A pit stop.... His house

Blake carried Sarah out of the school grounds, his long strides making quick work of the lawn while Bunny hurried behind them, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Put me down, Blake!” Sarah protested, her face burning hotter than the egg yolk still drying on her cheek. 

Her arms dangled over his back, her vision bouncing with every step he took. “Everyone is watching! Put me down!”

“No can do, Butterfly,” Blake said, his voice smooth and untroubled despite carrying her weight. “You’ve had a busy morning beating people up. Consider this your personal chauffeur service.”

“I didn’t beat anyone up— okay, maybe a little,” she muttered, hiding her glowing face against his jersey as they reached the white Ferrari parked at the curb.

He slid her down his side, keeping one hand steady on her waist until her feet touched the pavement. With his thumb, he gently brushed away a dried streak of egg near her jawline, his dark eyes softening into something so fierce and focused that Sarah forgot how to breathe for a second.

“Bunny, get in the back,” Blake instructed without taking his eyes off Sarah. He opened the passenger door, unzipped his jacket, and draped it over her shoulders to cover her stained top. “We’re making a pit stop before I drop you two home.”

“Pit stop where?” Sarah asked, clutching the heavy jacket around herself. The scent of dark chocolate and faint cologne enveloped her instantly.

“My house,” Blake replied casually, sliding into the driver’s seat. “You need a shower and clean clothes before your head explodes from stress.”

“Umm, w—”

“Save it,” he cut her off, and she went completely silent.

The car ride was a blur of silence and tension. Bunny, surprisingly quiet for once, kept peeking at Sarah through the rearview mirror, mouthing *'HIS HOUSE?!'* with wide, manic eyes.

Sarah just squeezed her eyes shut, trying to process the frantic beating of her heart. 

*He kissed me in front of the whole school. He called me his woman.*

Ten minutes later, the Ferrari pulled up to a sleek, gated villa surrounded by tall stone walls. Blake led them inside, directing Bunny to the living room while he personally walked Sarah down a quiet hallway toward a spacious master bedroom.

“Guest bathroom is through there,” Blake said, pointing to a door on the left. He walked over to his closet and pulled out a soft, oversized gray hoodie and a pair of drawstring sweatpants. 

“These will be huge on you, but they’re clean. Take your time.”

“Blake…” Sarah started, holding the folded clothes against her chest. “Why are you doing all this? The fake dating… it was just supposed to scare Nova off. You didn’t have to pick a fight with her, or bring me here.”

Blake stepped closer, his shadow falling over her. He reached out, gently tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

“Who said it was just to scare Nova off?” he asked quietly, his voice dropping into a low, velvet hum. “I told you before, Sarah… I don’t like being called a liar.”

Before she could dissect the loaded meaning behind his words, he walked out.

She hurriedly cleaned up, changed into the clothes he had given her, and walked downstairs. 

Bunny was still waiting, but now she was holding a controller at Blake's PlayStation 5—the two of them were actually playing a match together. 

Standing on the last step of the staircase, Sarah stared at them for a second before walking over.

“I'm done. Thanks, Blake.”

He nodded, finally shifting his eyes from the screen to her. “Let me drop you home.” He stood up.

“Oh no,” Sarah quickly refuted. “We are heading to Bunny's house. She has a driver, he can come pick us up.”

Blake’s eyes traveled over her face for a moment. He wanted to persist, but the look in her eyes showed she really needed an escape route right now.

He nodded. “Okay, call the driver then.”

They both turned to Bunny, who was still furiously pressing buttons on the gamepad.

“Hey!” Sarah's voice rose higher than she intended, sending Bunny scrambling. “Call your driver, let's go home!”

“Was that why you shouted like that? Blake offered to take us home, we can just go with him!” Bunny kept her eyes glued back to the television screen. “One minute, maybe ten!”

Sarah walked over to the couch, picked up her bag along with Bunny’s, and made straight for the door.

“See you in school next week, Blake,” she waved at him, stepping out into the sunlight.

A faint smile tugged at his lips as he watched her walk out.

Bunny instantly dropped the controller and bolted for the door. “Bye, Blake! And speak to your girlfriend about bullying me!” she yelled, sprinting after Sarah.

Once she caught up, Bunny pulled out her phone as they started walking down the estate road. 

She dialed the driver's number, but the call ended before anyone answered.

She dialed a second time. After a few rings, he finally picked up.

“I sent you my location, come pick me up,” Bunny said into the receiver.

“I'm so sorry, ma'am. My daughter was rushed to the hospital, I'm currently here with her. Please, can you take a taxi? I'm so sorry, ma'am.”

Bunny took a sharp breath as the call ended, and Sarah turned to look at her.

“We are doomed,” Bunny sighed heavily. “There are no taxis inside this estate. Getting one to come through security will take at least twenty minutes.”

The two of them stared at each other on the empty residential street before bursting into dramatic, loud cries.

A sleek black BMW pulled up alongside the curb and glided to a smooth stop. A door opened, and a pristine white sneaker stepped onto the pavement. Their eyes traced the feet up to the person—or rather, the two people—standing in front of them.

“Going out of the estate, schoolmate and… sister-in-law?”

The white-haired guy leaned against the roof of the car with a lazy, amused smirk, while the golden-tipped guy stepped out from the passenger side with a warm, disarming smile.

“I’m Ronan, and that’s Jasper,” the guy with the golden-tipped hair said, gesturing toward his brother.

Sarah shrank back slightly, clutching the straps of Bunny's bag tight in her hands.

“How can we help you?” Bunny quickly chimed in, eyeing them up and down.

“Nah, let us help *you* instead, damsels,” Jasper responded, twirling his keys. “Public cars obviously aren't allowed inside this estate—only private ones. I assume you know that, so... do hop in.”

“We can manage,” Sarah said quickly, keeping her tone strictly guarded. “We’re just walking to the gate.”

“In this heat and those oversized clothes?” Ronan asked gently, his voice smooth and completely devoid of threat. He looked at her with genuine, quiet concern. “Look, we saw you on campus earlier, and we know today’s been rough. The main gate is a long walk, and non private cabs aren't allowed past security anyway. We’re just offering a ride back to your dorms. No catches.”

“None at all,” Ronan added, opening the back door for them with a flourish. “We don't bite.”

Bunny shot Sarah a desperate look—weighed between melting on the scorching asphalt or taking a ride in an air-conditioned BMW.

Looking into Ronan's warm, approachable eyes, Sarah hesitated. The two of them seemed surprisingly sweet and helpful—a complete contrast to the hostile, chaotic crowd back at school.

“Fine,” Sarah murmured, pulling Bunny along as she moved toward the open door. “Just to the dorms.”

They both climbed into the back seat, and the BMW smoothly pulled away, gliding down the quiet estate road. 

Few seconds after the sedan vanished around the bend, a white Ferrari pulled up and screeched to a halt—stopping at the exact spot they had just left.

Ronan smiled.