Level Two and the Skateboard of Destiny

The pathway near the science building was, as Leo had predicted, mostly empty. The afternoon sun cast long, golden shadows across the grass, and right in the middle of the path was the slightly raised paving stone Leo had designated as the "trip zone."

I took a deep breath and wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. You can do this, Maya. Just walk, stumble, and fall into the arms of the scariest, most attractive guy on campus. For literature.

Right on cue, a figure in a black leather jacket rounded the corner. Leo was walking toward me with the focused, terrifying stride of a hitman. When he made eye contact with me, he gave a single, sharp nod.

Showtime.

I started walking. As I approached the uneven stone, I dramatically rolled my ankle, let out a highly unconvincing "Oh, heavens!", and tipped forward.

I waited for the strong arms to catch me. Instead, I just caught myself awkwardly, stumbling forward a few steps and coming to a halt.

I looked up. Leo was standing two feet away, his arms crossed, his eyebrows raised in a look of profound disappointment.

"That," his deep voice rumbled, "was the most unnatural display of gravity I have ever witnessed. You looked like a fainting goat."

My jaw dropped. "Hey! I'm an author, not an Oscar-winning actress! It's hard to fake a trip when I know exactly where the rock is!"

Leo sighed, a heavy, long-suffering sound. He pulled his leather notebook halfway out of his jacket, then shoved it back in. "The data will be compromised if the catalyst is forced. We need genuine panic to trigger the protective reflex. Go back to the starting position. We will try again."

"Take two. Fine," I grumbled, turning around on my heel to walk back to my starting point.

But I never made it.

Because at that exact moment, a freshman on a longboard came careening around the corner of the science building, going way too fast and looking at his phone.

"Watch out!" the kid yelled, but he was already swerving directly into my path.

The edge of his board clipped my ankle. This time, there was no fake "Oh, heavens!" This time, my feet literally flew out from under me, my backpack shifted, and I was suddenly, terrifyingly, airborne, falling backward toward the hard concrete.

I squeezed my eyes shut and braced for the impact.

It never came.

Instead, a blur of black leather closed the distance between us in a fraction of a second. A large, incredibly warm hand clamped around my waist, and another grabbed my arm, yanking me upward and spinning me around.

I crashed chest-first into what felt like a solid brick wall.

The air rushed out of my lungs in a soft oof. I blinked my eyes open. My cheek was pressed against the cold metal zipper of Leo’s jacket. I could smell cedarwood, espresso, and the faint, clean scent of mint.

But the most shocking thing wasn't the smell. It was the sound. Beneath the thick leather, I could hear Leo's heart. It wasn't the slow, calm rhythm of a stoic Ice King. It was hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird, beating just as fast and frantic as my own.

Slowly, I tilted my head up.

Leo was staring down at me. His face was only inches from mine. His sharp jawline was tense, and his dark eyes were wide with genuine terror. His grip on my waist was impossibly tight, as if he was afraid I would vanish into thin air if he let go.

"Maya," he breathed, his voice barely a whisper. It was the first time he hadn't sounded like a military commander or a grumpy professor. He just sounded... human. "Are you injured?"

"N-no," I stammered. My brain had completely short-circuited. "I think the data... is uncompromised."

A tiny, involuntary huff of laughter escaped his lips. The terrifying Ice King, smiling. It was a microscopic shift in his expression, but it changed his entire face, making him look devastatingly handsome.

We stood there for a second too long. The universe seemed to shrink down to just the two of us, the raised paving stone, and the distant clatter of the fleeing skateboarder.

Slowly, reluctantly, Leo loosened his grip and helped me stand upright. He took a large step back, clearing his throat and violently adjusting the collar of his jacket. The cold, stoic mask slammed back into place, though the tips of his ears were burning a bright, betraying red.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his notebook. His hands, I noticed with a thrill of triumph, were shaking just a little bit.

"Variable: unexpected external force," he muttered, aggressively clicking his pen. "Resulting physical proximity: closer than anticipated. Heart rate... elevated."

He didn't look up from the page. I watched him, my own heart doing backflips in my chest.

I had my material for Chapter 43. I knew exactly how I was going to write the duke catching the heroine. But as I walked back to my dorm, rubbing the lingering warmth on my waist where his hand had been, I realized a terrifying truth.

I wasn't just writing a romance anymore. I was falling right into the middle of one.

What did you think of the skateboard interruption? I love how it forces a genuine reaction out of Leo!