Leona barely remembered how she got Alex out of the quad. All she knew was the weight of her jacket clutched around his shoulders, the heat of humiliation burning off him like steam. His face was pale, his hands shaking as though the jeers of the crowd were still echoing in his bones.
"Don't look at them," Leona hissed, shoving through the circle of gawking students. "Keep your head up."
But Alex didn't. He kept his chin buried against his chest, trying to shrink into himself. Phones were still raised, catching every second. By tonight, his humiliation would be plastered across social media, another cruel viral moment for strangers to laugh at.
The thought made Leona's teeth grind.
They reached the steps of the library before she rounded on him. "Why didn't you walk away? Why didn't you fight?"
Alex's voice cracked, "Lee, there were five of them. What was I supposed to do?"
Leona opened her mouth, then shut it again. Her anger wasn't meant for him. She saw the guilt in his eyes, the way his hands clenched at the frayed remains of his shirt. He already blamed himself.
She softened, if only a little. "It's not your fault," she muttered, pressing her jacket tighter around him. "It's his."
She'd heard whispers about Zac since the day she set foot on campus. Everyone had. The bad boy, the racer, the player. A gang leader with no leash. Parents warned their kids to stay away from him; teachers looked the other way when his name came up. He wasn't just trouble; he was the storm people avoided at all costs.
And now, he was her problem.
Back at the campus's fountain, Zac leaned lazily against his bike, watching the siblings disappear into the distance. His Pumas were still laughing, replaying the scene in their minds like a highlight reel.
"Did you see his face? Like a deer about to cry," one of them cackled.
"Fresh meat never lasts long," another added, shaking his head.
But Zac wasn't laughing anymore; his smirk lingered, sure, but his eyes had gone distant. He tapped a lighter against his thigh, flame sparking to life before he killed it again. Over and over. The crowd had begun to scatter, whispers buzzing like flies.
He should've been satisfied. Another freshman broken means another reminder that this was his campus.
So why the hell was his mind stuck on her?
The sister.
The way she had shoved into the circle without a second of hesitation. The way her eyes had burned, unflinching, like she hadn't just challenged the most feared guy in school. No girl had ever looked at him like that without fear, without awe. Just raw defiance.
"Zac," one of the Pumas nudged him. "We heading out? There's a race tonight down at Fifth."
Zac flicked the lighter one last time, shoving it back into his pocket. His smirk returned, sharper now. "Yeah. But first…" He kicked his bike to life, the engine roaring beneath him. "I've got a name to learn."