The next morning at Riverview Academy, the air felt heavier than usual.
I had barely finished breakfast when I saw Lisa practically bouncing toward me.
"Chelsea! You won't believe it!" she whispered urgently.
I frowned. "What now?"
"They're pairing you and Adrian for the science project!"
I froze.
"What?"
Lisa nodded, eyes wide. "Group assignments came out this morning. You're… together. Like, the only way it could've been worse is if he got to choose partners."
My heart sank. My brain screamed. My stomach twisted.
Adrian. My stepbrother. The cocky, infuriating disaster of a boy I hated more than anyone in this world.
And now we were forced to work together.
When I arrived at the classroom, Adrian was already there. Leaning casually against the desk, his dark skin glowing in the sunlight streaming through the windows, smirking at the girls who whispered and stared as he passed by.
Of course. He looked completely at ease. Effortlessly attractive, perfectly composed, the kind of boy who made people especially girls melt at a glance.
He didn't even notice me at first.
I took a deep breath, trying to prepare myself for what was about to happen.
The teacher called out, "Chelsea, Adrian come up here. You're a team."
Adrian's smirk finally landed on me. Slowly. Deliberately. That smirk I already despised with my whole being.
"Well, well," he said, voice low enough only I could hear. "Looks like we're partners."
I crossed my arms. "I didn't hear anyone asking me."
He shrugged lazily. "You'll get used to it."
I wanted to shout. I wanted to walk out. I wanted to shove my notebook in his face and tell him exactly what I thought. But… I stayed silent.
Because we were stuck together.
We walked to the library to get started. The tension between us was immediate.
He leaned back in the chair across from me, arms folded. "So," he said smoothly. "You're supposed to be the genius, right? I hope you know what you're doing."
I glared at him. "I've got this. I don't need you to interfere."
Adrian's dark eyes flicked over me slowly. "Interfere?" His voice had a teasing edge that made my cheeks heat up. "I'm just here to make sure the project is… interesting."
I didn't reply.
He leaned a little closer, his hand resting near mine on the table. Just inches away. The air felt electric. I could practically feel his heat.
And my blood boiled.
Hours passed. We argued over formulas, diagrams, and methodology. I kept my voice sharp, precise, refusing to let him see even the smallest hint of hesitation.
But Adrian… he was relentless. He leaned close at every opportunity. Whispered in that soft, teasing voice, brushing his hand accidentally against mine when passing a pen. Every touch calculated, every word laced with charm and mockery.
At one point, I slammed my pencil down. "Stop distracting me!"
He grinned. "Distracting you? I'm helping you focus."
"You're impossible!" I hissed.
"And yet," he said, leaning back, "you can't stop looking at me."
I wanted to hit him. My face burned. I refused to admit that even for a second, part of me was aware of his presence, aware of the way my pulse quickened every time he leaned too close.
Then, the moment came that made my blood boil even more.
A girl from our class — the same one I had seen him teasing in the courtyard before — walked past the library window. Adrian looked up and smiled.
"Hey," he called softly. "You're late. What took you so long?"
The girl blushed furiously, stumbling over her words. Adrian leaned closer, hand brushing her notebook as if it were an accident. She giggled nervously.
I froze. My jaw tightened.
That infuriating, cocky bastard.
The nerve of him, acting like this right in front of me.
I clenched my fists under the table. My entire body tensed.
And yet… I couldn't look away.
After she left, Adrian turned back to me.
"You're mad," he said simply.
I shot him a glare. "Mad doesn't even cover it."
He smirked. "Good. I like it when you're mad."
I slammed my notebook shut. "I hate you!"
"Not me," he said casually, leaning back in his chair. "I think you might be… intrigued."
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to push him off his chair.
But I sat there, my hands trembling slightly, my heart pounding, refusing to let him see the effect he had on me.
When the school bell finally rang, I grabbed my bag and stood up quickly. Adrian followed at a slower pace, smirking the entire way.
Outside, I saw Lisa waiting. "So… how was it?" she asked.
"Infuriating," I spat.
"You mean… fun?" she teased.
"No!" I said sharply. "I hate him!"
But my voice wavered slightly. And I hated that too.
Adrian caught up to me at the gate. He walked beside me, calm, collected, smirking that infuriating smirk.
"You know," he said casually, "I think this project is going to be… interesting."
"I think you're going to be the problem," I muttered.
He laughed softly. Dark, confident, perfect. "Maybe."
And I realized with a shiver living with him, working with him, seeing him every day… this was only going to get worse.
Much worse.
To be continued…