“Ryan, stop it! Stop it, Ryan!” I shoved at his chest, my hands pressing hard, but he only pulled me closer, his grip like iron, holding me as if letting go wasn’t an option.

    “I miss you so much, my love,” he whispered quickly, almost desperately, his lips brushing over my cheek, trailing frantic kisses down my faceb, /bover my neck, like if he kissed me enough I’d forget, like all the hurt would just vanish.

    “Don’t, Ryan! Stop it, I mean it, get off me!” bMy /bvoice cracked with anger, my body stiff, every nerve screaming. I shoved again

    but his arms only tightened more.

    He pressed his forehead against mine, breath ragged, refusing to budge. “Pleaseb, /bAnna, please… bI /bjust can’t stay baway /bfrom byou/b.” His voice was lowb, /btrembling, broken in a way that made my chest twist even as my anger boiled hotter.

    Then he pulled back, his jaw tight, his eyes dark, his tone sharp enough to make me freeze. “Get in the carb,/bb” /bbhe /borderedb. /b

    “What?” I stared at him like he had lost his mind. “Are you crazyb? /bNo, Ryan. I said no. Leave me alone!”

    His grip on me tightened. His eyes burned into mine, and his voice dropped lowerb, /bfirmerb, /bcarrying a warning I knew he meant. b“/bbAnna/bb, /bget in the damn car. Or I swear to bGod/b, I’ll take you right here. I don’t care who sees. I’ve missed byou /btoo damn much.b” /b

    Something in his tone made me stop. It wasn’t a threat to hurt me, it was a desperate promise, a dangerous edge that told me he wasn’t bluffing. He meant every word. bMy /bchest rose and fell too fast, my mind screaming at me to walk baway/b, but my legs betrayed me, I slid into the seat, my arms crossed tight, lips pressed together so hard they hurt.

    Ryan closed the door and went around to the driver’s side. bMy /bbody bwas /brigid, my silence loud, but bI /bcould feel his silence louder. The air was bheavy/b, tense, charged with everything unsaid.

    He gripped the wheel sp hard his knuckles turned white. For a long moment he said nothing, then finally, his voice broke the silence, softer than before. “Anna, I really did miss you. Every damn day. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t even breathe right without you. I thought I was losing my mind.”

    I turned my face baway/bb, /bstaring out the window, bitterness wing at my throat. “Stop lying, Ryan. bJust /bstop. You’re so damn annoying!”

    His eyes snapped to me, shocked, his lips parting like I’d just pped him. For once, he didn’t answer. He just clenched the wheel tighter, his jaw locked, the muscle ticking as if he was holding himself back from exploding

    The moment we reached, Ryan turned off the engine and looked at me for a moment before he quietly said, “Wait, I’ll get the door for you.” He didn’t even give me a chance to argue before stepping out, and I stayed seated only because I knew it would annoy him less if bI /bjust waited, but the second he was halfway around the car I pushed my own door open and got out, not even sparing him a nce. His frown was immediateb, /bI saw it out of the corner of my eyeb, /bthe way his jaw tightened as if he was about to scold me, but before he could take a single step closer, voices rose all around him

    “Ryan Wolfe! Prince Ryanb” /bbpeople /bwere shouting, and within seconds he was surroundedb, /bblike /bbthey /bhad bbeen /bwaiting for this exact moment to pounce on him. I froze for a second, watching as the crowd closed in, and then my eyes caught someone familiar in the chaos. Sasha She was standing at a distanceb, /blooking around nervously like she bwas /bsearching for someone, and when her beyes /bnded on me she looked like she could finally breathe.

    Sashab! /bI called out, and the relief on her face doubled as she ran bto /bme and I ran to meet bher /bbhalfway/b. bWe /bbhugged /bbbriefly /bbefore she pulled back, grabbing bmy /bshoulders, her eyes scanning my face like she was checking if I was breally /bbokay/b.

    “Annab, /bare byou /bbokay/b? Please tell me you’re okay,” she rushed bout/bb, /bbher /bbwords /btumbling bover /bbeach /bbother/bb. /b

    42

    “Of course I am,” I said quickly, though my voice was still shaky. “I’m fine, Sasha.”

    She exhaled deeply, pressing her hand to her chest like she’d been holding her breath. “Phew, thank God. Anna, I swear, that guy is really scary. I don’t usually fear people but the kind of vibe he gives, it’s terrifying. He’s hot as hell, yes, damn handsome too, but Anna… I can’t exin it, it’s like standing next to a fire you know can burn you alive.”

    Her words stung, because I knew exactly what she meant, and I hated that she was right. I just nodded, trying to hide the war in my chest, when I noticed Caleb beside her. “Where’s Liam?” I asked, surprised not to see him with them.

    Sasha rolled her eyes and gave a little shrug. “He went to find another partner. There’s been this girl who’s been eyeing him all week and I think he just gave in. Look, over there.i” /iShe pointed across the crowd, and I followed her hand to see Liam with a slim, petite girl in an off–white gown.

    I was about to say something when Sasha nudged me again, lowering her voice. “Anna, look at him. His eyes are fixed bon /bbyou /b

    not on anyone else, not even the people swarming him.”

    I nced back towards Ryan, and sure enough, even though people were calling his name and shaking his hand, his gaze was locked right on me, sharp and unreadable, as if bI /bwas the only person that mattered in that entire crowd. My stomach twisted ufortablyb. /b

    Sasha leaned closer and whispered, “I also heard from Liam that he was once a student of our school. a really bright student too, apparently, and from a very rich family. He was specially invited to this g, and his father is some bvery /bwell–bknown /bman. Anna… do byou /bknow his familyb?/bb” /b

    The question hit me like a stone, but I quickly forced my face to stay calm. I knew that if I told Sasha the whole truth, she would connect the dots too fast, and then everything I’d been trying to hide would explode out in the bopen/b. So I just shrugged and pretended like it was nothing. “bI /bbdon’t /breally knowb, /bSasha. bMaybe/b. I don’t know much about him outside school.”

    Sasha frowned but didn’t push it. She just sighed and then bgave /bme a sympathetic look. “bSorry/bb, /bAnna, but I think I bhave /bto leave you now. He’sing over hereb, /band the look on his face isn’t looking good. You’ll bhave /bto face him alone. I’m really sorry babe.b” /b

    I panicked a little, my hand shooting out to grab hers. “Pleaseb, /bSasha, don’t leave me with him right bnow/b. I bcan’t/b… he’s hurt me so much alreadyb, /bI’m not ready.“.

    Her eyes softened but she shook her head quicklyb, /bncing bnervously /bat Ryan who was already striding towards me with that same unreadable expression. b“/bI’m so sorryb, /bAnna, but I don’t want him transferring his anger bonto /bme. I can’t. You’ll have to do this on your own. I love byou/bb, /bbokay/bb?/bb” /bShe squeezed my hand once and then tugged Caleb with her, both of them scurrying off into the hall, leaving me standing there alone.

    My teeth clenched as I turned back to see Ryan, his eyes glued to me, his strides long and purposeful, his entire focus narrowed down on me like a predator closing in on prey. I wanted to move but my legs were stuck, and just as I thought he was about to reach me, two lecturers stepped in front of him to bgreet /bhim. He stopped, his expression flickering briefly, and they started shaking his hand, talking to him, slowing him down. I saw that as my chance

    Without thinking too hard, I scanned the crowd and bspotted /ba guy standing off to the side, tall, good–looking, and clearly without a partner. I didn’t hesitate. I rushed over to him, stering a smile on my face as I reached for his hand. “Hib,/bb” /bbI /bsaid sweetlyb, /bbreathless from nervesb, /bb“/bcan you be my partner for the nightb?/bb” /b

    The guy blinkedb, /bstartled, then smirked when his eyes ran over me. b“/bOf courseb, /bbsexy/b.”

    forced augh and immediately linked my hand with his, dragging him along before Ryan could catch me. We walked into the hall togetherb, /band my heart finally slowed a little when I saw bhow /bcrowded it was inside. Music filled bthe /bbroom/bb, /bbcouples /bwere already on the dance bfloor/bb, /band the noise was loud enough bto /bblur my panic. I btugged /bbthe /bbguy /bbstraight /bto the middle bof /bthe dance floorb, /bforcing myself to bmove /bwith him, anything bto /bbget /blost bin /bthe crowd and bnot /bbbe /bbfound /btoo bquickly/b.

    Minutes bpassed/bb. /bbMy /bbbody /bbrxed /bbit by bbit /bbas /bI swayed bwith /bbthe /bstranger, convincing myself bRyan /bwas still bcaught /bbup /boutsideb, /bprobably still surrounded bby /bbpeople/bb. /bI let myself believe I had bought some timeb, /bbthat /bbmaybe /bbI’d /bbbe /bable bto /bbavoid /bhim longer than I thought.

    42

    But then, without warning, the air shifted. I didn’t even need to turn around to know he was behind me, close enough that I could feel his presence pressing against my back like a storm ready to break. and then his voice came, sharp, low, andmanding, cutting straight through the music.

    “Get your hand off her!”