Chapter 2: The Queen of Campus

“Well, this is adorable.”

The voice was smooth.

Cold.

And very familiar.

Lila’s stomach dropped instantly.

She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

Vanessa Hart.

The queen of Northbridge University.

Slowly, Lila looked up.

Vanessa stood a few feet away under the glow of the streetlights, looking as flawless as always. Her long blonde hair fell perfectly over her shoulders, and her fitted black jacket hugged her figure like it had been designed specifically for her.

Every guy on campus had a crush on Vanessa Hart.

And every girl either admired her…

Or feared her.

Right now, Vanessa’s sharp green eyes were fixed directly on Lila.

And they were not friendly.

The hockey players exchanged awkward glances.

Lucas quietly muttered under his breath, “Well… this should be fun.”

Vanessa stepped closer, her heels clicking softly against the pavement.

“Ethan,” she said sweetly.

Then she slipped her arm around his.

The move was effortless.

Claiming.

Like she was reminding everyone exactly who he belonged to.

“You disappeared after the game,” she said.

Her tone was playful.

But her eyes briefly flicked toward Lila again.

Ethan shrugged slightly.

“Just returning something.”

Vanessa’s gaze dropped to the notebook clutched tightly against Lila’s chest.

Her perfectly shaped eyebrow lifted.

“A notebook?”

Her lips curled slightly.

“Is that what we’re calling it now?”

Lila’s face burned.

The hockey players shifted uncomfortably.

Lucas rubbed the back of his neck, clearly sensing danger.

Vanessa took another slow step forward.

Her heels stopped just inches away from Lila.

Up close, her smile looked even sharper.

“You’re Lila Bennett, right?” she asked.

Lila blinked.

She hadn’t expected Vanessa to know her name.

“Yes,” she said quietly.

Vanessa tilted her head.

“Hm.”

Her eyes slowly scanned Lila from head to toe.

The oversized sweater.

The books.

The nervous posture.

Then Vanessa laughed softly.

“Oh right,” she said.

“You’re the girl who always sits in the back of lectures.”

Lila’s grip on her notebook tightened.

“I like sitting there.”

Vanessa smirked.

“I’m sure you do.”

The silence between them grew tense.

Ethan cleared his throat.

“Vanessa, we were just talking about tutoring.”

Vanessa turned toward him immediately.

“Tutor?”

Her voice sharpened slightly.

“Yes,” Ethan said casually. “I need help passing Professor Carter’s class.”

Vanessa laughed.

“Since when do you study?”

The team chuckled.

Ethan shrugged.

“Since coach threatened to bench me.”

Vanessa glanced at Lila again.

“You’re serious?”

Ethan nodded.

“She’s in the class.”

Vanessa crossed her arms slowly.

“You want her to tutor you?”

The way she said her made Lila feel about two inches tall.

Lucas suddenly stepped forward.

“Hey,” he said lightly. “If she’s smart enough to survive Carter’s class, she’s basically a genius.”

Vanessa shot him an annoyed look.

“Stay out of it, Lucas.”

Lucas raised his hands.

“Just supporting academic excellence.”

A few players laughed.

Vanessa ignored them.

Her attention returned to Lila.

“So,” she said.

“You’re tutoring my boyfriend now?”

Lila opened her mouth.

But Ethan answered first.

“I asked her.”

Vanessa’s smile tightened.

“And she said yes?”

All eyes turned toward Lila.

Her heart raced.

She hadn’t actually answered yet.

Every instinct in her body screamed to say no.

To walk away.

To avoid the drama.

But another part of her whispered something dangerous.

This might be the only chance you ever get.

She swallowed nervously.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

Vanessa raised an eyebrow.

“Oh?”

Then she leaned closer.

Close enough that only Lila could hear her next words.

“You should say no.”

Lila’s stomach twisted.

Vanessa’s voice dropped to a whisper.

“Trust me,” she said sweetly.

“You don’t want to involve yourself in Ethan’s life.”

Lila felt a chill run down her spine.

Then Vanessa straightened up like nothing had happened.

Her charming smile returned instantly.

“Well,” she said loudly.

“I guess we’ll see how that works out.”

She turned toward Ethan and tugged gently on his arm.

“Come on,” she said. “Everyone’s waiting at Mason’s party.”

The team started walking again.

Lucas lingered for a second.

He glanced at Lila thoughtfully.

Then he gave her a small, encouraging smile before following the others.

Within seconds, the parking lot was nearly empty again.

Only Ethan and Lila remained.

Vanessa was already halfway across the lot.

Ethan looked back at Lila.

“Don’t listen to her,” he said.

Lila blinked.

“What?”

He shrugged casually.

“Vanessa likes controlling things.”

That was… an understatement.

Ethan looked at her again.

“So?”

Her heart started racing again.

“So?”

“Are you going to tutor me?”

Lila hesitated.

Her mind replayed Vanessa’s warning.

You don’t want to involve yourself in Ethan’s life.

Maybe Vanessa was right.

Maybe this was a terrible idea.

But then Ethan stepped closer.

Close enough that she could see the tiny scar above his eyebrow.

“Come on,” he said with a small smile.

“I’m desperate.”

Lila stared at him.

The most popular guy on campus…

Was asking her for help.

Her brain screamed danger.

Her heart whispered say yes.

She took a slow breath.

“Fine,” she said.

Ethan’s smile widened.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

He held out his hand.

“Then it’s a deal.”

Lila stared at it for a moment before shaking it.

His hand was warm.

Strong.

The contact sent a strange nervous energy through her.

“First session tomorrow?” he asked.

“Library,” she said quickly.

“After class.”

“Perfect.”

He started backing away toward the parking lot.

“See you tomorrow, Bennett.”

Then he turned and jogged toward his teammates.

Lila stood there alone again.

Her heart was still racing.

She had just agreed to tutor Ethan Ryder.

The hockey captain.

Vanessa Hart’s boyfriend.

Possibly the worst decision of her life.

She looked down at her notebook slowly.

Then she opened it.

And froze.

A page had been folded.

She didn’t remember folding it.

Her fingers trembled as she unfolded it.

Written across the bottom of the page…

In handwriting that definitely wasn’t hers…

Were three words.

I read this.

Ethan

Lila’s heart nearly stopped.

Lila’s stomach dropped as she stared at the words.

I read this.

Her hand shook as she clutched the notebook to her chest.

He read it?

All those pages the thoughts she’d been too afraid to share were now in his hands. And he had read them.

She could feel her face heating up. Mortified, she tried to shrink into herself.

“Uh…” she stammered. “I… it’s… um…”

But no words came out.

Ethan had stopped walking and was now standing just a few feet away, looking at her with that calm, unreadable expression. Blue eyes locked on hers, as if weighing whether he should tease her… or sympathize.

Finally, he spoke.

“Wow.”

Lila blinked.

“W-what?”

He gave a small, almost shy shrug.

“All these… notes about me.”

She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

“It’s not… what it looks like,” she managed to whisper.

Ethan tilted his head, a half-smile tugging at his lips.

“Not what it looks like?” he repeated. “You’ve been writing about me for… two years?”

Her throat went dry.

“Yes!” she blurted out before she could stop herself. “I mean… I’m not. It's just… I… uh…”

Ethan laughed softly. A real laugh, not a teasing one, but warm and genuine.

Lila hated how it made her heart skip.

“Okay,” he said finally. “That’s… kind of impressive, actually.”

She stared at him.

“Impressive?” she asked, incredulous.

He nodded.

“You’re… you notice things. You think about things. Most people just watch the games and scream, but you… you pay attention. That’s smart.”

Her chest tightened.

“Uh… thanks,” she muttered, barely able to meet his gaze.

Then the moment shattered. A familiar, sharp voice sliced through the quiet night.

“Well, well… what do we have here?”

Lila groaned inwardly. She knew that voice. She didn’t need to look.

Vanessa Hart.

And she looked furious.

Vanessa stepped closer, her perfectly manicured nails tapping against her phone. Her smile was polite, but the edges were sharp, like a knife hidden under silk.

“Ethan Ryder, darling, what are you doing talking to… her?” Vanessa’s gaze flicked to Lila, then back to Ethan. “Your tutor? Really?”

Ethan’s jaw tightened slightly, but he stayed calm.

“Yes,” he said evenly. “She’s going to help me with Professor Carter’s programming class.”

Vanessa laughed softly, that condescending kind of laugh that made Lila’s stomach twist.

“Ohhh… tutoring. How cute.” She gave Lila a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into. Ethan’s life isn’t… simple.”

Lila’s fingers tightened around the notebook. Her heart was hammering.

“What do you mean?” she asked cautiously.

Vanessa’s eyes glinted with a warning.

“I mean,” she said slowly, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper, “you don’t want to get involved with him. Trust me. You’ll regret it.”

Then Vanessa straightened up, perfectly composed again, and smirked.

“I’ll be watching.”

With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared into the night, leaving Lila frozen on the pavement.

Ethan exhaled slowly, running a hand through his damp hair.

“She’s… intense,” he said softly.

“Understatement,” Lila muttered.

He smiled faintly.

“Don’t worry about her. If you help me pass this class, that’s all that matters.”

Lila opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, he added:

“Oh… and don’t think I’m letting you off easy just because you’re shy.”

Her heart skipped.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“You’re tutoring me,” he said with a mischievous glint in his eye. “And I don’t just mean homework.”

Lila’s cheeks flamed red.

“I… I—”

He laughed again, this time low and teasing.

“Relax,” he said. “We’ll take it one session at a time. You’ll see.”

Lila nodded mutely, her mind spinning.

As Ethan jogged back toward the parking lot, she clutched her notebook tighter.

This was it.

She had agreed to spend time with Ethan Ryder, her secret crush, for tutoring sessions.

And Vanessa Hart had already made it clear…

That nothing about this would be easy.

Cliffhanger:

Lila glanced down at her notebook one last time.

And there, written in his neat handwriting at the very top of the page she had been working on…

“See you tomorrow. Ethan”

Her heart skipped a beat.