5. University Campus, Maryland
Seven Years Ago, In February

Her coming of age story began by the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, seven years back, a few weeks shy before the first flowers of spring bloomed. Everything seemed mundane that day, even after a stream of terrible snow storms blew past them. It was a breath of crisp winter air to see the sun for the first time in days. It was the first day of the second semester of her freshman year. The campus was bustling with students dressed in scarves and thick coats, and extra large cups of coffee to warm their hands. Some walked leisurely, catching up on their social lives, face down on their screens, while others scrambled to make it to class on time.

Veronica hadn't the time to socialize or be tardy. Meeting a new set of professors was already giving her the jitters, so small-talking and being unprepared for class was something she couldn't afford. She sighed with a heavy doubt lingering in her head, contemplating if she was going survive a double degree in Painting and French studies next year.

She checked the time on her wristwatch and hurried to the east wing to attend her first class this morning, History of World Art 2.

As she walked through the entrance and into the lecture hall, she slowed down her pace and exhaled to calm her nerves. But then, she felt a powerful presence around her. Curiously, she noticed a few girls whispering and giggling excitedly. She used her peripherals and caught sight of a prominent figure. Her heart leaped as if someone had snatched it and thrown it on a trampoline.

It's him.

Earlier, she saw him hanging out with a bunch of people, leaning onto one of the columns outside Leslie Hall. He held a cigarette in his hand while giving a sly look at a girl flirting with him.

When one is surrounded by a boisterous group like this, it's impossible not to turn towards their direction. So technically, she wasn't snooping.

Even if she'd never seen or met him, she knew who he was. His piercing green eyes and hard jawline gave it away.  He stood out from the rest despite his simple attire. He wore a pair of faded black jeans and a plain black shirt that showed off his arms full of tattoos. His soft brown curls fell to his shoulders, making him look like he was ready to shoot an ad campaign for a rock magazine.

Nobody could look as good as Ethan Finn.

She'd heard this so many times, it became a mantra to the girls on campus. No wonder they fluttered all around him, giggling and flirting. He had that sexy grunge, I'm-too-cool-to-care demeanor written all over him.

Admittedly, the rumors weren't as exaggerated as she'd thought. She had to admit one thing: Ethan Finn is ridiculously hot.

His strong energy had caused a stir around her this morning, and it perplexed her. And to think she hadn't even heard him speak. Word circulated around that he's English. He moved to America in middle school, but kept the accent.

How convenient, she rolled her eyes as she watched him give a girl a peck on the cheek. When she passed by another freshman who whispered loudly that it was the campus heartthrob, her heart inexplicably halted.

Everyone at the Department of Art, and probably the entire university, knew of his brilliance. Aside from his attractive looks and foreign flair, he had an extraordinary gift in filmmaking and method acting. He had once starred in a widely acclaimed indie film in Toronto, but had said he preferred to work behind the lenses.

On her first semester, she had impractically long breaks in between her classes. She would hang out with random girls from her class, and they would constantly talk about this gorgeous, talented student filmmaker who's forever stuck in college.

"I hope he doesn't graduate until I get a taste of him!" said a bold freshman one time.

She and a group of girls had gone out in the lawn to enjoy the morning sun while waiting for their next class.

"Legend has it, Ethan Finn's plan to stay in school is deliberate. His goal is to screw every single sophomore in the campus," another one added.

"And why does it have to be a sophomore?" The most quiet girl asked, shocking everyone in the group.

"Simple. He never dates girls older than twenty. He wants them fresh and innocent."

What a bunch of rubbish. Only pea-brains would believe this. 

Veronica had fought the urge to spray coffee on them that day. So, instead of telling them what she really felt, she swallowed the coffee instead and remained silent.

It was exhausting to listen to tales about him, counting the minutes until lunch break. Thankfully, her childhood best friend, Reese Calvert, was taking up Diplomatic Studies in the same university. She chose to spend time with her than with girls who couldn't stop talking about him.

She certainly missed her other best friend, Tianna Yazdani, who was studying pre-law at Harvard University in Boston.

Snapping back to reality, she scanned the lecture hall to look for a place to sit. When she stole another quick glance at him, she noticed he was searching for a place to sit as well. Everything about him smelled of danger. A sexy kind of danger, that is. When he tucked his hair behind his ear, his eyes shot right at her, their eyes frozen in a daze. His intense stare almost melted her away. With her heart racing a thousand beats, she quickly tore her eyes away from him.

She dashed down the steps of the lecture hall and found herself a good seat that could potentially be hers this whole semester. As she sat on the chair to compose herself, she sensed his proximity.

Strangely, she could almost feel him breathing on the back of her neck, his warmth radiating towards her for a moment. She shrugged it off and opened her notes as the professor came in to start the lecture. She had to focus on getting good grades more than unnecessary distractions like this ridiculously handsome creature puffing sensual embers of fire behind her.

6. East Wing University Campus Parking Lot, Maryland
Seven Years Ago, In June

The night's sky was clear with a few gracious stars peeking out. Ethan lay comfortably on the roof deck of his Dodge, right next to two solar panels installed next to him. He parked his van at the university campus on that warm Wednesday night. Today was the last day of his class on History of World Art 2. After almost seven years in college, he finally found the time to complete this minor subject. He was getting close to graduating.

Last year, a company had hired him to shoot a travel documentary that required him to go around the United States and Canada. Hence, he had to leave school for almost two semesters and spent most of his time on the road. During this period, he realized how he hated staying in old motels. He preferred sleeping in his van instead. When he finally came back to finish the final edits in his apartment, everything changed. His apartment became too big for him, and his depressive state heightened. His adventuresome spirit wanted to be outdoors again.

Since he was always on the road and barely lived in his apartment, why not lease it? With the rent money, he'd be able to finance his filmmaking projects while traveling to different continents. He longed to travel the world with his car and cameras, anyway.

After a lengthy debate with himself and a bit of advice from his mum, he finally did it. He lived in his fraternity house for a few months while he had his old Dodge converted into a mobile home.

At the start of Christmas break, he took the bus to pick up his Dodge at Slater & Son Motors in Chicago. The talent he'd worked with last year recommended his father's company that specialized in building motor homes. They made van builds according to specifications of their clients.

The transformation shocked him. The craftmanship was unparalleled and built to perfection. The van was well-insulated for extreme weather, and it had an impressive power system for heat and electricity. The interior had a working desk that doubled as a kitchen top. They positioned a spacious bed on the rear end of the vehicle. He'd opted to have an outdoor shower since he was free to use the university's facilities. The younger Slater gave Ethan an in-depth tour and explained all the systems to him before turning in the keys.

The ride from Illinois back to Maryland was one of the best road trips of his life. He spent a week on the road in his new home on wheels, stopping by festive night markets in New York and Philadelphia before heading back. Finally, he spent his last week of the holidays with his mum. On New Year's, he camped in the freezing grounds of the bay area, alone but content.

With all the great vibes he experienced over the holidays, he was now pumped to go back to school and start the semester right. He was glad he wasn't going to live in his frat house anymore. He was getting sick of the nonstop parties. He'd already paid for his annual parking fee at the school campus. Thankfully, there was no concrete rule on camping in the parking grounds as long as he did it discreetly.

Engulfed with a sense of motivation, his first day started off great. His schedule was very flexible. He only had to finish three more subjects this semester, which meant he would only be in school on Mondays and Wednesdays. This also meant that he had at least five days straight a week to work on his shoots and edits. He also had the freedom to travel on long weekends. 

All seemed perfect. Until he attended the first damn class of History of World Art 2. He hadn't missed a single lecture. In fact, he hadn't missed a single lecture on all his subjects this semester. All because of her.

He'd been seeing her for five months now. Well, literally just seeing her in class. But that's all. He hadn't breathed a word to her, nor has she. Not once did she glance at him. Except on the first day when their eyes met. He hadn't seen her on campus. And this intrigued him.

He remembered vividly when she walked in front of him on the first day. She was looking for a place to sit. Then she looked at him. This was the first, and so far, the only time she'd laid her eyes on him.

Bloody hell, those eyes. The blue-green hue she possessed were the same color as the waters of Lake Tahoe in the summer sunset.

And her hair. It's as black as the charcoal he stared at before going to bed on the night he camped at Chesapeake Beach.

Then she looked away, unaware of what she'd done to him. And just like that, she snatched his heart on that very first day. She never looked at him since.

For the entire semester, she focused on the lectures and didn't seem to care about the people around her, excluding the professor and that blonde seatmate of hers who wore red glasses and chewed gum like an 80s popstar.

She constantly tapped on her book and scribbled notes and never turned her head to asked for an extra pen, or the time. She never knew he existed. So he never took the courage to tap her on the shoulder. He was afraid he'd be eloctrocuted by her mysterious energy. Come to think of it, what would he say?

He'd practiced what to say on freezing nights inside his van. It went something like: You borrowed something from me on the first day of HWA2. I think it's time you gave it back.

Or, something more straightforward. Pardon me, can I have my heart back?

He was pathetic. He'd rather leave her alone inside the fenced academic world she built around her.

It made sense that he hadn't seen her around since he barely went to school last year. And since the history subject technically catered to freshmen students, he assumed she was one. That could also mean that she was probably eighteen, or turning nineteen, making her almost four years younger than him.

He'd realized quickly that she was easily one of the most beautiful girls at campus. What intrigued him the most was her quiet and unpretentious nature. She barely wore any makeup and did not waste time with any of the people in his circle. She didn't mix with organizations and shied away from college soirées.

Almost stalking her, he noticed that she preferred to hang with a small group from different colleges, mostly with the popular rich snobs. However, a lot of his friends had raved about her, this cool and creative Painting student named Veronica. None of them had anything bad to say about her. Meaning, she didn't sleep around. The only setback was that she stuck to her own crowd and was serious with her studies. She was that pretty gal you'd love as a challenge but was too difficult to get through - a potential bore.

Before he knew it, an entire semester had gone. Sitting behind her gave him the sole opportunity to be close to her. He basked in her enigmatic glow and secretly admire her dark locks and its expensive scent.

Usually, college girls would kill to get his attention. And it's no mystery. He was a fairly attractive guy with a notable character and some talent. When he used to have an apartment in the city, he'd host countless parties that people still talked about to this day. Chicks wanted to sleep with him and the dudes wanted to be him. What more could a young college boy like Ethan want?

Veronica Ramos.

But how? He didn't have a single clue how to approach this specimen. She seemed so refined and too impossible to reach. And even if he did, he didn't seem like the type she'd talk to. He'd seen her talk to the student council president earlier today. They spoke in French. She was cultured and well-mannered while he drank, smoked and threw wild parties. And at twenty-three, he was still struggling to finish school. She seemed to know how to weed out the troubled ones.

What in the world was I thinking of renting out my apartment to live in a car?

Now here he was, lying on the roof of his expensive mobile home, pining over a girl who could easily mark him off as a homeless undergraduate. There was no way he would introduce himself to her. And there was no way in hell he would ask her out and take her home in his van!

He blew a loud sigh. The blanket of night above him reminded him of her endless hair. He stared at the stars and focused on one that twinkled brightly, hoping it was a wishing star. But even if the night's sky was clear tonight, his mind fogged his senses. There should only be one solution: He had to stop thinking about her.

He'd never felt so vulnerable over a girl younger than him. He'd made sure it would never happen. But his fears were unfolding. He was a total mess, and she seemed too good for him. For the first time in his life, he needed a strategy.

There was no way she would be the perfect girl he'd created in his head. What if she turned out to be the most boring, clingy chick who checked on him every five minutes? This was highly possible since she was already surrounded by a bunch of nobs.

He'd already spent the rest of the semester shooting film around the East Coast to get his mind off her. He partied on the weekends in his frat house, got drunk and fooled around with girls. From time to time, he allowed the easy ones to satisfy his desires while he stared at the ceiling, wishing it was her who was sucking his cock.

Lately, he'd been refusing to sleep with them. He had an effortless life with no plans ahead. But when he stepped back inside his van, she filled his thoughts.

What if she's funny, crazy-interesting, and out-of-this-world cool? What if she's amazing in bed? What if she's the girl he'd been waiting for all his life?

Never going to happen. Get over it.

The semester had come to a close, and the days till summer was fast approaching. His heart sank, knowing he might not see her in any of his classes again.

https://youtu.be/QbShJru2WFc