically nonexistent as well (as David often reminded me how lucky I was to have a clean bill of health after my destructive tendencies). I suppose that would explain why I decided that staying away from Jared was the best course of action. I flirted with guys here and there, sure, but it was just for fun. None of them made me feel like a sweaty palmed school boy just from a night's walk across campus.
So, I stayed away. Now that I was aware of him, though, it was difficult not to see him everywhere. One place I always saw Jared was in the dining hall -- presumably after class. It was always in the afternoon at the same time and he always sat at the same table. He kept his head down as he ate, so I was able to look my fill. It felt weird, but I found him irresistible. I wanted to comb back the locks that brushed his forehead. I wanted to get lost in his bright blue eyes. I wanted to press kisses to his perpetually furrowed brows, his pouty lips, and other places that I just knew would make him blush all over. More than anything, I wanted to stop being such coward and just ask him out. I was too scared to do it though. I was convinced he thought I was a creep for propositioning him that first night.
I threw myself back into school work with the hope of getting him out of my system. I forced myself to stop stalking the dining hall. I even begged off game nights with David for fear of running into Jared again.
Finals came and went without a hitch. I decided to get back to the gym, since I had a whole month or so to myself. I signed up to the one nearest to the campus and started going in the mornings. There were less people willing to get up before sunrise now that school was out, which meant I often had the gym to myself. It felt great to get back to clearing my mind and just pushing my body to the limit.
It was on one of these occasions that I found myself face to face to with Jared once more. I usually walked since it was just far enough that walking was almost a workout itself. This time I decided to take the scenic route; I wanted to incorporate more cardio into my training and a jog to the gym would work perfectly. I had only been going at it for about 10 minutes when I spotted
him
right on my path. Despite my intent to avoid Jared, I found myself calling out his name. His turned to look at me, something he would regret a short time later. His lower body didn't quite catch up to his upper body, so -- almost as if in slow motion -- I watched in horror as he tripped over one foot to land squarely on his face. I yanked my earbuds out as I jogged closer.
"Hey, you okay?!"
Those big blues never ceased to make my heart race. I felt a wave of concern once I noticed they were tearing up.
"Jared!" I knelt to help him sit up comfortably, "Hey, where does it hurt?"
He sniffed before responding, "My, um, my ankle. I think I twisted it..." He inhaled sharply. I felt my insides twist at the pain I knew he had to be experiencing.
"We need to get you to the hospital," I pulled my phone out to get an Uber. Thankfully, it wouldn't take too long.
"She'll be here in a little bit. If you can stand, we can go sit on a bench and wait."
I offered my hand to help him up. He bit his lip, presumably gathering the courage to stand, before accepting.
I felt so bad for him. He was wearing track pants, so I couldn't see the full extent of the damage. But, I imagined it must've hurt pretty bad to bring him to tears.
"Okay, we can sit here until the Uber comes. Whatever is most comfortable for you, alright?"
He nodded. I couldn't resist reaching forward and wiping away the tears staining his cheeks. They immediately flushed at my touch. He didn't say anything about it, but I still mumbled an apology as a I pulled back to sit by his side. He took a few deep breaths before speaking.
"It's okay." He whispered through clenched teeth, "Thank you for helping. No one really comes out this early, since finals are over. This isn't my first time tripping on a run, but it's never been this bad. I don't know what I would've done if you weren't here."
I cocked my head. "Don't you have your phone with you?"
