Elena's POV

“Are you kidding me right now, Cara?” I slam the bedroom door behind me and glare at her. “You had me risk my neck for you while you were off screwing Brayden in the restrooms?”

Cara looks up from her phone, blinking like she’s just been caught doing something innocent.

“Oh please, Elena. Don’t act like you did me some huge favor.”

I stare at her in disbelief.

“I literally sat in your class pretending to be you! Professor Crane almost caught me! I could’ve been expelled!”

She scoffs, tossing her phone on the bed.

“Yeah, but you weren’t. You’re fine.”

“Fine?” I repeat, raising my voice. “You were supposed to be in class, not having sex in a restroom stall!”

“Don’t talk like you’re my mother,” she fires back, standing up. “Besides, I heard about you.”

“What about me?”

“Oh, come on,” she says with a smug grin. “You sat next to him. Ryan Blackwood. Everyone’s talking about it.”

I frown, confused.

“So? I just took the first empty seat I could find.”

She laughs like I’ve said something stupid.

“Empty seat? Elena, no one sits with Ryan. No one even looks at him if they can help it.”

I roll my eyes.

“That’s ridiculous. He’s just another student.”

“Just another student?” she repeats with eyes wide. “Do you even know who you’re talking about? His family owns the university. They basically own this town!”

“I don’t care,” I snap. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Cara folds her arms.

“You were trying to get attention weren’t you? You love acting all innocent but you’re not fooling me.”

My jaw drops.

“Excuse me?”

“Yeah,” she continues with her tone sharp. “You sit with Ryan Blackwood the one guy everyone avoids and you expect me to believe it was an accident?”

I clench my fists.

“You’re unbelievable. You’re the one sneaking off with a guy while I’m covering for you and now you’re accusing me of...”

The front door slams and we both freeze.

“Mom’s home,” Cara whispers.

Instant silence fills the room and we stare at each other for a long second before I grab my backpack and mutter, “This isn’t over.”

She scoffs, sitting back down.

“Whatever.”

Mom’s voice drifts up from downstairs.

“Girls? I brought dinner!”

I force a smile before going down to help, pretending nothing’s wrong. Cara does the same and neither of us wants Mom to know what happened. She’d lose her mind if she found out.

That night, I lie awake replaying everything...Professor Crane’s glare, Ryan’s calm voice saving me, his hand gripping mine later in the hallway and that low whisper promising to keep my secret. Why did he help me?

And why can’t I stop thinking about it?

***

The next day, I keep my head down as I walk into Blackwood University. People are still whispering about yesterday’s class though and I catch my name more than once and hear fragments like

“She actually sat beside him” and “I heard he talked to her.”

It’s enough to make me wish I could disappear.

I survive my first class thankfully without incident. Afterward, I’m walking with a group of friends...Lila, June, and Marnie...trying to focus on their chatter about an upcoming event and it’s nice hearing something normal for a change then Lila suddenly gasps.

“Oh my God.”

I look up and my stomach drops. Ryan Blackwood is standing in front of us calmly and silently like he’s been waiting.

“Can I have a word with Elena?” he asks with his deep voice steady.

The girls all exchange looks that scream oh no.

“Uh, sure,” June says quickly. “We’ll, um, wait over there.”

They scatter like scared birds and I cross my arms.

“What do you want, Ryan?”

He tilts his head with that faint smirk tugging at his lips.

“Relax. I just want to talk.”

“Talk?” I repeat. “Why would you want to talk to me? I’m not interested in whatever it is.”

His eyes flicker with amusement.

“What?”

“You know exactly what I mean,” I say. “You can have any girl in this entire school and last I checked, you’re already dating Tasha...Blackwood’s queen herself.”

His smirk fades slightly.

“You owe me, remember?”

I blink.

“Owe you? For what?”

He leans in with his voice low.

“For not letting Professor Crane expose you yesterday. You were pretending to be someone else Elena. Your secret’s safe but favors don’t come for free.”

I glare.

“What does that even mean?”

He smiles faintly.

“It means I’ll tell you when I decide to cash it in.”

Before I can respond, a sharp voice cuts through the convo

“Ryan!”

We both turn and Tasha is striding toward us with her glossy hair bouncing and her expression thunderous. She looks perfect,m of course...every inch the cheerleader goddess but her eyes are pure venom.

“What the hell is this?” she snaps. “You ditch me at lunch and I find you talking to her?”

I sigh.

“You know what? I’m leaving.”

“Don’t move!” she growls at me. “I’m not done...”

Ryan steps in front of me with his tone suddenly cold.

“Yes, you are.”

Tasha stares at him, stunned.

“What?”

“You heard me,” he says sharply. “We’re done, Tasha.”

She freezes like she didn’t hear him right.

“Excuse me?”

He looks bored now.

“You can leave.”

Her face turns red.

“You’re breaking up with me? For her?”

“It’s not about her,” he says simply. “It’s about you.”

Tasha lets out a bitter laugh.

“You’re insane. Do you even care about me anymore?”

“I do,” Ryan replies. “And I’m no longer interested.”

Everyone in the hallway is staring and I can feel the whispers already forming around us. Tasha glares at me one last time with her eyes full of hate then storms off and Ryan turns back to me completely calm again.

“See you around, Elena.”

And just like that he walks away leaving me standing there with a hundred eyes on me.

***

I wander across campus later still dazed. What’s up with this guy? One minute he’s cold, the next he’s saving me or dumping his girlfriend right in front of me.

The rumors about him swirl in my mind...students who crossed him and mysteriously left school, the whispers that his family covers things up.

The Blackwoods own everything: the university, most of the real estate in town, even some of the local police. Ryan’s untouchable and now somehow, I’ve become the girl he’s decided to talk to.

I don’t want to be part of this. I just want a normal life, to graduate and to stay out of trouble but Ryan Blackwood seems to have other plans.

Days pass and he’s everywhere. At lunch, leaning against a wall watching me. In the library sitting at the next table. In the quad,m with his eyes finding me like it’s nothing.

People start whispering that we’re seeing each other and I hate it.. I hate how everyone looks at me like I’ve done something wrong.

Cara of course loves it.

“Wow,” she teases one evening. “Didn’t think my little sister would become the talk of Blackwood.”

“Shut up,” I mutter, throwing a pillow at her.

She laughs.

“I’m serious, Elena. Be careful. People don’t just get close to Ryan Blackwood.”

“I’m not close to him,” I say. “He’s just… being weird.”

But the truth is, it’s getting harder to ignore him.

***

It’s Thursday afternoon and I’m in the locker room after gym class. The other girls are chatting and laughing with the sound of hair dryers humming in the background. I’m tying my shoes when suddenly everything goes quiet and I look up.

One by one, the girls are leaving and no one says a word. It’s like a wave of silence passing through the room and then I see him.. Ryan Blackwood, standing at the door.

He doesn’t move for a moment. Just watches me and I swallow hard.

“What are you doing here? This is the girls’ locker room.”

He takes a step forward.

“We need to talk.”

I stand with my heart pounding.

“Right now?”

He nods once.

“I’m cashing in that favor you owe me…”