Ronan......

Ronan’s eyes flicked to his side-view mirror, watching the silhouette of the white Ferrari idling in the distance, bathed in the late-afternoon glare. A slow, satisfied smile stretched across his lips before he turned his gaze back to the windshield.

"Everything alright back there?" Ronan asked, his voice smooth as silk as he adjusted the rearview mirror, catching Sarah’s guarded gaze in the reflection. "You two look like you’ve been through a war zone today."

"Understatement of the century," Bunny groaned, sinking so low into the plush leather seat that only her eyes were visible over the headrest. "If I see another egg in my life, I'm filing a restraining order."

Sarah didn't laugh. She sat rigid, clutching her bag against her chest like a shield. Through the tinted glass, she watched the manicured lawns of the estate slip past, her mind still anchored to the boy she'd just left behind.

*Who said it was just to scare Nova off?*

Blake’s quiet, velvet voice echoed in her ears, refusing to leave her alone.

"Ignore her," Sarah said, clearing her throat to break the spell. "We really appreciate the lift... Ronan."

"Don't mention it," Jasper chimed in from the front passenger seat, turning around with a playful wink.

"It’s not every day we get to play knights in shining armor. Though, I have to ask... how does someone end up walking out of Blake Smith's villa looking like they stole his entire wardrobe?"

Sarah’s fingers tightened on the hem of the oversized gray hoodie. "He was just being nice."

Jasper let out a soft, sharp laugh. "Blake? Nice? That's a new one. The guy usually treats people like static noise."

"He's not like that with her," Bunny blurted out before Sarah could kick her shoe under the seat. "He literally carried her across the school grounds today. And he—"

"Bunny, shut up," Sarah hissed, her face burning hot.

Ronan’s eyes met Sarah’s in the mirror again, a fleeting shadow of something unreadable passing through his soft gaze before it melted back into easy warmth.

"Ignore Jasper. He thinks he knows everyone. Blake’s protective over the people he cares about, that’s all."

"You speak like you know him well, thought you guys were new?," Sarah noted, her brows pulling together slightly.

"We know of him, before kinda," Ronan corrected smoothly, not missing a beat.

"Hard not to. He's the golden boy of the sports department, both before. But honestly? We're more interested in making our own impression here than living in anyone else's shadow." He paused, his tone shifting into something softer, almost intimate.

"Starting with making sure you're safe."

Sarah looked down at her lap, a strange flutter settling in her stomach. There was something remarkably comforting about Ronan, a quiet, attentive presence that felt completely free of the pressure and chaos that came with Blake.

Meanwhile, half a mile back at the curb, Blake slammed his palm against the steering wheel of his Ferrari.

His chest heaved as he stared at the empty stretch of road where he had expected to find Sarah walking.

He pulled out his phone, his thumb hovering over her number, his jaw clenched tight.

He could still feel the lingering warmth of her lips against his, could still smell the sweet, subtle scent of her skin underneath his heavy jacket.

"Where are you, Sarah?" he muttered under his breath, his dark eyes narrowing as he stared ahead at the car which had just sped off..

A sharp chime broke the silence in his car. A text message flashed across his dashboard display from an unknown number:

*Don't worry, big brother. We made sure your girl got home safe.*

Blake’s blood ran ice-cold. His knuckles turned white against the leather steering wheel as a dark, lethal rage flooded his veins.

"Ronan..." Blake spat the name out like poison, slamming his foot onto the accelerator as the engine roared to life.