Story time: My Worst Relationship Experience on Campus.

Part 1   The Day I Fell (Not in Love… Yet)They say every heart has its story. Mine began on a day that smelled like new beginnings sunlight spilling over rooftops, the low hum of laughter from hostel balconies, and that chaotic energy only a fresh semester at Hillbridge University could bring.It was my first day on campus.New faces. New buildings. A new chapter.I had barely stepped out of the taxi with my two huge boxes before I realized how alone I felt. My parents had dropped me at the school gate and gone back to our sleepy town in Kwara. I was on my own now.Dragging my box across the uneven pavement toward Eliza Hall, I cursed silently under my breath. My hand was aching, the sun was unforgiving, and my ego refused to ask anyone for help.That’s when I heard him.“Hey! Do you want help with that?”The voice was warm. Confident. A little too calm for someone who clearly just watched me struggle for five minutes straight. I turned, annoyed and then paused. He was leaning against the palm tree near the hostel gate like a scene straight out of a Netflix romance series. A black T-shirt hugging his frame, a low-cut fade, smooth dark skin that caught the sunlight like honey, and a mischievous glint in his eye.I blinked. Twice.“You looked like you were about to pass out,” he said, now walking over. “Let me get this for you.”Before I could form a reply, he grabbed one end of my box and gestured toward the hostel. “Which room?”Still confused, I stuttered, “Um… 207.”“Nice. You must be a freshman.” He smiled. “I’m Jayden. Student Welcome Committee or at least that’s the excuse I use to help pretty girls.”I rolled my eyes, trying to hide my blush. “Ariella.”“Ariella,” he repeated slowly, like he was tasting it. “Pretty name.”We got to my room, and he helped me set up a bit—fixed my curtain rod that refused to stay, plugged in my extension box, and even taught me the hostel Wi-Fi password. All while telling stories that had me laughing too hard.We ended up talking on my balcony for hours.He told me about Hillbridge’s fake fire drills, how every 300-level engineering boy thought he was a genius, and his three failed attempts at being a plant dad.I told him about my hometown, my obsession with spoken word poetry, and how I once fell asleep in church and said “Amen” in my dream loudly.It felt like we’d known each other for years.He left just before dinner time, but not without pulling a move.As he turned to go, he said, “Hey, don’t forget to breathe. The first week of uni is like drowning in slow motion. You’ll survive. I promise.”And then he winked.A wink.What was this a romance novel?! Istood on that balcony long after he left, wondering why a stranger felt so familiar… and why my heart skipped when I thought of him.But just as I lay on my bed that night, smiling like an idiot, my phone buzzed.Unknown Number:“You looked beautiful today, Ariella. Can I see you again tomorrow?”My heart skipped.But just before I could reply, another message came through.This time, from a different number. The message was one of the most shocking thing I ever received in my life.To be continued.