Chapter 1
Chapter One: Aidan’s POV
The rain was relentless.
It felt like the heavy downpour was actively trying to wash me right off the pavement.
I stood on the curb outside the theater, my cheap hoodie already soaked through to the skin.
Beside me, the engine of a sleek, black Porsche idled away.
My boyfriend, Weston sat behind the wheel, staring right at me but wouldn’t let me in.
He didn’t even care that I was getting drenched.
It was so unlike him.
“Wes, can you at least let me in the car? It’s raining cats and dogs out here”
"I can't do this anymore, Aidan," he said, "It’s just... it’s a lot. More than I bargained for."
I wiped a stream of water from my eyes, my heart beginning to sink.
What was he saying right now?
" What does that even mean, Wes? I’ve been the one taking three buses just to see you for an hour.“
"Exactly!" He finally snapped. "The buses, the cheap hoodies, the way you look at the menu when I take you out... it’s exhausting.”
“But, Wes…..”
“Look, Aidan. Truth be told, this was just a summer thing. A fun distraction."
I felt the blood drain from my face.
"A distraction? We’ve been together for a year. I told you I loved you."
Weston let out a sharp, mocking laugh.
"And I let you say it. But look at where we are. Next week, I start at Aurelian Heights. My life is about to get very big, very fast. My father expects me to be seen with…..well, a certain type of person.”
“What do you even mean?”
“I mean, People who don’t have to check their bank balance before ordering a coffee."
"But I got the scholarship, Weston," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I’m going to Aurelian Heights too. I was coming here to tell you. We’re going to be in the same school. We don't have to be apart."
Weston’s eyes didn’t soften. If anything, they went colder.
"You got the scholarship?" He repeated, his lip curling in a way that made my stomach turn. "Aidan, do you have any idea how that looks? You’re going to be the charity case. If you show up there and tell people we were together, My reputation won't survive being linked to someone like you."
That’s when the reality finally hit.
"You’re ashamed of me," I realized, the words tasting like copper.
"I’m being realistic," he retorted. "Aurelian Heights is a fresh start. I need you to stay away from me. Don't call me, don't text me, and for the love of God, don't look at me in the hallways.”
“But…..”
“We were a mistake, Aidan. A summer slip-up."
"You’re a horrible person, Weston."
"And you're the one standing in the rain," he said, reaching for the gear shift. "Check the bus schedule. I’m sure there’s one coming eventually."
He rolled up the window and drove away.
I stood there alone, hands shaking, utterly devastated and crying in the rain.
**Monday Morning**
Aurelian Heights Academy looked more like a five-star resort than a high school.
Ivory pillars, manicured lawns, and a gate so large it felt like it was designed to keep the "wrong" people out.
I stood at the entrance, my heart hammering.
I was wearing the uniform but I felt like a fraud.
Every other student getting out of their chauffeured cars looked like they belonged on a runway.
I unfortunately saw Weston almost immediately.
He was standing near a marble fountain, surrounded by a group of guys who looked like they were born with silver spoons in their mouths.
He caught my eye for a fraction of a second.
I ducked my head, trying to focus on finding the admin block.
The sting of the humiliating breakup was still fresh and seeing him was not the best thing for me right now.
I just needed to survive the first hour and I’d be fine.
CRASH.
I slammed into something solid.
My bag flew open, and my books tumbled across the walkway.
"Are you blind, or just looking for someone to punch you in the face?"
The voice was deep, dripping with a casual, practiced cruelty.
I looked up and felt the air leave my lungs.
Ethan Crawford.
At least, that’s what his name tag said.
I’d seen his face in the school’s 'Legacy' brochure. He was the grandson of the Headmistress.
Plus, judging by the way people were already backing away, he may also be the undisputed king of the campus.
He was tall, bigger than me with shoulders that blocked out the morning sun and eyes that looked like ice.
"I….I'm sorry," I stammered, dropping to my knees to scramble for my things. "I didn't see you."
"Clearly."
Ethan didn't move.
Instead, he stepped forward, his polished leather shoe pinning my biology notebook to the pavement.
He ground his heel into the cover, leaving a jagged, ugly scuff mark across the title.
"You know,” he began, “The school really needs to check the locks on the gate. It seems like the local trash is blowing onto the lawn again."
The guys behind him laughed.
I looked up, and for some reason, Weston watching from the distance, was laughing too and that made me snap.
Gathering my things finally, I stood up and faced him.
“I got in fair and square, you prick," I said, my voice shaking but loud enough for the circle of onlookers to hear. "The only difference is that I actually have the brains to be here. You just have a last name."
The silence that followed was terrifying.
People gasped; looking from Ethan to me and back again.
Ethan’s smirk didn't just fade; it turned into something dark.
He leaned down, his face inches from mine, his presence so overwhelming I could smell his woody, expensive cologne.
"What did you just call me, scholarship trash?"
"A prick," I whispered, the adrenaline finally hitting my system. "I called you a prick. Now get your foot off my book."
Ethan’s eyes narrowed.
He reached out, his fingers twitching as if he were about to grab the front of my shirt, when a sharp, authoritative voice called my name.
"Mr. Aidan Green!"
A tall woman in a severe, charcoal-grey suit was marching toward us.
Her eyes were like lasers, and they were fixed directly on me.
"The headmistress’ office. Right now!”
Great.
Just, f*****g great.
