Students hurried across the courtyard, some laughing, others whispering conspiratorially, and Aria Moretti moved among them like a carefully measured shadow. Her bag was slung over her shoulder, notebooks pressed to her chest, but her mind was elsewhere.
Damian Cole had already made an appearance, leaning against the steps near the front entrance with that infuriating casual confidence. His eyes found hers almost immediately, and she felt the familiar heat spike at her core. She turned her gaze toward the library, hoping to avoid confrontation, but it was impossible. Damian’s presence was magnetic, irritatingly so.
Today was the day of the group project announcement in Advanced History—a project that would count heavily toward their grades. And, as if fate had conspired against her, Aria
