She loved hanging with her family, but she loved alone time with herself as well.

Monday morning she decided to not attend her classes for the day and just kick back and relax. She slept late, woke up and did a workout, showered then ate breakfast of oatmeal, egg whites, and fruit.

Then she sat in front of the TV to watch her favorite crime show, Criminal Minds. She wanted to be the next Spencer Reid and knew that would take a lot. While she watched the show, she also multi-tasked, reading her Criminology 555: Sociopath vs. Psychopath. She had the differences down.

She also had some cases for Victor she read through flagging them for anything he needed to tighten security for. Since he was doing a lot of celebrities, they would get a ton of DMs, emails, and even handwritten and typewritten notes. It was all simple fandom to her, she never saw anything to reeked "psycho."

She was down for another case but wanted to stay local. There never was anything in Springfield that seemed exciting for her. The next case had to be a challenge for her and not just a simple crush on a celebrity.

When her phone buzzed she picked it up and saw it was a text from Ronan. She instantly smiled thinking of him.

Ronan: U good?

Yes

Ronan: Missed you in class

I'll be there for our test on Wednesday

Ronan: Wish I could see you before then

She smiled at that. After a weekend of seeing her ex with his new girl, why was she still holding back?

Want to meet up? I need to get out and stretch my legs

Ronan: Let me know where

She told him to meet her at Keigler Park, close to campus and they would get a good workout in. The weather was still nice and she needed another release. She grabbed a protein bar, and her water and headed out the door.

Soon as she parked, Ronan pulled up beside her.

"Hey," she said to him.

"I don't know about this working out thing. Especially with you." He looked her over in her cropped tank top showcasing her rippled abs and her boy-cut shorts showing off her lean but toned legs. "I'm not built for this."

"We'll just jog a few laps and then they have some fitness stations, we can stop and do pullups, crunches, and pushups." She grabbed an extra towel from her trunk and tossed it at him.

"I think I'm about to die," he frowned, afraid before they even started.

She winked at him. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

Despite his whining, Ronan was in pretty good shape and kept up with her. They jogged at a light pace so they could talk as they went. They did two laps around the trail which was one point two miles, then the second lap around, they stopped at each station and did a workout. He was hanging with her tit for tat. The third time around she upped the ante for him, showing off by doing one-handed pull-ups and one-handed push-ups.

"Good God almighty, that's sexy." Ronan stood there, mouth gasped open as he watched her shut off. A year ago she could barely do a modified push-up. Being in shape was more than exercise, it was a lifestyle. For her body and would. 

She laughed and playfully pushed him. "Now you go."

"No way. I want to stay macho man to you, not have you kicking my ass."

"Oh, we already know I can do that."

"Will you kick me again if I try to kiss you?" he questioned as he moved close to her.

"No."

He moved in for the kiss and she did not hesitate to kiss him back. It was her first kiss in a long time and she missed the feeling of being in a guy's arms. She did not think she was the type of woman that needed a man, but right now, she needed Ronan.

"That was...nice."

"Just nice?" he said. "Then I didn't do it right, let me do it again."

He kissed her again and it was better, and he wrapped his arms around her waist and kept kissing her. She did not care that they were right out in public, anyone could see. Nor that she was not protected, she did not have her gun with her. She did not need it. She had Ronan, and she felt safe.

"Damn Nola, I'm so crazy about you," he said, looking into her eyes. "I've been wanting to do that since the first day in class."

"Glad you pursued me and was not afraid."

"I won't hurt you like you've been hurt before," he affirmed and rubbed her cheek.

She moved away from him. How did he know she was ever hurt? And that was the same thing that Tone said to her after her big breakup with Montez. Tone did not hurt her, she hurt him.

He told her many times he was in love with her, and even though she had strong feelings for him, she knew she never felt love for him. It hurt her to hurt him. A good guy wanting to care for her. Would it be the same with Ronan?

"Ronan, I don't know if I'm ready for...a relationship or anything."

"Tell me what you need to be ready?"

She moved closer and gave him a peck on his lips. "Time."

Despite how cute or how nice, or how sweet she thought Ronan was, she still did not know him. She tried to read him, analyze him, see if there was some crazy there. She was not good at it at all. To her, he seemed fine.

Trust her instinct. It told her Ronan was safe and that the chances of running into another psycho or sociopath in her lifetime were slim to none. There was no need to keep a guard up around her at all times.

So she started to relax around Ronan and see him more. They hung out nearly every day and she got to know him. An only child, from Kansas City, parents still happily married, upper middle class, coming from a near-perfect life.

She hung around campus more, doing one of her favorite past times, people-watching. She would find a corner in Plaster Student Union or somewhere outside, where she could watch the people come and go. She would try and read their faces and figure out the type of person they were. She could be a hundred percent wrong, she would never know.

One day she spotted a guy sitting all alone, earbuds in scrolling through his phone. The thing that made him stand out to her was she could not pinpoint his race. His skin was pale with a hint of a tan, so she could not assume he was one or the other. His hair was flaxen, like the color of hay, or a sandy blondish, and curly. The sides were low and there was a mop of curls on top.

That was her give away that he definitely identified as something more than white. He intrigued her, so she kept studying him while he was engrossed in his phone. Sitting alone, like her, he probably kept to himself. Even in his friend group, he did not talk much. She tossed around him being the baby of the family or an only child.

Settled on only child. Baby of the families tended to be more spoiled and bratty. Not her. That went to Tennille for some reason, even though she was the youngest.

Her new interest probably majored in math or something science because it was a field that did not require lots of contact with people.

He probably hated group projects, as much of the free world did. But he hated them because then he had to interact with people. She hated them because she was ahead of so many of her peers and felt group projects held her back.

In high school, her group partners teased her because they knew how smart she was, and then would make her finish the project by herself and slap their names on. She had no problems doing that, in fact, preferred, it because at least then she knew it would be right and they would get an A. Some teachers caught on to that and let her do her separate projects project.

It's why she tested out of so many classes and was able to graduate a year early.

She wondered if this guy was smart. She would love to know if she was right about even a little bit of her analysis.

So she did what she would have never done before, she approached him. If he was a threat, she knew how to handle a threat.

"Excuse, me uh...hey!" Now she felt a little dumb approaching the boy minding his business.

When he looked up at her, she kind of blushed. He was cute! He had light colored-eyes, almost blue but more gray.

"Hello," he responded, taking out one of his earbuds. "Sorry, do I know you?"

Now she felt lame. Maybe he knew who she was, everyone else did. Why did she approach this guy?

Trust your instincts she thought to herself.

"No, I was just hanging around, saw you sitting here, thought I would say hey, so...hey."

He looked around at others, probably wondering why him and not anyone else.

"Do I look that pathetic you thought to say hey to the lonely guy?"

"Huh? No, no, it wasn't like that, I just wanted to say hi."

He chuckled at her. "No, I'm just messing with you. It's cool. I like meeting new people. This school is huge and I'm just trying to stay sane in it."

If he thought Missouri State was huge, he would not have made it at Washington University, which was at least three times larger and in a city that would swallow you whole versus little Springfield. He must be from some small, little-known Missouri town. Population smaller than dirt.

"You from around here? I mean, you're not from Springfield, right?" She knew most people her age group that grew up in the Springfield area, white or Black. It was not hard to know that fact.

"No way! Why?"

"Let me guess, Waynesville."

His eyes widened in shock. "Wait. How do you know that? Are you following me or something?"

She laughed at the thought. "No way. I just know that area and how people are. So you're bi-racial, right? Mother white, father Black."

The look on his face she knew she was right. "How are you knowing-"

"So do you try to pass?" She knew she was going too far, but this was fun. And if he got upset with her, she would apologize and move on.

"Uh...no," he stuttered, before adding. "I just don't tell people what I am because it's none of their business."

She could tell from his defensive response he did not identify with his Black side. Maybe his father was never around. Waynesville was a small, middle Missouri town with a population of slightly over five thousand. The Black community was tiny, and most of them identified as bi-racial or multi-racial. With its close proximity to Fort Leonard Wood, a U.S. Army training post, it housed many military families. Her fascination with the area leads her into a rabbit hole of research years ago.

"Sorry to intrude, I just wanted to say hello, that's all." And to find out if her initial curiosity was correct, she knew her other thoughts of him were spot on as well.

"No, wait." He took out his other earbud. "You can't just pop by, lay down some things about me there is no way you should know, and then vanish. I'm intrigued."

"Don't be," she said with a shrug. "I read people."

"Oh really?" The guy looked her over. "That's pretty cool. I'm an open book, read me. Long as I get to know you as well."

Was that a flirt from him? He was cute, she was not going to lie. Not her typical type, but maybe she needed to change that.

"My name's Drew Lewis. Really it's Andrew but no one calls me that."

"I'm Nola Kelly." Good Lord, she hoped this boy did not know her, her sisters, and her whole life story simply by her name.

"I'm a junior, why haven't I seen you around here?"

"You know everyone here?"

"Hardly."

"Then it's easy to mix in the crowd." No need to explain this was her first year here. She did not mingle much with the college crowd outside of talking with a few classmates. She was not on campus for parties, sporting events, or activities. Something told her he was a lone wolf as well.

"I don't make friends well," he stated, then shrugged. "Sucks being far away from home and not knowing anyone."

"Friends, family, roommate?"

"This is my first year off campus, so no roommate. Only child."

She nodded, checking off more of her boxes.

"Why did you decide to come here to Missouri State University instead of S & T known for its engineering program, and closer to home?"

His mouth dropped open. Missouri University of Science and Technology, formerly the University of Missouri-Rolla, was the school to attend in Missouri for science, technology, and engineering students. Located in Rolla, it would have been a better fit for anyone going into any scientific field.

"I don't even want to begin to know how you would know I considered that school and what my field is...but I think I am in love with the idea of someone knowing me so well."

When he smiled at her, she was a goner. Cute, smart, and easy to talk to. This was all normal. Just a girl meeting a guy she found super hot.

Still, her guards were up.

A/N: It is good for Nola to go out in the world and meet new people. All she really has is her sisters, no friends.