Zara wasn't sure what was more distracting: the fact that Ace Ryder had texted her again… or the fact that her phone was currently being held hostage by Mimi.
"You're seriously not going to reply?" Mimi asked, waving Zara's phone like it was a winning lottery ticket.
Zara snatched it back with a glare. "It's just a message."
Mimi raised an eyebrow. "Oh right. Just a message from the guy who's literally the most followed celebrity in the country. Who also just so happens to know your class schedule, buys you food, and sends 'thinking about you' texts at 1 a.m."
Zara turned red. "That was one time! He was drunk on Nyquil or something."
"Please. That boy's high on you." Mimi plopped on her bed, dramatically sipping from her juice box. "So what did he say?"
Zara glanced at the screen again.
> Ace Ryder:
"Final offer. Coffee, no fans, no bodyguards, no drama. Just me and you. 3pm. Campus café. You in?"
She stared at it, stomach doing gymnastics. She'd turned him down twice already. But the message was sweet, almost… normal.
Mimi was practically vibrating with excitement. "Say yes! Zara, if you don't go, I will go in your place and fall in love for both of us."
Zara hesitated, then slowly typed:
> "Fine. But if there are paparazzi, I'm throwing my iced coffee at you."
He replied within seconds.
> Ace Ryder:
"Deal. I'll even buy you two coffees to make up for it."
---
Zara regretted saying yes approximately sixteen times on her way to the café. Her heart felt like it was doing cartwheels as she walked in, scanning the place. It wasn't crowded — just a couple of students, someone typing aggressively on a laptop, and…
There he was.
Wearing a cap pulled low, sunglasses, and a hoodie that definitely didn't belong in Nigeria's heat, but somehow still looked like a model off a Vogue cover.
Ace grinned when he spotted her. "Hey, stranger."
Zara slid into the seat opposite him. "You look ridiculous."
"Thank you," he said cheerfully. "It's part of the disguise."
She narrowed her eyes. "You better not be trending on Twitter right now."
He leaned closer. "I left my phone at home."
Zara blinked. "You what?"
"I wanted to focus. On you." He looked sincere. Nervous, even.
And for a second, just a second, Zara forgot that he was Ace Ryder, the boy with millions of fans and a platinum album. He was just a guy, smiling at her like she was the only one in the world.
They ordered drinks — Zara got her usual iced vanilla latte, and he copied her like a menace.
"I bet you don't even like coffee," she said, sipping hers.
"I don't. But I like the things you like."
Zara almost choked. "You're so dramatic."
He shrugged. "I'm a songwriter. It's in my DNA."
There was a pause. A comfortable one.
Then he said softly, "You know… I've never had something feel this normal."
Zara looked up, surprised. "Normal?"
"I mean, no cameras. No pressure. Just sitting here, talking. You making fun of me. It's kind of addictive."
She smiled, feeling the warmth creep into her cheeks. "I do make fun of you a lot."
"And I deserve it. But I still want more." His eyes met hers, serious now. "More of this. More of you."
Zara's heart skipped. She suddenly found the bottom of her cup very interesting.
"I don't know what this is, Ace," she whispered. "You're… you. And I'm just me."
He tilted his head. "Then maybe we find out together."
Before she could answer, a loud crash from behind them startled them both. A waiter had dropped a tray, and one of the cups rolled toward their table, splashing a bit of coffee on Zara's shoe.
"Oh no," she muttered, grabbing napkins.
Ace reached down to help her, both of them crouched under the table. Their hands touched. She froze.
He looked at her — so close now she could see the gold flecks in his eyes.
And then he said it, soft and low.
"I think I like you, Zara. Like, really like you."
Her breath caught. "You think?"
He laughed. "Fine. I know."
They were still crouched under the table when someone snapped a photo. The flash was quick, but unmistakable.
Zara looked up, eyes wide. "You said no drama."
Ace stood slowly, sighing. "And I meant it. But drama follows me like it owes me money."
He took her hand. "Come on. Let's get out of here before the internet thinks we're secretly engaged."
Zara followed him out of the café, heart pounding. As they disappeared into the trees behind the student lounge, she looked at him sideways.
"Hey, Ace?"
"Yeah?"
"I think I like you too."
He stopped walking. Turned to her. And smiled the softest smile she'd ever seen on his face.
That was the moment Zara knew.
She was in trouble.
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