CHAPTER TWO

ELI

I woke up like I had been hit by a truck.

My head felt heavy, my body even heavier. The sun burned through the window like it had no mercy. My pillow was still a little wet from last night. My throat hurt. I didn’t remember when I fell asleep — just that it happened sometime between crying and going numb.

I dragged myself out of bed, barely showered, barely ate. My hands felt too slow. My thoughts too loud. I didn’t even try to look good. Just put on a plain hoodie, pulled the sleeves down, and stared at myself in the mirror long enough to regret it. I looked like hell.

School didn’t care.

Law school especially didn’t care.

Final year was no joke. We were neck-deep in Trial Advocacy, and our first assignment was already hanging over us like a guillotine. I threw on my bag and left the apartment, still half in a daze. Every step toward campus felt like I was walking through mud. I kept my head low, hoping no one would talk to me.

Of course, that didn’t last.

“Hey, hey, hey! Why aren’t you answering your phone, dummy?”

I jolted so hard I nearly dropped my bag. Maya’s arm swung around my shoulders like a damn lasso. I blinked, startled, and looked up to see her grinning down at me like I owed her money.

She frowned immediately. “Whoa. Why do you look like you haven’t slept in a week?”

I tried to keep walking. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Don’t even try that weak voice with me. What happened?” She stepped in front of me, walking backward to keep eye contact. “Eli. I swear if this is about school stress—”

“We broke up,” I muttered, looking at the floor.

She froze. “Wait… what?”

“Liam and I broke up.”

Maya blinked hard. “Wait, what the hell do you mean—”

“He has a new girl already,” I added, swallowing.

Her voice dropped. “You’re joking.”

I shook my head. “She kissed him. Right in front of me.”

Maya looked like her soul left her body for a second. “He—” she started. “Wait. You mean… that little—”

“Maya, don’t—”

Too late.

Because right at that moment, Liam walked past.

His stupid face.

His smug little walk.

His hand casually brushing through his hair like he was God’s gift.

Maya exploded.

“You son of a—”

She lunged at him so fast, I didn’t even have time to blink. Her hand slapped him straight across the face, and before anyone could react, she grabbed his hoodie and slammed him into the lockers.

“YOU THINK YOU CAN TREAT HIM LIKE THAT?!”

People started screaming. Phones were pulled out. A cup of coffee hit the floor. Liam tried to shove her back, but she punched him square in the jaw.

I think time stopped.

Then chaos.

Two random jocks ran forward. Another guy grabbed Maya’s waist. She kept swinging. Her braid came loose. 

Liam looked like he wanted to hit back—his hand curled into a fist—but one of the jocks stepped in front of Maya protectively.

“You touch her, you deal with me,” the guy growled.

Liam flinched.

Maya kicked again. “YOU THINK YOU’RE A MAN?! HUH?! LEAVING HIM FOR SOME RANDOM—”

Three people were holding her now. She was still fighting.

Liam looked at the guy in front of him — tall, broad, same jawline — and cursed under his breath.

“Of course you’re related,” he muttered. “This is insane.”

“No. You’re insane,” the guy snapped. “Now walk. Away.”

Liam adjusted his hoodie and stormed off, muttering insults under his breath. Maya spat on the floor behind him.

Someone gasped. “She spit blood—”

“I bit my tongue, relax,” she barked, wiping her mouth.

She turned to me, breathing hard. “Are you okay?”

I blinked. “You’re bleeding.”

“I said I’m fine. Are you okay?”

I shrugged.

Maya wiped her hands on her jeans and rolled her eyes. “You know what? Let’s just get to class before I break another nose.”

The crowd slowly started to move. Everyone was still buzzing, but no one was dumb enough to challenge her now. Maya was tiny, but she could body a linebacker if pissed off enough.

We walked to the lecture hall. I kept my head down. My heart still felt like it had been wrung out and hung to dry.

Inside, people were whispering.

Not about the fight. Something else.

“Did you hear about the new prof?”

“Yeah, I think he’s teaching Trial Advocacy.”

“He’s supposed to be fine.”

“Girl, I saw a picture. He’s giving... big dick energy.”

Maya perked up. “New professor?”

She slid into her seat next to me and pulled out her phone. “Hold on, let me check the group chat.”

I stared at my notebook, still feeling like my body wasn’t fully connected to my brain.

“Oh my God,” she breathed. “They weren’t lying.”

I glanced over. “What?”

She showed me a photo someone took from behind. It was blurry, but the man was tall, in a long black coat, hands in his pockets. He had broad shoulders, clean shoes, and posture like a king.

“You can’t even see his face,” I mumbled.

Maya grinned. “Don’t matter. That’s big dick energy. You can just tell.”

Another picture came in. This one was from the side — still no clear view of the face — but the jawline? Sharp enough to cut someone’s GPA in half.

“Maybe law school is about to get fun again,” she said.

I didn’t answer. I just stared ahead at the empty desk where the professor would soon stand.

Something strange started to crawl under my skin.

Maya was still whispering about the mystery professor. She was tapping my arm like a drum, practically bouncing in her seat.

“Eli,” she hissed. “Look at this man. I swear he’s six-foot-sin. Who gave him permission?”

I didn’t answer. I had my nose in my book, trying to reread the same line for the third time. My head still hurt from everything. I just wanted the day to be over. My eyes scanned the paragraph again. None of it was sinking in.

Then she tapped me again—hard this time. “Eli. Babe. Look up. Now.”

I rolled my eyes, sighed, and lifted my head.

All the air left my lungs.

He walked in like he owned the building. Black coat, dark slacks, broad shoulders that filled the doorway, and a face carved out of ice. Sharp jaw, cold eyes, calm steps. His presence hit the room like silence. People stopped talking. Even the ones laughing a second ago suddenly had nothing to say.

Maya leaned toward me slowly. “Tell me why this man looks like he ruins lives on purpose.”

I couldn’t speak.

He set a file down at the front of the class. Turned. Looked over the room. His gaze passed right over me like I wasn’t even there—but for a second, something behind his eyes flickered. Just a second. Then it was gone.

“Good morning,” he said, voice deep, smooth, steady. “I’m Professor Vale. Carter Vale.”

Maya let out the softest gasp beside me. 

I blinked, trying to pull myself together.

Because of course.

Of course, the universe would do this to me today. The same week I got dumped. 

Can the universe get any more annoying?