Halfway to you

Chapter 4: Perfectly Dangerous

I couldn’t shake the image from my mind.

Blaze’s hands on Rina. The way his lips pressed into her skin like it wasn’t about love, but something wild and reckless.

I lay awake for hours, staring at the ceiling, the shadows of the night creeping into my thoughts until sleep finally took me.

Morning came with Rina’s usual teasing.

Cupcake, you look like you just saw a ghost.

I rolled my eyes but smiled. Somehow, she always knew how to break the heaviness.

School was a blur, until I bumped into her.

Tasha.

The cold one.

She stood by her locker, arms crossed, eyes sharp and unreadable.

Without preamble, she said, “You don’t know Blaze. But you should be careful.”

I frowned. “I don’t even know him. Why should I care?”

Her gaze darkened. “Because Blaze isn’t the kind of guy you get to know. He’s dangerous. Not someone you want anywhere near your life.”

“Dangerous how?” I asked, curiosity gnawing at me.

She shrugged. “He doesn’t do love. He does chaos. Anyone who gets tangled up with him ends up paying for it.”

Then her eyes narrowed, studying me like she was seeing something deeper.

“You look like the kind of girl Blaze preys on.”

Her words hit me like a cold splash of water.

I blinked, heart skipping. “What does that even mean?”

She didn’t smile. “He finds girls who seem… perfect. Controlled. Easy to break. You fit that too well.”

I shook my head, trying to push away the chill creeping up my spine.

“I’m not the type he goes after.”

But even as I said it, doubt gnawed at me.

Because maybe Tasha saw something I was too scared to admit.

Tasha’s gaze stayed locked on me, steady and unreadable.

“You know,” she said quietly, “Blaze doesn’t just go after anyone. He looks for girls like you—perfect, controlled... but perfectly dangerous.”

The words hung between us, a warning and a challenge.

I swallowed hard, the weight of it sinking in.

Because maybe I was exactly what Blaze wanted.

---

The hallway felt suddenly colder when I spotted him.

Blaze.

Leaning casually against the lockers, eyes sharp and unreadable.

He didn’t smile.

Instead, he looked straight at me, a slow smirk playing on his lips.

“You want something like that?”

His voice was low, but the teasing in it was clear—like he was daring me to admit it.

I blinked, caught off guard.

“Like what?” I asked, trying to sound unfazed.

He smirked, lips twitching with amusement.

“You know—what you saw yesterday. Don’t play innocent.”

I shook my head, heart pounding.

“No.”

He chuckled, eyes gleaming.

“Yeah, right. We’ll see how long you last.”