Prologue
Dear Readers,
I wanted to take a moment to share that Friction and Fries is no longer on Inkitt. The edited version is available through Kindle. Due to the exclusive rights associated with this platform, I am unable to offer the entire book for free at this time. However, I invite you to enjoy the first few chapters, which are available to give you a taste of the story and its characters.
I am truly grateful for your ongoing support and interest in my work. If you’re looking for more reading material, please don’t hesitate to explore my other free titles.
Thank you once again for being such wonderful readers!
Warm regards,
The Elusive Authoress
Kelsey
The first day of university.
A clean slate.
A fresh beginning.
You’d think walking onto Westbridge University’s campus with Tina at my side would feel cinematic—sunlight hitting perfectly, soft background music humming under the moment, the whole future opening like a door waiting to be stepped through.
Instead, my stomach jittered like I’d swallowed a beehive.
Westbridge buzzed. Students streamed through the quad in chaotic waves—arms juggling iced coffees, maps flapping in the breeze, schedules already crumpled from overuse. Laughter burst from random corners. Someone sprinted past us shouting about the wrong lecture hall. A group nearby argued passionately about which club to join, as if it would determine their entire personality for the next four years.
Everyone seemed busy auditioning for a new version of themselves.
Me? I wasn’t auditioning for anything. I just wanted to pass accounting, mind my business, and avoid any kind of emotional disaster.
No reinventions.
No drama.
And definitely no love.
Not when I still couldn’t shake a three-year crush like an embarrassing tattoo I never asked for.
When Tina headed off to her sociology lecture with a cheerful wave, the campus suddenly felt a whole lot bigger. I clutched my schedule like it was the last lifeboat on the Titanic. Room 104, Business Building. Simple… on paper.
Ten minutes later, I was in a hallway that smelled like disinfectant and old science projects, staring at a poster of a frog in mid-dissection.
“I am absolutely in the wrong place,” I whispered to myself.
I pivoted, trying to look casual—like I meant to be admiring dead amphibians on my first day. My heartbeat thudded loudly in my ears. Perfect. Lost and panicking before I’ve even had my first lecture.
“Hey,” a voice called behind me. “You look kinda… confused. Need help?”
I turned—and forgot how to breathe.
The guy leaning against the wall looked like he’d been curated.
Dark hair that fell in a way no amount of styling could fake.
A sharp jawline carved with unnecessary precision.
Arms crossed over a broad chest like he had nothing but time and confidence.
He had a half-smirk—one of those slow, knowing ones that said he had zero trouble finding his way around… or around people.
And suddenly I wasn’t thinking about frogs or maps or room numbers anymore.
“I’m fine,” I said quickly. “Totally fine. Not lost.”
He raised an eyebrow, glancing past me at the lab door. “Unless you’re here for frog dissection, you might want to rethink that.”
Heat crawled up my neck. Busted.
“I was just… double-checking,” I muttered, clutching my schedule tighter.
He pushed off the wall, strolling closer. “Relax. Happens to everyone. Want me to show you where to go?”
“No, thanks.” I side-stepped him, determined to keep at least two feet of distance. “I’ve got it covered.”
He grinned, like my brush-off was exactly what he’d expected. “Suit yourself. Luke Sterling, by the way. Third-year, business major.”
I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of asking, but my mouth betrayed me. “Kelsey Prescott. First-year. Accounting.”
“Nice to meet you, Kelsey Prescott,” he said smoothly, tossing me a wink before strolling away like he owned the entire building.
I exhaled hard. What was that? My heart was still thudding like I’d just run a mile.
No. Nope. Not happening. He was way too smug, way too sure of himself, and exactly the kind of distraction I didn’t need.
By the time I tracked down the right building and made it through my first lecture, I had mostly shoved Luke out of my head. At break, I found Tina waiting by the student centre, sipping on a neon-pink smoothie.
“There you are!” she said. “I was about to send a search party. How was your morning?”
“Messy. I ended up in the biology labs.”
She laughed. “Classic Kelsey. Want me to drive you tomorrow? Save you the drama?”
“Yes, please.” I sank into the chair across from her, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Oh, and I met someone. Kind of. This guy. Luke Sterling.”
Tina’s straw froze mid-sip. “Wait. You actually talked to Luke Sterling?”
I frowned. “You know him?”
“Everyone knows him. He’s the heir to Sterling Group. They own Whimsy Burger.”
My jaw dropped. “Whimsy Burger? Where I work?”
“Yep. That’s the one.” Tina lowered her voice dramatically. “And let me tell you—he’s off-limits.”
I rolled my eyes. “Relax. I’m not interested.”
Tina leaned in, eyes sparkling. “Not interested? Please. Don’t tell me you’re still hung up on Mike.”
I felt my face heat. “I can’t help it. He’s… Mike.”
She groaned. “Kelsey. Three years. Three years, and you’re still waiting for him to notice you. He won’t even invite you to his soccer match. How long are you planning to hold out for your first kiss?”
“Maybe forever,” I said, laughing nervously. But my chest tightened at the thought. She wasn’t wrong.
“Well, guess what? Mike’s here. He’s at Westbridge.”
My stomach flipped. “Wait—what?!”
“Second-year engineering. Didn’t I tell you?”
“No!” My voice rose embarrassingly high.
“Oops,” she said, clearly enjoying herself. “Guess you better start practicing your flirt game.”
Before I could argue, a voice cut through the air.
“Hey, you two!”
I spun, and there he was—Mike. Taller than I remembered, broad-shouldered, soccer player, with that easy smile that had fuelled three years of hopeless daydreams.
“Oh my god,” I whispered.
“Mike!” Tina waved, all casual. “What are you doing here?”
“I go here,” he laughed, jerking a thumb at the engineering building. “You guys too?”
“First-year,” I managed to say without squeaking.
Mike’s friend, Don, stepped up beside him, flashing a grin. “I’m Don. Nice to meet you both.”
We all ended up chatting, and for the first time all day, I felt like maybe things were going to be okay. Mike even said he might stop by Whimsy Burger.
After they left, Tina nudged me so hard I nearly fell out of my chair. “Did you see that? He noticed you.”
“Maybe,” I whispered, fighting a stupid smile.
But her teasing didn’t end there. And as the days turned into weeks, it wasn’t just Mike who kept showing up in my orbit.
Luke did too.
Always at the wrong time. Always with that smirk.
The library. The café. Even the student centre pool table. He had this way of turning up like the universe had put him on my path just to test me. And no matter how hard I tried to brush him off, he kept pulling me in—closer and closer.
And every single time, he was the same—smug grin, sharp quips, and eyes that lingered on me a bit too long, as if he was in on some secret I wasn’t.
One afternoon, I thought I’d finally found a Luke-free zone. The campus café was quiet, the low hum of chatter and the hiss of the espresso machine wrapping around me in a cocoon of productivity. My accounting textbook was spread out, highlighters scattered across the table. Numbers made sense. They were clean, ordered, and predictable. Unlike Luke.
Then, of course, his voice cut through my concentration.
“Trying to balance your chequebook, Kelsey?”
I didn’t even look up. “I’m studying. Something you might try sometime.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him slide into the chair across from me, entirely uninvited.
“Studying accounting? How quaint.”
I finally met his gaze, irritation bubbling. “Quaint? I’m going to ace this.”
“You’ll need luck,” he said, leaning back like he had all the time in the world.
“Thanks for the encouragement,” I muttered, though my lips curved in spite of myself.
Then, without warning, his expression shifted. The teasing glint softened, just slightly. “Are you dating anyone?”
The question caught me so off guard I nearly dropped my pen. “Why?”
He shrugged, too casual. “Just curious.”
I forced a smirk. “Well, if I do start dating someone, you’ll be the first to know.”
Before he could reply, Tina appeared at the table, her hair bouncing in its high ponytail. She greeted Luke like she already knew him, and he joked about how inseparable we were. Then, spotting his friends across the café, he excused himself, tossing me that wink before strolling away.
I exhaled hard, ignoring Tina’s pointed grin.
But of course, he wasn’t finished with me.
A few days later, I was tucked away in the library, knee-deep in notes, when I heard his voice again.
“Hey, Freckles.”
My head dropped into my hands. “What do you want now, Luke?”
He slid into the seat next to mine, too close as usual. “Just checking on my favourite freshman.”
“Favourite? Do you have a list?” I asked dryly.
“Only one name on it.” His eyes flicked over me, landing on my face. He leaned in, far too close for comfort. “How come I never noticed your freckles before?”
I blinked. “Freckles?”
“They’re cute,” he said smoothly. “Especially across your nose.”
“Okay… weird observation. But thanks?”
“That’s it. I’ll keep calling you Freckles from now on.”
“God, help me.”
He grinned like he’d just won something. “Meet me at lunch for a pool game.”
“I don’t even know how to play.”
“I’ll teach you.”
And, against all logic, I went with Tina.
The pool area was noisy, full of laughter and the clack of balls colliding. Luke was already there, flanked by his friends Matt and Kyle, their easy confidence filling the room.
“Are you joining us?” Matt asked, eyes twinkling with mischief.
“Yes,” I said, my pulse skipping the moment Luke’s gaze locked on me.
We played, his friends laughing and bantering, the air charged with something I couldn’t quite name. When my turn finally came, I bent over the table, lining up my shot. My hands trembled slightly, and before I could steady myself, Luke stepped behind me.
The air shifted. I felt him before I heard him, the warmth of his body radiating against mine.
“Let me show you,” he murmured.
His hand slid over mine, guiding the cue. The moment our skin touched, a shiver darted up my arm. Heat flushed my cheeks, and then his cheek brushed against mine. My heart lurched, the entire room dissolving until there was nothing but the faint scent of him and the overwhelming awareness of how close he was.
“There you go,” he said softly.
I struck the ball, watched it roll, and to my shock, it dropped cleanly into the pocket. My grin was unstoppable, breathless.
“Thanks, Luke. I think you and your friends can keep playing, but Tina and I are heading back,” I said quickly, desperate to steady my voice.
“Why so soon?” he asked, something almost disappointed in his tone.
“Maybe next time,” Tina cut in, saving me with a knowing smile.
As we walked away, I heard Matt’s voice teasing. “Nice tactic, huh? Why don’t you just tell her straight? We saw her blushing when you got close.”
Luke’s reply was low, confident, and sharp enough to slice through me. “Don’t worry about me. We’ll date soon.”
My legs nearly buckled.
Once we were out of earshot, Tina spun toward me, eyes sparkling. “Why were you in such a hurry to leave? I’m telling you—Luke likes you. Did you see the way he looked at you?”
I shook my head, trying to laugh it off, even though my pulse was still racing. “No way. He’s just messing with me. You know how my mom feels about rich guys. I need to keep my distance. My heart was already sprinting when his cheek brushed mine—I don’t need more of that.”
I forced a laugh, trying to push away the intensity. “Honestly? I’d rather take my chances with Mike.” Even just saying his name brought a small, helpless smile.
Tina groaned dramatically. “Are you seriously still crushing on Mike?”
“Yeah,” I admitted, my cheeks burning. “He’s just… perfect. I can’t help it. Maybe there’s actually a chance.”
That’s when his voice sliced through again, smooth and mocking.
“Mike? Seriously?”
We both turned. Luke was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, that infuriating smirk carved across his face.
“He’d never be interested in you,” he said casually. “He only goes for the pretty girls.”
The words slammed into me like a physical blow. Any flicker of doubt I’d had about his intentions, any question of whether he meant something more… vanished.
My stomach twisted, heat rising in my chest, but this time it wasn’t attraction. It was humiliation. His friends’ laughter rang out from across the hall, sharp and cruel, echoing in my ears.
Right then, I knew. Whatever I thought I felt about Luke? Done. Over.
No more games. No more butterflies.
Luke Sterling wasn’t charming. He wasn’t teasing in a sweet way.
He was cruel.
And I had way bigger things to focus on—like my future.
