Daisy’s povWhen his eyes met mine, something flickered in them, something like admiration, but it was gone so fast, I almost thought I imagined it.“Let’s go,” he said.I exhaled slowly and silently thanked Sienna for the makeover.Jaxon helped me slip into my coat. Then he reached for my hand, his touch warm and confident, and guided me toward the sleek, black motorcycle parked by the curb. I flinched when the engine roared to life and held on tight.Oh no. Here we go.It felt like hours before we finally pulled into a street that looked like it had not seen proper maintenance in years. Jaxon slid into a spot directly under a bold red sign that screamed: NO PARKING.I stared at the sign. Then at the building beyond it. It looked… old. Worn down. Like the kind of place they use in horror movies right before someone gets dragged into a basement. I briefly considered reminding him he could not park there, but gave up just as quickly. If Jaxon wanted to park, he would. Rules clearly did
Daisy’s POV“You’re what?!”I pulled the phone away from my ear with a wince. Even from a distance, Sienna’s voice was still loud and dramatic.“I said Jaxon and I are going on a date,” I repeated, bracing myself just in time for another shriek.“Seriously, Sienna, stop yelling!”There was a pause on the other end. Then she said, “I’m coming over. Text me your address.”“I don’t have your mobile number,” I replied quickly.She began reciting it, and I scrambled to my desk for a piece of paper. I barely managed to jot down the last digit when the call suddenly cut off. I stared at the phone, confused and…nervous.Maybe this was a bad idea. With a sigh, I texted her my address and collapsed onto the sofa. I rubbed my eyes and yawned. I had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. The idea of going on a date with the school’s most feared guy kept running through my head. I stressed about what to wear. How to look decent. I did not even own lipstick, for goodness’ sake!When the sun
Daisy’s povI didn’t even want to imagine what he’d do if the food tasted bad. I held my breath as he took the first bite. He chewed. Swallowed. Then, without a word, took another.“Is it good?” I blurted, because I couldn’t take the silence anymore.Jaxon glanced at me. “It’s great.”Just two words, but they lit something inside me. I almost smiled right then and there. I’d been cooking since I was a kid, mostly just to feed myself because my parents were always away. But I’d never cooked for anyone else before. And now? Someone actually liked what I made. Even if that someone was Jaxon Ryder, the king of chaos himself. And just like that, his mood seemed to shift.The tension that had wrapped around him all morning melted a little. It was like I could feel it, the way the air changed around him. When he was mad, it felt like sitting in a thunderstorm. But now? Now it was like a warm breeze. Weird. Very weird. But I’d take this version of Jaxon over the other one any day.I focused o
Daisy’s POVWhy couldn’t he just drop me off at the classroom door like a normal person? Instead, he had to make a scene so loud and intense that half my classmates nearly passed out. Was this his way of reminding everyone he ruled the school? Did I really need to be dragged into his chaos?And worse, I’d actually offered to make him lunch. Why? Why did I do that?When I saw something in his eyes, something that almost looked like concern, even though his expression screamed danger, it shook me. Something shifted inside me. Something I couldn’t explain.Jaxon Ryder showing concern? Was that even real? Was it allowed? He was supposed to be made of danger, not feelings. I felt like I was losing my mind.I looked around the classroom as I walked in, searching for Sienna, but her seat was empty. I bit my lip and slowly took my own seat. Maybe she’d skipped school… or maybe she’d run away.Or worse.The thought crept in without warning, and a chill ran through me. Would I be part of it if
Jaxon’s povI watched the girl standing beside Daisy turn pale like she'd seen something straight out of a nightmare. Did I care? Not one bit. What I cared about was the fact that I had to come looking for Daisy. She should’ve waited for me after class like I expected, yeah, maybe I didn’t say it out loud, but still. She should’ve known better. Since I was already annoyed, I figured I’d make them both sweat a little.“Tell me. What?” I repeated, making my voice sharp on purpose.The other girl opened her mouth, then shut it, then opened it again like a fish gasping for air. Her panic was written all over her face. She was shaking, and honestly, if I wasn’t so pissed, I might’ve laughed. Her eyes flicked to Daisy, then she turned and ran, her heels clicking like they were on fire.I watched her go, half impressed by how fast she could move in those things. I never understood why girls wore them. They looked painful. Then I looked back at Daisy. She still hadn’t turned around. My patien
Daisy’s povI couldn’t believe this was real. In just one lunch break, my ordinary life flipped upside down. One moment I was just me, average, invisible. The next, I was caught in something way bigger than I could handle.I never thought of myself as unlucky. Bad things had happened before, but I always managed to pull through. I wasn’t a fighter, but I knew how to survive. Still, this time… it felt like fate was having fun messing with me. And not in a nice way.When I woke up yesterday in the school infirmary, I was so relieved. It had to be a dream, right? No way could Jaxon Ryder have actually said I was his.That couldn’t have happened. No chance. I sat up, confused, looking around. Why was I even in the infirmary?“It wasn’t a dream.”The voice came from my right. I turned and saw the nurse behind her desk. She had a small cross, a rosary, and a statue of a saint on the table. Garlic hung around her neck. She looked at me with wide eyes, as if she thought I was dangerous.I bli