CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR 

"You forgot your project in my car."

His voice was a low vibration that seemed to settle in the small of my back. I looked up as Thomas approached, his presence casting a long shadow over the linoleum floor. I didn't say anything. I couldn't. My eyes stayed fixed on his hands as he held out the document.

As I took it, his fingers brushed against mine. The contact was brief, but it felt like a static shock that traveled straight to my core. My heart didn't just beat; it stuttered.

"I’ll be around to see what your brother is up to," he said, his gaze lingering on my mouth for a second too long. "Find me after school. We’re going home together."

I managed a clumsy nod. I watched him turn, his broad shoulders moving with a heavy, deliberate grace as he walked away.

Every eye in the hallway followed him.

Stephanie shoved my shoulder the moment he was out of earshot. "Wait...that’s your stepdad?"

I didn't answer immediately. I watched him stop to talk to a lecturer, his head tilted, his eyes flicking back toward me one last time before he disappeared around the corner.

"That’s Drake’s father?" Stephanie persisted.

"Yes," I breathed. I turned toward the classroom, my grip on the project so tight the paper began to crinkle. Below the hem of my skirt, a familiar, treacherous heat was beginning to pool.

"I can’t believe your life," Gina said as we sat down for lunch later. "You’re literally surrounded by them. Your stepfather, Drake, and now Brendan? It’s like a gauntlet of hot men. It must be exhausting."

"Yeah," I muttered, slumping into my seat. "Exhausting." I stared at the corner of the project folder—the exact spot where Thomas’s thumb had pressed into the cardstock. I bit my lower lip until it stung.

"What’s it actually like with Drake at home?" Gina asked, leaning in. "There’s a vibe. I’d swear something is going on."

"Drake?" Sera looked up, a teasing glint in her eyes. "You still have that massive crush on him, don't you?"

"She had a crush on Drake?!" Stephanie’s voice went up, and I lunged across the table to clap my hand over her mouth.

"Shut up! The whole cafeteria can hear you."

"But come on," Stephanie muffled against my palm. "How did I not know?"

"I didn't have a crush on him," I lied, pulling my hand back.

"You used to gush over him every time he walked by," Sera pointed out.

"That was before," I countered, my chest feeling tight. "Now he just makes it his life's mission to make me miserable."

"And now, it's Brendan?" Stephanie nudged me. "Don't even try to deny it. He hasn't looked at his own food once; he’s been staring at you from across the room."

"Really?" Gina whispered. 

We all shifted, looking toward the far table. A professional-grade camera was positioned near Brendan, but he wasn't looking at the lens. He was looking at me. When our eyes met, he gave a slow, deliberate wink. My friends practically melted into their chairs.

"He likes you!" Gina hissed.

"Make sure you actually go for it," Sera added, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "You’re twenty and still holding onto that virginity like it’s a trophy. Fuck him, Aubrey. End the year with a bang."

"Sera!"

"What? Look at him!"

The conversation died instantly as Brendan stood up. The cafeteria went quiet, the air thick with the sound of a dozen phone cameras clicking. He walked toward our table with a steady confidence that made my fingers tremble against my lap. He loomed over us, his shadow falling across our trays.

"Mind if I sit with you?"

I nodded, unable to find my voice. As he sat down beside me, my friends went rigid with excitement.

"Sorry if the cameras are making you uncomfortable," Brendan apologized. His gray eyes were soft, searching mine with a gentleness that felt like a safety net.

"It’s fine," I managed a small smile. "I don't mind you being here."

"Really?"

"Really."

His hand slid across the table, his fingers tentatively finding mine. I didn't pull away. I let him hold my hand in front of everyone. "When we go on our date tomorrow... I have something important to tell you," he whispered.

I nodded, my pulse racing. When he finally stood to leave, winking one last time, the room erupted. Within seconds, my phone began to vibrate uncontrollably in my pocket.

BRENDAN'S CRUSH: THE PRINCESS OF DAM'S COLLEGE

AUBREY: THE DAMSEL WHO CAPTURED THE MODEL’S HEART

"Oh my God!" Stephanie screamed, shoving her screen in my face. "You’re trending! You're everywhere!"

I stared at the images, a photo of us holding hands, a video of me smiling up at him. I looked happy. I looked normal.

"This is it," Sera giggled, grabbing my wrists. "I am personally making sure you get laid. No more innocent nerd act."

"Stop," I said, but my heart wasn't in the protest.

Later, the atmosphere shifted back to ice. I was at the bike racks, helping Drake suit up for his session. I checked the tension on his chain, trying to ignore the way he was watching me.

"You're trending," Drake said, his voice flat.

"Your friend is popular. It happens."

"Do you like him?" He stepped into my space, forcing me to look up. "Brendan falls for faces, Aubrey. He’s a romantic. He’s probably already decided he’s in love with that face of yours." His hand reached out, his thumb tracing my jawline. "Don't lead him on."

"Step back, Drake."

"Why?" He leaned closer, his eyes dark and intimidating. I felt my back hit the frame of the bike. "Tell me the truth."

"Because..." I struggled for air. "Because I like him. I actually like Brendan."

"Are you sure about that?" His hand dropped from my face to the small of my back, pulling me a fraction closer. "Because I get the feeling... that you like me."

"You're deluding yourself. You need a doctor, Drake."

"Then who is he?" he interrupted, his voice dropping to a predatory crawl. He pressed in until I could feel the heat radiating off his chest. "The man you’re thinking about when you’re moaning in the middle of the night? The one you're picturing when you're fingering yourself?"

The world seemed to stop. The blood in my veins turned to ice, and the air left my lungs in a silent gasp.