Chapter 1

Ava’s POV

“Oh shit! Shit!” I hissed as I jumped out of bed and hurriedly made my way to my bathroom. I had a presentation today and I had stupidly slept in! I really shouldn’t be blamed cause I was completely tired and knocked out from all the research and reading I’d had to do last night

I put my hair into a high ponytail as I scampered out of my building, I also had to walk to the bus stop, I sighed as I hurriedly walked and it was as though I was walking on hot coal, thanks to the insanely hot weather.

I heard footsteps as I walked, my presentation material was cradled carefully in my arms and I held it tightly against my chest.

It all happened in a few seconds.

One moment, I was walking briskly while going over my presentation in my head, and the next moment, out of nowhere, a solid mass of muscles collided against my side, propelling me sideways.

The collision had been so intense and sudden, I stumbled and lost my footing. I staggered and in a bid to keep my foot on the ground, I dropped my perfectly crafted practical, just as I felt insanely hot liquid seep through the front of my shirt and arms. Next, I was falling on the hard ground, where I later realized had been soiled up by the rest of the hot coffee that had poured over me.

My head was reeling. It had collided with the hard granite flood and now, it was pounding.

I took a look at the glass door of the supermarket right by the side of the spot where this commotion had taken place, and to my horror, I looked a mess; my neatly packed hair had coffee in it and my cloth was a total ruin.

I looked horrible.

I winced as I tried to pick myself up from the floor but a sharp pain shot through my left leg. I had bruises over my elbow and knees, pain shot up the rest of my body and I knew the pain was going to linger for a while. The bruise on my elbows needed to be tended to as well.

I placed my hand on my back and I moved sideways, I could feel the ache as I moved, and then my eyes flew wide open as soon as I laid eyes on my now shattered project.

“Oh my god. Oh my god.” I said, trying to keep myself from crying as I stared at the damages done to me by the stranger who had collided into me.

“Watch where you’re going, Jesus.” I heard a masculine voice yell at me just then, and my jaw dropped as I took a glance at my ruined project scattered over the wet ground. A few empty cups of coffee lolled on the ground as well, proving to me that the stranger’s entire pack of coffee had poured over the floor and some had gotten on my clothes when he had collided into me.

I then glanced up at the stranger who was standing a few feet away from me. He had a glare on his face, and his clothes was spotless, whereas mine was completely ruined.

He had bumped into me and instead of apologizing, he dared to stand there and point fingers at me, for something he had done. It took me days and lots of sleepless nights to get my project and presentation ready.

And, that had literally gone down the drain right now.

“Watch where I’m going?!” I screamed as I stood up in a jiffy, not minding the excruciating pain that shot through my body.

“You bumped into me, and spilled your stupid coffee everywhere, and instead of you tendering an apology, you had the nerve to tell me to Watch where I’m going?!” I shot at him.

The adrenaline rush made me more energized than I should currently be feeling. Seeing as I was already running late and the presentation had most definitely already began, coupled with the fact that my project was already ruined, I had automatically failed the test– which means I’m going to have to study extra, extra harder if I wanted to pass the class with a ‘C’.

My life was literally so fucked right now.

“Look,” He started, squeezing the empty cup of coffee he had in his hand as he moved closer to me, his figure was intimidating but I wasn’t scared one bit, if there was anything to describe my emotion then it would be anger. Immense anger.

“If anyone should be apologizing, then it would totally be you. You came out of nowhere and walked right into me. What are you? Five? Shouldn’t you watch where you’re fucking going? I literally cannot believe you right now, and you’re demanding an apology? Oh please.” He scoffed and rolled his eyes as made to walk past me, but was shocked when I pulled him back without warning.

I also shocked myself with that move.

“That,” I started saying, the hot tears at the back of my eyes threatening to fall, and my voice was starting to shake as I spoke. I wasn’t about to let him see me in a vulnerable state so I shook my head, cleared my throat and braced myself up properly.

“That scattered on the floor,” I started once again as I pointed at my scattered papers which were already soaked through with coffee on the floor. “– is months of hard work, months of sleepless nights and you just pushed it down the fucking drain!” I yelled, stomping my feet on the ground as I spoke.

My blood boiled the more he kept staring down at me without saying a thing and I clenched my fist in anger when I saw the scowl forming on his face. He had the nerve to scowl at me after all that he’s just put me through?

“Are you slow or you just have a hard time comprehending words said to you?” He asked and my mouth fell open once again. I made to say something, but nothing came forth, and so I slapped my mouth shut.

“If your eyes were where you were going, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now! My shoes are also ruined because of you so you don’t get to stand here in front of me and start telling me about how I’d ruined months of your hard work. Do you know how much my freaking shoes cost? It definitely costs more than your dumb projects.” He finished with a hiss and that was where I lost it.

“You know what you are?” I asked, my voice getting a little bit higher as I spoke, as I shoved at his chest harshly. “A jerk, a total jerk! That is what you are!” I screamed at him, shoving at him once again for good measures.

“Whatever you think of me or whatever name you’ve deemed fit to describe me is none of my fucking business, it’s yours.” He hissed as he walked past me.

I didn’t want to let him have the last word, he was walking away and I was losing. If I didn’t do or say anything at this point, I would find myself staying up late while thinking of all of the possible ways I could’ve had the last laugh in this situation.

Without thinking, I reached forward and I shoved him as hard as I could. I watched as he slipped and fell face down into some of the coffee on the ground and a satisfied smile played out in my face, doing that was not going to put my presentation back in place but I was a tad bit satisfied.

“Now, we’re even.” I breathed as I turned around to pick up my bag and phone from the ground. I attempted to pick the soiled papers but it was of no use. I hadn’t been able to back the project up, so there was no way I wasn’t going to be doing all these from scratch.

“What do I do now?” I sighed in frustration as I continued my way to the bus stop, looking like I just got out of a dumpster. The bus must have definitely left by now, and it would be an hour or more before another bus comes by.

I was nothing but doomed today.

I took another deep breath as I silently prayed my day wouldn’t get any worse and that the stupid stranger who had caused all these to me would definitely have a miserable and horrible day today, and throughout the rest of his life.

“I hate people like that and I wish I’d never have to come across the arrogant asshole ever again!” I muttered under my breath while glaring down at my ruined shoes.