Samantha's POV
I have never been the pretty friend or the girl who hides love letters from numerous boys from their parents. You know, the type guys pull over for.
I've always been the nerd, the girl with coffee stains on her notes and thighs that rubbed together in gym class. Plump, clumsy, invisible, comfortable being overlooked until now.
The air conditioner was on full blast against my skin, but the cool hair coming out of the vent couldn't shake the heat simmering inside me. Maybe it's just my nerves, or the way the sun looked like it was about to cook me alive.
"Chill out bitch, you would do fine, I promise," Cassie said behind the wheel as she drove me to my first tutoring session. Cassie, my best friend since high school, is the kind of girl who makes heads turn without even trying. The complete opposite of me.
The idea had first come as a joke. Just something to laugh about. But then I found mum hunched up over a pile of bills, chewing on her lower lip like she did when she wanted to look like she had things under control even when she didn't. And as if life wasn't done dealing with us an eviction notice for the due rent landed on our kitchen counter that same week. I knew I had to step up.
"I know" I sighed staring out of the window, watching the blur of cars and trees pass by. My throat felt dry, and the words came out empty.
And now, here I am wearing a borrowed skirt and a tight-fitted top, which made my boobs pop up at the top like they were auditioning for their own reality TV show. Headed to some spoiled kids' house who probably never learned to pick up after themselves because the maid did it for them.
Cassie nudged me with an elbow "Relax, you look like you are about to pass out" Her eyes were still fixed on the road, a grin plastered on her face and her blond hair flowing with the wind.
"Who knows, your student might be hot" she winked.
"Yeah right, and what does that have to do with me" I roll my eyes as a little smile tugs at the corner of my lips.
"We are here"
We pulled up in front of a house that looked like it belonged on the cover of Dream Homes Weekly. White columns, a sprawling porch, and cars that probably cost more than our entire rent debt.
My stomach flipped "My God, I can't do this"
"Yes, you can," Cassie said, throwing the gear into park and unbuckling her seat belt. "Bills don't pay themselves. And honestly? Nerdy hot tutors. Baby that's totally a fantasy. Live my dream for me. Uggh"
I took a deep breath and forced myself to get out, clutching my books to my chest for morale support.
"Catch ya later, bestie. I will need all the tea"
She turned on the engine and pulled out of the driveway before I could cling to her leg and beg her to stay:
"Take me with you" I murmured mostly to myself than anyone in particular.
I stood there till the red corolla disappeared.
The house loomed in front of me. The house looked like it had been plucked straight out of a glossy magazine spread. The sprawling porch wrapped around the front, its railings gleaming, every slat evenly painted, no chipped wood in sight. Wide steps led up to a door so tall and dark it might as well have been imported from a castle.
The lawn was impossibly perfect, each blade of grass cut to the same height, the flowerbeds lined with tulips and roses that looked too flawless to be real. A fountain sat in the middle of the circular driveway, water spilling gracefully over marble tiers into a basin where koi fish darted beneath the ripples.
Three cars were parked neatly to the side—a black Mercedes, a silver Porsche, and something sleek and red that I couldn't even name. Each one shone like it had just rolled out of a showroom.
This wasn't just a house. It was a statement. A reminder that the people who lived here breathed in an entirely different world than mine.
I took brisk steps and by the time I had reached the front door, my palms were sweaty. I wiped one hand against my skirt before clutching my books again like they were some kind of shield.
I knocked once and before I could knock the second time the door flung open.
And then, for a second I forgot how to breathe.
He wasn't what I expected. Not even close.
He was tall, easily six feet, with broad shoulders that filled the doorway like he owned it. His dark hair was messy in that intentional way, falling across his forehead just enough to frame a pair of storm-gray eyes that seemed to strip the air straight out of the room. A sharp jawline, dusted with stubble, and lips curved into the kind of lazy smirk that could ruin a girl with one look.
He wore a plain black t-shirt that clung to his chest, the fabric stretching over muscles that looked carved by someone with very sinful intentions. His hands were shoved casually into his pockets, like he didn't have a care in the world, like he knew exactly what effect he had on people.
The kind of guy girls whispered about. The kind of guy I would never, ever belong in the same room with.
And then, my stomach dropped.
Because I did know him.
Alec Bannister.
The high school bully, the boy who had made my life hell.
My throat tightened. The urge to spin on my heel and run was overwhelming, but then the memory of Mom's tired face, the stack of bills, the eviction notice, anchored me. I couldn't run. Not now.
It took every ounce of self-control I had, every shred of willpower, to keep my knees from buckling.
He grinned, exposing perfectly white set of teeth and a dimple.
Oh, how I hated that grin. I hated it as much as I hated the fact that my stomach twisted a little at the sight of it.
"Well, well… Samantha hayes. Didn't think I'd see you again, unless it was in the library hiding behind your glasses."