Chapter 135: Memories of First Love

The view before Marcus was nothing short of intoxicating. As he looked down at Anya’s stunning face, a surge of heat rushed through his veins, fast and disorienting, and before he fully realized what he was doing, his body began to move on its own. He leaned in slowly, almost unconsciously, his eyes drawn to her lips as if pulled by gravity itself. His hand followed that same instinct, drifting toward the curve of her hips, fingers aching with the urge to pull her closer and close the distance between them.

’Wait… Marcus, what the hell are you doing?’

The thought crashed into him like ice water, snapping him back to himself. His chest tightened with disgust as the reality of his actions set in. How could he be so pathetic, so weak? Anya trusted him completely. To her, he was a close friend, someone reliable, maybe even a brother figure she felt safe around. Taking advantage of her while she was relaxed and vulnerable would be unforgivable. The shame hit him all at once, heavy and suffocating, and he despised himself for even letting such thoughts surface.

In the brief moment before he could cross a line he would never be able to erase, Marcus noticed the faint, innocent smile resting on Anya’s face. She looked peaceful, almost unreal in her serenity, as though the world around her had gone quiet. There was no trace of suspicion in her expression, only complete trust as she rested beside him, fully believing she was safe. The contrast between her purity and his own indecent impulses made his stomach twist. If he went through with it, he knew without question that he would never be able to look her in the eye again.

He forced himself to stop. Drawing back sharply, Marcus turned his gaze toward the lush greenery surrounding the Lotus Pond, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst through his chest. He took a steadying breath, then another, willing himself to calm down. When his eyes finally drifted back to Anya, the desire had faded, replaced instead by something quieter and heavier, as his thoughts slipped naturally into the current of memory.

Their first meeting came back to him with startling clarity. It had been a crisp morning during their freshman year at Crestwood University, the kind where the air felt sharp in your lungs. Marcus had been running late, sprinting toward his lecture hall with his bag slung over one shoulder, cutting corners without thinking. As he turned sharply around one of the campus buildings, he collided head-on with someone.

There was a startled cry and a painful thud as they both went down, bodies tangled awkwardly on the pavement. Marcus instinctively reached out to brace himself, only to realize a heartbeat later that his hand had landed somewhere it absolutely should not have. Frozen in place, he looked up and found himself pinned on top of a girl, his hands pressed squarely against her chest.

He scrambled to move, mortified, but a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him, holding him there for a second longer than it should have. It wasn’t just the situation. It was her. He had never seen anyone like her before, so striking yet so gentle that his mind went blank. For a young man experiencing the first real stirrings of attraction, the sight was overwhelming.

She wore a simple light pink top and pale blue casual pants, nothing flashy or deliberate, yet the outfit looked radiant on her, as if it had been chosen just to suit her presence. It seemed to Marcus that no matter what she wore, it would only serve to highlight her natural beauty rather than define it.

She reminded him of a flower just about to bloom, shy and delicate, with a quiet grace that made you want to tread carefully around her. Her skin was smooth and pale, her features so finely shaped they felt almost unreal, and in that instant, Marcus thought of her as a hidden masterpiece, only beginning to reveal itself to the world.

The collision had clearly left her shaken. She lay there with wide, frightened eyes, moisture gathering at their corners, lips parted in a soft, helpless gasp. It was painfully obvious that this was the first time a boy had ever been this close to her, let alone touched her so intimately. The blush that spread across her cheeks and down her neck was vivid and breathtaking, and Marcus felt a crushing wave of guilt settle in his chest. He had, quite literally, crashed into an angel.

Seeing her on the verge of tears, her expression caught between panic and vulnerability, something shifted inside him. That chaotic moment etched itself permanently into his memory, and without even realizing it, he fell completely and hopelessly in love. That girl, of course, was Anya.

“I’m so sorry,” Marcus blurted out as he finally managed to pull himself off her, though his body seemed reluctant to leave her warmth. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you okay?”

“Oh!” Anya tried to sit up, but the moment she put weight on her foot, she cried out in pain, her balance giving way as she began to fall back.

“Careful!” Marcus caught her instantly, his hands steady and protective as he helped her stay upright, and it was then that he realized she had twisted her ankle.

He insisted on taking her to the campus clinic, not giving her any room to argue. From that day on, Marcus became one of the very few men at Crestwood University who could speak to Anya naturally, and the only one who could spend time with her alone. For a while, he was the object of open envy among half the male students on campus.

That same day also marked his first encounter with Chloe’s explosive temperament. While he was escorting Anya to the clinic, she had made a phone call, and by the time the doctor finished examining her and confirmed it was only a minor sprain that would heal with a few days of rest, a tall, striking woman burst through the door with barely contained urgency.

That was Chloe.

Looking back now, Marcus realized she hadn’t changed much at all. She still carried that sharp, fearless energy, the kind that filled a room the moment she stepped into it. Anya, on the other hand, had long since grown out of her early shyness, blossoming into a confident and captivating woman capable of stealing hearts without even trying.

It might have been then that Chloe’s commanding presence truly left its mark on him. Her features were sculpted and coldly beautiful, like fine jade, firm and unyielding, yet impossible to ignore once you noticed her.

When Chloe learned that Marcus was responsible for Anya’s injury, she didn’t hold back. She scolded him mercilessly, and before he could properly react, she landed a few solid hits to drive her point home.

At the time, Marcus had not yet begun training in the Human Rock technique, and he was no match for Chloe, who had the physique of an elite athlete. If not for his naturally sturdy build, he probably would have ended up hospitalized for a week. Thankfully, Anya intervened, pulling Chloe away before the situation escalated any further.

That encounter left Marcus with a lingering ache that flared up whenever he thought of her. Even now, the memory was enough to give him a faint sense of dread whenever he imagined facing her again.

Still, that was how he had come to know one of Crestwood University’s four Campus Queens. As time passed and their interactions grew more frequent, Marcus found himself falling deeper and deeper, hopelessly in love with Anya.

After the accident, he became the only guy who could take Anya out or share a meal with her. Back then, his confidence ran high. He was sure, deep down, that she felt the same way about him.

Even Chloe, though she’d sometimes grumble about him being a clumsy idiot, had been relatively friendly in those days. There were even moments of easy, almost warm rapport between them; nothing like the sharp scolding he got every time they crossed paths now.

Near the end of their freshman year, Marcus finally made his choice. He decided to go for it. He poured his heart into a sincere love letter and handed it to her himself, hoping she’d agree to be his girlfriend, that he could be the one she leaned on, from then on.

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