The project....
The assignment board was a death sentence.
Elena “Ellie” Moore stared at the freshly printed project pairs in **bold black letters**, her stomach twisting.
**ELLIE MOORE & LUCAS CARTER – SOCIOLOGY FINAL**
A gasp escaped her lips before she could stop it.
*No. No, no, no.*
“Oh my God.” Mia, her best friend since freshman year, grabbed her arm, nails digging in. “You’re joking. They *actually* paired you with *him*?”
Ellie swallowed hard, her throat dry. Lucas Carter wasn’t just any partner. He was **the** Lucas Carter—**rich, reckless, and ridiculously handsome**. The kind of guy who skipped class, raced cars at midnight, and left a trail of broken hearts behind him like confetti.
And she’d had a crush on him for three years.
“You have to get switched,” Mia hissed. “Remember what he did to Sarah Park last year? Ghosted her after one date. And the rumors about him and that college girl—”
“It’s fine,” Ellie lied, smoothing her skirt. “It’s just a project.”
But her hands trembled.
Mia gave her a **look**. “Just don’t fall for him.”
Ellie forced a laugh. *Too late.*
---
#### **Chapter 2 – The Bad Boy** *
**Scene:** *Parked in his black BMW, ignoring his father’s calls.*
Lucas Carter didn’t do school.
Or at least, he **pretended** not to.
His phone buzzed again—**Dad**. The fifth call this morning. He swiped it away, but the voicemail notification mocked him:
*“If you fail another class, the trust fund is gone. No more cars. No more money. Get your act together.”*
Lucas clenched his jaw.
*Act together.* As if his old man gave a damn about anything but the family image.
He slammed the car door shut, **not bothering with his backpack**, and strolled into school like he owned it. Heads turned—some jealous, some curious, some *undressing him with their eyes*.
Whatever. He was used to it.
Then he saw **her**.
Ellie Moore. The quiet girl from his sociology class. She was biting her lip, staring at the project board like it was a firing squad.
*Wait—were they paired?*
A slow smirk curled his lips.
This might actually be **fun**.
---
#### **Chapter 3 – The First Meeting**
**Scene:** *Empty classroom after school.*
Ellie had rehearsed this moment a hundred times.
*Be professional. Don’t blush. Don’t stare.*
But when Lucas leaned back in his chair, his **sleeves rolled up to reveal tattoos** and his dark eyes locked onto hers, her script flew out the window.
“So.” His voice was **smooth, mocking**. “You gonna do all the work, Moore?”
Her cheeks burned. “No. We’re *partners*.”
He laughed, low and rough. “Cute.”
She stiffened. “I’m serious.”
“Yeah?” He tilted his head. “Then why’d you pick me?”
“I *didn’t*—”
“You *wanted* this.” His grin turned dangerous. “Admit it.”
Her breath hitched.
*Did he know?*
Before she could answer, he stood, **crowding her space**, his cologne—smoke and something expensive—wrapping around her.
“Here’s the deal.” His voice dropped. “You do the work. I show up. We both pass.”
Her fists clenched. “That’s *cheating*.”
“That’s *life*.”
She should’ve walked away.
Instead, she met his gaze. **“No.”**
Silence.
Lucas blinked. *No one said no to him.*
Then—**he smiled**.
“Fine, Moore. Let’s play your way.”
---
### **Cliffhanger Ending:**
As they argued, Ellie’s notebook slipped from her bag—**revealing a sketch of Lucas**.
His smirk vanished.
“What’s this?” He picked it up, studying the careful shading of his jawline, the way she’d captured his **eyes just right**.
Ellie’s heart stopped.
Lucas looked at her, **really looked**, for the first time.
“You drew me.”
*No going back now.*
---
