Your Secret Safe With Me

Emma Pov

“Hey, Carter!” Ryan’s voice cut through the empty lecture hall. “Avoiding me won’t help… You know what I want.”

I glared at him, my blood boiling.

“So… what’s it going to be?” he asked, stepping closer. His eyes were sharp, daring. “Will you do as I say… or…” He waved the paper in his hand with a wicked grin.

Now let's rewind. How did I end up in this mess?

Two weeks ago, before my final paper, I wasn’t feeling well at all. My head throbbed, my stomach churned, and my whole body just wanted to curl up under my blanket. But this wasn’t the kind of course I could afford to mess up.

Not this one.

Not if I wanted my recommendation letters to stay perfect, not if I wanted to keep my shot at valedictorian.

I had studied, worked late nights, memorized every detail… but sometimes, when your body betrays you, even your brain feels like it’s letting you down. And that day, my brain and body teamed up to betray me.

The exam came.

My hand shook as I filled in answers. I knew I wasn't up for it…. couldn’t fail, couldn’t let one stupid mistake ruin everything I’d worked hard for. And when the opportunity presented itself…

I made a hard choice I swore I’d never make in my life.

I cheated.

I bloody cheated.

I thought I got away with it. I thought it was over.

I told myself no one would ever know, and I could move on with my perfect record intact. I kept my head down, pretended nothing had happened, smiled in class, and memorized every line of my cover story.

Until three days ago.

I was walking across campus, trying to ignore the usual chaos of students rushing to class, when I heard a voice… loud, teasing, annoying, and impossible to ignore.

“Hey… Brainy Pants!”

I froze.

What the hell? Brainy Pants? Have been called a lot of things Dork, Egghead, Dweeb but not Brainy Pants. I looked around, pretending I hadn’t heard, hoping I wasn't the one being called.

“Brainy… Pants!! YOU!” the voice called again.

That voice felt awfully familiar

I quickened my pace, shaking my head. Not today. Not in the mood for someone making fun of me.

But then… a familiar shadow fell across my path.

“Hey, Carter!”

I stopped mid-step and turned slowly, eyes scanning the crowd. What... Can't be?

My heart skipped.

“Me?” I asked, surprised, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes, you!” He stepped closer, pointing at me with one hand, the other holding something that looked like a folded paper. His grin was infuriating, cocky, and way too self-assured.

“Come here.”

I hesitated, my brain screaming at me to run, my feet refusing to move.

I have to be dreaming.

Her thoughts spiraled wildly, crashing into each other until none of them made sense. That couldn’t be right. It had to be a mistake.

Ryan Blackwell?

The Ryan Blackwell?

Crestwood’s golden boy. The heartthrob. The infamous Playboy that every girl whispered about and every guy tried to imitate—the one whose name alone could turn heads and spark rumors.

And he just asked her to come?

Her chest tightened as disbelief settled in. Of all people… why her? What could someone like

Blackwell possibly want with someone like her?

She moved toward him slowly, each step feeling heavier than the last. Her heart pounded so loudly in her chest she was sure everyone could hear it. The hall seemed to close in on her, the air thick with whispers and stares.

Eyes followed her—sharp, judging, cruel.

She could feel it in the way their gazes clung to her like filth, as if she didn’t belong in the same space as him. Like she was something dirty that had wandered in by mistake. The same looks she’d grown used to. The girl people ignored. The girl they stepped around, talked over, pretended not to see.

But now they saw her.

And they hated it.

Her shoulders stiffened as she passed them, her fingers curling at her sides. She kept her head up even though every instinct screamed for her to turn around, to disappear back into the shadows where she was safest.

Ryan stood there, waiting.

And that alone unsettled her more than the stares. Because for once, someone wasn’t looking through her.

He was looking straight at her.

“You and I,” he said casually, stepping into my space, “have some business to talk about.”

Before I could react, his hand settled on my shoulder… not rough, not gentle either. Firm. Guiding. He steered me toward an empty hall just beside the lecture rooms, away from curious eyes.

I stood there, frozen.

Shocked.

My heart pounded so loud I was sure he could hear it. What could Ryan Blackwell possibly want from me?

Me?

Me?

This has to be some kinda crazy dream

The hall was quiet. Too quiet.

He leaned back against a desk like he owned the place, arms crossed, lips curved into a slow, knowing smirk. Up close, it hit me… how unfairly good-looking he was.

I’d seen him from a distance a couple of times, always surrounded by laughter and girls who fit so easily into his world. But standing this close was different.

Dangerous.

His presence felt too big for the space between us, like he was bending the air around him without even trying.

Ryan Blackwell looked like trouble shaped into a man.

His jaw was sharp, confident, the kind that said he knew exactly what he did to people. His eyes… dark, unreadable rested on me, not sliding away, not bored or dismissive.

But Curious. Intent. The look made my stomach twist in a way I didn’t understand but definitely felt.

And damn his lips..

I swallowed.

They were full, slightly parted, like he was on the edge of saying something reckless… or smiling in that devastating way everyone warned you about.

I hated that my eyes kept drifting there. Hated the heat that curled low in my stomach because of lips I had absolutely no right thinking about.

And yet, I couldn’t stop.

The messy dark hair that always fell into his eyes. The sharp jaw. Broad shoulders stretching his fitted T-shirt. He looked relaxed, confident… dangerous in the way he knew exactly how much power he had.

My stomach flipped.

His eyes dragged over me, calm and assessing, like he was already three steps ahead while I was still trying to breathe.

“Well,” he said lightly, head tilting, smirk deepening. “No need to look surprised, Carter.”

My throat went dry.

Whatever this was… it wasn’t going to end well.