Chapter 4

Ivy

The afternoon sun warmed the campus paths as Lena dragged me on the promised tour. She chattered nonstop, pointing out the best food trucks, the quietest spots in the library, and a hidden fountain behind the arts building. For a while, her endless energy actually made me smile. It felt good to focus on something normal.

Then I spotted him.

Asher walked toward us in the middle of a small group of teammates, moving like the undisputed alpha of a wolf pack — tall, confident, shoulders back, commanding the space without even trying. The casual gray hoodie and dark joggers only made him look more unfairly attractive, the fabric stretching across his chest and arms with every step. His friends flanked him, laughing at something he’d said, but all eyes seemed to orbit around him.

My stomach tightened. I quickly tugged Lena’s sleeve and nodded toward a side path. “Let’s go this way instead.”

But Lena had already seen them. Her eyes widened, and a bright flush crept up her cheeks. She slowed her steps, suddenly very interested in smoothing down her dress and running her fingers through her purple-streaked hair. The shift in her was obvious — almost giddy. It irritated me more than it should have.

“Do I look okay?” she whispered, her voice turning breathy.

I gave a reluctant nod, jaw tight. “You look fine.”

As the group got closer, Lena’s whole demeanor changed. She straightened up, tilted her head with a bright smile, and cooed in the sweetest, softest voice, “Hey Asher! Fancy running into you guys.”

Asher glanced at her and offered a polite, fleeting smile — nothing more. I grabbed her hand and tried to pull her away, but he stepped forward, effortlessly blocking my path. He towered over me, hands shoved casually in his pockets.

“Planning to run away again?” His smooth voice sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine. My stomach betrayed me with a stupid little flip. I hated that my body reacted to him before my brain remembered how much I was supposed to hate him.

I bit my lower lip, then forced a tight smile onto my face.

“Good girl,” he murmured, the words tickling my ears.

“So…” he continued casually, “are my pictures ready? Or have you been staring at them all night?”

The question came out rude and demanding, like I owed him an immediate answer. My irritation spiked.

“Not yet,” I replied, keeping my tone equally short.

Lena nudged my arm sharply with her elbow, mouthing “be nice” with wide, warning eyes. I rolled my eyes but bit my tongue.

“Not yet?” Asher echoed, raising an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t you be editing instead of lazing around?”

“Excuse you?”

“I want them today.” His voice hardened. “In the next thirty minutes.”

I gritted my teeth as my chest heaved. “I think you’re forgetting something important, Asher. I’m not your personal photographer. I work for the school—”

“No,” he cut in, “you work for me and my team. The school is just a formality.”

“Feed yourself with those delusions for as long as you want,” I snapped. “There are no pictures for you.”

He clapped slowly, a mocking smile spreading across his face as he glanced at his friends. “Wow, look at that. Someone’s finally standing up for herself.”

I stiffened as he stepped even closer, his sneakers brushing against my worn shoes. The familiar scent of his cologne hit me, and memories of high school flashed through my mind — how quickly things could escalate when Asher didn’t get what he wanted.

“I like the fake confidence, honey. But you should know by now that doesn’t work on me. You’ve got until the end of today.”

Fear began to creep in. I knew what happened when Asher didn’t get his way. Politely settling this would be my best option.

“That’s not possible,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “There are nearly six hundred shots, and more than half of them were ruined by you.”

“That’s not really my problem, honey.”

Before I could react, he snatched the coffee cup from my hand and took a sip. He grimaced immediately, twisting his mouth like he’d tasted poison. “Terrible taste as usual,” he muttered.

Then he reached over and took Lena’s coffee instead. He lifted it with a charming smile, cheered to the air, took a sip, and nodded in approval. “I owe you one,” he told her, before turning and walking away with his friends.

Lena stood frozen, barely breathing. Her cheeks flamed red, her mouth forming a perfect ‘O’ as she stared after him, nearly drooling.

I shook her gently by the shoulder, bringing her back to reality.

“Gosh, Ivy!” she purred, her fingers digging into my arm. “You didn’t tell me you knew Asher!”

I hadn’t known her long enough to start spilling everything — that I’d known him my whole life, that he had been my biggest bully since high school, long before he became the star prospect for Northbridge Hockey Club. Would she even believe me?

“Not exactly,” I said carefully. “I only work for his team as the photographer.”

“Wow! That’s impressive!” Her eyes lit up. “I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Could you share a few pictures with me, please? I promise not to post them. I’ll only feed my eyes.”

I sighed. “Yes, but… what’s so fascinating about Asher? I just don’t see it.”