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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 don’t bite” Ryan finally broke the silence. “ I was starting to think I'm driving alone. No words” 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 “It didn’t strike me that you're so eager to have a conversation with me.” I replied, trying to keep my tone light.

He chuckled, a low sound that made my heart skip a beat. “Well
”he 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.

“You must think pretty highly of yourself if you assume that’s the case, stepsister.” He drawled,emphasizing on the “stepsister” with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. “We’ve managed just fine avoiding each other for three days. I’m sure we can continue to do so.”

Ryan’s grin widened. “I see you’re unaware of certain things.”

“Like what?” I asked, curiosity piqued.

“Nothing,” 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 didn’t 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 ‘couple’ wasn’t 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 uneventful—just classes, Ashley’s relentless inquiries about my interactions with Ryan, and Luke’s familiar, comforting presence. We’d been hanging out together for days now, and he’d 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? I’d 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 couldn’t be Mom—she wouldn’t check up on me. She doesn't care that much. If she had anything to say, she’d 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

I’m 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 I’m 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.

“You could have knocked!!” I yelled

“I've been outside your door for a while now, knocking relentlessly. I needed to make sure you weren't dead yet” He mouthed,his gaze still fixed on me.

“Oh yeah..” I cussed under my breath. “ I should probably dry my hair.” 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 “Damn!”

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 my
a thrill rushed through me at the reminder

“What do you want?” I asked, trying to sound as composed as possible. My eyes drifted to the books he was holding.

“You read a lot,” he observed, his eyes taking in the sight of my bookshelf.

I did read a lot. It was my solace, my escape from everything

Ryan’s 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.

“That didn’t answer my question. What do you want?” I repeated, swallowing hard.

Ryan shrugged and sank into the chair in the corner of the room.

“Uhm... Beats me. Why don’t you ask Ms. James?” A mischievous glint danced in his eyes.

That’s 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 partner’s name.

Ryan Jenkins.

“No fucking way!” I exclaimed, reading the name again to be sure.

“Violet Blake paired with Ryan Jenkins.”

My blood pounded in my ears. I didn’t miss the chuckle that escaped Ryan’s 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??

“This got to be some sick joke right” 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.

“Seems like we’re stuck with each other after all,” he drawled, his voice laced with satisfaction.

I glared at him, my frustration palpable "Of all the people they could have paired me with—"

"Hey, I didn’t make the rules” Ryan interrupted, spreading his hands in mock innocence. "If it were up to me, I’d probably avoid you too."

"Well, it's not exactly my dream scenario either” 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 ‘damn’ 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, I’d say we’re 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.

“

“Look,” I said, standing abruptly. “Why don’t you give me some space? I need to check on the project details.”

Ryan’s smirk widened as he stood up. “Sure, sure. Don't take forever though”

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?

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