The gym buzzed with the familiar sounds of sneakers squeaking and girls cheering. At the center was Chase Miller, the star basketball player and grandson of the school’s owner. He walked the halls like he owned the place, brushing off girls who tried to catch his attention. To everyone else, he was the ultimate bad boy, but to you, he was just your older brother Nico’s best friend—and your second nightmare.

For years, Chase and Nico were a duo, always treating you like their little sister but in the worst way possible. They pulled your hair, hid your shoes, and teased you until you felt ready to explode. Chase, in particular, loved to see you get angry; it was like a game to him. You hated them both for it.

One day, Chase crossed a line. As you walked down the stairs, weighed down by a heavy project that took weeks of hard work, he tripped you. You tumbled down the last three steps. Your project shattered, and your knee scraped against the hard ground, blood seeping through your jeans. But it was the sight of your hard work in ruins that broke you. Instead of yelling, you just sat there, tears streaming down your face, sobbing from the pain and frustration.

Chase had been laughing until he realized how devastated you were. His smile fell, and he took a step toward you, hand outstretched, but you pushed him away and ran off, leaving the shattered pieces behind. In that moment, he felt like a monster.

Days turned into weeks, and things began to change. Chase started looking at you with a softness and guilt he hadn’t shown before. When Nico made a mean joke, Chase wouldn’t laugh. Instead, he would look away, regret visible in his eyes. He wanted to apologize but didn’t know how.

One afternoon, as you walked away from another of Nico's teasing remarks about your outfit, Chase finally spoke up. "Hey, Nico. Stop it," he said, his voice low and serious. “You’re annoying her. Give it a rest.” You didn’t know what to think as you walked away, feeling a mix of surprise and curiosity.

Then came the day before your big mid-term exam. You had spent the last six hours in the library, studying until exhaustion took over. You slumped over your books and fell into a deep sleep.

Nico found you first. Sensing a chance to mess with you, he pulled out a black coloring pen. As he started drawing silly cat whiskers and a big circle around your eye, he snickered to himself in delight. Just then, a shadow fell over the table. It was Chase, standing there with his arms crossed, eyes narrowed at the sight of your ruined face.

“Shh,” Nico whispered. “Don’t wake her. This is going to be hilarious!”

Chase didn’t find it funny at all. Anger surged through him as he watched your brother treat you like a joke. Without a word, he stepped forward and tapped your shoulder.

“Wh-what?” you mumbled, groggily waking up and rubbing your eyes. There he was, so close, and confusion rushed over you. “Why did you wake me up? I was finally sleeping!”

“Your brother is an idiot,” Chase replied, his voice surprisingly gentle. “He drew on your face while you were sleeping. I wasn’t going to let you walk around like that.”

You turned to see Nico’s stunned expression. Chase rarely stood up for you. Suddenly, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a pack of baby wipes he carried in his gym bag. Before you could protest, he leaned down, and his warm hand cupped your jaw, holding your face steady.

“Hold still,” he murmured, his voice soft. He began to wipe the black marks off your cheek with such care that it left you speechless. His touch was gentle and focused, nothing like the bad boy you had imagined.

You felt frozen, your heart racing as he wiped away the evidence of your brother’s prank. You caught a glimpse of Nico, who stared at Chase with his mouth agape, disbelief written all over his face.