Author's Note: I am SO SORRY for taking eight years (a month) to write a sequel to this. (More importantly, I'm sorry that it's probabl e.) I've been wanting to, honestly, it's just that uh… well… life is hectic and my creative energy and free time are being diverted elsewhere. (There may need to be another part after this. No promises on when. ;A;)

PS: I would honestly go back and read the first chapter again (if this is you coming back to it and not your first time finding it!) because it's suuuuper choppy and probably not well-written and that's probably the only way you'll understand it. :( I'm sooooorrrrryyyyy.

Two and a Half Months Earlier

Taking a seat next to her roommate, Iko, Cress glanced around the far too-small room. Their RA, Annalise, had called a meeting for all of the girls in her apartment building. There were at least 15 other girls in the living room of Annalise's campus apartment, and the atmosphere was restless.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I called you here," she said as the last few girls filtered in. "We've all already been introduced, so I need to let you in on something. It's a little unorthodox to do this, but it's important to me." She handed a photo to a girl, instructing her to pass it around. "This is advice you will probably get more than once, but you still need to hear it from me. This is Carswell Thorne, and if you don't want your heart shattered into a million pieces, don't talk to him. Ever."

Cress was pretty sure Annalise teared up a bit. She looked over at Iko, who just gave a half-hearted shrug and pulled out her phone.

Annalise went on for ten minutes about all the things she knew about him, how she'd tried to change him, how she was now just another notch on his belt.

By the time it was over, some girls were comforting her, some groaning, and one even stood up and informed everyone that she was a lesbian and didn't appreciate the complete waste of her time, then stomped out.

Iko and Cress shrugged it all off and started to head back to the apartment.

"That was, uh, unreal." Iko muttered once they managed to wrestle their way out of the overcrowded apartment.

Cress chuckled, "I wonder how recently this happened? She seemed pretty upset."

"Who cares?" Iko asked, whining. She covered her face with her hands as Cress moved to grab her key. "Ugh. I can't believe classes start tomorrow! I think we need at least another week."

Cress pushed the door open, "And then next week, you'll ask for another week and so on and so forth. You've gotta start eventually."

Iko crossed her arms, grumbling.

He threw the ball into the air, catching it just before it hit his face. "I love the start of a new semester," he laughed. "Did you see all the babes on freshmen move-in day? It's gonna be a good year."

Andrew, Carswell's roommate, chuckled. "Right? Imagine how the parties will be."

"I can practically smell the mix of alcohol and perfume already."

He strolled into class 6 minutes before it started, assessing the situation. Most of the computers were taken, except for one in the second row, right next to a girl with long, blonde hair. He smirked and swaggered over, sitting down next to her.

He was disappointed when she didn't so much as even look at him.

Carswell tried to introduce himself, only to be further disappointed by her complete and total rejection.

I asked you not to speak to me, he mocked in his head. How rude.

He pressed his lips, studying her. "How do you know about me?"

She still didn't look over at him, "My RA, Annalise, told us about how you broke her heart. Must've been recent, she seemed pretty upset about it."

"Annalise." He scrolled through all the names in his head. "Annalise, Annalise, Annalise… oh! Right! Annie! Kinda French, yeah? Dated her three semesters ago for, like, a week."

Cress's laugh was abrupt and a little too loud, "Wow. You must've really gotten her hopes up!" Finally, she looked over at him. "You're an asshole."

"Part of my charm," he replied with a smirk.

With a disgusted roll of her eyes, Cress turned back to her computer screen.

The professor walked to the front of the room to explain the basics of the class – they would work alone on the online program they'd purchased for the course. They could help each other or ask him for help, but it was mostly an at-your-own-pace class, though attendance would be taken regardless.

Carswell leaned over to her, "See? Easy A."

"Stop talking to me."

Cress threw her backpack onto the prison cot the university called a bed. "I have the worst luck!"

"Me too!" Iko whined. "There are no cute people in my classes!"

Cress started rifling through her stuff, looking for the books she'd need for her next class. "That one guy Annalise was telling us about – Carswell Thorne, or whatever? Stars, his name sounds like it comes from a rich playboy. Ugh! He sat right next to me in my Computer Apps class!"

"Is he as cute as she made him seem?" Iko asked, her interest piqued.

Cress didn't reply, pressing her lips into a line as she switched out her books. If she said yes, she would be ashamed. If she said no, she'd be lying.

Iko cackled. "Oh, that's too good. Just remember," she cleared her throat and did a bad imitation of Annalise's voice, "If you don't want your heart shattered into a million pieces, don't talk to him!" She broke into a fit of giggles.

Cress rolled her eyes, "Don't worry, I fully intend on doing just that."

On Wednesday, Cress was less than thrilled to have to put up with him again. The idea of spending an entire semester next to someone so terrible made her feel sick, but there were no open seats and she knew already the unwritten rule that where you sit on the first day of class is your seat for the rest of the semester.

Therefore, she set her stuff on the floor and took her seat, logging into her computer. She stiffened whenever she heard the door swing open for someone to come in and, as if on cue, he walked in 6 minutes before the start of class.

"Hey!" He said, sitting down.

She swiveled her head towards him, "I'm just gonna start off with this: Don't speak to me."

He stitched his eyebrows together, "Aw, c'mon. I don't even know your name!"

Clenching her jaw, she turned to him again, "Crescent. Now leave me alone."

"Cress! That's cute."

"Crescent," she repeated, her voice harsh, not looking at him this time.

"Either way, it's an adorable name."

Her shoulders tensed, "Thanks. Stop talking to me."

Carswell set his elbow on the table and rested his chin atop his fist, "Can't we be friends, Crescent?"

Something inside of her snapped and she jerked around to face him. "You know, you act like being an asshole is so charming, but it's really not. It isn't. You just trick girls into thinking it's charming so you can take them home for a few days, make them think you'll change for them. Then you break their hearts and toss them to the side like it's nothing. That's not okay. That's not cute or charming or whatever you think you are. At least do me the favor of not trying your tricks on me." She turned back to her computer and inhaled a long breath. "For the third time today, don't speak to me."

Carswell sat back, thinking that maybe he felt a bit crushed. He smirked.

Nah.

Cress was untangling the knots in her headphones – which she'd just bought solely for that class – when Throne waltzed in. She rolled her eyes to herself and plugged them into her phone, pulling up her music app.

"Hey, Crescent." He sat down and leaned over, resting his chin in his hand. "Now, don't take this the wrong way, but your chest looks great in that top."

She scoffed and shook her head, sticking her headphones in and opting to completely ignore him for the rest of forever, hopefully.

"I'm-I, um, I'm not-I don't really do this too often, but I-I'm sorry for being so rude to you, Crescent."

Cress never thought she would ever see Carswell Thorne knocked down a peg, but here he was, apologizing to her! She could've screamed with glee, though most of her reply to him was more akin to incoherent babbling.

"Just–just, try… try not to be such a jerk all of the time."

Before she knew it, the tension between them had all but disappeared and it almost didn't feel bad to be near him. Then, he was asking her for help – something about how he didn't plan on ever needing to use a spreadsheet.

A little spark of hope jumped up in her stomach, but she extinguished it immediately.

I did not change him, she thought to herself. He just needs help, is all!

Unfortunately, she didn't realize that the spark hadn't been completely extinguished.

Carswell Thorne never left a party alone. There was always some girl clinging to him when he walked out, a bedmate for the evening.

But that girl, that ridiculous girl who shouldn't have such an effect on him, she'd made him feel like maybe he should go home alone. So there he was, laying in bed and staring at the dark ceiling and trying to wrap his mind around why she'd affected him like that.

Andrew had already told him all about how he was screwing everything up by caring about what Cress thought of him.

"You're gettin' soft on me, man," he'd said. "What did we say? No relationships in undergrad, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"That chick wasn't even that cute. We'll go to another party next weekend and you'll get back on your game, right, bro?"

"Right."

Andrew hadn't at all been convinced.

"Carswell!" He recognized the high-pitched voice a little too easily and, suddenly, Charlotte was at his side, all fluttery lashes and dazzling smiles. "You never found me again at the party. I thought you were going to… give me a ride home."

He cleared his throat, "Oh, Charlotte, right?"

"Charlie," she replied, narrowing her eyes at him. "I told you that you can call me Charlie."

"Right. Look, I got tired and I went home. It's nothing against you."

She crossed her arms and clenched her jaw, "Wow, you're such a jerk," and stormed off.

Carswell heaved a sigh and turned to head to class. From across the sitting area of the library, he caught Cress's eye. When he noticed her, she dropped her head back behind her computer.

She was glad he couldn't see her, too, because she had a furious blush on her cheeks. She realized then that what he had told her in class wasn't a lie.

He really seemed to be bored of the girls who followed him everywhere, who always tried to capture his attention.

And there it was again. That spark of hope. Cress felt nothing but frustration with herself as she smothered the feeling again. She would not fall into that trap. She would not.

Iko's cup fell from her hand, its contents splashing up all over her boots. "You did what?"

Cress took a small step backwards. "I fell into his trap. We're going on a date..."

"I thought you said you wouldn't talk to him!"

She flinched from the shout, though it was nearly drowned out by the music pulsing through the speakers all around the frat house. "I know, I know, I know! But you should've seen him-"

"He's going to break your heart."

"But he might not."

"Look, Cress. I love you. You're like a sister to me, you have been since we met in high school. I'm telling you, this won't end well. I'm just trying to look out for you."

Cress chewed on her lip for a moment, "Well, it's too late now. I won't get attached, okay? It's just a date. I don't have to marry the guy."

Iko replied with a heavy sigh, "Fine! But if he breaks your heart, I'm gonna have to kill him."

She smiled, "I wouldn't have you any other way, Iko."