Chapter 495

Harrison's stomach dropped at the tremor in Evelyn's voice. His grip tightened around his phone. "Evelyn? What's going on? Are you hurt?"

He abandoned his suitcase right there on the sidewalk, breaking into a jog toward campus.

The sprawling university grounds stretched before him, endless pathways branching in every direction. He forced himself to stop, breathing hard. "Evelyn, tell me where you are."

"My dorm room."

"Stay put. I'm coming to you."

Evelyn sounded confused. "Harrison, what do you mean?"

His dress shoes pounded against the pavement as he ran, the initial excitement of his surprise visit now replaced with gnawing concern.

"Look out your window."

The curtains in Evelyn's dorm had been drawn for days. When she yanked them open, sunlight flooded the space so brightly it made her wince.

Her reflection in the window showed dark circles under her eyes, her usually vibrant complexion dulled.

Then she saw him - Harrison standing by the flower beds, waving up at her with that familiar lopsided grin.

"Harrison!" The name burst from her lips. "Wait right there!"

She threw on the first jacket she could find, not bothering with proper shoes before racing downstairs. When she crashed into his arms, the scent of his cologne wrapped around her like a security blanket.

"You're really here," she breathed, pulling back to study his face. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

Harrison didn't answer immediately. His sharp gaze traced every detail of her face - the hollows under her cheekbones, the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

Worse still were the faint red rims around her eyelids, the telltale signs of recent tears.

He pulled her close again, murmuring against her hair, "Who made you cry?"

The question unleashed everything. Evelyn thought of those endless hours waiting at the café, watching the door until her coffee went cold.

Her bottom lip quivered. "Someone stood me up, Harrison."

"What?"

Evelyn stared at her slippers, suddenly embarrassed. But Harrison had always been her safe space, the brother she never had. The words tumbled out before she could stop them - every detail about the mysterious man who'd captivated her then vanished.

As she spoke, Harrison's jaw tightened. The way her voice softened when describing him, the unconscious way she played with her necklace when recalling their conversations - it all stung more than he cared to admit.

Some stranger had swooped in and claimed her attention so completely that Harrison now felt like an outsider in her life.

When she finished, Evelyn looked up with hopeful eyes. "From a man's perspective - why would someone do that? Set a time and place, then just... disappear?"

Harrison opened his mouth, then closed it. His throat felt lined with sand.

"Maybe something came up?" he offered weakly.

Evelyn shook her head. "Even emergencies warrant a text. But it's like he evaporated into thin air." She wrapped her arms around herself. "The worst part? I don't even know his full name to go looking for him."