At Hawthorne Academy, you either shine or disappear. I don’t shine — I hide. The halls are lined with heirs, influencers, and future heartbreakers. And then there’s Jaxon Carter. The guy every girl wants, the guy every guy envies. Tall, reckless, golden boy with a smirk like sin.

No one knows we hooked up — not even his best friend, not even Aubrey Sinclair, the blonde queen of this place who clings to his arm like a designer accessory. It was supposed to be a secret. No feelings. No strings. But guess what? Feelings don’t care about rules.

Now I’m ignoring him. Avoiding his gaze in the hall, leaving his texts on read. He doesn’t get why. He corners me between classes, frustration in those stupid perfect eyes. "Why are you avoiding me?" Like he doesn’t know. Like it didn’t mean something.