Chapter One

The living room was dark, lit on my the television. I was curled up on the sofa, blanket up to my chin, stuck in a midnight movie after Zion had fallen asleep.

Gunshot.

The sound, so loud in the house.

 

Everything paused. The man on the screen froze, gun shaking, eyes wild and broken. The other guy was on the door, blood spreading quickly on the floor.

The woman screamed.

“Please—!”

Another shot.

Silence.

The kind that presses against your ears until it hurts.

Heyy!!!!

I jolted, the tension snapping as the screen went black.

“What the hell?!!” I turned sharply, a glare already forming—only to meet the last person I wanted to see.

Noah.

He was leaning lazily against the wall like he owned the place. Like he always did.

“Maddie said it was too loud,” Noah drawled, his voice low, gravely hum that seemed to vibrate in the quiet room. “And what Maddie wants, Maddie gets.”

I rolled my eyes so hard it actually hurt. Maddie. Last week it was Daphne, the week before that, a Chloe. I had honestly stopped trying to keep track of the rotating door of girls he brought to his room. The fact that she was currently tucked away in his bedroom upstairs, dictating the volume of the house while I was trying to have a peaceful night, made my blood boil.

“Maddie is literally fucking upstairs,” I snapped, the words tumbling out before I could filter them. “I am down here. How the hell does the fucking TV affect her through a floor and two closed doors?”

Noah raised an eyebrow, smirking like he’d just won. He loved getting under my skin that fast. He stepped into the living room, smooth and predatory that made me feel trapped.

“Language Khione!” He mocked, his voice dropping in octave as he moved closer.

“I am serious Noah,” I hissed, ignoring the heat crawling on my neck. “Turn it back on. I was in the middle of a movie.”

“And Maddie’s in the middle of… well, use your imagination,” he said, tilting his head toward the ceiling.

The hypocrisy was thick enough to choke on. Noah Graves wouldn’t know “considerate” if it hit him like a freight train. He was the king of 3 Am parties and master of slamming door.

"I've had enough," I muttered, glaring at the remote in his hand. "You can't just barge in here and control what I do just 'cause some girl upstairs is being dramatic."

Noah laughed dryly, already walking away with the remote in his hand.

“Go to bed, Khione. You are already getting cranky.”

That was it. I lunged.

I didn’t care if he was twice my size or that played or the played varsity sports while I spent my time trying to be invisible. 

I grabbed his hand, trying to drag the remote away. To him, I was probably a kitten going ham on a lion, but I’d had years of his crap—he’d been a pest since I was 10, bullying me and tagging along with his brother.

 To the rest of the world, he was charming, dangerous Graves brother. To me, he was the person who made my life miserable for fun.

“Give. It. Back!!” I hissed, tugging at his arm.

“Let go Khione,” he warned, his voice losing its playful edge.

He sidestepped, I slipped, and I was falling.

The world titled.

Thud.

My head hits the coffee table hard. Pain shot through my eyes, skin burning. I groaned, rolling over and grabbing my head. Blood on my fingers. 

The room stopped. Noah’s smirk was gone, his face etched with concern now. He dropped the remote and reached for me.

“Khione—“

“Don’t,” I choked out, the room spinning as I tried to sit up. “Don’t touch me!”

I pushed my self back up, the room felt like it was spinning. My head pounding like it was trying to remind me of my life choice. 

I grabbed my blanket and ran to the bathroom. Looking up, I saw a nasty cut on my head, blood dripping down my face.

“Dammit!” I whispered, my voice creaking.

Knock. Knock.

“Khione, open the door,” Noah’s voice was deep, and for once, the mocking edge was gone.

“Get out, Noah! Go back to Maddie and leave me alone!” I yelled, grabbing a wad of toilet paper and pressing it hard against the cut. I winced, tears pricking my eyes from the sting.

 

Before I could relax thinking he was gone, the door clicked.  I’d forgotten how easy the door was. Noah stepped into and everything felt suffocating.He was holding the first aid kit Zion usually kept under the sink.

“I said leave it,” I snapped, turning my back to him and staring at the white tiles.

He didn’t listen. He never did. He set the kit and turned me around, his hand landing on my waist. I tried to pull away but I couldn’t.

“Stop being stubborn and let me look,” he murmured.

He pressed the cotton pad on the cut. His face inches away. His expensive perfume and something else —hit me, made my stomach flip. I sucked in a breath as he cleaned the cut, my hands white knuckling the sink.

“Easy,” he whispered. His thumb brushed against my cheek, staying there way longer than needed to.

The air in the bathroom changed. It wasn’t the “i hate you” vibe for 2 minutes ago. The air was thick, my heart racing for a whole new reason. His blue eyes locked into mine, no longer mean but intense. Years of telling myself I hated him—the pest, the bully—but it hits me; I’d been crushing on him since I was 10.

“I hate you,” I whispered , but it sounded like the opposite.

“I know,” he said, his voice low. He tucked a strand of my hair between my ears, his touch sending shivers down my spine. He leaned in forehead touching. My heart so loud, I felt like he could hear it.

I shouldn’t want this. I should remind him he’s a prick. But when his lips finally touched mine, my brain just…..stopped.

 The kiss was messy and desperate. My brain  was on fight or flight mode, not knowing wether to stop or not. He was a jerk who made me bleed, but my body ignored it.

He pulled me closer, hands sliding at my back, I melted. My fingers rolled around his dark hair and he lifted me up, legs wrapping around him while he pinned me against the bathroom mirror. The icy glass against my skin made me gasp.

He pulled back for a second, his blue eyes dark and hooded, his breath ragged against my lips.

“Khione,” he whispered, his voice wrecked it didn’t even sound like the boy who teased me.

I was drowning in it. For a split second, the hate was gone. The bully was gone. It was just him. I closed the distance, my heart thundering like crazy. I shouldn't want him, not with some girl waiting in his bed, but I couldn't remember why it mattered.

A soft creak. The door opened.

My heart dropped—Noah didn’t move. A shadow stretched across the tiles.

“Noah?”

Maddie’s voice.

Too close.

Too clear.

I froze against him, breath caught somewhere between panic and something worse—

Because from where she stood….

It definitely didn’t look innocent.