Why Me ✓ (FINAL EDITS)

Chapter 2

EMERSON FINDLAY

Before he could turn around, I crouched down under my desk and squinted my eyes shut. No Gosh! This could not be happening to me right now. This could never be him. After I didn't know how long, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I glanced up to see the receptionist whose name I earlier read - Ed. He frowned and asked me, "What happened? What are you doing under the desk?"

"Nothing. My pencil fell under my desk. "I answered, my eyes pretty wide open and my chest heaving. He shook his head and went to his desk with a small smile playing on his lips. I sat on my chair and started thinking back to when I was in university. When life was not as breezy. When I met him.

(FLASHBACK)

It has been a month since I have been studying for my final year at New York University. I'm taking courses in architecture and am grasping almost everything being taught. Like always, I'm sitting alone in the middle of the classroom, with back seats filled with students busy on their phones more than classes and front ones occupied by students in their little study groups.

I never liked being in either one. The front ones asked for full commitment and the back ones were just too negligent. The teacher had started explaining something about how to set foundations in special architectural structures when someone barged in from the front door.

"May I come in?", he asked while panting as if he had just run a marathon. Mr. Wesley, the teacher, eyed him up and down for a second and then nodded his head. "I'm sorry it's my first day. I was not able to locate the class", he said while scanning the class in its entirety, looking for a place to sit.

There were a lot of vacant seats everywhere in the big class the size of an auditorium, but he just came and made himself comfortable in the seat next to me. I rolled my eyes and instantly felt the urge to get up and sit somewhere else, as he smiled at me so widely like him passing this class depended on him but as Mr. Wesley already looked pretty vexed by the sudden interruption, I didn't dare to move.

As the lecture proceeded further, I took the least notice of the person sitting next to me. After the classes usually got over, I was the first one to get out of there. All others were usually busy talking to their friends. As I hurried down the staircase to go to the canteen for my part-time job, someone tapped on my shoulder making me halt on my path. It was the same person who was sitting next to me today. Now that I do notice him closely, he is quite tall - around six feet two and has dirty blond hair which looks out of place. Maybe because he was running behind me. Since the two years, I spent at the university, I've never seen him. I look into his evening blue eyes and raise both my eyebrows gesturing to him to speak.

He seems like he is brought out of a trance as he finally clears his throat and speaks, "Hi. My name is Adrian. Um, I'm new around here. Can you lend me your notes for catching up and maybe, if you have time, would you be kind enough to help me out?"

I have a small smile on my face because it's the first time someone has ever tried to talk to me. Since my school days, I haven't been much of an extrovert. I mostly spend my time in libraries or cybercafes. I just want to go through this final year and be done with the cyclical pressure. "Ok. I'll be in the library after the break. You can join me there if you want,"

He grins and gives his head three firm shakes, making me bite my cheek for holding back a laugh. I nod in return and turn around to go to that canteen. I'll be late for my shift. I hear him shout across the corridor, "Hey! But, what's your name?" "I'll tell you in the library.", I responded.

*****

I sighed deeply. That was the first time I met Adrian Rutherford. After that, all year long, he was the only one I ever interacted with from the university. He used to try talking to me or spending time with me but I avoided him like a plague. He was a very nice person to be around. A very gentle and genuine guy with a boyish charm to his smile. Those were the few reasons I conversed with him even a little. However, as his intentions became clearer to me, I had no option but to avoid him.

The way I saw it, observed it in his little gestures, he just didn't want a simple, platonic friendship. I knew he liked me, but also, I knew it was all temporary. I couldn't get involved with him; emotionally speaking. I wasn't meant for it. The way my childhood was shaped and the path of my life was carved for me, attachments never came easy to me. Before I was abandoned by my parents, I wanted to rescue a cat of my own. But ironic as destiny seemed, I never got the chance to. I did not think that I was capable of giving it the warmth it deserved. Maybe I was still not. On our last day, the day we were getting our post-graduation certificates, I knew he was going to ask me out. So, I didn't go to the university that day and never after that. I knew what I was leaving behind and just hoped and wished the attachment never lingered.

*****

Currently, it was almost lunchtime and I had finished more than half of my work for today. Exactly where I supposed I should be. I stood up from my place and went to Ed.

"Hey, Ed. Can you please tell me if there is any cafe nearby where I could grab some lunch?", I asked. He looked up at me from some files he was going through and answered, "Yeah there are some cafes and restaurants down the block but the office building also has its own food court. You might like to try that out. It is on the fifteenth floor." I gave him a smile and thanked him, making my way toward the elevator. But before that, I turned around again and asked him," Um.. Do you mind if I ask you - Who was the man you were talking to earlier?" He looked at me as if I just said I killed his cat and whisper-yelled, "Don't you know? He's our boss. The CEO of this company. Mr. Adrian Rutherford."

I knew it was him. Oh Gosh! Somebody save me. "Oh. I see. Thanks.", I said as I plastered a smile on my face and headed in the other direction.

On the fifteenth floor, everything looked different. It looked like a whole cafe had been set up in here. As soon as I opened the glass door, I was hit by the fragrance of freshly ground coffee beans, freshly baked bread and chocolate. When I made my way toward the counter, I noticed many other lunch menu items were being cooked at the back but their fragrance wasn't quite prominent against the coffee.

I bought a sandwich and a cup of cold coffee as I usually liked having light lunch. I took a seat in a corner and quietly observed well-dressed men and women come in and have their meals while having my own. Some people thought it was psychotic but I just thought this way, I blended well with the atmosphere without bothering to actually socialize.

After throwing the empty recyclable plate and cup into the dustbin, I made my opposite of a grand exit through the glass door, into the elevator. 'Time to get back to work'. I reminded myself. I pressed the button to take me back to my workspace when suddenly, my phone beeped. I was busy scrolling through my phone when the elevator doors opened and someone else from some other floor stepped in. I didn't pay much attention to him and only kept myself busy on my phone and wished that he too was doing something like that.

When the elevator dinged, indicating the arrival of my floor, I started heading out, still busy with my phone. Before I knew it, I had bumped into someone's back. Someone's a very broad and very solid back. I instantly stumbled back due to the impact and shut my eyes as I was about to fall down. But before I knew it, I was caged by two muscular arms. I slowly fluttered my eyes open, dreading the consequences of being stupid enough to ignore my surroundings to see him - ADRIAN.