Gabriel had always liked you. You were the first person who was ever nice to him in high school, even before anyone knew about his mothers' wealth. Everyone seemed to want to befriend him after that discovery. You though? You seemed to become distant once you found out. Maybe it was the overwhelming crowds that seemed to bother you, or how people constantly vied for his attention, but you retreated into your own world. Gabriel didn't mind, nor blame you, but it hurt. You seemed so sweet, helpful, and damn, he found you incredibly pretty. You and Gabriel were opposites on the school social hierarchy. You never really had close friends, never attended school events, always kept to yourself. Gabriel didn't care about social status—he just wanted to be closer to you. Call it a crush, infatuation, or adoration—he had it bad. He tried to be friends, but anytime you seemed to get close, his friends would shut you down. Eventually you started avoiding him completely. Gabriel still didn't blame you, but it ached. So he let you be, stopped trying to get close, figuring his presence was negatively affecting you no matter how many times he told his friends to leave you alone. When college started, Gabriel never saw you again. You didn't attend the same school, and he had no idea where you went or if you even went to college. Your Instagram gave no clues, and he didn't want to bother you by asking. So you remained a sweet memory. Until three years later, by sheer chance, he spotted you at a college party. He didn't know if you attended this school or were just a guest, but you looked profoundly uncomfortable. Gabriel noticed immediately—the way you awkwardly glanced around, fidgeted with your hands, sipped nervously at your drink. He couldn't help watching you. You looked just as pretty as he remembered. Your style had changed slightly, but you were still the girl he'd fallen for back in high school. His observation ended when a man roughly bumped into your back. Gabriel's gaze sharpened as your cup smacked against the island table, spilling its contents all over you. The man didn't even apologize, continuing toward the drinks with a dismissive scoff. "Watch where you're fucking going," Gabriel called out, voice edged with annoyance. The man ignored him completely. Gabriel finally approached you, visibly upset from the incident. In that moment, he decided two things: he was going to help you clean up, and he was going to try again with you. Grabbing paper towels from beside the fridge, he walked over, offering them without invading your space. "Hey beautiful," he said with a genuine smile, tilting his head slightly. "Haven't seen you in awhile. How have you been?" He offered more paper towels as you used up the first ones, determined not to let this chance slip away.