Chapter 1: My Knight

Emily 👩🏻

I saw him striding toward me, carrying on with an easy confidence. He covered the distance in long strides. His strong arms pinned me against the library stacks and he was all over me in a moment.

‘Oh, God, his touch is searing my skin ... and all those muscles ... Ummm.’

His lips crashed against mine in a hungry, unraveling kiss. My breath hitched as he took control and claimed my lips. My glasses fogged and my knees buckled. My fingers tangled in his blonde hair as I responded to his fire. I pulled him closer, deeper into a fantasy of our intertwined hearts. A dizzying warmth spread through me, a perfect, impossible dream.

“Yo, Em, are you in there?” Jake’s voice cut through my daydream like a debugger catching a null pointer error.

My eyes snapped open. The fluorescent hum of the library replaced the roar in my ears. Suddenly, I was aware of the world around me. Whispers of gossip, the clack of keyboards, and the musty scent of old books.

This wasn’t the backdrop of a romance novel. This was the library, my den. Jake, my best friend since middle school sat across from me. His crooked grin was far too charming, was perfectly framed by a stray lock of hair curling over his forehead. We spent half our college lives hunched over laptops and books here, immersed in coding and banter.

‘Great job, Emily, fantasizing about kissing him in broad daylight.’ I shoved my spectacles up my nose, hoping my blush didn’t betray my thoughts.

My name is Emily, and I’m nineteen, a computer science major and a textbook nerd—complete with a messy bun and an oversized hoodie. Most people see my glasses and label me a “harmless geek,” but I’m a coder, a puzzle-solver, and a professional daydreamer. My biggest glitch? I’m in love with Jake, my best friend.

We bonded in middle school over logic puzzles and pixelated video game quests. I dove headfirst into the digital world, and Jake followed with his unwavering loyalty. I still remember eighth grade when Tommy Reed stole my glasses and mocked me in front of the class. Jake didn’t hesitate—he punched Tommy in the nose, earning a week’s detention.

My heart raced, and I wanted to blurt out, I love you. But fear froze my tongue. What if confessing cost me his friendship? That fear has shadowed me ever since, warning that one wrong move could crash our connection beyond repair.

Back then, I was the chubby, bespectacled kid every bully targeted, but Jake was my knight in scuffed sneakers. He shut down taunts with a glare or a shove. His friends barely tolerated me, but he always made me feel like I belonged.

Now, in college, we’re closer than ever. We even share an apartment near campus. It’s a practical arrangement our parents approved because they see us as “just friends.” If only they knew my mind runs a 24/7 romantic comedy starring Jake.

Jake has caught my coding bug. He’s lazy but willingly blends his linebacker swagger with a nerdy spark that makes my heart skip. Our latest project is a chess-based strategy game where players solve puzzles with pieces under unique constraints. My favorite is the knight-pawn puzzle, where a gallant knight protects a vulnerable pawn across a treacherous board.

‘It feels like us—Jake, my protector; me, a pawn dreaming of becoming a queen in his arms.’

Across the library, I spotted Sarah, the head cheerleader. She was laughing with her squad. Her lustrous golden hair tossed back while she moved with the effortless grace of a seasoned performer. She was commanding the room. Her confidence made me feel small by comparison. She was trying to get close to Jake, recently. The thought twisted a knot in my stomach.

“Hey, Jake,” I said. My voice was steadier than my racing pulse. Then his scent hit me—grass, sweat, and something distinctly Jake. A low hum started in my brain, a pure, instinctual response. I wrinkled my nose for effect.

“You reek,” I said. “Have you ever heard of a shower after practice, caveman? It’s in the best-friend contract.”

He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “My bad, Em,” he said. “I forgot the deodorant clause.” His eyes twinkled and I fought the urge to melt.

‘Calm down. He’s your awkward buddy. Not a romance novel hero.’

My braces are long gone, and my baby fat has reshaped into curves I mostly ignore. I could trade my hoodie for something fitted. Maybe tame my curls, or shed my “nerd” shield. A touch of makeup and womanly charms to woo him? But why risk it? Jake sees me as his platonic pal, not a leading lady. I’m comfortable in my code-and-coffee cocoon.