Spoiler: The Bully is Obsessed

Ryder Cole is the schools worst nightmare. And apparently, hes obsessed with me.

You wouldn't guess it, though. He stares at me like he wants to end my bloodline.

Im about to glare back, summoning whatever courage I have, when weird, glowing text suddenly starts floating in the air above his head.

[LMAO. People think hes plotting a murder. Nah, bro is just down bad.]

[Does anyone else see this? Ryder is obsessed. He looks stone cold. But watch his eyes. The second he sees Chloe, he turns into a total simp. Golden Retriever energy masked as a Rottweiler.]

I blink, completely stunned.

Ryders jaw tightens. His face is a brick wall. Cold. Emotionless. But his ears? They are bright red.

The floating text explodes.

[OMG. She blinked. Ryder is FIGHTING for his life right now.]

[Chloe: breathes / Ryder: internal screaming "She's so cute I'm gonna die."]

Me: ???

Chapter 1

I freeze, staring at the holographic comments streaming through the air.

My eyes lock with Ryders. His face is still a mask of cold indifference, sculpted marble and ice, but his ears are burning red.

He... likes me? Ryder Cole? The guy who looks at everyone like theyre dirt?

I stare at him, wide-eyed and confused.

Realizing Im staring, I panic and look away.

But I can still feel it. That heavy, scorching weight of his gaze burning into the side of my face.

The comments in the air multiply instantly.

[Did you see that? Chloe just gave him the 'doe-eyed confusion' look. Ryder is malfunctioning.]

[Im dying. Ryder doesn't even know where he is right now. He forgot to look mean. Hes just staring.]

In the past, whenever I caught Ryder looking at me, hed scoff or roll his eyes and look away. I always thought he hated my guts.

The comments say he likes me. It makes no sense.

Ryder runs this school. 6'2". Billionaire family. Straight A's, even though he never studies. Hes dangerous.

And hes never said a nice word to me.

How could he possibly like me?

I cant believe it.

But the comments make one good point: to the outside world, his stare looks lethal.

"What is your problem, Cole?"

My childhood friend, Julian Vance, suddenly stands up. He grabs Ryder by the collar of his dress shirt, playing the hero.

"You think your money makes you a god? You can't just do whatever you want." Julian demands, his voice loud enough to attract the whole class.

Ryder tears his gaze away from me. He looks at Julian.

The shift is instant. The "Golden Retriever" is gone. In its place is a wolf.

Ryder slams Julian onto the desk with a singular, fluid motion. Its violent. Aggressive.

His eyes narrow. He looks ready to kill.

The class screams.

I rush over, instinct taking over. "Stop!"

Ryder sees me approach out of the corner of his eye. His body goes rigid. The murderous tension in his shoulders instantly evaporates.

Julian seizes the opening. He wrenches free and lands a cheap, heavy punch right on Ryders jaw.

Crack.

Ryders head snaps to the side. He doesn't fight back.

He turns to look at me, blood trickling from the corner of his lip. For a second, the mask slips completely. His eyes aren't scarytheyre panicked. Vulnerable.

His lips part like he wants to explain, to tell me he didn't start it.

But he swallows the words. He just stands there, hands clenched into fists at his sides, taking the blame in silence.

Julian, panting heavily, steps in front of me, blocking my view of Ryder. He glares at him.

"Chloe, don't be scared."

"I won't let him touch you."

I open my mouth to speak, but the floating comments turn angry, scrolling fast and red.

[Ugh, Julian Vance. The ultimate 'Pick Me' boy. Since when is Ryders crush your business?]

[Look at him acting like the hero. He flirts with the cheer captain, comforts the shy girl, and then claims Chloe. Hes not a 'Nice Guy,' hes a player. A total narcissist.]

[I honestly don't get why Chloe falls for Julian later. She loves him so much she loses her mind, turns into a villain, and ruins her life!]

[Forget ruining her lifeshe gets a tragic death ending!]

I go rigid. The noise of the classroom fades out.

Me? Obsessed with Julian? I look at his back. Nothing. No spark. No madness. Just... Julian.

If Im going to die miserably because of him, I need to know the details so I can run the other direction!

But the comments shift gears, analyzing the current scene.

[Here it comes. Chloe is going to scream at Ryder. In her eyes, Ryder is just a violent bully and Julian is the victim.]

[Shes going to unload all her fear and anger on Ryder. Its the breaking point.]

[This is the key plot point. Ryder thinks hes scaring her, so he transfers schools to protect her. He disappears from her life forever after today.]

[Its so sad. Ryder is pure love. Hes rich, hes hot, and he only has eyes for her. But after today, the Prince leaves the building.]

I scan the text quickly.

My gaze shifts past Julian, landing on Ryder.

Hes still standing there. Frozen. His knuckles are white from how hard hes clenching his fists. His beautiful, sharp eyes are filled with a crushing resignation.

Hes waiting for me to yell at him. Hes waiting for the rejection.

I shove Julian aside.

I ignore his protests and walk straight up to Ryder.

My hand reaches up, fingers trembling slightly as they brush the corner of his mouth where the blood stains his skin.

My voice comes out softer than I intended.

"Does it hurt?"

Chapter 2

Ryder goes rigid.

Then, the ice in his eyes cracks. That dark, lonely look vanishes, replaced by a shock so raw it almost looks painful.

Julian, however, is losing his mind.

"Why are you being so nice to him?" Julian demands, staring at my hand on Ryders face like its a poisonous snake. "Hes been bullying you for years!"

The floating text above us erupts into chaos.

[OH. MY. GOD. Chloe is defending him! The ship is sailing!]

[Look at Ryder! Hes trying so hard not to smile. That jawline is twitching. The corner of his mouth is fighting a war against gravity.]

[His ears! They are literally glowing red. Hes malfunctioning!]

[Chloe, girl, what is the plan here?]

I dont have a plan. I just know the truth now. He wasnt glaring at me because he hated me. He was glaring because he was panicking. He was trying to hide how down bad he was.

Liking someone isn't a crime. Why should I treat him like a monster just because hes socially awkward?

Plus, Julian started this fight.

Ryder stares at me. His gaze is heavy, hot, and intensely shy all at once. It feels like the rest of the classroom has dissolved, leaving just the two of us.

After a long moment, he shakes his head slightly. His voice is a low rasp.

"It doesn't hurt."

[Liar! But okay, King. When your crush touches you, pain leaves the chat.]

He says hes fine, but the cut on his lip is still bleeding. The contrast of the bright red blood against his pale skin makes my chest tighten.

I ignore the staring class. I grab his wrist.

"Come with me. Nurse's office."

The air text explodes like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

[SCREAMING. THE HAND HOLDING. THE TENSION!]

[Look at Ryder. Hes staring at their joined hands like he just won the lottery. He is absolutely obsessed.]

[Bet money hes not going to wash that hand for a week.]

Ryder follows me silently. Hes hugebroad shoulders, towering heightbut right now, hes following me like a tamed wolf.

My mind is racing. According to the spoilers, Im the villainess destined to die for the Main Character, Julian. And Ryder? Hes just the tragic sidekick. *Yeah, right.*

We reach the infirmary. Its empty.

I sit him down on the cot and turn to grab the cotton swabs and antiseptic. My hands are shaking a little.

When I turn back, my breath hitches.

I expect him to be sulking. Instead, Ryder Cole is watching me.

His jacket is discarded. The top buttons of his dress shirt are undone, revealing the sharp lines of his collarbone and a hint of hard muscle underneath. He looks wrecked, but in a way that makes my mouth go dry.

The afternoon sun hits his messy hair, casting shadows over his eyes. He looks dangerous. And breathtaking.

How did I never notice how hot he is?

The floating comments catch my reaction instantly.

[Okay, confirmed. Chloe has a type. She likes the 'Bad Boy with a soft spot' trope.]

[If only Ryder could see us! Chloe looks tough, but shes weak for a wounded puppy. Use it, Ryder! Don't be stoic!]

[Ryder! Listen to us! Don't be a statue! SEDUCE HER. Use the injury! Make her feel it!]

Ryders eyes flick upward, tracking the floating text. His gaze sharpens.

Then, he looks at me. The "shy boy" mask slips.

He doesn't whine. He doesn't complain.

Instead, his eyes darken with a sudden, predatory focus. He leans back on his hands, his shirt straining across his chest, expanding his presence until he fills the whole room.

He tilts his chin up, exposing the vulnerable line of his throat, but his eyes are locked on mine with terrifying possessiveness.

"It stings," he lies, his voice dropping an octave. Its deep, vibrating straight through my bones.

He lifts a hand, fingers brushing the buttons of his shirt, pulling the fabric open just another inch to reveal the defined ridges of his abs.

"Fix it for me, Chloe."

Me: ???

Chapter 3

I freeze, the cotton swab hovering in mid-air.

He didn't just ask for help. He commanded it.

This isn't the "poor victim" routine. This is something else entirely. Hes looking at me like Im the only water in a desert, and hes dying of thirst.

The floating text is losing its mind.

[WAIT. DID HE JUST...?]

[Did he just read our advice and upgrade it to 'Dark Romance' mode?]

[YES RYDER! DON'T BE A DOORMAT! BE A HUNTER!]

Ryder watches my reaction, his dark eyes tracking every micro-expression on my face. He leans forward, encroaching on my personal space. The scent of cedar and rain hits me.

"Are you going to help?" he whispers, his voice rough. "Or just stare?"

He takes my handthe one holding the antisepticand guides it toward his face. But he doesn't let go. He keeps his fingers wrapped around my wrist, his thumb tracing the pulse point on the inside of my arm.

Its electric. A jolt of heat shoots up my arm.

"It really hurts," he murmurs, his eyes half-lidded, focused on my lips. "Maybe... you could blow on it?"

Blow on it?

Thats something you ask a toddler. But coming from him, with that low, raspy voice and those intense, hungry eyes... it sounds like a dirty suggestion.

I swallow hard.

Hes doing this on purpose.

I look above his head.

[He can see us! Hes definitely reading the comments!]

[He took 'Use the injury' and turned it into 'Seduction 101'. I am struggling to breathe!]

[Ryder Cole, you manipulative genius. Look at Chloe! Shes blushing!]

Ryder bites his lipthe uninjured sideand gives me a look that is pure, unfiltered sin disguised as innocence.

"Well?" he prompts. "I'm waiting."

I narrow my eyes slightly.

Hes playing me.

But the realization hits me harder than the flirting: He can see the text.

We are both "Awakened."

The comments confirm my suspicion