Chapter Two

The next morning, I made my way downstairs, dreading the ride to school. The sight of the sleek black car waiting outside only added to my anxiety. Logan was already inside, his typical smirk in place as he spotted me.

“Are we taking the same car?” I asked my mom, trying to keep my voice steady. “Can I get a different one?”

She looked up from her coffee, her expression puzzled. “Why? Logan’s going to the same school with you anyway.”

“I know,” I said, forcing a smile. “But I’d rather not share a ride with him. Can we arrange for a different car?”

“Honey, that’s not possible. The chauffeur is already scheduled for the day.”

“But Mom, I really don’t want to be stuck in the car with him. Can’t you make an exception?”

“You and Logan are family now, you have to get used to sharing spaces with him especially since we are all living together. It’s important for us to start blending as a family.”

“Urghh!! Fine,” I said trying to mask my disappointment.

“Good. It’s all part of the adjustment. You will find it’s not as bad as you think.”

With a resigned sigh, I headed towards the car, bracing myself for the ride. Logan's smirk grew as he saw me approaching the car.

We drove our way off to school and thirty minutes later we found ourselves on the school road. We were a few blocks away from the school entrance, I leaned over to my mom. “Can you please drop me off a bit farther down the road?”

Mom glanced at me, puzzled. “Why? You’re already right at the entrance.”

“I’d just prefer it,” I said, trying to keep my tone light. “It might be less……….. noticeable.”

Mom frowned but eventually relented. “Alright, but only a bit further. I don’t want to make you late.”

As the car continued down the road, Logan’s leer widened, clearly enjoying my discomfort. When Mon finally stopped, I quickly scrambled out of the car, giving her a quick wave before turning towards the school.

As I walked towards the school entrance, my mom’s voice called out from the car. “Audrey !”

I turned around.

“Have a nice day!” She said as she waved bye to me.

I waved back at her while Logan was waiting for me.

“Why are you waiting for me?” I asked rolling my eyes.

“Audrey you can’t avoid me forever,” Logan said. “We are both stuck in the same house and school.”

I sighed, trying to ignore his taunting. “I am not avoiding you, Logan. I just need to get to my locker and start my day.”

I started walking fast, hoping to put some distance between Logan and myself before I reached my locker. Just as I turned the corner, I spotted my friends, Mal and Tanya chatting near the lockers. I was relieved seeing them and waved at them.

“Audrey!” Tanya called out. “There you are! We were just talking about- “she paused when she saw Logan trailing behind me. A flush of pink covered her cheeks.

“Earth to Tanya,” Mal said snapping her fingers in front of Tanya’s face, breaking her trance.

“What? Oh, right,” Tanya stammered, her gaze flickering back to me. “We were just talking about the party this weekend. Are you going?”

“I think I’ll sit this one out,” I said, trying to act casual.

“What? No way!” Mal protested, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You can’t miss it, Audrey! It’s going to be the party of the year.”

“Yeah, everyone is going to be there,” Tanya chimed in, still sneaking glances at Logan. “Including…. You know.” She didn’t have to say his name for me to know who she was talking about.

I forced a smile, trying to suppress my discomfort. “I’m just not feeling it this time.”

Mal frowned clearly not buying my excuse. “Come on, it will be fun. You don’t have to stay the whole time.”

Before I could respond, Logan, who had been standing silently behind me, decided to interject. “Why wouldn’t you go, Audrey? You not scared are you?” His tone was teasing, but there was an edge that made my skin prickle.

Tanya's eyes widened, her blush deepening as she realized Logan was talking directly to me. Mal looked between us, clearly surprised that Logan even knew my name, let alone teasing me.

I rolled my eyes, trying to shrug off his comment. "More like I'm not in the mood to deal with a bunch of idiots." I shot back, trying to maintain my cool. The last thing I wanted was to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting under my skin.

Mal and Tanya exchanged glances, but before either of them could say anything, we were interrupted by the arrival of Logan's girlfriend.

She sauntered up, her eyes narrowing as she took in the scene.

"What are you doing with these... losers, Logan?" she sneered, her gaze flicking dismissively over me, Mal, and Tanya.

I felt a flush of anger rising but held my tongue. The last thing I needed was to make a scene. I could feel Mal tensing beside me, ready to snap back, but I subtly shook my head, signaling her to let it go.

Logan smirked, clearly enjoying the tension.

"Just making sure they know their place," he said with a shrug, his eyes locking with mine in a challenge.

I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to respond. I couldn't afford to let him get to me, especially not in front of everyone. If my classmates found out about our connection, my peaceful life would become a mess. It was bad enough that Tanya was already blushing like a schoolgirl; the last thing I needed was for the rumor mill to start churning.

"Let's go," I said to my friends, turning away from Logan and his girlfriend, not waiting for their response. "We're going to be late for class."

As we walked away, I could feel Logan's gaze burning into my back, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of looking back. I just had to survive the day without any more drama. Easier said than done when Logan was involved.

As we rounded the corner, Tanya tugged at my sleeve, her voice barely a whisper. “Audrey, did you hear about the new guy? Rumor has it he’s got a reputation...”

Before I could respond, the bell rang, echoing through the hall. But it wasn’t the sound that made my heart skip—it was the intense gaze I felt on me. I turned, only to see a pair of unfamiliar, piercing blue eyes locked onto mine from across the hallway.

I froze, unease creeping into my stomach. Who was he? And why was he staring at me like he knew something I didn’t?