Forbidden pursuit

My brother, Jack Reed, and I got into the same university.

He was a junior, and I was a freshman.

On the day of freshman registration, he issued a stern warning to his dorm mates who were watching us.

"Anyone who tries to date my sister will have to answer to me."

He wasn't joking. Over the years, anyone who dared to even glance at me had been chased away by him.

But there were always those who weren't afraid, like Anthony Hudson.

"Just tell me if you agree or not. I'll handle your brother."

1

I was engrossed in a novel when someone suddenly pulled out a chair and sat next to me.

"Hi, I'm Anthony, Jack's friend."

He leaned in, speaking in a low voice. I looked around the empty library and at his fearless face.

"I'll treat you to a late-night snack later."

Without waiting for my response, he opened his laptop and started working on his assignments.

Anthony and Jack weren't in the same department. They became friends through basketball games and arcade battles.

Anthony was also one of the campus legends, frequently discussed in late-night dorm conversations and on the school forums.

My two roommates, who had just left, had gone through the forum posts last night. They said he was naturally gifted, acing exams without much effort. He was multi-talented, the head of the student council's publicity department, and had a wild and unrestrained personality. Plus, he had a face like a movie star.

Outside the library, the air was heavy, a prelude to a storm. I frowned, debating whether to go or not.

Snap!

He closed his laptop just as I reached the last page of my book.

"Let's go." He packed up his things and picked up my bag too, leaving me no room to refuse.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked, handing me a menu.

"You decide. I haven't been here before, and I'm not hungry." I replied, pushing it back.

"Don't worry about dieting. Enjoy yourself. You won't gain weight at your age."

What kind of logic was that?

We met for the first time today. Before this, I had only heard his name from Jack.

I regretted letting him order because the table was filled with all my favorites, an irresistible temptation.

"I ordered based on your hometown flavors and what Jack mentioned. See if there's anything you like."

He opened a bottle of beer and handed me a bottle of plum juice across the table, the straw already inserted.

"Thanks, I'm Jenna Reed." I said, struggling to find something to say.

His smile was captivating. There was a stark difference between his serious and smiling demeanor. When serious, he seemed aloof and distant, but when he smiled, he was as warm as a friendly neighbor.

"I know. Jack's been talking about you for years, little Jenna..."

After our parents divorced, Dad was occupied with his work, and Jack took on the role of my primary caretaker. He constantly treated me as if I were still a child, considering that my birthday coincides with Children's Day.

"Here's to welcoming you to college. If you ever need anything, just let me know." He said, raising his beer bottle in a toast.

I quickly raised my plum juice, pretending to clink glasses, and took a sip through the straw.

That night, although it didn't rain, the wind was strong.

"I'm a man. It doesn't matter how late I go back. You're a girl. It's different."

He insisted on walking me to my dorm, waving goodbye only after I went inside.

He wasn't bad at all. I lay in bed, playing on my phone.

Suddenly, I received a friend request on WhatsApp. The message left was, "I am Anthony."

After accepting, I held my phone, thinking of typing a few polite words of thanks in the chat box, but I felt it was too wordy and deleted them. I wasn't sure if I should send a smile emoji to greet him first.

But he beat me to it, sending a message, "Good night, little Jenna."

"Good night, thank you." I quickly replied.

He was straightforward.

My roommates were discussing who would buy breakfast tomorrow and bring some back. I was too full to care about tomorrow's plans.

I thought about texting Jack to thank his friend for treating me, but decided against it. What if he misunderstood? It wasn't a big deal anyway.