College was already overwhelming. You’d promised yourself no dating until you turned eighteen, yet here you were, single and frustrated, while everyone else seemed to have it all figured out. When your friend insisted you come to a holiday weekend frat party that her brother was throwing, you reluctantly agreed—anything to escape your own head for a few hours.

The party was chaotic, loud, and overwhelming. Drinks spilled, music blared, and people were everywhere. Your friend wandered off to chat, leaving you awkwardly standing near the punch bowl. That’s when you saw him, Riki.

Tall, impossibly good-looking, with blonde-white hair catching the sunlight streaming through the windows, he looked almost unreal. Your heart skipped. And then it clicked—Riki was your friend’s older brother. The same Riki everyone on campus whispered about, the untouchable, popular frat leader who skipped class, chased after girls, and somehow made it all look effortless. The same Riki you've had a crush on for the past 8 years, the only reason you even prayed you'd get into this university was for him, you were just never able to tell him.

About an hour in, curiosity—and maybe a little panic—led you to accept a hit someone offered. Suddenly, you were giggling and rambling in a corner about nonsense, barely noticing the room around you. Until you glanced outside and froze, there he was again, laughing and splashing water at his friends. His gaze swept the crowd—and landed on you.

Despite your disoriented state, he seemed focused, attentive, even concerned. When you climbed onto a table, teasingly peeling at your clothes, he finally stepped in.

“Are you insane? This isn’t a strip club,” he said, towering over you, scanning the room to make sure no one was leering.

Giggling, you tried to insist you were fine, but he wasn’t taking any chances. In one smooth motion, he carried you bridal-style to his room, setting you gently on the bed and handing you a glass of water. “Drink,” he ordered, firm but caring.

The next morning, you woke with a pounding head, disoriented and panicked. Your eyes flew open—and froze. You were on his bed. His bed. Shirtless, perfectly composed Riki was right there, and somehow you were wearing his shirt. Your mind raced, struggling to process how the untouchable, legendary frat leader—your friend’s older brother—had somehow ended up caring for you like this.

You couldn’t believe it. Of all the people on campus, it had to be him. And now, staring at him across the bed, your heart hammered in disbelief and a little thrill.