Complete Infatuation

*Stavros*

Friday afternoon finally arrived. It was the last day of the school week. I sat on a wooden bench under a large oak tree just outside the campus library, my laptop balanced on my knees. I looked forward to having some free time this weekend, mostly so I could dig deeper into the research I had started on Sloane Mercer. The problem was, I had almost nothing to go on.

Dante paced the grass in front of me, his heavy boots crunching the fallen leaves. He checked his watch.

"Stavros, have you found anything?" Dante demanded. His voice was thick with restless impatience. He thought digging up a buried past was a simple task.

"Nothing yet," I said, leaning back and rubbing my eyes. "I told you, it is as if she does not exist."

Dante scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Let me rephrase that," I continued, keeping my voice low. "It is as if whatever happened to her was erased from history. I went back five full years in the Oak Haven archives. There are no newspapers, no local blog posts, and no police reports mentioning an assault on Sloane Mercer."

Dante stopped pacing. His jaw clenched tight. "You know that is only possible if someone can control all the people in that town. Law enforcement, local media, hospital administration. They all have to be gagged. Who in that town is the richest and most powerful?"

We had figured out her routine early on. Sloane went directly to the library between her classes. To keep an eye on her, we made a habit of sitting out here, waiting for her to emerge.

"I'd say the mayor," I answered, pulling up a pristine photo of Oak Haven's Mayor Arthur Blackwood. "All I can find are glowing articles about how this guy is making Oak Haven a town of the future."

"Then I say we focus on him," Dante said coldly. He checked his watch again and let out a sharp curse. "Shit. My next class is about to start. Keep an eye on her for me, will you? Text me where she goes. I'll see you later."

Dante sprinted off toward the science building, leaving me behind. I turned back to my laptop, frustrated by the dead ends. A girl does not get torn apart like that without leaving a paper trail. If Dante was right, someone possessed immense political power, capable of wiping official records clean. If it wasn't the mayor intervening with law enforcement, then who?

I started looking up information on the Sheriff of Oak Haven. Just then, movement caught the corner of my eye. The heavy glass doors of the library pushed open. Sloane stepped out, heading straight toward the student cafeteria. I checked the time, surprised to see it was already lunch. I quickly closed my laptop, shoved it into my bag, and followed her.

Today, she had forgotten to pull her oversized hoodie up over her head. Her scarred face was exposed to the daylight.

Almost immediately, the cruelty of the campus reared its head. As she walked by, groups of students stopped their conversations. They pointed at her. Some whispered behind their hands, while others snickered openly. A hot spike of anger twisted in my chest. I slowed my steps, turning my head to shoot a lethal, unblinking glare at every single person who dared to mock her. A few guys caught my eye, saw the cold promise of violence in my stare, and quickly looked down. Idiots. Such immature minds. They would never know what Sloane had survived unless they walked a mile in her shoes. I doubted any of them would survive a day.

I shook my head, my jaw set hard, and quickened my pace. I caught up to her just as she reached the cafeteria entrance. I stepped ahead and pulled the heavy door wide open for her.

Sloane froze. She looked up at me, clearly surprised to see me holding the door. Then, a shy smile touched her lips. She gave a small, grateful nod. Up close, the impact of her eyes hit me straight in the chest. They were a stunning shade of blue and green. Beautiful.

"Uhm, thank you," she murmured. Her voice was incredibly sultry, carrying a soft rasp that sent a jolt down my spine. I understood exactly why Dante liked her.

"No problem," I replied, offering an easy smile.

She slipped past me into the crowded cafeteria and joined the lunch line. I stepped right in behind her. I stood close enough to realize she was taller than I initially thought. Standing straight, the top of her head reached my shoulders. She had a slender frame and long, elegant legs. I watched her hands resting on the plastic tray. They were graceful, with clean, unpainted fingernails. When she shifted her weight, her long chestnut brown hair flipped over her shoulder, and the sweet floral scent of her shampoo drifted into the air.

We moved along the line until we reached the cashier. Sloane reached into her pocket, but I moved faster. I thrust my money onto the counter before she could pay.

"I got this," I said, catching her gaze.

Sloane blinked, her lips forming a soft pout. She actually looked adorable. "You don't have to."

"You can buy me lunch next time," I told her, my tone light and teasing.

The hesitation in her eyes melted. She grinned and nodded her head.

"Okay, next time then," she murmured sweetly, picking up her tray. "Thanks again."

She was just turning to find a table when a breathless voice spoke from right behind us.

"Stavros, I was looking for you at the—" Dante froze mid-sentence. His dark eyes widened as he registered who I was standing with. The color rushed to his cheeks. "S-Sorry..."

Sloane looked at Dante and offered him a gentle smile, which only made him blush harder.

"Uhm, hi," she said softly. "S-Stavros here was so kind to pay for my lunch. Thank you, S-Stavros."

I smiled. I loved the way my name sounded rolling off her tongue. Sloane took her tray and navigated the crowded room, finding an isolated table tucked deep in the back corner, far away from the judging eyes of the other students.

The second she was out of earshot, Dante turned on me. His eyes blazed with intense, burning jealousy.

"Damn it, Stavros!" Dante hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward an empty table a few yards away from hers. "You should have texted me you were here. I could have bought her lunch!"

"Sorry," I said, keeping my voice low. "I got distracted. I was so engrossed in studying her. She has really beautiful eyes."

Dante raised an eyebrow, surprised I had noticed such an intimate detail. Then, his annoyance flared again. He sank back into his plastic chair, sulking.

"I saw her first," Dante mumbled, sounding like a territorial child.

"We all saw her at the same time, Dante. Hey," I said, leaning forward. "I am invested in whatever this is too. Just calm down. Cassius and I, we want to help her just as much as you do. Together, we will find whoever did this to her and make them kneel in front of her. I swear it."

Dante dropped his defensive posture. He let out a heavy sigh and leaned his elbows on the table. His dark eyes locked onto Sloane, watching her carefully open a textbook while she ate. The raw anger in his expression melted into something painfully soft.

"I am just protective of her," Dante whispered. His voice carried a heavy, aching tenderness that I had never heard from him before. "I don't want to see the sadness in her eyes anymore."

Was he in love with her already?

Before I could ask, a shadow fell over our table. Cassius materialized out of nowhere, holding a sandwich and a drink. He slid into the empty seat beside Dante, dropping the food onto the table.

"Don't worry, Dante," Cassius said quietly, his sharp gaze already fixed on Sloane in the far corner. "I already talked to my mother. She is arranging for our medical colleagues to help Sloane."

Dante didn't look away from Sloane. His jaw locked with unbreakable resolve.

"Whatever the costs, Cassius, I will pay," Dante stated, his tone leaving zero room for argument. "Just tell them to make her beautiful just like her heart."

I glanced at Cassius. His eyes were locked on Sloane Mercer, watching her delicate hand turn a page in her textbook. I let out a slow breath. All three of us were secretly watching her. The loud chatter of the cafeteria faded into white noise.

It was so weird. We hadn't even formally met, but all three of us were already infatuated with Sloane.