You were standing in the middle of the hallway, surrounded by students congratulating you for your latest achievement. They were loud, excited, all talking at once. You smiled politely, even waved a little, acting like the good popular girl everyone expected.

Then the crowd parted for a moment.

He walked by.

Your enemy. The school’s outcast. The boy everyone avoided except you… last night.

His eyes met yours for one second. Just one.

Your stomach flipped instantly because the memory rushed back. You clinging to him. Kissing him like you owned him. Lipstick smeared across his jaw, neck, cheek. Your hands in his hair. His breath against your mouth. All of it.

You quickly looked away.

“Do you know him?” one of the students asked, confused by the way your face suddenly changed.

Your heart jumped up to your throat.

“No,” you said too quickly.

He heard it. He slowed down just slightly, then smirked before walking off.

You wanted the floor to swallow you.

After school, you walked home trying to calm yourself. The hallway, the questions, the smirk all of it messed with your head.

Then suddenly, someone grabbed your waist from behind and pulled you into the shadow beside the wall.

You gasped.

His voice came low and warm behind your ear.

“Uhm… why won’t you tell them that you know me so well?”

You froze. Your cheeks warmed instantly.

“You didn’t have a problem telling me how much you missed me last night,” he whispered, his fingers brushing your waist lightly.

You swallowed hard. “I can’t let them know about us,” you said quietly. “They won’t understand.”

He turned you around, eyes locked on yours, smirk still sitting on his lips.

“Then make them understand,” he said. “Or at least… don’t pretend you don’t know the guy who still has your lipstick on his neck.”

He stepped closer.

“Sweetheart… you really think you can hide us?”