My thumb hovered over the keyboard when I heard it voices in the hallway, muffled but angry.
"…told you to stay away from her." That was Adrian's voice, harsh in a way I hadn't heard before.
"You don't get to tell me what to do, Blake." Kai. "She's my friend. She was my friend long before you decided to notice her."
"Your friend? Is that why you didn't tell her the real reason you're here? Or did you think she wouldn't find out?"
"That's none of your business."
"It became my business when she became involved." A pause. "Your father's obsession with destroying my family has already cost him everything. Don't let it cost you her too."
"My father was a good man before yours destroyed him! He tried to expose your family's illegal activities, and you people ruined his life for it!"
"He tried to blackmail us. There's a difference."
"He tried to do the right thing!"
"And look where it got him."
Silence. Heavy and threatening.
Then Kai's voice, low and dangerous: "If you hurt her, if your family touches one hair on her head, I will burn Blake Enterprises to the ground. I don't care what it costs me."
"Bold words from someone who's already lost everything." Adrian's voice was cold now. "But fair warning, Sullivan Emma deserves the truth. All of it. Including what you're not telling her."
"And what about your truths, Blake? Have you told her why you're really interested in her? Or is she just another game to you?"
"She's not a game."
"Then prove it. Stay away from her."
"I can't do that."
"Then we're going to have a problem."
Footsteps. Moving away in opposite directions.
I waited in the bathroom for a full minute after the voices faded, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.
What had Kai not told me? What was the real reason he was here?
And what had Adrian meant about why he was interested in me?
I splashed more water on my face, trying to calm down. This was insane. I'd been here less than four hours, and I was already caught in the middle of some kind of war between two men who barely knew me.
Except they both seemed to think they knew me. Or at least, they both wanted something from me.
When I finally left the bathroom, the hallway was empty. I made my way to the literature building, my mind racing.
Professor Morrison's classroom was everything I'd hoped a college literature class would be. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, leather chairs, huge windows overlooking the campus.
About fifteen students were already seated, and I chose a spot in the middle not too eager, not too withdrawn.
"Is this seat taken?"
I looked up. Adrian stood there, his expression neutral, giving nothing away about the conversation I'd overheard.
"It's a free country," I said.
He sat down, and I caught the scent of his cologne expensive, subtle, with notes of cedar and something darker.
"About earlier" he started.
"Miss Chen, Mr. Blake, welcome." Professor Morrison entered like a force of nature a woman in her fifties with wild gray hair and intense dark eyes. "How delightful to have you both in my class. I've heard excellent things."
"Thank you, Professor," we said in unison, then glanced at each other.
"Now, before anyone else arrives, let me be clear about my expectations." She began writing on the board. "This is not a class for the faint of heart. We will be exploring love in all its forms romantic, obsessive, destructive, redemptive.
We will read texts that make you uncomfortable. We will discuss topics that challenge your assumptions. And you will work with partners I assign, not partners you choose."
She turned to face the class as more students filed in. I caught sight of Kai slipping into a seat at the back, his eyes finding me immediately. When he saw Adrian sitting next to me, his jaw tightened.
"Ms. Chen and Mr. Blake," Professor Morrison announced. "You two will be partners for the semester. I expect your first analysis on my desk by Friday a joint essay on the difference between love and obsession in 'Wuthering Heights.'"
My stomach sank. Of course we were partners.
"Professor Morrison," Kai called out. "I'd be happy to partner with Emma instead. I'm auditing this class anyway."
"Mr. Sullivan, auditors do not get to choose partners. They observe. If you wish to contribute, you may submit independent work for my review." Her tone left no room for argument.
Kai's expression darkened, but he nodded.
As the class began, I could feel the tension from both sides Adrian on my right, Kai behind me, both of them watching me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.
Professor Morrison began discussing Heathcliff and Catherine, their destructive love, the fine line between passion and possession.
"Love," she said, pacing in front of the class, "is the most powerful force in literature because it is the most powerful force in life. It makes us heroes. It makes us villains. And sometimes, it makes us both."
I felt Adrian shift beside me, his arm brushing mine as he took notes.
Behind us, I heard Kai's chair creak.
And in my pocket, my phone buzzed with another message.
I didn't look at it. I couldn't. Not here, not now, not with both of them so close.
But I knew what it would say. Another warning. Another piece of the puzzle.
Another step closer to a truth I wasn't sure I wanted to know.
Because the more I learned, the more I realized: everyone at Riverside was hiding something.
Including me.
After Professor Morrison's class ended, I finally checked my phone. Three new messages, all from the unknown number.
"Tonight. Midnight. Old library, third floor. Come alone or you'll never know what really happened to Sarah."
"Kai and Adrian are both lying to you. But one of them is more dangerous than the other."
"Bring the necklace Sarah was wearing when she died. It's the key to everything."
My blood turned to ice. The necklace. How did they know about the necklace?
Sarah had been wearing our grandmother's silver locket when she died. The police had returned it to us with her other belongings. I'd kept it hidden in my jewelry box for two years, unable to wear it, unable to look at it without breaking down.
But I'd brought it with me to Riverside. I didn't know why. Maybe because it was the last piece of her I had.