Chapter 3 Crushing on him

Leah's POV I slammed my textbook shut and exhaled, rubbing the heels of my hands against my eyes. I had been staring at the same physics equation for the past twenty minutes, and it still wasn't making sense. Not because I didn't understand the material-I did. But because my brain had been stuck on something else. Or rather, someone else. Josh Carter. I sighed and dropped my head onto my desk. This was ridiculous. It wasn't like I had a reason to be thinking about him. It wasn't like I was in love with him or anything. But that didn't stop my mind from replaying the moment I had walked into the living room earlier that evening, completely unsuspecting, only to see him sitting there-the guy who had pulled me out of the street that morning, the guy I hadn't been able to stop thinking about for hours. I groaned and reached for my phone, needing a distraction. Leila: You alive? I smiled despite myself. Leila Carter. My best friend, my human diary, my voice of reason. We had been inseparable since middle school, brought together by our shared love of fantasy novels, obscure documentaries, and an unshakable commitment to academic excellence. Unlike me, Leila was effortlessly cool-the kind of girl who could build a robot from scratch and ace a chemistry exam without studying but also show up to school in combat boots and a Star Wars hoodie and somehow make it look like a fashion statement. She was also the only person who would understand my current mental spiral. Me: Barely. You won't believe what happened today. Leila: You got kidnapped by aliens? Finally realized that mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell? Me: Worse. Ryan's best friend is here. Leila: And...? Me: And he's the guy who saved me from getting hit by a car this morning. Leila: ... Are you serious? Me: Dead serious. Leila: Is he hot? I hesitated for exactly two seconds before responding. Me: Unfortunately. Her reply came instantly. Leila: Oh no. My condolences. I laughed, sinking deeper into my chair. Me: I don't have a crush on him. Leila: You say that like you're trying to convince yourself. I groaned. Me: It's not a crush. It's just... you know when you meet someone and you can't stop thinking about them, but not in a romantic way? Just in a 'wow, that person exists' kind of way? Leila: Leah. That's literally the definition of a crush. I threw my phone onto my bed and flopped back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. Maybe she was right. Maybe I was curious about him. Maybe there was something about Josh Carter that had caught my attention in a way I couldn't explain. But it wasn't serious. It wasn't like I was in danger of falling for him. Right? Later That Night After finishing my homework and reading a few chapters of my book, I wandered into the kitchen for a glass of water. The house was quiet-Ryan had probably gone to bed, and Josh had either left or was still hanging around somewhere. I opened the fridge, grabbed a water bottle, and turned-only to nearly crash into a solid wall of muscle. I gasped, stepping back. Josh. He was standing right there, looking just as composed and unaffected as he had earlier, his hazel eyes flicking down to me briefly before shifting toward the fridge. "You're still up?" His voice was deep, rough with sleep. I hesitated, gripping my water bottle. "Yeah. Couldn't sleep." Josh just nodded, like my answer didn't require a response, and reached into the fridge for a bottle of his own. I expected him to leave after that. To walk past me without another word, just like he had earlier. But then, just as he was about to turn away, he glanced at me again-really glanced at me this time. "You good?" The question caught me off guard. It wasn't much. Just two words. But something about the way he said it-casual, uninterested, yet strangely thoughtful-made my stomach do a weird little flip. I forced myself to nod. "Yeah. Just thinking about school." His brows lifted slightly, like he wasn't expecting that answer. "Ryan says you're a genius." I blinked. Ryan talks about me? "I-I wouldn't say that," I stammered, suddenly feeling incredibly awkward. "I just... I like school, I guess." Josh hummed, like he was assessing me for the first time, then took a sip of his water. "What are you studying?" I hesitated. "Physics, mostly." That seemed to catch his interest. His head tilted slightly. "You into science?" "Yeah. I want to major in astrophysics." Josh let out a low whistle, his expression almost amused. "Damn. Guess Ryan wasn't exaggerating." I felt my cheeks warm. I wasn't used to people actually caring about my academic interests, much less someone like Josh Carter. He didn't say anything else after that-just gave me a small nod, like he was silently acknowledging something, before stepping past me and disappearing down the hall. I stood there for a long moment, gripping my water bottle, feeling completely thrown off balance. Josh Carter had actually spoken to me. And worse? I kind of wanted him to do it again.