Chapter 2 Marshall North - CRASHING INTO YOU

IRIS

The drive from my house to the campus heights was the longest twenty minutes of my life. Marshall didn’t turn on the radio or bother checking his phone.

He just drove with one hand on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road like he was calculating every turn. The silence in the car wasn't peaceful; it was heavy, like the air right before a thunderstorm hits.

I sat as close to the passenger door as possible, staring out at the blurred lights of city. I kept waiting for him to say something—to mock me, to tell me to stop sulking,or give me one of his usual arrogant lectures.

But he just kept driving, his presence filling the SUV until I felt like I was running out of oxygen.

Finally, he pulled into the parking lot of a quiet, upscale cafe far away from the noisy college bars. He killed the engine but didn't move to get out.

"Out," he said, his voice cutting through the quiet.

"I thought we were going to 'set rules,'" I said, mimicking his deep tone. "Is this where you interrogate me? Over coffee?"

Marshall turned his head slowly. In the dim light of the dashboard, his features looked like they were carved from stone. "This is where you listen. I don't care if you're hungry or thirsty, Iris. But you’re going to sit across from me, and you’re going to understand exactly how the next six months are going to go."

I huffed, grabbing my bag and swinging the door open. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

The cafe was nearly empty, filled only with the low hum of a refrigerator and a few students hunched over laptops. I picked the smallest table in the far corner, hoping the distance would make me feel safer.

News flash.... It didn't.

Marshall sat down, and the small wooden table seemed to shrink.He folded his arms and looked at me.

"Rule number one," he started, his voice a low murmur that didn't reach to the other tables. "No more night walks. If you need to go to the library, you will call me. If you need to go to the market, you call me. If you’re leaving your dorm after 7:00 PM for any reason, I am the one who drives you."

I felt my temper flare. "Marshall, that’s insane. I have a life. I have classes. I have Vanessa. I’m not calling you every time I want to buy a snack."

"You will," he said, his eyes narrowing. "Because if I find out you’re out alone, I’ll find you. And I won't be polite when I bring you back."

"You’re not my father, and you’re definitely not Soren," I snapped, leaning forward. "Why do you even care? You’ve hated me since I was ten. You used to tell Soren to 'leave the brat at home.' Now you want to be my shadow? It doesn't make sense."

For a split second, something flickered in his eyes. It wasn't hate. It was something darker, something much more intense that made the hair on my arms stand up.

"People change, Iris," he said quietly. "And the city has changed. There are people on that campus who look for girls like you—girls who think they’re smarter than the world around them. Soren is too blind to see that you’re a target. I’m not."

"A target for what?" I challenged. "For a bad grade? For a guy asking for my number? You’re acting like we’re in some random movie."

Marshall leaned in, his face inches from mine. I could see the tiny gold flecks in his dark eyes. "You think the only danger is a guy asking for your number? You’re naive. There are debts being settled on that campus that have nothing to do with books. Your brother is a good man, but he’s loud. He has enemies. And since he isn't here to pay, they’ll look for the next best thing."

I went cold. I knew Soren was popular, and I knew he occasionally got into fights with rival students, but I never thought it was serious.

"Are you saying I’m in danger because of Soren?" I whispered.

"I'm saying you're in danger because you belong to a Reed," Marshall corrected, his voice dropping even lower. "And while he’s gone, you belong to me. My reputation is the only thing that will keep people from testing you. But that only works if you stay where I can see you."

The word belong sent a shiver down my spine that wasn't entirely about fear.

"Rule number two," he continued, as if he hadn't just rocked my world. "Vanessa Bloom is a reckless. She’s loud, she’s careless, and she likes to go to places she shouldn't. If you’re with her, I’m coming with you. No exceptions."

"You can't ban me from my best friend!"

"I'm not banning you. I’m just supervising," he said, a ghost of a smirk appearing. "Think of me as your very own guardian angel. Just... a little less holy."

"More like a demon," I muttered.

He didn't deny it. He just pulled a small, silver object from his pocket and slid it across the table. It was a high-end GPS tracker keychain.

"Put it on your keys. Now."

"No way. That’s stalking, Marshall. That’s actual, stalking."

Marshall didn't blink. He just held my gaze until I felt the weight of his eyes pressing down on me. He wasn't going to back down anytime soon.

"Put it on, Iris," he repeated. "Or I’ll just follow you manually. And I promise you, you’ll hate that a lot more."

With a frustrated groan, I snatched the tracker and clipped it onto my key ring. "I hope you enjoy watching me go to the grocery store and the library. It’s a thrilling life I lead."

"I've always found you interesting, Iris," he said, his voice suddenly losing its edge and becoming something silkier, something that made my heart skip a beat. "Even when you were a 'brat.' Especially then."

Before I could process that, he stood up. "Let's go. I'll drop you at your dorm. Curfew is in thirty minutes."

"Curfew? I don't have a—"

"You do now."

The walk back to the car was a blur. My mind was spinning. Marshall North was acting like a different person.

He was still arrogant, yes, but there was an intensity to him now that was directed entirely at me. It wasn't the distant annoyance of my brother’s friend; it was the focused hunger of a man who had finally been given a chance to his favourite food.

When we reached the dorms, He walked me all the way to the entrance. The girls in the lobby gasped, their whispers following us behind.

'Is that Marshall North? Why is he with her? Since when does he do dorm drops?'

I felt like I was walking through a spotlight.

At the door, I turned to face him. "Happy? I'm home. Safe and sound. You can go back to being a legend now."

Marshall reached out, his hand hovering near my face for a second before he tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His fingers were warm against my cold skin, and for a heartbeat, I forgot how to breathe.

"Go inside, Iris," he whispered. "Lock your door. I’ll be back at 8:00 AM to take you to your first lecture."

"I have a car, Marshall!"

"And I have the keys to it," he said, jingling my spare set in his hand with a wicked glint in his eyes. "Soren gave them to me for 'safekeeping.' See you in the morning, Little Reed."

He turned and walked away, striding confidently and powerful, leaving me standing in the doorway with a racing heart and a sinking realization.

Marshall North wasn't just my protector. He was my shadow. And in the dark, there was nowhere left for me to hide.

I watched him go, the "07" on his back fading into the night. My brother thought he had saved me. But as I touched the spot on my ear where Marshall’s fingers had brushed, I knew better.

And the worst part? A small, traitorous part of me was already waiting for 8:00 AM.