I never planned for things to move this fast.
One moment Kade and I were just getting to know each other… the next, we were already a couple. Everywhere we went on campus, people knew. Some stared, some whispered, some smiled like they saw it coming.
And honestly? I felt lucky.
Kade wasn't just handsome — he was the kind of guy people noticed without him even trying. Tall, confident, quietly popular in a way that didn't need noise. Being with him made me feel like I had stepped into a version of life I only used to daydream about.
But college life didn't pause just because my heart was busy.
Between classes, group chats, and the department event coming up, everything was still chaotic. Rav walked with me on the way to my morning lecture, nudging my shoulder like a younger brother.
"Look at you," he teased. "Love has finished you. You don't even greet people properly anymore."
I rolled my eyes. "I greeted you, didn't I?"
"That one was weak," he said, smirking. "Ever since Kade claimed you, your brain has been floating."
I laughed, but there was some truth to it.
Later that afternoon, Ivy pulled me aside while we were sorting out some committee notes for the workshop.
"So…" she said slowly, giving me that look. "How's your fast-moving romance?"
"It's not fast," I protested. "It just… happened."
She raised an eyebrow. "Girl. He looks at you like you're the only person breathing."
I tried not to smile too hard. "Stop."
"You stop," she shot back, laughing.
Even Lily had something to say in the group chat: 'I hope he's not distracting you from the event on Friday!'
Everyone seemed to be watching my new relationship unfold in real time.
But the most surprising part wasn't what people noticed — it was what I hadn't noticed until now.
Kade wanted to be with me.
All the time.
He showed up after my afternoon class even though he said he was busy. He walked me to the cafeteria, insisting I shouldn't eat alone. When I tried to go back to the hostel to rest, he followed along like it was obvious he should be there.
And he was affectionate — more than before. His hand always found mine, or my waist. His presence felt warm but intense, like he was trying to pull me closer than I even realized.
There were moments his touches lingered a bit longer than I expected. Moments where he looked at me with a kind of quiet hunger — not dangerous, not forceful, just… longing. A wanting that was bigger than words.
I wasn't sure how to process it.
I liked him.
I liked us.
But the way he wanted more — emotionally, physically, all of it — felt deeper than what I had fully caught up to.
Still, when he walked me back to my hostel gate that evening, his fingers intertwined with mine, I couldn't help thinking:
Maybe I really do have the perfect guy.
Maybe this is what falling fast feels like.
And maybe… I wasn't ready to admit just how deep I was already in.