Unwrapping the Boss's Son

For my birthday, my mom shoved a clueless boy into my room as a gift and told me to unwrap him myself.

After unwrapping him, I realized: I wanted my mom to get me a Chanel bag, but she was trying to get me killed.

Chapter 1

On the night of my birthday, I stumbled home completely wasted. My mom called me.

"Your gift is in your room. Unwrap it yourself." She sounded so definitive, I thought I finally got the newest designer bag I'd been begging for.

InsteadI found a young guy wrapped in a towel, lying quietly on my bed.

He was wrapped in my tiny pink bath towel. His legs were ridiculously long, the edge of the towel hooking right onto his V-line, his tight, hard abs rising and falling with his breathing. I swallowed hard.

"Mom, are are you for real? How much did this cost?" I figured she had been corrupted by her neighborhood bingo squad.

"Whatever my Harper wants, Mom will buy it, no matter the price."

I was speechless. Wasn't it just because she forced me onto Tinder every day lately? After all those dates crashed and burned, I swore, "I swear I'll give up carbs for life, just please God give me a man with an eight-pack."

Did she actually take notes?

"No, Mom, this isn't right"

"Stop being shy. I gave him to you, so keep him."

I looked at the guy again. My scalp tingled. But then I remembered the miserable high school reunion I just came from, gagging on everyone's PDA.

I made my choice I was taking him down.

I had the towel halfway undone when a hand clamped over mine.

"What are you doing?" He peeked his eyes open. His voice was raspy, his gaze a little hazy from alcohol.

What was I doing? Doing Was he shy?

"Do you want me to hit the lights?" I asked softly.

He stared at me for thirty long seconds.

Click. I shut off the lights.

Picturing that ruinously handsome face in the dark, I gathered my courage and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"How big are you, Harper?" he asked with a chuckle, catching my wandering hands. His magnetic voice drilled right into my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

I froze. Was he challenging me?

"A solid DD" I blatantly added a few cup sizes.

"Heh." He let out a soft laugh, his chest vibrating against me as the laughter grew. "Are you sure?"

Doubting me?

"At least a full C" I stated firmly.

He went quiet for a beat, then drawled, "I meant your age."

God, I wanted the floor to swallow me.

"Twenty-six," I gritted out.

"A bit old." He sighed, then finally released my wrists. "With the lights off, I guess I can make do."

Then he just lay there, totally at my mercy. You're paid for, and you're critiquing the buyer? The audacity!

"Shut up," I snapped, my competitive streak flaring. Just watch me make you cry.

Turns out, this kid's eyes were always red like they were bleeding, yet he bit down hard on his jaw, refusing to make a sound.

"Can we sleep now?" he asked, his eyes flushed, voice completely wrecked.

"Does it hurt?" I paused.

"Yeah." He mumbled, avoiding my gaze, looking like he had half a life left.

Remembering how cocky he was a minute ago, my competitive drive kicked into overdrive. "Deal with it."

I was sore too, but I refused to tap out.

"Can we sleep now?" He tugged at the blanket, his breath dangerously thin.

"Yeah." By this point, I was a deflated balloon, drained.

I rubbed my lower back, wanting to cry for myself. I just wanted my mom to get me a gift, but she practically handed me a death sentence.

In the middle of the night, my dad banged on my door.

"Did you see my boss's son anywhere?"

I rubbed my heavy eyes. "Dad, what boss's son?"

"I was drinking with the executives yesterday, and the boss's son got wasted. I brought him here to crash since it was close. I didn't see him when I got back, so I'm just checking."

Chapter 2

As my dad said this, he kept trying to peek past me into my room.

I froze, processing his words for a solid minute. Boss's son? Son?

The image of the guy lying half-dead in my bed flashed in my mind.

My blood instantly turned to ice. A high-pitched ringing filled my ears, and my fingers went so stiff I could barely grip the doorknob.

"No haven't seen him." I darted a glance back into my room, the sudden spike of adrenaline snapping me wide awake. "I'm going to sleep."

Slam. I shut the door, a cold knot tightening in the pit of my stomach.

After a few minutes of mentally hyping myself up, I crept back to the edge of the bed and gently tugged at the blanket.

"Are you asleep?" I kept my voice as soft as possible.

It took him a while to finally peel his eyes open. His long arm shot out, grabbing the blanket to cocoon himself tighter. "Again?"

I Was I really that much of an animal?

"No." I picked at my cuticles. "I just wanted to ask you"

"Then get some sleep." He pulled me down against him. Like he was comforting me, his hand ran through my hair. "I'm so exhausted."

My chest tightened so hard it hurt. This whole thing was a massive screw-up.

"Do you want some water?" Remembering how bossy I'd been earlier, the urge to make amends kicked in.

He opened his eyes, staring at me for a few seconds. "Can we do this tomorrow?"

My mind went straight to the gutter. Did he mean that? I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

Given that we were both out of our mindshim wasted, me drainedI decided to just sleep on it and figure out a game plan later. I slept, alright, but woke up with absolutely zero game plan.

Bright and early, my mom started pounding on my door.

"Did you open your present? Do you love it?"

I stood there, the blood draining from my face, feeling like a complete idiot.

"Yeah, I opened it," I lied through my teeth, still having no clue what she actually got me. "I love it. Let me sleep a little longer."

Without waiting for an answer, I slammed the door shut.

When I turned back around, the bed was empty. Then, the sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. Through the frosted glass, I could make out a blurry silhouette. My scalp prickled.

He was awake. I was so dead.

I paced the room, chewing on my lip, trying to brainstorm a way to smuggle him out unnoticed. Oh, and somehow convince him not to press charges.

A second later, the bathroom door swung open. He walked out. Completely naked. My eyes burned.

"You" My survival instinct kicked in. I lunged for the door and threw the deadbolt. "Why aren't you wearing clothes?"

He strolled over to the bed, entirely unbothered, and casually draped the blanket over his lower half. His lazy gaze tracked me. "Don't have any."

I wanted to rip my hair out.

"Did you show up here buck naked yesterday?" I was on the verge of tears.

"Got wasted. Puked all over them." He leaned back against the headboard, totally chill, and started messing with his phone. He was clearly waiting for me to fix this.

I was losing my goddamn mind.

"Just wait here." I practically dove into my clothes. No time to wash my face or brush my hair.

I wrenched the door open, throwing one last frantic warning over my shoulder. "Do not leave this room. Lock the door behind me and do not open it for anyone."

"Whatever you say." He watched me with an amused smirk. At least he was cooperative.

The second I stepped into the hall, I nearly crashed into my mom. I instinctively plastered my back against my door.

"Why is your face so red?" She was holding a plate of breakfast, gesturing for me to eat.

"Just a little hot in there." I fanned my face aggressively, ducked down, grabbed a trash bag, and made a break for it.

"You're skipping breakfast? Where are you going?" my mom called after me.

"Taking out the trash!" I kept my head down and sprinted.

I ran all the way to the convenience store a block over. The cashier, sporting way too much eyeliner, watched me hovering around the men's underwear aisle. She strolled over, looking way too entertained. "Buying for your dad?"

"Yeah." I grabbed a random pack off the rack, just trying to play it cool and get out of there.

Chapter 3

But she slammed her hand over mine. "Way too small. With your dad's beer belly, you need these."

"He he's on a diet." I snatched back the pack she tried to put away, bolted to the apparel section, and grabbed a basic gym tee and some athletic shorts.

At the register, the heavily-made-up cashier scanned the items, a weird smirk playing on her lips. "Got yourself a boyfriend?"

I jolted like I'd touched a live wire, heat instantly flooding my face.

"N-no. My cousin is visiting. Buying them for him."

I grabbed the clothes and sprinted out the door.

Running back home, my mom caught my frantic look. "Why are you panting like that? Where did you go?"

"Morning jog." I jogged in place for a few steps, hiding the plastic bag behind my back. Then, I practically dove into my room and threw the deadbolt.

Once my breathing leveled out, I tossed the plastic bag at him. His fingers finally paused on his phone. He glanced at me, then at the bag. He didn't speak. He didn't move.

Was my attitude too much?

I hesitated for a few seconds, then pulled the clothes out, laying them in front of him one by one. I dropped my voice to a harsh whisper. "The convenience store only had these. Just make do, okay?"

"I can make do, but aren't your demands a little out of line?" His long fingers hooked the clothes I bought. He gave them a look and let out a heavy sigh.

Out of line where?

"You've already seen everything. Do you still want me to walk out of here wearing absolutely nothing underneath?" He watched me with a teasing smirk.

I stared at him blankly.

My mom was knocking on the door again. Annoyed, I cracked it open an inch.

"What did you buy? The cashier down the street said you forgot this." My mom shoved a black plastic bag through the crack.

I took it, peeked inside, and clamped it shut less than a second later. "My underwear."

I pushed the door shut, a cold, heavy knot settling in my gut. Turns out, I was so frantic I bolted without grabbing the actual boxer briefs.

My life was officially over.

I turned my back, waiting for him to get dressed. Once he was decent, I crouched down in front of him, desperately trying to explain this whole mess.

"This is a total misunderstanding," I said.

"Mhm." He was back to his game, giving off a clear keep making things up vibe.

"When we go out there, can you just play along?" I softened my tone. It was the weekend.

My parents would likely be home all day. Making him vanish was out of the question.

He ignored me. Staring at his arrogant posture, regret chewed at my insides.

I finally waited for his match to end. He stopped, locking his gaze straight onto mine. He dropped his voice low. "Was I not cooperative enough last night?"

He reached out, his finger flicking my forehead as he dragged out the word. "Ma'am, you shouldn't be so greedy."

Ma'am? Last night I was his hot hookup, and today I'm Ma'am? Son of a bitch

I slumped back onto the floor. What, was he trying to blackmail me?

"What do you want?"

"You tell me," he shot back.

The nerve of this guy. Thinking he could negotiate with me just because he had a pretty face.

I glanced at my vanity, spotting the birthday gift my mom had actually gotten me. I grabbed the designer purse and shoved it at him. "This bag is brand new. Take it and give it to your little girlfriend, okay?"

Hiring a professional wouldn't even cost this much. My chest physically ached at the loss.

He gave me a look, stood up, and looked down at me. "Fine. Hold onto it for me first."

With that, he swaggered to the door, casually pulled it open, and stepped out.

He My mind went entirely blank. I scrambled to the door, pressing my ear against the wood to listen to the commotion outside.

Instead, the door was shoved wide open. It was my mom.

"Why aren't you up yet? Your dad's boss's son is already awake. Get out here."

Chapter 4

What the hell was happening?

Mom dragged me to the dining table, where I found him lounging lazily in a chair. Dad was enthusiastically serving him pancakes and pouring him a glass of milk.

Mom shoved me down onto a stool. My muscles locked up tight enough to snap a board.

"Ezra, man, I wasn't sure what you liked. Do you want milk or coffee?" Dad shoved the entire breakfast spread in front of him.

Meanwhile, I got two plain, dry bagels dumped on my plate.

"Give it to Harper. She loves swallowing every drop." He slid the milk over to me!

Was my mind just completely in the gutter, or was that a filthy double entendre?

The dining room instantly went dead silent. The only sound was the sharp clink of silverware against porcelain.

"You two" Dad looked between him and my stubbornly bowed head. "Forgot to introduce you. This is my daughter, Harper.

She's older than you by six years. You should probably call her"

"Look at him, so polite." Mom stomped on my foot under the table, practically commanding me to say hi.

A sharp pain shot through my toes. I seriously suspected Mom had forgotten which one of us she actually gave birth to. I'm the rude one? Was he?

"Hey there." I forced a painfully fake smile. "Eat up, kid."

I shoved my dry bagels onto his plate.

He looked up, a single brow arching. He didn't say a word. Instead, he picked up one of the bagels, didn't take a bite, and just slowly rotated it in his hand, watching me with a creeping smirk.

That smirk sent a cold sweat down my spine. Was this guy even human?

"Did you sleep okay last night? I didn't see you in the guest room this morning, thought you'd already taken off." Dad practically fawned over him.

He didn't answer right away. His gaze drifted straight to me.

Was the answer tattooed on my forehead? I was just an innocent bystander trying to eat my breakfast!

"I was probably in the bathroom." He dropped his fork, looking like he'd lost his appetite. "Didn't sleep too well for the first half of the night. It takes me a while to get used to a new bed."

I Who the hell passed out next to me like a rock last night, pinning my hair down so hard I couldn't even twitch?

"Ah I was pretty wrecked myself last night. Sorry I wasn't a better host, I hope you don't mind." Dad's face scrunched up, a thin layer of sweat breaking out on his forehead at the thought of his boss's wrath.

"The second half of the night was great, though." He smirked, his eyes pinning me down again.

Son of a bitch. Why didn't he just announce it to the whole room instead of torturing my blood pressure like this? These young guys were seriously lethal.

I barely survived until the end of breakfast before Dad offered to drive him home.

"Dad, you rest. I'll drive him." I jumped up, purely out of terror that Ezra would spill my secrets the second they were alone in the car.

"Sure you kids probably have more in common anyway." Dad rubbed the back of his neck, his brows pulling together at my sudden burst of enthusiasm.

"No need. I'd actually prefer if you drove me, sir," he said, shooting down my offer with a smooth smile.

Since he put it like that, Dad couldn't really argue. He inhaled the rest of his food and grabbed his keys.

While Dad was busy getting his coat, I closed the distance between us and hissed under my breath, "Why wouldn't you let me drive you? What are you trying to pull?"

He dipped his head, his lips hovering barely a millimeter from my cheek. "Next time. You gotta give me a chance to recover first, yeah?"

Heat exploded across my face. I stumbled backward like I'd been burned.

"Don't try anything stupid," I gritted out a warning.

"When have I ever" He offered a lazy, unapologetic shrug. "If it wasn't for you last night who was the one trying something stupid"

Damn it, he was smirking again.

"Shut up!" I wanted to duct-tape his mouth shut.

"You were so wild last night, and now you're playing the blushing virgin?" He stared at my burning cheeks, his grin widening into something entirely wicked.

"Get out"

"I'm out." He threw a lazy wave over his shoulder. "Try not to miss me too much."

With that, he strolled out the door behind my dad, acting like absolutely nothing had happened.

Chapter 5

The second he left, my mom crept up beside me with a sly look on her face.

"Your dad's boss's son is way too handsome," she sighed. "I'd love to have him"

I stared at my mom, wondering if I needed to warn my dad to hire a divorce lawyer.

"I meant I'd love to have him as a son-in-law. Get your mind out of the gutter," my mom snapped, shooting me a glare.

"Oh." Good, I was overthinking it. Wait, no. "Well, sorry to disappoint, but I am completely incapable of bagging a guy like that for you."

"Even if you were capable, you couldn't get him." My mom sighed dramatically at the ceiling. "Word is, Ezra is about to get engaged."

"Engaged?" I bit down so hard my teeth ground together.

"Yep. To the daughter of a Wall Street tycoon. A true power merger." My mom gave me a slow once-over and shook her head.

My stomach dropped into my shoes, and a loud static buzzed in my ears. Didn't that make what I did to him last night a federal offense? I was so dead.

"What are you spacing out for?" My mom shot me a look. "I'm guessing your dad will finally get that promotion once their two companies merge. He's been waiting for this day forever."

"Oh. Great," I stammered, my pulse hammering wildly against my ribs.

An icy knot pulled tight in my stomach at the thought that my dad would never see that day. If Ezra's fianc found out what happened between us, the whole engagement would blow up

I spent the next few days pacing around the house like a trapped rat. Finally, my nerves snapped. While my dad was in the shower, I sneaked into his room and dug through his phone.

I scrolled until I found his number, quickly typed it into my own phone, and bolted back to my room.

I stared at the screen and sent an add request. It sat pending for ages. I sent a follow-up text:

[ I'm Harper. Add me. ]

By the next day, the request was still pending. All I got back was a single text:

[ ? ]

Rubbing my throbbing temples, I typed out another message:

[ It's the older girl. ]

This time, the reply came instantly:

[ Which one? ]

Which one? How many did he freaking have? Then again, rich kids were all massive players.

[ The one whose house you crashed at ]

[ Don't remember. ]

Don't remember I wanted to reach through the screen and strangle him.

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to jog his memory:

[ You slept in my room. I unwrapped you like a present. You didn't have any clothes, so I had to buy you some from the convenience store. THAT girl! ]

The second it delivered, the friend request was accepted.

[ Ma'am? ]

Two simple words popped up. My blood pressure instantly spiked. Fine. Ma'am it is.

[ Can we talk about something? ]

[ Shoot. ]

[ Can you keep what happened between us a secret? Look, you were wasted, I was wasted. Neither of us was thinking straight. We're both adults. You should just forget it ever happened, right? ]

No reply? What did that mean? Clearly, he wasn't satisfied with that. I had no choice but to keep typing:

[ Send me your address. I'll ship that designer bag you wanted. Oh, and I washed your clothes, I'll send those too. If there's anything else you want, just name it. I'll do my best to make it happen. ]

The screen stayed quiet for a long time. I finally realized how messy this was getting and sent one more text:

[ I heard you're getting engaged soon. Actually, I have some blind dates lined up too. So, can we just pretend absolutely nothing happened? ]

This time, the typing bubble appeared.

[ Are you done? ]

[ Yeah, I'm done. ]

I paused. That was clear enough, right?

[ Done talking. So, do you still want me? ]

Another message popped up right after.

[ I'm free tonight. ]

I froze. A sharp shiver ripped down my spine, erupting into full-body goosebumps.

Chapter 6

At a time like this, how could I want that? I couldn't afford him

Did everything I just typed go completely over his head?

[ Are you going to push this all the way or not? ]

A second later, he sent a voice memo. I pressed the phone to my ear.

"Why are you so obsessed with the phrase 'push it all the way'?"

[ ? ]

Another voice memo popped up immediately.

"I get it now. You just like it pushed all the way."

Paired with his lazy, gravelly voice, the filthy double meaning hit me like a truck. A massive heat wave scorched my face and neck. My brain short-circuited. I threw my phone across the bed like it was on fire.

Did I actually say something that filthy last night? I wanted to die.

[ Can you act like an adult for one second? I'm trying to talk business here. ]

He finally sent back a single word:

[ Fine. ]

[ You tell me. How do you want to handle this? ]

I got smart and tossed the ball back into his court.

[ Whatever you want. ]

[ So obedient? ]

"Not obedient? I'm just terrified you'll push me until my eyes go red and I have to bite my jaw to keep quiet again" Another voice memo. He was definitely laughing.

When did I ever

[ Just send me your address. Then we block each other. ]

I was completely out of patience for his games.

[ ]

He replied with an ellipsis. I stared at the screen for half an hour. Still no address. I tossed out a quick text to test the waters.

[ ? ]

A massive red exclamation mark popped up next to my text. Message Not Delivered. Son of a bitch. He actually blocked me!

Blocked me? Fine. I threw my hands up.

To hell with it. I was officially washing my hands of this disaster.

Another week dragged by. Then, Dad casually dropped a bomb: Ezra's engagement had hit a massive snag. The potato chip in my hand suddenly tasted like cardboard.

[ My boss has been on a rampage lately. Word is, he beat the living hell out of Ezra and kicked him out of the house. ]

Dad vented his panic in our family group chat.

[ Ezra is way too handsome. If he were my son, I could never raise a hand against him. ]

Mom replied, acting utterly heartbroken, as if Ezra was the one she had actually given birth to.

Meanwhile, I was lurking in the chat, sweating bullets, desperately trying to confirm this had nothing to do with me.

[ Dad, what happened? Is your promotion still on the table? ]

I carefully worded my text, trying to sound completely neutral.

[ What else? The kid's good-looking. He got caught juggling a few different girls at the same time. Sigh ]

[ Oh ]

I typed back.

A total player. He got what he deserved! My chest instantly loosened, the heavy weight lifting off my ribs. As long as it wasn't my fault.

[ I heard he was texting some girl filthy things. Word is, they spent the night together, and the girl was trying to return his clothes and begging him to keep it a secret Aubrey caught the text thread right on his phone. ]

[ ?! ]

This Dad wasn't subtweeting me, was he?

My fingers went totally numb. The phone slipped right out of my grip and smacked onto the hardwood floor.

The group chat kept buzzing. I scrambled to pick up the phone and tapped the screen. It was Mom.

[ Are girls really that wild these days? If our Harper had even half that girl's game, she wouldn't still be single. ]

Fuck. I wanted to scream. Your daughter's game was so wild it nearly gave her a heart attack.

I slammed out of the group chat. I jammed the power button, throwing the screen into blackness.

Cold sweat exploded across my spine. My lungs felt like they were being crushed in a vice. My mind raced, violently rewinding through that day's texts.

Oh my god. Was Aubrey the one who blocked me? The realization hit me like a bucket of ice water.

Bile rose in my throat. I practically tore my phone back open, swapped out my profile picture to a generic landscape, and locked down my entire Instagram to private.

That night, the three of us sat around the dinner table. I kept my head down, aggressively shoving food into my mouth, trying to render myself invisible.

"Why did you leave the family group chat?" Mom asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Huh? I left?" I kept my expression completely blank, pulling out my phone.

"Let me check." My acting skills were, as always, Oscar-worthy.

Chapter 7

Dad finished eating and hit the shower. Ten minutes later, he marched out holding a pair of men's boxer briefs between his thumb and index finger.

"When did you buy these for me?" he asked my mom. "Do you even know what size I wear?"

My stomach plummeted.

Mom looked at Dad, then at me. She rubbed the fabric between her fingers. "These aren't yours. I don't buy brands this expensive."

Slowly, in terrifying synchronization, both of them turned their heads to stare dead at me.

I swallowed hard, my throat sandpaper dry. After a grueling thirty seconds of silence, I blurted, "Maybe they fell from the upstairs neighbor's balcony?"

They blinked, processing the excuse before nodding in agreement.

My tight shoulders instantly dropped. I snatched the briefs right out of Dad's hand, volunteering to go return them.

I obviously didn't go upstairs. Instead, I paced the apartment courtyard for a solid half-hour, clutching the underwear like it was radioactive. Just thinking about Ezra made my temples throb. Those were his boxers.

I had hand-washed them and hung them to dry in my bedroom. How my mom managed to fish them out and throw them in the laundry again was beyond me. Knowing his clothes were ticking time bombs in my closet made me want to rip my hair out.

I stalled until the sun completely set before finally dragging myself back upstairs. The second I pushed the front door open, I saw that face. My survival instincts kicked in, and I immediately backed out into the hall to check the apartment number on the door.

Nope. This was my place. I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself to step back inside.

Lounging on our worn-out sofa, casually scrolling through his phone, was none other than Ezra.

"Harper, get over here," Dad called out, his face dead serious.

A cold sweat broke out over my spine. I mechanically put one foot in front of the other. But as I got closer, I saw the dark bruising purpling along the side of Ezra's neck, and the raw scrapes visible through the rips in his jeans. I sharply sucked in a breath.

"What's up, Dad?" I stood stiffly by the coffee table, twisting my fingers together.

Ezra's thumbs finally paused on his screen. He tilted his head back, locking eyes with me, and let out a slow, terrifyingly casual smirk. How the hell was he still in the mood for mobile games right now?

"Here's the situation. Ezra is going to be staying with us for a little while. And while he's here, I need you to tutor him in college calculus. You got an A+ in that class before, didn't you?"

Tutoring? My rigid shoulders dropped a fraction of an inch. Wait. Calculus?

"Dad, I'm practically illiterate when it comes to math," I blurted, my mind completely blank.

Dad shot me a look, stood up, and grabbed my arm, dragging me into the hallway. "You literally got an A+ in calculus back in college. Quit being modest. My entire promotion hinges on this kid passing his classes."

Was I supposed to tell him I blatantly cheated off my desk-mate's scantron? And just to make it less obvious, I purposely bubbled in one wrong answer. But then the professor graded on a massive curve, bumping my score up to an A+, while the guy I copied off of only got an A.

"Dad, why the hell is he staying here? Doesn't he have his own mansion to live in?" I rubbed my throbbing temples.

I had just managed to scrub him out of my life, and now this? This was an actual nightmare.

"Shh, keep your voice down." Dad shot me a warning glare. "The boss completely disowned him and kicked him out. That's why he came to us.

Think about it, Harper. At the end of the day, Ezra is still his flesh and blood.

Word around the office is he's failing half his classes. If you can tutor him and save his GPA, my promotion is a lock."

"Dad, I'm pretty sure your promotion is dead in the water," I muttered, all the energy draining from my body.

"I'm going to pretend you're just being sarcastic. You start tutoring him today. Go get your old textbooks ready."

The second Dad walked away to the kitchen, I grabbed Ezra by the arm and dragged him into my bedroom, shoving the door shut behind us. "Why the hell did you come to my house? What are you trying to pull?"

His brows twitched together, his jaw tight. "That hurts."

I immediately dropped his arm. I reached out and carefully pushed back his sleeve. Nasty, reddish-purple bruises and fresh scrapes littered his forearm. My jaw dropped.

"Don't look at it." He yanked his sleeve back down, covering the damage. A faint, almost mocking smile played on his lips. "It's not going to kill me."

"What did you even do to make your dad beat you this badly?" A tiny, annoying pang of sympathy actually flared up in my chest.

Chapter 8

"Wasn't because of you, anyway." He cast a glance down at me, strolled over to my desk, dropped into the chair, and went straight back to scrolling on his phone.

Not because of me? The tight knot in my chest loosened a fraction.

"Good. But seriously, do you not have anywhere else to go? Why crash here? What happens when your girlfriend finds out and blows a gasket?"

The guy had a serious death wish. Wasn't he supposed to be engaged? Why was he still acting like a frat boy on spring break?

His thumbs stopped moving. He looked up, meeting my eyes. "Are you kicking me out?"

"Like I'd actually beg you to stay? Dad said Aubrey saw our texts. You've got some nerve showing up here.

What if she storms over here to slash my tires?" Trying to have a logical conversation with him was like talking to a brick wall.

He leaned all the way back in my desk chair, looking completely unfazed. "Then she slashes them."

I stared at him. He was actually more reckless than I was.

"Are we doing the tutoring thing tonight?" he suddenly asked, his voice dropping lower.

"I I'm practically illiterate when it comes to math," I admitted.

"I know."

I blinked.

"So, you can teach me something else." A slow smirk crept onto his face.

Baiting me again? My jaw clenched. I was trying to have a serious conversation, and he was steering it right into the gutter within three sentences. He was just a college kid, for god's sake.

"Even if I taught you, with the shape you're in, could you even handle the practical exam?" I rolled my eyes.

He pressed his lips together, a deep, raspy laugh rumbling from his chest. That laugh made my skin prickle. I grabbed a textbook, pretending to frantically search for my long-lost calculus skills.

His long fingers reached out, clamping down on the top edge of the book and shoving it flat against the desk. He leaned in, his dark eyes locking onto mine. "Wanna test that theory?"

My pulse spiked. Heat flooded my cheeks. I yanked the book back up, practically hiding behind the hard cover. "Tonight is self-study."

"Right." He threw me an amused look. Instead of pushing it, he grabbed a random novel off my desk and started flipping through the pages.

He sat next to me. I scrolled through my phone; he flipped through his book. Between us, his phone vibrated violently against the wood, lighting up with a non-stop stream of notifications.

"Are you going to check that?" I pointed at the buzzing screen.

He didn't even bother lifting his head. "Annoying you? Just turn it off for me."

"Are you serious?" I stared at him. "Aren't you worried I'll snoop through your secrets?"

He shot me a flat look. "I don't have secrets." He tossed the book down and stepped out onto my balcony, pulling a cigarette from his pocket.

The relentless buzzing was drilling into my brain. I swiped his screen alive. Over a hundred missed calls and unread texts all from a contact saved as "Aubrey."

It didn't take a genius to figure out that was his fiance. God, he was cold. I held down the power button and slid to power off.

"Did your engagement actually blow up?" I walked out onto the balcony and shoved the dead phone at his chest. The sharp smell of tobacco smoke made me cough.

He glanced down at me, shifting the hand holding the cigarette behind his back. The air immediately cleared up a bit.

"You hoping it did?" he shot back, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

The question caught me off guard. "What do you mean, hoping? I'm not out here trying to wreck a home. Of course I want you guys to work out. Dad literally said this merger could get him a massive raise. You guys breaking up does nothing for me." I rattled it off in one breath, laying my cards on the table.

His expression remained blank, unbothered. He studied my face for a long second before shifting his gaze out at the city lights.

"Be honest. Why the hell are you hiding out here? Shouldn't you be groveling outside your girlfriend's door, doing whatever it takes to fix this?" I was sweating bullets just watching this trainwreck happen.

He finally turned his head back. He let out a long stream of smoke. "Just wanted some peace and quiet."

I stared at him. His fiance was probably having a mental breakdown, and his family was likely tearing the city apart looking for him. Meanwhile, he was camping out in my room for "peace and quiet." What a ruthless bastard.

"Relax, I'm only crashing for a few days." His gaze did a slow, sweeping once-over of my body before snapping back to my face. "Besides, Ma'am, with the lights on, you really don't do it for me."

"Are you actually kidding me?" I dug my nails into my palms, taking every ounce of self-control not to shove him off the balcony.

Seeing me glaring at him, a genuine laugh escaped his throat. "I literally called you Ma'am. How much more polite do you want me to be?"

My jaw dropped. Static buzzed in my ears. I stood there, completely out of ammo. By the time my brain finally supplied a comeback, he had already strolled out of my bedroom. I wanted to scream.

For the next few days, we basically stayed out of each other's way. Every night, he'd camp out in my room for an hour, faking our "tutoring" sessions. In reality, he just laid on my bed, flipping through my old graphic novels. I seriously couldn't follow my dad's logic. He thought kissing up to the boss's son would score him a promotion? Ezra had been here for days, and absolutely no one had come looking for him. If you asked me, the kid was completely cut off.

"How long exactly are you planning to freeload off my parents?" I asked, my thumbs hammering the screen of my Switch.

He didn't bother looking up from his comic. "Until my dad finally ships me overseas."

"Like, study abroad?" I asked.

"Something like that." He flipped a page, clearly uninterested in the conversation.

"That's not a bad gig. You get a fancy degree, come back as a top-tier recruit. Which university?" I asked casually.

He paused, a self-deprecating smirk touching his lips. "Depends on which admissions board he decides to throw a blank check at."

Jesus how rich were these people? Half the country would kill for an opportunity like that, and he was treating it like a prison sentence. Typical trust-fund baby, completely blind to how the real world worked.

For some idiotic reason, a surge of pity hit me. I decided to try and talk some sense into him. "You know, your dad actually treats you pretty well. Yeah, he hits you, but he's still willing to drop serious cash to secure your future."

His fingers went perfectly still on the edge of the page. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Well, he never bothered spending a single second of his time on me. Throwing cash is the only trick he knows." He tossed the comic onto the mattress, stood up, and headed straight back out to the balcony for a smoke.

Wasn't he twenty years old? Why was he still acting like a moody teenager?

While my character respawned, I tossed my Switch down and marched out onto the balcony. I stared at him, my brain fully loaded with a motivational speech about growing up. But the second his dark eyes cut over to me, my mind completely wiped.

"You're just a kid. Why do you smoke like a chimney?"

He shifted the hand holding the cigarette away from me. He slowly lowered his gaze, scanning my face. "Whether I'm just a kid you already know the answer to that."

My throat seized up. Searing hot flashes from that night blasted through my memory. A violent wave of heat rushed right back into my cheeks.

I scrambled to pivot the conversation. "Smoking destroys your lungs. Don't be so damn stubborn."

He paused, staring at the glowing cherry of his cigarette. He dropped his voice. "Are you worried about me?"

"I'm just giving you a warning. If you want to ruin your lungs, that's your problem."

He went silent. The quiet stretched out tight between us for a long time before he finally spoke. "You're just like the rest of them. Why the hell am I supposed to live my life based on everyone else's instructions?"

His jaw ticked, the muscles jumping beneath his skin. I didn't know exactly what chord I struck, but the heavy, volatile tension radiating off him made it clear I'd hit a nerve. Pure, unfiltered rebellion.

"You don't have to follow every single order blindly. You can pick and choose" I scrambled to find the right words. "But there's no reason to burn the bridge with your family, right?"

He had been crashing here for days. He ignored every call from his dad, swiped away every text from Aubrey. It was like he was on a kamikaze mission to destroy his own life. Realizing there was no eviction date in sight, a sharp spike of adrenaline hit my chest.

Chapter 9

"So what do you think is the right way?" he shot back with a smile, the volatile tension bleeding out of his shoulders.

"We can talk through anything like adults. Ghosting calls doesn't solve a damn thing."

He stared at me for a long beat. I braced myself for an argument, but he just dropped a single word. "Sleeping."

He threw a lazy wave over his shoulder and turned his back on me. So arrogant. If he were my actual little brother, I would have suffocated him with a pillow by now.

"You have zero manners," I snapped at his retreating back.

He stopped dead in the doorway. He stood completely still for a long second before turning around and stepping right back into my space. He looked down at me, a smirk playing on his lips. "And what exactly counts as good manners?"

"You don't walk away when someone is still talking to you. Didn't your mother teach you that?" I took a half-step back to put some breathing room between us.

His smirk completely vanished. Something dark and unreadable flickered in his eyes before he spoke, his voice dangerously quiet. "No, she didn't."

He was definitely lying. He just didn't want to listen, and now he was dragging his mom into his teenage rebellion.

"Whatever, I'm done." I wasn't going to waste my breath arguing with a brick wall.

He took a step back, tilting his head. "She's dead."

Without missing a beat, he turned and walked straight out of my room. My chest felt like it had been smashed by a sledgehammer. My legs locked instantly, rooting me to the floor, my mouth hanging half-open without a single sound coming out.

His mom was dead? My dad never mentioned a word about that

By the time my brain rebooted, the hallway was empty. A heavy knot twisted in my gut. I had screwed up.

That night, I lay flat on my back in the dark, replaying those two words in my head. She's dead. He said it so casually, without a single tremor in his voice, but the hollow look in his eyes made my chest physically ache.

Thinking back to my stupid, condescending questionDidn't your mother teach you that?I wanted to punch myself in the throat.

Sleep was impossible. The tight knot in my chest kept me awake until 2 AM. I finally dragged myself out of bed, wrapped my silk robe tighter, and tiptoed barefoot down the hall to the guest room.

He actually didn't lock the door? Using the dim glow of my phone screen, I crept closer to the bed.

He was fast asleep. Stripped of his usual arrogant smirk, his relaxed features looked terrifyingly perfect in the dark. A sharp, almost untouchable kind of handsome.

My fingers hovered over his shoulder. I debated shaking him awake just to get the apology out of my system.

After thirty seconds of standing there like a total creep, reality set in. Sneaking into his room in the middle of the night to apologize was psycho behavior. I pivoted, fully intending to sneak back out and handle this in the morning.

The silence in the room suddenly felt deafening. My heart slammed violently against my ribs as a hand shot out and clamped down on my wrist like a steel vice. I violently flinched, pulling a sharp breath through my teeth. Before the sound could leave my throat, a warm palm clamped tight over my mouth.

A pair of ice-cold eyes locked onto mine in the shadows. He stared for three agonizing seconds. Once he registered my face, the rigid tension in his shoulders dropped, and his grip slowly loosened.

I shoved his hand away, my chest heaving. "What are you doing?"

He dropped back onto the pillows, a dry scoff leaving his lips. "You sneak into my room in the middle of the night, and you're asking me what I'm doing?"

Right. The apology. But suddenly, with him staring at me in the dark, the words felt like broken glass in my throat. I shifted my weight, picking at the belt of my robe. "I shouldn't have said that earlier. I I didn't know your mom passed away"

He stared blankly at the ceiling. Not a single muscle in his jaw twitched.

I forced myself to keep going. "I shouldn't have dug into your personal life like that. I'm sorry."

He still didn't say a word. Instead, he reached over, grabbed his phone off the nightstand, and checked the time, completely unbothered.

"You shouldn't care what everyone else says. You're actually a really great guy." The clich slipped out before I could stop it.

He tossed his phone back onto the wood. A raspy laugh scraped from his chest. "Great guy?"

I scrambled to back up my claim. "Yeah, great. Look, your temper is trash, but I haven't seen you throw a punch. You're totally rebelling, but you didn't curse out your dad. You're a massive player, but you haven't played me"

As the words left my mouth, my voice lost its conviction. Even I knew that was the weakest compliment in human history.

When I trailed off, he let out a genuine laugh. I had no idea if a single word I said actually registered in his head.

Chapter 10

My scalp prickled.

"Three hours until sunrise," he suddenly dropped, his eyes locking dead onto mine. "If you want it, better hurry up."

"I'm not" I came to apologize. What the hell did he think I was doing?

"Not what?" He suddenly propped himself up. His face instantly closed the distance, hovering inches from mine.

My breath caught in my throat. My brain completely short-circuited, forgetting to pull back.

"I'm going" Back. Before the last word could leave my mouth, a sudden, searing heat pressed against my lips.

By the time my nervous system rebooted and my hands flew up to shove his chest, he didn't give me a single second to breathe. His large hand slid to the back of my neck, his fingers tangling in my hair, gripping tight and locking me in place.

A loud static buzzed in my ears, wiping every rational thought from my brain.

After a breathless eternity, he finally broke the kiss, pulling back just an inch. His chest heaved with shallow breaths. His voice dropped to a wrecked, gravelly whisper right against my ear. "Did you lock the door?"

A sharp jolt shocked my system. Ice-cold adrenaline flooded my veins. I shoved hard against his shoulders. "No. I'm going back."

This time, before he could tighten his grip, I scrambled off the mattress and bolted for the door. I didn't care how pathetic I looked; I practically tripped over my own feet running down the hall.

By the time I slammed my bedroom door shut and leaned my back against the wood, the frantic, deafening thud of my heartbeat echoed in my eardrums. I spent the rest of the night staring at the ceiling, wide awake.

A heavy weight pressed down on my lungs. How the hell was my pulse racing for a guy who was already taken?

Tossing and turning, I made a hard rule. I had to put some serious distance between us. No more crossing the line. When I dragged myself out of bed the next morning, he was already sitting at the dining table.

My footsteps faltered, my grip tightening on my bag. Didn't he usually sleep until noon? Why was he up so early today? I snatched a carton of milk from the fridge and made a break for the door.

He looked up, his dark eyes tracking my movements for a few seconds, but he didn't say a word. Just as I reached the entryway, he suddenly stepped into my path, his jaw tight like he was about to say something.

I frantically jammed my feet into my heels and practically speed-walked to the elevator bank. He beat me to it, his long arm reaching past me to hit the down button.

"You heading out?" The silence stretching between us in the hallway was suffocating.

I shot him a quick glance. His dark hair looked damp, like he'd just stepped out of the shower. It was getting long, the messy strands almost brushing his eyelashes.

He ignored the question, his gaze pinned entirely on me. I couldn't handle the heavy weight of his stare. I quickly snapped my eyes back to the digital floor display.

The doors slid open at the basement garage. He stepped out but suddenly froze near the exit, turning back to face me. "You get off work at five, right?"

"Uh" My brain scrambled to keep up. "Yeah. Why?"

He shoved his hands into his pockets, his lazy gaze softening into something entirely different. He dropped his voice low. "Wait for you."

My chest seized, cutting off my air. A freezing rush of adrenaline flooded my veins. I spun around and power-walked to my car without looking back.

Once I hit the highway and the adrenaline started wearing off, the words echoed in my head. Wait for you. What the hell did that mean?

I racked my brain until a headache split behind my temples, but I couldn't figure out his angle. Even sitting at my desk, the blistering heat of his lips from last night kept flashing behind my eyelids. I was losing my mind.

I barely survived until five o'clock. Right on the dot, a text popped up on my screen.

[ Grab me a boba on your way back. ]

I stared at the message.

[ Too busy. ]

[ Overtime? ] he fired back.

My thumbs hovered over the keyboard. Why was he suddenly acting like we were a thing? What was his game?

[ Date. ]

I typed the lie and hit send. It was actually just an office happy hour. I had originally planned to skip it, but right now, I needed the distraction.

[ ? ] A single question mark came back.

[ The hot guy from accounting asked me to a movie. Tell my mom I won't be home for dinner. ]

I pulled out the most brutal excuse I could think ofone guaranteed to completely sever whatever weird connection was building between us, and to forcibly snap me back to reality.

The screen stayed dark. He didn't reply. Even though I checked my phone fifty times during the happy hour, my inbox remained completely empty.

Chapter 11

He must have gotten the message. My plan worked perfectly. But instead of relief, a weird, heavy knot settled at the bottom of my stomach.

After dinner, the office crew dragged me to a karaoke lounge for an ocean of tequila shots. Thanks to my coworkers' aggressive peer pressure, by midnight, I was so hammered I forgot a guy named Ezra even existed. Until I saw him.

He was leaning against the wall near the restrooms, smoking with a pack of guys. My immediate survival instinct was to spin around and sprint. But my bladder was at maximum capacity. I bit the inside of my cheek and speed-walked past their staring eyes to the women's room.

When I came back out, his crew was still there, obnoxiously loud and laughing.

"Got your eye on that older girl?"

He didn't answer. His dark eyes just tracked me through the dim hallway light.

"If you aren't gonna hit that, I definitely will."

I froze while drying my hands. I looked up to see a guy with bleached-gray hair staring dead at me.

I cut my eyes to Ezra. He still didn't say a word, just casually exhaled a thick cloud of white smoke.

The alcohol fueled my nerve. I swayed slightly as I marched right up to the gray-haired kid, glaring daggers. "I'm his older sister, kid. Watch your mouth."

The whole group erupted in loud, rowdy cheers.

"Damn, Ezra! Since when do you have a sister this hot?"

"Hiding her from us this whole time?"

The gray-haired guy stepped closer, reaching out. "You look a little tipsy, sister. Come chill at our VIP booth."

"Hard pass." I slapped his hand away.

"It's Ezra's birthday tonight. You're his sister, aren't you gonna celebrate with him?"

My brain completely stalled. I turned my head to look at Ezra. He casually looked away, completely unbothered, not offering a single word of confirmation or denial.

Wait for you. Was that why he said that this morning? Because it was his birthday?

A heavy weight dropped into my stomach. I remembered his cold words from the other nightShe's dead. The alcohol in my blood drowned out my common sense. I hesitated, then forced out, "Fine."

The frat boys started hyping me up, herding me toward the hallway. But Ezra finally spoke up, his voice cutting through the noise. "It's a complete sausage fest in there. What are you going to do?"

Did he seriously just reject me? The petty bastard was actually holding a grudge.

"Then I'm not going." I instantly dug my heels in. "I only said yes because I just found out it was your birthday."

He didn't say anything for two long seconds. Then he gave a lazy shrug. "What's so great about a birthday anyway."

Fine. If that was how he wanted to play it, I was officially done trying to be nice.

"Bye. Have fun." My hands hung awkwardly at my sides. I pivoted on my heel to leave.

I took exactly one step before slamming right into a solid, muscle-packed chest.

I jerked my head up. Ezra was looking down at me through a thin veil of smoke. "Come if you want."

What the hell? Who just told me it was a sausage fest? Who just said birthdays weren't a big deal?

"I don't want to anymore." I rolled my eyes at him.

He paused for a few seconds before a wicked grin broke across his face. He leaned down, his breath brushing my ear as he whispered, "That is the absolute biggest lie you tell"

The filthy, knowing tone in his voice said everything. A scorching wave of heat instantly burned from my neck to my hairline. My brain melted into static.

"Let's go." He stepped aside, his long fingers wrapping tightly around my wrist, dragging me straight to his VIP booth.

He actually seemed to be in a genuinely good mood. He took the center seat on the leather sofa. A constant stream of guys shoved shot glasses in his face, and he just smirked and knocked every single one of them back without hesitation.

I sat wedged beside him for an hour. The chaotic noise and flashing lights sobered me up.

"How old are you turning today?" I leaned in and asked during a lull in the shots.

Because the bass in the booth was vibrating the walls, he had to press his mouth right against my ear for me to hear him.

"I distinctly remember you giving me a different number last time," I shot back. Even with alcohol in my system, I wasn't an idiot.

He completely froze.

Chapter 12

"Are you seriously changing your age?"

"How old are you actually? Stop messing around." It wasn't my fault my voice came out so loudthe heavy bass of the track suddenly cut out, broadcasting my demand to the entire VIP booth.

"Harper, he's only twenty. He's just terrified you'll think he's too young for you." The whole pack of guys erupted into howling laughter.

I stared at them, completely speechless.

"Have you not choked down enough vodka tonight? You still have the energy to run your mouth?" Ezra shot his friend a lethal, deadpan glare.

That shut them up immediately.

As another round of shots hit the glass table, a deep crease formed between my eyebrows. If he drank himself into a coma tonight, how the hell was I supposed to drag him back to the apartment?

When his long fingers wrapped around another shot glass, I secretly tugged at the hem of his shirt. "Hey slow down on the liquor."

He dipped his head, his dark eyes locking onto mine through the dim club lighting. "Worried about me?"

I was worried about my own spine snapping while trying to carry his dead weight.

"Binge drinking is bad for your liver, kid." I tried lecturing him like a responsible adult.

He tipped his head back, downing the amber liquid in one smooth swallow. Then, he leaned in, his breath hot against my ear. "Relax. Even wasted, I still have plenty of stamina to handle you."

Holy hell. My heart violently slammed against my ribs.

No matter how hard I tried to hit the brakes, whatever this twisted dynamic between us was kept careening completely off the tracks. I grabbed my phone and aggressively tapped the blank screen, pretending I didn't hear him.

By 2 AM, Mom had blown up my phone with a dozen texts, but he still showed zero signs of stopping. My eyelids felt like they were lined with lead. The sheer, relentless energy of a twenty-year-old frat boy was completely beyond my limits.

When they finally closed out the tab, I reached out to hold him up so we could hail a ride. Instead, he stood perfectly straight, his balance flawless. I stared at him. Was his liver made of steel?

"When we get back, keep it quiet. Don't wake my parents up. They're definitely asleep," I nervously warned him from the backseat of the car.

He suddenly leaned his entire body weight into my space. "If we just get a hotel room, we won't wake them up" he drawled, his voice thick and lazy.

I shoved his heavy shoulder away and slid closer to the door, putting a solid foot of distance between us. "Ezra!"

"Yeah?" That single syllable slipped past his lips so incredibly soft, the low gravel in his throat nearly making my knees buckle right there in the backseat.

"We absolutely cannot keep doing this." I chewed on my lower lip. "Forget it. You're wasted. Trying to reason with you right now is pointless."

"Pointless talking" He crowded into my space again, leaning so close I could feel the heat radiating off his skin. He dropped his voice to a ruinous whisper right against my ear. "Then let's just do it."

My cheeks burned so hot they felt like they were on fire. Terrified the Uber driver up front would hear, I could only bite down hard on my lower lip.

He pressed his advantage, letting the suggestion hang thick in the air. "Hotel room. Let's go."

I clamped my mouth shut, staring straight out the window, completely ignoring him.

I barely survived the rest of the ride. The second the tires stopped, I dragged him out onto the curb. Watching the Uber's taillights disappear down the street, my temper finally snapped.

"Ezra, what the hell is your problem?" Why did he keep dropping these filthy lines, dragging me into these dangerous delusions?

"What did I do?" He dropped onto the concrete edge of a planter box, looking up at me with an amused smirk.

"You just asked me to go to a hotel! Are you out of your goddamn mind?" I paced furiously in front of him. The audacity of this guy.

"You were the one complaining about waking your parents up" He looked up through his lashes, playing the absolute picture of innocence.

I froze. Did I just drag my own mind straight into the gutter?

"Even then, we are not going to a hotel." Did he have any idea what getting a room together implied? Was he completely clueless?

He let out a heavy sigh and reached out to grab my hand. "Stop being so mad."

I snatched my fingers out of his reach.

"We're going home." I turned my back and started marching toward the apartment building.

Suddenly, a tight grip locked around my wrist, jerking me to a halt.

"What now?" I threw my hands up, utterly exhausted by his drunk antics.

He refused to loosen his grip. He just sat there on the concrete, his dark, intense gaze boring straight into me.

Finally, his patience completely evaporated. His powerful arm hooked around my waist, violently yanking me backward. I lost my balance and crashed hard, straddling his lap.

"Give me five minutes," he ordered, his low, raw voice vibrating directly into my ear.

Chapter 13

"What do you need five minutes for?" I was ready to go upstairs and pass out.

He stared down at me. The dim streetlights caught in his dark eyes, making them dangerously bright. He dropped his voice to a raw whisper. "I want my birthday present."

"I didn't get you anything!"

"I've got it right here."

Before the words fully left his mouth, his lips crashed down on mine. The sharp tang of tobacco mixed with the heavy sweetness of red wine. My brain instantly short-circuited into pure static.

At first, his mouth was aggressive, practically devouring mine, but then the rough urgency melted into something dangerously slow and deep. I knew this was a massive mistake. But my hands, pressed flat against his chest, lost all strength to push him away.

When he finally broke the kiss, pulling back just an inch, I gasped for air like I'd been drowning.

"Go on up first." He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and flicked his lighter.

Lighting up again. My head was spinning, a weird, heavy frustration settling in my chest. I turned to march toward the lobby doors.

"Don't be mad." His hand shot out, catching my wrist before I could walk away. "Just give me a second to cool down."

His gaze dropped pointedly toward his own waistline as a rough sigh scraped from his throat.

My eyes automatically followed his line of sight. The second it registered, a massive wave of heat scorched my face. My brain shut off, and I bolted for the elevator bank without another word.

Safe in my room, I buried my face in the pillows. The memory of the last hour made my pulse hammer wildly, but a vicious headache throbbed behind my temples. What the hell was I doing? I was actually falling for a guy who was completely off-limits. And a college kid, no less.

After a cold shower, I lay flat on the mattress, staring at the ceiling. The faint click of the front door opening down the hall sent my barely-settled heart straight back into overdrive.

Soft footsteps padded down the hallway, stopping dead right outside my bedroom door. My lungs locked up. I completely stopped breathing.

I waited for the knock. It never came. Instead, the screen of my phone lit up the dark room.

[ I really liked my birthday present. Don't overthink it. See you in the morning. ]

I stared at the glaring pixels. I recognized every single word, but strung together, they scrambled my brain. Did he like the present, or did he like me? What was my next move?

I tossed and turned until the sun came up, my mind a chaotic mess. Thank god it was Saturday. When I finally dragged my eyes open, the clock read 10:00 AM.

After a long night, the thought of walking out there and seeing him actually sent a nervous, electric jolt through my stomach.

I spent an hour putting myself together. I threw on a lilac sundress, aggressively concealed the dark bags under my eyes, and finally eased my door open.

Walking toward the living room, I spotted the back of his head over the sofa cushions. My pulse instantly kicked into high gear. I rounded the sofa, my fingers gripping the fabric of my dress. Then, my eyes landed on the young, beautiful face sitting right next to him. I froze completely.

"You must be the older girl tutoring him." She smiled. It was impossibly sweet, giving off pure, innocent kitten vibes.

I didn't say a word. I shot a frantic look at Ezra. He was leaning back, his expression completely blank, utterly unbothered. My blood instantly turned to ice.

"Yeah," I forced out a single syllable, dropping stiffly into the armchair across from them.

"Harper, this is Aubrey, Ezra's fiance. She came looking for him." Dad practically floated into the living room, enthusiastically carrying a fruit platter.

I knew right then. Dad's dream promotion was back on the table.

"Oh." I grabbed a slice of watermelon and shoved it into my mouth. It tasted like absolute cardboard.

"Weren't you supposed to be meeting up with a college friend today?" Dad aggressively shot me a pointed look.

My brain lagged. Since when did I have plans?

It clicked a second later. I abruptly stood up. As I did, Dad turned to the couple. "You kids talk things out properly. Stop throwing tantrums over every little thing."

He was talking straight to them. Aubrey offered a perfectly obedient nod. "We know, sir."

With that, she picked up a piece of watermelon and held it right up to Ezra's lips.

Chapter 14

Ezra didn't open his mouth. He just turned his head and locked his dark eyes on me. My skin instantly prickled. I felt like a massive third wheel intruding on their space.

"I'm heading out. You guys talk." I pivoted and marched straight toward my bedroom.

"I have nothing to discuss with you."

"Are you done yet?"

"Just block my number, okay?"

Standing inside my room, I practically pressed my ear against the wood. Most of it was just Aubrey sobbing, her words completely muffled. Ezra barely spoke, only throwing out a sharp, ruthless sentence here and there, sounding done with her.

My fingers tightened their grip on the fabric of my dress. A heavy breath pushed past my lips. I felt like an absolute joke.

No matter how explosive their fights got, they were still walking down the aisle. Where did that leave me? I dragged my feet over to the mirror, staring at my own reflection. Then I pictured Aubrey's flawless, tear-streaked face. All the energy drained right out of my bones.

Youth really was the ultimate weapon. Ezra was only twenty. Aubrey was probably the exact same age. I was twenty-six. What kind of delusional competition was I even trying to run? Plus, he was the literal heir to my dad's corporate ladder. What the hell was I thinking?

While my brain spiraled, Mom pushed my door open, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Is the permanent third wheel getting jealous?" She jerked her chin toward the living room.

"I why the hell would I be jealous?" My jaw tightened.

"Honestly, even I'm jealous." Mom stepped closer, slipping straight into nostalgic mode. "Young couples fighting is the best. The louder they scream, the hotter they make up."

"Mom, my mood is currently in the gutter. I highly suggest you don't poke the bear." I absolutely refused to listen to this.

"Why is your mood in the gutter?" Mom stared at me like I'd grown a second head.

I didn't have the energy to argue. I curled up in my chair and aggressively tapped on my phone screen.

"Sigh. If I were you, I'd be pissed too. That Aubrey girl isn't even half as pretty as you. How does she get a guy as loaded and handsome as Ezra, while my daughter is still dying alone?"

For a split second, I legitimately couldn't tell whose side my mom was on.

"I met a lady at bingo yesterday. Her nephew is a doctor