Lana’s pov:

There’s embarrassment, and there’s awkwardness. And I’m feeling both right now. My cheeks heat up from the shame of this moment. 

I tap twice on Aiden’s back, telling him to put me down. 

I have had enough embarrassment for the day. But, of course, he doesn’t listen. So his sister, also my best friend, is looking at us.

Perfect. Just perfect.

“Aiden?” she says, her voice sharper than usual. “What the hell are you doing?” 

Jude is similar to Aiden, their cold resting faces, I-don’t-give-a-fuck expressions, protectiveness, body language, but Jude can be a total softie with me, Evelyn, and Stella. Unlike Aiden. He’s closed off with his friends too. I’m sure Easton, Enzo, and Alistair are tired of him being so cold. 

I don’t understand how I hate Aiden, but adore Jude to death.

“Taking care of her.” He replies, his jaw tightening before he looks at her, raising an eyebrow like she’s wrong for questioning him.  

Her eyes flick to me, then to the way I’m holding his coat around me, buttoned up to my neck, the way my head is pressed against his chest, and I can see the dots connecting in her head, even though they shouldn’t.

I pull back quickly, stepping out of his arms like I’ve been burned. “It’s not what it looks like,” I blurt out, the words falling out of my mouth before I can stop it.

Jude raises an eyebrow. “It’s not?”

I feel my face heat. “Someone bumped into me, splashing coffee over me. It was an accident. And he dragged me out of class, again.”

She looks unimpressed. “And that made him kiss your forehead because…?”

My hands clench. “He didn’t— it’s not—” I stop, groaning, running my hand down my face. “Can we not do this right now?”

Aiden finally steps forward, moving to stand between me and Jude. The protective gesture makes me want to scream.

“Back off, Jude.”

“I wasn’t attacking her,” she snaps, crossing her arms. “Calm your ass down.”

I bite back a smile. Jude and I are the only ones who can talk to him like this, without a consequence. 

“I don’t owe you an explanation,” he says eventually, voice low.

Jude scoffs. “You do when it involves her.” She gestures at me.  

Aiden’s eyes darken, and for a second, I swear I feel the temperature drop. “Careful,” he warns softly.

“No, you be careful,” Jude bites back. “She’s not your possession, Aiden.” She says, softer this time.

His jaw tightens. “I never said she was.”

“You don’t have to.” Her voice is quiet now. “Everyone sees it.”

I can’t stand it anymore. It’s not the fact that I hate that I’m someone they’re bickering over, it’s the fact that both of them seem serious. 

“Stop. Please. Both of you.”

Jude’s gaze softens when she looks at me. “Lana, I’m sorry—”

“I know,” I say quickly, before she can finish. “But I can handle myself. I don’t need him or anyone else fighting for me.”

Aiden’s voice cuts through before I can move. “You keep saying that,” he says, almost under his breath. “And yet you keep ending up in situations where you do.”

I glare at him. “You dragged me out of class for something that wasn’t even my fault!”

“Because you were walking around with half the school staring at you,” he fires back, stepping closer. “You think I’m going to let that slide?”

“Oh my god,” I whisper, exasperated. “You’re impossible.”

“Maybe,” he says coolly. “But at least I’m not blind.”

Jude steps between us again, her voice calm but firm. “Enough. Both of you. You sound like an old married couple.”

That shuts us both up.

Aiden looks away first. I catch the faintest flicker of irritation in his eyes, like he hates that she might be right.

Jude sighs. “Lana, come with me. You need to rest.”

I open my mouth to argue, but Aiden beats me to it.

“She’s staying,” he says. 

Jude looks at me like she’s not going to interfere anymore. 

I take a breath. “I’m fine. I’ll just… go to the infirmary for a bit. Alone.”

Jude nods. 

Aiden looks at me for a long time, eyes unreadable. Then, slowly, he lets go.

“Fine,” he mutters. “But I’m waiting outside.”

I want to protest, but the look on his face tells me it’s useless.

Jude shakes her head, muttering something under her breath about control issues.

We walk out of the room, the three of us, a silent procession. Aiden keeps a few steps behind, his presence shadowing every move I make. 

When we reach the infirmary door, Jude turns to him. “You stay out here.”

He doesn’t answer, just leans against the wall, folding his arms. His gaze flickers to me once, sharp and unreadable.

Inside, the nurse takes one look at me and tells me to lie down. Jude helps me, fussing like the big sister I never asked for.

“You okay?” she whispers once we’re alone.

“Yeah. Just… cramps. And drama.”

She laughs softly, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “He really cares about you, you know.”

I groan. “Please don’t start.”

“I’m not defending him,” she says quickly. “I’m just saying… he’s not used to people saying no.”

“Then maybe it’s about time he learns.”

She nods, but something about her expression tells me she’s not convinced.

I sigh. “Jude?”

“Hm?” 

“When will he stop?” 

She smiles, but doesn’t say anything. Maybe she doesn’t have an answer, or maybe she doesn’t want me to know. 

When the nurse leaves for a moment, I sit up a little, watching through the small window in the door. Aiden’s still there. Still waiting.

He’s just standing against the wall, arms crossed, staring at the floor. He looks calmer now, almost thoughtful. It’s strange, seeing him like that, like the storm has quieted for a second.

“Why does he do this?” I whisper, half to myself.

Jude looks over. “Because he doesn’t know how else to care.” 

That answer sticks with me. 

Ten minutes later, I step outside. Aiden straightens immediately, his eyes scanning my face like he’s making sure I’m still real.

“Better?” he asks quietly.

I nod. “You didn’t have to wait.”

“I wanted to.”

There’s no arrogance in his tone this time. Just quiet certainty.

Jude joins us, crossing her arms. “You two need a truce. For everyone’s sanity.”

I roll my eyes. “Tell him that.”

He smirks faintly. “I’ll consider it.” 

We start walking down the hallway, the three of us again, but this time the air feels heavier.

When we turn the corner, I hear voices from the next hallway, students whispering, laughing. I catch snippets of my name and Aiden’s. My stomach sinks.

“She’s got great tits. Oh, and that ass, it’s a dream.” A voice echos in the hallway.

“His sister too. What good did he do in his past life to be surrounded by hot chicks?” Another says.

“He’s a Reeve. Born with a golden spoon.” 

Jude hears it too. Her eyes widened slightly. 

I don’t want to look, but Aiden does. His entire posture shifts, shoulders tense, jaw clenched, that dangerous calm settling over him like a storm cloud.

I take deep breaths. Their stupid words didn’t affect me, but the way they said it, takes me back to when I was seven years old. 

Fuck. You’re okay, Lana. You’re okay.

“Don’t,” I managed to say. “Please, don’t make a scene.”

But it’s too late.

He’s already walking toward them.

Jude grabs my arm. “Lana, stay here.”

I don’t move. My pulse races as I watch him approach the group of three seniors, loud, smug, whispering things they probably think are funny.

Aiden stops in front of them. His voice is low, cold. “Say it again.”

They go quiet instantly. One of them mutters something about misunderstanding, but Aiden’s glare could cut glass. He just stares the guy down, and the hallway feels too small for all of us.

After a moment of calm, He punches him. Then the two other guys. 

Jude curses under her breath, marching forward. “Aiden, stop it!” 

He doesn’t listen. “What did you say, huh?” He punches the first guy again, kicking the one who’s on the ground. The third guy mumbles sorry. 

I take a step forward, heart pounding. “Aiden.”

He finally turns his head, his expression softening only a little when his eyes meet mine.

The guy he’s confronting looks like he might faint. “We didn’t mean anything by it—”

“Then shut up,” Aiden says, voice sharp enough to slice air. “Don’t ever talk about my girl like that. Or my sister. Unless you have a death wish, dickheads.” He releases the guy, his breath heaving. 

The group scatters instantly, mumbling apologies and disappearing around the corner.

The silence that follows is suffocating.

Jude sighs. 

I don’t know what to say. Part of me wants to yell at him. The other part… doesn’t. Because even though he’s reckless and infuriating, there’s a small, twisted part of me that feels safer when he’s around.

And I hate that.

He turns back to me. “You shouldn’t let people talk about you like that.”

“I didn’t,” I say. “You did.”

He doesn’t argue. Just looks at me, quiet and unreadable, until I have to look away.

Jude groans softly. “You two are exhausting.”

We start walking again, but something in the air has changed. The tension is still there, but now it’s quieter. 

We pass the glass hallway near the courtyard. Sunlight spills through, catching dust motes in the air. For a moment, it almost feels peaceful.

Then Aiden stops walking.

“Lana,” he says softly.

I turn, confused. “What?”

He pauses but then says, “Next time something happens… you come to me first.”

It’s not a question. It’s not even a command. It’s a promise, and a warning all at once.

I swallow hard. “You’re not my keeper, Aiden.”

He smiles faintly, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Keep telling yourself that.”

Jude sighs, muttering, “Oh, for god’s sake,” but I barely hear her.

Because for a second, when he looks at me like that, like I’m something he’s already decided belongs to him, I forget how to breathe. It frustrates me so much that he thinks that way. 

And that’s when the principal’s voice echoes down the hallway:
“Reeve! My office. Now.”

Jude groans. “Great, now go deal with that.”

Aiden looks unbothered, but when he glances at me one last time before walking off, there’s a flicker of something in his eyes. Something unspoken.

Something dangerous.

And just like that, the storm starts brewing again.

Everyone knows the principal can’t do anything. At most, it would be a call home, which doesn’t matter. The Reeves know how to keep their history clean.

Jude walks me to my next class and leaves to attend hers. 

The next class is English, my favourite. Sometimes boring, but still the best. 

Professor Ames is talking about Shakespeare, something about tragic flaws and obsessive love, and the irony makes me want to laugh. 

I’m sitting in the back, my chin resting on my hand, Aiden’s coat heavy around my shoulders. The fabric smells like him, fresh, smoky, clean, and every time I move, it surrounds me again.

Stella sits beside me, already scribbling notes like she’s planning to rewrite the textbook later. She nudges me, 

“You’re wearing his coat.” Her smile is teasing. 

I groan. “It’s not—”

“I’m not judging,” she puts her hands up in surrender. “Just observing.”

I roll my eyes playfully. “He gave it to me because of… an accident. It’s not like that.”

She looks at me, one brow raised. “It’s always something with him, isn’t it?”

I open my mouth to respond, but I don’t know what to say. Because she’s not wrong. Aiden Reeve is like a storm that never passes. Always there, dark and constant, even when you pretend not to see it.

“Forget it,” I mumble. “Can we just focus on class?”

She shrugs, going back to her notes. “Sure, Lana.”

For the rest of class, I take notes and write down the assignment.

When the bell rings, I pack up quickly, ready to leave with Stella. But as I step into the hallway, my stomach knots again, not from cramps this time, but because of what’s standing a few meters away.

Aiden.

He’s leaning against the lockers across the hall, phone in hand, pretending not to notice me. But of course, the second our eyes meet, he pockets it and starts walking over. 

Can he teleport? How does he even make it to my class from his own? 

“You really don’t get tired, do you?” I mutter under my breath.

He stops in front of me. “You walk too slow.”

I blink at him. “That’s your excuse for stalking me now?”

He smirks slightly. “You think I’d waste my time stalking you?”

“Yes,” I shot back instantly. “You literally dragged me out of class earlier.” I remind him. 

His smirk deepens, the kind that makes me want to throw something. “You needed me to.”

“No, I didn’t.” 

He tilts his head slightly, studying me. “You’d rather bleed through your uniform in front of everyone?”

My face heats. “That’s not—”

He steps closer, his voice dropping lower, softer. “You don’t have to thank me, Lana. Just… stop running from me.”

I don’t say anything. I can’t. Because he’s right, in a way that makes my stomach twist.

He takes that silence as permission to take my bag from me without asking. “Come on. Lunch.”

I glare but don’t fight him. The hallway’s buzzing now with chatter, lockers slamming, laughter bouncing off the walls. Aiden doesn’t notice any of it, he moves through people like they’re air, and somehow, the crowd parts for him.

The cafeteria is loud. Too loud.

I spot Evelyn immediately, carefree smile, loud laugh, the kind of energy that fills a room. She’s waving at me from our usual table, next to a poker-faced Jude and smiley Stella. Jude’s got her AirPods in, her face blank as always, while Stella looks like she’s trying not to get dragged into Evelyn’s chaos.

And by the way she’s smiling looking at her phone… She's texting Enzo. 

Aiden doesn’t even ask if I want him there. He just walks with me straight to the table, his hand on my lower back in a way that makes my skin crawl and burn at the same time.

“Hey, lovebirds!” Evelyn teases the moment we approach.

I nearly choke. “What—no! He’s not—”

Jude pulls out one AirPod, glancing up lazily. “You’re wearing his coat,” she says flatly.

“Not you too,” I groan, sitting down.

Aiden doesn’t sit, he just drops my bag beside me and stands behind my chair like a bodyguard who owns the school. It’s uncomfortable how normal it feels.

Evelyn grins. “So, are we just ignoring the fact that Mr. Ice Prince here carried you through the hall earlier?”

My stomach sinks. “You saw that?” 

“Everyone saw that.”

Stella looks up from her phone. “Half the cafeteria was gossiping about it before you even got here.” 

Perfect. Just perfect.

Aiden, meanwhile, looks completely unbothered, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

Evelyn leans closer, whispering loudly, “Did you guys, like, make up or something?”

I glare. “No.”

“Then why’d he kiss you?”

I freeze. Stella looks up again, her face showing mild surprise. “He kissed you?”

“It was on the forehead!” I hissed.

Evelyn gasps dramatically. “Oh my God, forehead kisses are intimate.”

I drop my head into my hands. “Kill me.”

Aiden’s voice cuts through the chaos like a blade. “If you’re done discussing things that aren’t your business…”

His tone makes all three of them shut up at once. Evelyn blinks, half impressed, half terrified. Stella looks amused, but used to it. Jude just goes back to her phone.

“See?” I mutter, glaring up at him. “This is why people hate you.”

He looks down at me, completely unfazed. “People don’t hate me. They fear me. There’s a difference.”

I roll my eyes. “Congratulations. It must be fun scaring teenagers.”

He smirks faintly. “Only when they’re as stubborn as you.”

The girls exchange glances, some silent conversation happening between them that I don’t even want to know about. I grab my water bottle, trying to ignore the way my heart won’t calm down.

But he doesn’t leave. He just stands there, watching me, like it’s his job to make sure I finish lunch.

I try to act unaffected, even as I feel his gaze burn into my skin. Evelyn tries to make small talk about the upcoming Crimson Carnival, Stella adds a few comments, Jude doesn’t bother to speak, but Aiden’s presence overshadows all of it.

Eventually, I snapped.

“Can you stop hovering?” I say quietly, not looking up.

“I’m not hovering,” he replies smoothly.

“You’re literally standing over me.”

“I’m watching over you.”

“Is there a difference?”

“Yes.”

I huff, finally meeting his eyes. “You’re impossible.”

He smiles, slow and dangerous. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

The bell rings again, and the cafeteria starts to clear. I pack up, trying not to notice how he waits until I’m done before moving.

When I stand, he leans in slightly, lowering his voice. “You should rest after school. You’re pale.”

I hate that he notices things like that. I hate that his tone softens when he says it.

“I’m fine, Aiden,” I repeat, forcing my voice steady.

He studies me for a moment, eyes narrowing, before nodding slightly. “Fine. But if you pass out again—”

“I won’t.”

“—I’ll carry you. Again.”

I scowl. “You wouldn’t dare.”

He grins. “Try me.”

And with that, he turns and walks off, leaving me standing there, heart pounding, face hot, and the echo of his words tangled in my chest.

Jude walks up beside me, calm as ever. “You know he’s not going to stop, right?”

I sigh. “Yeah. I know.”

She shrugs. “Good luck with that, then.”

As she walks ahead, I stand there for a second longer, gripping my bag. The coat still smells like him. The warmth of his touch still lingers.

And for the first time all day, I can’t tell if I’m more angry at him, or at myself for letting it get this far. 

The rest of the day goes by normally, conversation with the girls, focusing and taking notes in class, completing assignments.

At the end of the day, Aiden comes up to me. 

The hallway is empty, and for some reason, that scares me.

“Baby?” He says. His eyes are intense, possessive.

The nickname sends a shiver down my spine, I move back as he walks towards me.

He corners me, “I’m sorry.”

“What?” I ask, shocked and confused all at once. 

“I’m sorry,” He repeats, cupping my face, looking into my eyes. “Did I scare you? When I hit them?”

I almost stutter. “N…o, what are you talking about?” 

He leans down to meet my level. “The fight… you were scared.” 

Oh. He noticed that? I don’t want to talk about it. I stay quiet.

“Why were you scared?” His voice is so soft, like a warm blanket on a cold night.

“Nothing, Aiden.” I pause. “I don’t like it when people raise their voice.” I say, it’s not the full truth, but it’s true. I hate when people raise their voice at me, it makes me feel small and unimportant. 

He doesn’t press too much, but he doesn’t look convinced either. “I won’t, never again. And I won’t let anyone else do it either.” He looks determined.

“You’re crazy.” I reply with a faint smile. 

“I want to mark you, I want to show them you belong to me.” He says and I almost choke on air.

“What?!”

“Can I?” 

I look at him like he has actually gone insane this time. “No.”

He looks at me, his eyes silently pleading. “Please, baby?” 

I make a huge mistake looking into his big golden-brown eyes. They’re manipulative. Fuck, I know I’m going to regret this. I don’t know why, maybe it’s because I’m on my period, maybe because his eyes are too convincing, or maybe it’s just because I want it. 

He leans in closer, wrapping his right hand around my waist, his left cupping my cheek, and I bare my neck for him.

He sucks on my neck, finding my sweet spot quickly and sucking harder. I let out a moan when he bites slightly, nipping and sucking hard. I grab his hair, arching my back, and that only seems to encourage him.

When he pulls back, I can already see a purple-ish mark on my neck if I look down. He smirks, looking up at me, and I just know my cheeks are red by the way they heat up.

“Mine.” He whispers, pressing another kiss to my forehead.  

******

To Be Continued.

Is it getting hot in here?💋