Chapter 2: The Most Popular Guy in School
1175 Words
The next morning felt heavier than it should have.
I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the new school uniform my mother had bought for me. A crisp white shirt, a dark skirt, and a blazer embroidered with the private school's emblem. Everything about it felt expensive...
And unfamiliar.
When I stepped out of my room, Kai's door was already open.
Empty.
Downstairs, my mother was making breakfast while Richard sat at the table, reading something on his tablet. The two of them looked comfortable together, as though they had been married for years instead of just a few weeks.
"Morning, sweetheart," my mother said with a warm smile. "Kai already left. He said he had early practice."
I nodded and took my seat.
My appetite was almost nonexistent.
Every time I thought about the way Kai had looked at me in the kitchen last night, that strange pull inside my chest returned.
*You feel it too, don't you?*
His words kept echoing in my mind.
The private school was even bigger than I'd imagined. Towering buildings, perfectly manicured lawns, and students who looked like they'd never had to worry about money.
I kept my head down as I walked through the hallways, searching for my first classroom.
I didn't go unnoticed for long.
"Is that her?"
"That's the new stepsister."
"She's living with Kai?"
The whispers followed me like smoke.
By the time I reached my classroom, several girls were already staring at me with open dislike. One of them, a beautiful blonde wearing bright red lipstick, made sure her voice was loud enough for me to hear.
"I give her a week before Kai gets bored of her."
I ignored the comment and took a seat near the window.
That was when the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed.
Kai walked in.
It was like watching the sea part before him.
Students moved out of his way without a word. Girls straightened their backs and flashed bright smiles. Guys greeted him with respectful nods.
He barely acknowledged any of them.
His expression remained cold and unreadable as he made his way toward the back of the classroom.
Then his eyes found me.
For a brief moment, everything else disappeared.
The invisible pull I'd felt the night before slammed into my chest, stronger than ever.
Kai slowed to a stop.
His jaw tightened.
Something dark flickered across his face before he looked away and dropped into a seat two rows behind me.
I could feel his eyes on me.
Even without turning around...
I knew he was watching.
Lunchtime was even worse.
I had just sat down at an empty table when a group of girls approached me.
The blonde from earlier stopped in front of me with her arms crossed.
"You're Lila, right? Kai's new stepsister."
"Yes."
She smiled, but there wasn't a trace of kindness in it.
"Just so you know, Kai doesn't do relationships. Especially not with someone living under the same roof. So don't get any ideas."
Before I could answer, a deep voice cut through the silence.
"Is there a problem?"
Kai stood behind them, a tray balanced in one hand, his expression impossible to read.
The girls immediately straightened.
"Kai," the blonde said sweetly. "We were just welcoming her."
"Looks like it," he replied coolly.
Then his eyes shifted to me.
"Come with me."
It wasn't a request.
I hesitated for a second before standing and following him to a quieter table at the far end of the cafeteria.
The moment I sat across from him, the whispers around us grew even louder.
Kai leaned back in his chair, studying me with that same intense stare.
"You shouldn't listen to them," he said.
"I wasn't planning to."
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips before disappearing just as quickly.
He pushed his tray slightly towards me.
"Eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"I wasn't asking."
The calm authority in his voice sent my pulse racing.
Reluctantly, I picked up my fork.
We sat in silence for several minutes.
Well...
I ate while Kai barely touched his food.
He seemed far more interested in watching me.
Finally, I looked up.
"Why do you keep staring at me like that?"
Kai tilted his head.
"Like what?"
"Like you're trying to figure me out."
He didn't deny it.
Instead, he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table.
The movement brought him closer, and that strange warmth spread through my chest once again.
"You moved into my house," he said quietly. "You're in my space. That's enough to get my attention."
"That doesn't mean you have to stare at me every five seconds."
His eyes darkened.
"Careful, Lila."
His voice dropped to a low warning.
"You have no idea what you're dealing with."
The way he said my name sent a shiver racing down my spine.
Before I could reply, another boy walked over to our table.
He was tall, with short brown hair and an easy, friendly smile.
"Kai," he greeted before looking at me. "You must be the new sister. I'm Tyler."
Kai's entire body stiffened.
Tyler didn't seem to notice.
He smiled at me a little longer than necessary.
"If you need help finding your classes, I'd be happy to show you around."
"She's fine," Kai said coldly.
Tyler raised an eyebrow.
"I was talking to her."
The air around us suddenly became tense.
Kai slowly turned to face him.
Whatever expression crossed his face made Tyler instinctively take a step back.
"I said she's fine."
Tyler lifted both hands in surrender.
"Alright, man."
Then he walked away.
I looked back at Kai.
"Was that really necessary?"
He met my gaze without blinking.
"Yes."
For a split second, something possessive flashed across his face before he looked away, his jaw clenched as though he was fighting an invisible battle.
I didn't understand him.
But the pull between us was becoming impossible to ignore.
That night, sleep refused to come.
I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, replaying every moment of the day.
The stares.
The tension.
The way Kai had looked at Tyler as though he wanted to rip him apart.
Then...
A soft sound came from across the hallway.
I sat upright.
Kai's bedroom door opened.
Quiet footsteps passed my room.
A few seconds later, I heard the front door downstairs close.
Curiosity got the better of me.
I slipped quietly out of my room and walked over to the window.
Outside, beneath the pale glow of the moon, Kai stood near the line of trees at the edge of the property.
His shoulders were tense.
His fists were tightly clenched.
Then something impossible happened.
His eyes flashed gold.
Bright.
Unnatural.
Glowing.
My breath caught in my throat.
Kai slowly turned his head...
As though he had sensed me watching him.
Even from that distance, I could feel the weight of his gaze.
And for the first time since I'd arrived...
I realised the strange pull in my chest wasn't normal.
Neither was he.
- Writer
