Riley couldn't stop replaying Zayden's words. You're already in deeper than you think. The fact that he had said it like it was a warning... as if it was something she could avoid if she just kept her distance. But how could she?
Every time she tried to put space between them, there he was, always just within arm's reach.
Her first class the next morning was History. She walked in, head down, not wanting to deal with the usual murmurs. But as she took her seat, a shadow loomed over her desk.
"Hey, Riley," Zayden's voice was smooth, low—like he was saying her name just for the fun of it.
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" she shot back, keeping her eyes on her notebook, willing her heart to stop beating so loudly.
But Zayden didn't back off. Instead, he pulled the chair beside her and sat down. "I like history. You?"
She didn't answer. She just scribbled down the date at the top of her page, avoiding his gaze.
"I think I like your fire," he said, his voice carrying more weight than it should've. "But you should know something. People like us? We don't get to have the luxury of being invisible."
Riley finally looked at him, her hand tightening around the pen. "People like us?" she asked, confusion and irritation mingling in her tone. "You don't even know me."
He smiled, leaning in just enough that she could smell the faint hint of cologne. "You think I don't? I know exactly who you are, Morgan. You think you can just slip by unnoticed. But you won't. Not with me around."
Her skin prickled, but she wasn't going to back down. "I don't need you to tell me what I can and can't do."
"You're wrong about that," Zayden replied softly, his eyes never leaving hers. "You do need me. Whether you admit it or not."
The bell rang, and with one final look, he slid out of the chair and left her fuming. Riley felt her pulse quicken, her mind swirling with a thousand questions. What the hell was that all about?
As the day went on, she couldn't escape him. Even when they weren't speaking, she felt his presence like a weight pressing down on her. During lunch, she sat with Aria and a few other girls, but her mind was elsewhere—constantly drawn to where Zayden was sitting across the cafeteria.
The conversation around her was a blur until Aria nudged her. "Is everything okay? You've barely said a word today."
Riley blinked, shaking her head. "Yeah. Just tired."
But Aria was no fool. She raised an eyebrow. "It's him, isn't it?"
Riley's stomach dropped, her pulse hammering in her ears. "What are you talking about?"
"Zayden Adrian," Aria said, dropping her voice lower. "He's been all over you ever since you got here. What's going on between you two?"
Riley didn't answer right away. She didn't even know what was going on between them. All she knew was that no matter how hard she tried to stay away from him, Zayden had a way of pulling her in. His every word, every glance, seemed calculated—like he was playing a game. But it wasn't just that. There was something dangerous about him, something dark. And Riley was getting closer to the edge, even though she tried to tell herself she wasn't.
"I don't know," Riley muttered, glancing over at Zayden's table. He was watching her, that same lazy smile on his face.
"Well," Aria continued, "he's the kind of guy who gets what he wants. And right now? He wants you."
Riley felt her pulse race. She wanted to dismiss it, to brush it off like it didn't matter. But the truth was, Zayden was already in her head—and it wasn't just the games he was playing. There was a power in his presence that made it hard for her to breathe, let alone think clearly.