The project partner
VIOLET
The car ride home with Ryan was its usual,awkward as ever. The drive to school and the return trip were always marked by this ghostly silence. The only sounds were the occasional hum of the engine and the rustling of the wind through the cracked window.
My dead phone's battery only worsened the situation. I would have immersed myself in it to escape the discomfort, but instead, I forced myself to keep looking out the window, trying to ignore the uncomfortable lump in my throat.
"You know, you should try breathing around me. I donât biteâ Ryan finally broke the silence. â I was starting to think I'm driving alone. No wordsâ His eyes flicked towards me for a moment before he threw it back on the road
I blinked. It's no news that I always find it hard to breathe next to him âIt didnât strike me that you're so eager to have a conversation with me.â I replied, trying to keep my tone light.
He chuckled, a low sound that made my heart skip a beat. âWellâŠâhe said, running a hand over his lower lip and then twisting the steering wheel with a smooth, deliberate motion and I must admit,it was hot as hell.
âYou must think pretty highly of yourself if you assume thatâs the case, stepsister.â He drawled,emphasizing on the âstepsisterâ with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes. âWeâve managed just fine avoiding each other for three days. Iâm sure we can continue to do so.â
Ryanâs grin widened. âI see youâre unaware of certain things.â
âLike what?â I asked, curiosity piqued.
âNothing,â he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction.
I shrugged off his cryptic remark. The rest of the ride was silent, with no more words exchanged.
When Ryan finally pulled into the driveway, I didnât wait for him to turn off the engine. I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt and bolted out of the car. Every second spent with him felt like a test of my resolve to keep my distance.
I hurried into the house, noting the silence that greeted me. It was clear that the âcoupleâ wasnât home. They were often out on dates, which I found oddly cute
I raced up to my room, slamming the door behind me before collapsing onto my bed. After a few moments, I peeled off my uniform and trudged into the bathroom.
I turned on the shower, letting the cold water seep into my tense body. Today had been uneventfulâjust classes, Ashleyâs relentless inquiries about my interactions with Ryan, and Lukeâs familiar, comforting presence. Weâd been hanging out together for days now, and heâd proven to be a good friend.
My thoughts drifted back to Ryan, and I wondered what he might be doing at this very moment. It had never occurred to me how he spent his time at home. Our interactions were limited to breakfasts, dinners, and our car rides to and from school.
Did he invite girls over? Iâd never seen any around the house. I mentally slapped myself. Why was I even concerned with what he did?
I turned off the shower and stepped out, wrapping myself in a simple blue towel. A knock on the door startled me.
It couldnât be Momâshe wouldnât check up on me. She doesn't care that much. If she had anything to say, sheâd shout it through the door. I strained my ears for another knock but heard nothing. I shrugged it off, thinking I might have imagined it.
I slipped on an oversized blue sweatshirt and scanned the room for my hairband. I needed to pack my hair. My damp hair was heavy and uncomfortable against my neck.
Suddenly, the door swung open. I spin around to the sound of the door
Iâm caught in the middle of a thought, holding my hair up with both hands in a makeshift ponytail, and suddenly acutely aware of the fact that Iâm not wearing any underwear
Ryan standing there, holding a stack of books. He stared at me, unblinking. His gaze traveled from my face, down my neck, to my arms, and finally stopped at my waist. I followed his eyes and realized that, in my haste, I had lifted my shirt, exposing my stomach. I understood now why he was staring.
Ohh
My cheeks flushed with heat as I instinctively dropped my hands, letting my hair fall in waves over my shoulders.
âYou could have knocked!!â I yelled
âI've been outside your door for a while now, knocking relentlessly. I needed to make sure you weren't dead yetâ He mouthed,his gaze still fixed on me.
âOh yeah..â I cussed under my breath. â I should probably dry my hair.â I said to no one in particular not even understanding why I said that. I didn't want to dry my hair. I just want to get out of here. I grabbed a pair of jeans and rushed into the bathroom.
My breaths came out erratically. What on earth was he doing in my room? I slapped my forehead in frustration, muttering a frustrated âDamn!â
I covered my mouth, realizing he must have heard.
After pulling on my jeans, I walked back out. Ryan was still there, sitting in the corner of the room, his gaze now fixed on his phone like he didn't almost just see myâŠa thrill rushed through me at the reminder
âWhat do you want?â I asked, trying to sound as composed as possible. My eyes drifted to the books he was holding.
âYou read a lot,â he observed, his eyes taking in the sight of my bookshelf.
I did read a lot. It was my solace, my escape from everything
Ryanâs appearance caught my attention. He wore a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing toned forearms. The shirt was casually untucked, giving him a relaxed yet effortlessly stylish look.
âThat didnât answer my question. What do you want?â I repeated, swallowing hard.
Ryan shrugged and sank into the chair in the corner of the room.
âUhm... Beats me. Why donât you ask Ms. James?â A mischievous glint danced in his eyes.
Thatâs when it hit me. My eyes widened in shock as I hurried to unplug my phone from its charger. I turned it on and immediately saw a notification.
I clicked on it, revealing details about the project. Scrolling through, my heart sank as I saw my project partnerâs name.
Ryan Jenkins.
âNo fucking way!â I exclaimed, reading the name again to be sure.
âViolet Blake paired with Ryan Jenkins.â
My blood pounded in my ears. I didnât miss the chuckle that escaped Ryanâs lips.
Universe has a twisted sense of humor. First,my mom remarried and my stepdad's son had to be the hottest guy in Golden Elite. And just when I thought I was already doing a good job in avoiding him,it got us paired together for a project.
How ironic.
It never crossed my mind that this could happen. Then why??
âThis got to be some sick joke rightâ I muttered,my eyes still glued to the screen hoping for a miracle the names will change.
Ryan leaned back in the chair, looking entirely pleased as though everything was unfolding just the way he wanted.
âSeems like weâre stuck with each other after all,â he drawled, his voice laced with satisfaction.
I glared at him, my frustration palpable "Of all the people they could have paired me withâ"
"Hey, I didnât make the rulesâ Ryan interrupted, spreading his hands in mock innocence. "If it were up to me, Iâd probably avoid you too."
"Well, it's not exactly my dream scenario eitherâ snapped. I took in a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself.
I sat down on the edge of my bed,muttered a muffled âdamnâ before finally turning to him
"Do you even have a plan for this project? Or are we just going to wing it?"
"Well, considering your reaction, Iâd say weâre already off to a great start," Ryan said, clearly enjoying my discomfort.
I wanted to say something but the words got stuck in my mouth. I couldn't help but notice the way his eyes sparkled when he talked Or the way his hair curled slightly at the nape of his neck. I felt a flutter in my chest, and quickly squashed it. I tried to brush it off but I couldn't. It was like my body had a mind of its own, responding to Ryan's presence even when my brain told it to stop.
â
âLook,â I said, standing abruptly. âWhy donât you give me some space? I need to check on the project details.â
Ryanâs smirk widened as he stood up. âSure, sure. Don't take forever thoughâ
I nodded, trying to ignore the lingering sensation of his gaze. As he left the room, I closed the door behind him with a sigh of relief. I immediately went to my desk, grabbing my phone and scrolling through the project details. I needed to focus, to get everything sorted out and put my feelings for Ryan aside. That was the only way to keep my sanity intact.
But what was with the feeling I had earlier?