The final bell rang, and Maya stuffed her notebook into her bag as fast as she could. She needed fresh air and space from the way Liam had been looking at her all through English class.
It was not an obvious stare. It was subtle, like he was watching her without moving his head. Every time she shifted, she felt it.
Brooke kept nudging her under the table every two minutes, whispering excitedly about Liam, but Maya barely registered it. She just wanted to get out.
Halfway down the hallway, someone stepped in front of her.
Vanessa.
Perfect hair, perfect makeup, and a smile that made her warning feel even more dangerous.
"Look, I am not trying to get involved in anything," Maya said carefully.
"You already are," Vanessa said, her voice sweet but sharp. "You think you can come into my school and suddenly you are special?"
"I am not trying to be," Maya said.
Vanessa leaned closer. "Liam does not talk to girls like you. He does not even notice girls like you."
"Then why do you care?" Maya asked.
Vanessa's expression softened just for a second, then hardened again. "You will figure out your place. I hope it is before someone gets hurt."
She walked away, her heels clicking against the floor. Maya exhaled and massaged her temples. She had just wanted a normal school year, not a war declaration.
She stepped outside to get some air, and almost jumped. Liam was leaning against the brick wall, one foot crossed over the other, phone in hand, waiting.
"Were you waiting for someone?" she asked.
He slid his phone into his pocket and said simply, "Yes."
"Oh. Who?"
He looked straight at her. "You."
Maya froze. "Why?"
He pushed off the wall and walked toward her at a calm, deliberate pace. When he stopped in front of her, she could smell his warm, clean cologne.
"You ran out of class so fast," he said quietly. "Did I scare you?"
"No, of course not," she replied.
"Then why were you avoiding me?"
"I was not."
"You were. I can tell."
Maya forced herself to meet his eyes. They were sharp, focused, but there was something else in them, something she could not name.
"Look," she said carefully, "this is my first day. I am overwhelmed. People are staring. And Vanessa…"
Liam's jaw tightened at the name. "Forget her."
"She does not want to forget me."
"She is not your problem," he said. "I will handle it."
The way he said it, quiet and certain, almost possessive, sent a shiver down her spine.
"Liam," Maya whispered, unsure why her voice sounded soft.
He tilted his head and studied her. "Say my name again."
Her cheeks warmed. "What?"
"You said it like you meant it," he murmured. "Like you were not scared."
"I am not scared of you," she said, though her voice trembled slightly.
He noticed. Of course he did. He stepped just a little closer, close enough for his breath to brush her cheek.
"Good. Do not be."
Her pulse thundered in her ears.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen, the same one she used in English.
"You actually took it?" she asked, surprised.
He smirked. "I needed an excuse."
"Why?"
He leaned in slightly, his voice low and soft. "Because you are interesting."
Her breath caught. She did not know if she should be angry, flustered, or terrified. All at once, she realized one thing. Nothing in this school, not Vanessa, not the wealth, not even the rules, would prepare her for Liam Kingston.
And she was already in too deep.