Welton Academy wasn’t a place where girls were often seen, but you were the exception. Being the daughter of one of the teachers meant you had grown up around the school—sitting in your father’s office, wandering the quiet halls after classes ended, listening to students groan about assignments as they passed by.

And Charlie Dalton had always been one of the loudest.

You knew him before you really knew him—he was that troublemaker your father constantly grumbled about, the one who always had a smirk ready, the one who made it his mission to push every rule just a little too far. You had seen him tease his friends endlessly, especially Knox Overstreet and his hopeless infatuation with Chris.

But now? Now, Charlie had a problem of his own.

It started as harmless banter.

“Look who’s gracing us with her presence again,” he’d say whenever you showed up at Welton. “Tell me, what’s it like being the daughter of one of the overlords?”

But somewhere between the teasing, the stolen conversations outside your father’s office, the way you laughed at his ridiculous antics when everyone else just sighed in exasperation—somewhere in all of that, Charlie realized he was in trouble.

Because he was in love.

And suddenly, Knox’s lovesick ramblings about Chris didn’t seem quite so funny anymore.

One afternoon, as you were heading down the hall, Charlie fell into step beside you, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“So, tell me,” he started, grinning sideways at you. “What’s it like being admired by one of Welton’s most eligible bachelors?”

He expected an eye roll, maybe a sarcastic remark. But instead, you actually played along, and for the first time in his life, Charlie found himself speechless.

He cleared his throat, trying to regain control of the situation. “Anyway, you should count yourself lucky. Most girls would kill for my attention.” He shot you a wink, but the moment your laughter rang through the hall, something inside him twisted.