Sweet Poison

Sarah sat back against the leather seat, staring out the window as the gated estate gave way to the busy streets surrounding the campus. Her hands rested on her lap, fingers tracing the loose stitching of Blake’s oversized gray hoodie.

In the front seat, Jasper drove with one hand casually resting on the top of the steering wheel, while Ronan stayed turned slightly in his seat, his arm propped on the center console so he could face the back.

“So, Sarah,” Ronan started, his voice rich and relaxed. “How long have you and Blake been a thing?”

Sarah’s eyes flicked over to him. “We’re not, .....it’s complicated.”

“Complicated is an understatement,” Bunny chimed in, leaning forward between the front seats. “One day she’s just another student trying to survive her lectures, and the next day she’s getting publicly kissed in the middle of the corridor while half the school records it on T****k.”

“Bunny,” Sarah warned, giving her friend a sharp nudge with her elbow.

Jasper let out a low chuckle, shifting gears as they merged onto the main road.

“Sounds like Blake, honestly. The guy doesn’t do anything quietly. When he wants something, he just takes it over.”

“He didn’t *take* anything,” Sarah said defensively before she could stop herself.

Ronan observed her closely, taking in the faint flush on her cheeks and the subtle way she clutched onto Blake’s hoodie tight around herself. A quiet, calculating look flashed through his eyes, so fast it was gone before Sarah could even register it.

“Don’t mind Jasper,” Ronan said smoothly, his expression softening into that same gentle, disarming smile. “He just means Blake has a habit of making a scene. But if he’s doing all that for you, he must really care. Or at least, he wants everyone to think he does.”

Sarah looked back out the window, the words hanging heavy in the air. *Or at least he wants everyone to think he does.*

That was the core of the problem, wasn't it? It was supposed to be a deal. A fake setup to get Nova off his back. But the way he had held her, the way his thumb had brushed her cheek, and those words in his bedroom, *I don’t like being called a liar*. were making it impossible for her to keep her guard up.

“What about you guys?” Bunny asked, leaning further into the front space. “You two just showed up out of nowhere today. Where did you transfer from?”

“Up north,” Jasper replied smoothly, not missing a beat. “Our family moves around a lot for business. We figured we’d finish out our year here.”

“Must be nice to just drift around in a BMW, i only owned a miserly Tesla,” Bunny murmured, sinking back into her seat.

“It has its perks and the fuck, girl its a tesla,” Ronan said softly, laughing a little as Jasper joined him, though his eyes never left Sarah.

“But moving around means you’re always looking for where you actually fit in. You meet a lot of fake people along the way. That’s why when you meet someone real... like Sarah... it stands out.”

Sarah felt her heart skip a slight beat. She looked at Ronan, finding his gaze steady, warm, and entirely focused on her.

She offered him a tiny, shy smile. “Thanks. But trust me, there’s nothing special about me.”

“I doubt that,” Ronan murmured, his voice dropping an octave, meant only for her.

..........

Ten minutes later, the BMW glided to a halt right in front of the female dormitories. The campus courtyard was relatively quiet, with only a few students walking back from afternoon labs.

“Here we are,” Jasper said, putting the car in park. “Safe and sound.”

“Thank you so much, seriously,” Sarah said, unbuckling her seatbelt and pushing the door open. “I don't know what we would have done in that heat.”

“Anytime, Sarah,” Ronan said. He stepped out of the passenger side and held the door open for her, offering a hand to steady her as she stepped down onto the pavement. His grip was warm and firm, holding her fingers a second longer than necessary before letting go.

“If you ever need a getaway driver again... you have my number.”

Sarah blinked. “I don't have your number.”

Ronan pulled a sleek black card from his jacket pocket and slipped it directly into the front pocket of Blake’s oversized hoodie.

“You do now,” he said with a wink.

Bunny practically scrambled out of the car after her, waving an energetic goodbye to Jasper before dragging Sarah toward the dorm entrance. “Okay, bye handsome boys, thank you!”

As the heavy glass doors of the dorm building swung shut behind them, Bunny grabbed Sarah’s arm and squeezed it so hard Sarah winced.

“Are you insane?!” Bunny squealed under her breath as they walked down the hallway toward their room.

“Who are those guys?! They are ridiculously hot, they drive a luxury car, and the golden-tipped one was looking at you like you were the only water in a desert!”

“He was just being polite, Bunny,” Sarah said, unbuttoning the front pocket of her hoodie and pulling out the black card. Printed on it in gold foil was just a name and a number: *Ronan.*

“Polite? Girl, he put his card in your pocket! In *Blake’s* hoodie pocket!”

Bunny gasped, unlocking her dorm in-room door and shoving Sarah inside. “If Blake finds out about this, he’s going to tear the campus apart. Did you see his face when he saw those two near the admin block this morning? He hates them!”

“Blake doesn't own me,” Sarah said, though her voice lacked conviction as she tossed her bag onto her desk. “We made a contract. It’s fake.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Bunny said, collapsing onto her bed. “Because the way he kissed you back there didn't look fake at all.”

Sarah didn't answer. She walked over to the full-length mirror hanging on the back of the door and stared at her reflection. She was completely swallowed up by Blake’s heavy clothes, smelling of his cologne, holding another boy’s phone number in her hand.

She reached up, touching her lower lip where Blake’s mouth had pressed against hers just hours ago. Her pulse quickened.

.........

Meanwhile, on the highway leading back toward the city, the black BMW was tearing through traffic.

Jasper sat back, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel to the rhythm of the music playing softly through the speakers. Beside him, Ronan was staring at his phone, watching a live location pin blinking on his screen.

“You played that well,” Jasper said, glancing over at his brother. “Hook, line, and sinker. She actually thinks you’re the good guy.”

Ronan didn't answer right away. He flipped his phone over, looking out the window as the sun had began to set.

“She’s innocent,” Ronan said quietly, his voice losing the warm, sweet tone he had used with Sarah. “She really has no idea what Blake is.”

“All the better for us,” Jasper sneered. “Blake kept his distance for years, acting like he’s too pure for the family, building his little sports career at Pearl High like he’s special. But the moment we touch his soft spot? He loses his mind. Did you see his car trailing behind us earlier?”

“He was furious,” Ronan agreed, a cold, dark glint surfacing in his eyes. “He almost blew his own cover just trying to cut us off.”

“Mom is going to be pleased,” Jasper added, stepping on the gas. “Blake thought he could just walk away and keep everything for himself. Now she’s right in the middle of the chessboard, and she doesn't even know she’s a pawn.”

Ronan remained silent, his mind drifting back to the image of Sarah standing by the car—her wide, expressive eyes, the way she had looked at him with genuine gratitude, completely unaware of the storm brewing around her.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his second phone, opening a private folder. Inside were dozens of photos taken over the past one week: Sarah studying alone in the library, Sarah walking to her lectures, Sarah sitting on the bleachers during Blake’s practice sessions.

Ronan stared at the photo of Sarah smiling softly under the afternoon sun, a strange, uncomfortable knot tightened in his chest.

*She’s too soft for this world,* he thought to himself. *Blake is going to get her broken.*

Suddenly, his phone buzzed violently in his hand. An incoming call from a private number blocked the screen.

Ronan swiped to answer, bringing the phone to his ear without saying a word.

“Bring her back,” Blake’s voice came through the line—low, dangerous, and dripping with raw rage. The sound of a roaring engine vibrated in the background.

“If you touch a single hair on her head, Ronan, I swear to God I will bury both you and Jasper before the sun sets.”

Ronan leaned back against his seat, a slow, dark smirk returning to his face as he listened to his brother’s frantic breathing over the line.

“Relax, big brother,” Ronan said smoothly, his voice laced with chilling calm. “We just dropped her off at her dorm. Safe, sound, and completely charming. You really have great taste, Blake... she’s lovely.”

“Stay the fuck away from her!” Blake roared.

“I’d love to,” Ronan whispered, leaning closer to the microphone. “But see, the thing is... she likes me. She took my number, Blake. And unlike you... I don't have to fake anything to get close to her.”

Before Blake could respond, Ronan ended the call and threw the phone onto the dashboard.