The Wrong Match

The universe had a sick sense of humor. Ava knew this. She had witnessed it firsthand the night before when her dating app decided, out of millions of single men in the city, to deliver Liam Carter straight into her notifications like some cosmic prank.

She told herself she wouldn’t think about it again. She told herself she would delete the app, focus on torts and property law, and never let Liam Carter’s cocky grin occupy a single neuron in her brain.

And then she walked into Contracts 201 and found him leaning against the back wall like he owned the place.

Ava stopped dead in the doorway, clutching her books to her chest. Liam looked up from his phone, smirk already in place as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“Well,” he said, voice low and lazy. “If it isn’t my match.”

Heads turned. Ava’s throat tightened. “Shut up,” she hissed, darting past him toward the nearest empty seat.

Unfortunately, the universe doubled down on its sense of humor.

Daniels,” Professor Marks barked from the front of the room. “Partner up with Carter for the semester project.”

Ava nearly dropped her coffee.

Her eyes snapped to Liam’s, and for a moment, she swore she saw victory flash across his face.

---

They met later that afternoon in the law library—her sacred ground. Ava set her laptop on the table, determined to make this interaction as sterile as possible. No small talk, no jokes, no accidental smiles. Just outlines, citations, and progress.

Liam slid into the chair across from her, tossing his camera bag onto the floor. He wasn’t even in law school—he was auditing this class as some kind of elective, padding out his credits for a photography degree.

A fact that irritated her more than it should have.

“You don’t even belong here,” she muttered, opening her notes.

Liam leaned back, arms crossed. “And yet here I am. Fate’s funny like that.”

“This isn’t fate. It’s administrative incompetence.”

His grin widened. “Tomato, tomahto.”

Ava inhaled through her nose. Focus. Work. “We need to pick a case study. Something we can do both research.”

“Cool,” Liam said, stretching. “I’ll handle creative angles, you handle the boring legal stuff.”

She glared. “This is law school. It’s all legal stuff.”

“Exactly why you need me. Otherwise, you’ll put the entire class to sleep.”

Her fingers tightened on the keyboard. “I don’t need you.”

“Clearly,” he said. “You’ve got everything perfectly under control. That’s why you’re radiating stress like a malfunctioning Wi-Fi router.”

A laugh escaped before she could catch it. Just a small one, quick and sharp, but Liam’s eyes lit up like he had scored a goal.

“There it is,” he said softly. “Proof you’re human.”

Ava snapped her laptop shut. “We’ll meet here tomorrow. Same time. Don’t be late.”

She grabbed her books, ready to escape, but Liam’s voice stopped her at the door.

“Hey, Daniels.”

She turned, impatient.

His smirk softened into something else—something that made her pulse stutter. “For the record… I’m not your ex.”

Ava stared at him, words failing, before she walked out without answering.

---

That night, Jessie sprawled across their couch, scrolling on her phone. “So. How was Project Doom with Liam?”

Ava collapsed beside her, groaning. “He’s insufferable.”

Jessie’s grin widened. “Insufferable hot, or insufferable annoying?”

“Both,” Ava admitted before she could stop herself.

Jessie whooped. “I knew it. Sparks. You’ve got sparks.”

“No. I’ve got heartburn. That’s all.”

Jessie shoved a pillow at her. “You can’t deny it forever. You matched for a reason.”

Ava buried her face in her hands. Reason? There was no reason. Just chaos. Just the universe laughing at her carefully drawn boxes.

And worst of all—she wasn’t sure she hated it.

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