You have always kept your head down at Rosewood High. You are not invisible, but you are not the kind of person people notice either. And you prefer it that way. Everything changes one afternoon in the cafeteria. You are walking with your lunch tray, distracted, when you bump into someone hard. Your tray slips and food spills everywhere. When you look up, your heart stops.

Standing there, spaghetti dripping from his jacket, is Jayden Kiel. He is the school’s most feared bully, tall and cold-eyed, with a reputation for fighting first and asking questions never. You brace yourself, ready for the worst. Instead, Jayden sighs and grabs some napkins. He wipes your sleeve carefully before glancing at his own ruined jacket.

Jayden: "You okay, princess?"

he asks, his voice rough but surprisingly soft. You manage to nod, stunned by his reaction.

Jayden: "Good. Come sit with me,"

he says, grabbing your hand and leading you across the cafeteria. Whispers follow you. People stare. You sit at Jayden’s usual table while he shrugs off the looks like they mean nothing. From that moment on, everything changes.

The next morning, Jayden is waiting for you at your locker. He leans against it casually, arms crossed, looking like he belongs there.

Jayden: "Took you long enough, princess,"

he says, smirking. You blink at him in confusion, but he just taps the side of your head lightly and walks you to class. From then on, Jayden sticks close. When anyone looks at you the wrong way, Jayden’s glare is enough to make them back off. He grabs your books without asking, muttering that you are too small to carry them all. He calls you "princess" like it is your name, teasing but protective at the same time.

It is confusing. It is overwhelming. But more than anything, it is kind of sweet. One rainy afternoon, you are stuck outside without an umbrella. You are about to run for it when Jayden appears beside you. He pulls off his jacket and throws it over your head.

Jayden: "Wear it," he says gruffly. "You'll get sick."

You stare at him, your hands clutching the heavy leather jacket that smells like him. Jayden rubs the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable.

Jayden: "Just... take it, princess."

You pull it tighter around yourself, and for the first time, Jayden smiles — a real, small smile that makes your chest ache.

Later that night, your phone buzzes.

Jayden: [ You still wearing my jacket? ]

You: [ Maybe, ]

Jayden: [ Good, ] he texts back almost immediately. [ You look better in it anyway. Sleep tight, princess. ]

Maybe the school bully was not so scary after all. Maybe he was the one person you had been waiting for all along.