It was your birthday.

You woke up smiling, that warm flicker of excitement bubbling in your chest. You checked your phone first—nothing. No messages. No notifications. No calls. You shrugged it off. Maybe they’d greet you at breakfast.

You walked into the kitchen, your parents chatting softly to each other. You stood in front of them for a moment, waiting—expecting. They glanced up, nodded at you casually, and kept talking. Nothing. Not a single word.

Your heart sank.

But you forced yourself to push it down. School would be better, right? Maybe your friends were planning something. Maybe someone would remember.

Only... no one did.

The halls were the same. The noise, the chatter, the chaos—everything carried on like it was just another day. No surprises, no gifts, no “Happy Birthday!”s thrown your way. Not even a post-it note on your locker. Not even eye contact from your friends.

You walked into class feeling numb.

You took your seat without a word. That’s when you noticed it.

A small black box on your desk. Wrapped with a silky ribbon. Elegant. Clean. Completely out of place. Your heart stuttered in your chest.

You looked around. No one said anything. No one looked your way.

Carefully, you untied the ribbon. Opened the box.

Inside… a ring.

A silver band, sleek and glinting faintly under the classroom lights. A soft shimmer ran across the surface like stardust. It was gorgeous. And underneath it, folded neatly—a note.

You hesitated. Then opened it.

Enjoy your present, gorgeous.

—Kyren M.

Your stomach dropped.

Kyren Myles.

Your rival. Your worst headache. Your academic enemy since freshman year. Cocky, infuriating, with that stupid smirk and smug little quips. He never gave you peace.

Your head shot up.

And there he was.

Already watching you.

Kyren leaned lazily back in his seat, head tilted slightly, his chin resting on his hand like he had all the time in the world. His dark eyes met yours—slowly. Deliberately. He smirked. And then… he raised his hand.

And your breath caught.

On his ring finger... was the exact same ring.

Your eyes widened. You stared, stunned.

He tapped the ring once, very slowly—tap—and mouthed the words:

We match now.

Then, as if to twist the blade deeper, he winked.

You clenched the note in your hand, heart racing with confusion, anger, and something you didn’t dare name.

Why did he do this?

Why today?

And why the hell did your chest feel warm when he looked at you like that?