Chapter 7: Unwanted Attention
915 Words
Chapter 7: Unwanted Attention
Kael Veyra’s POV
The halls of Blackthorn University had a distinct buzz the next day, the kind that only happened when something juicy had made its way through the rumor mill. I didn’t think much of it at first. After all, Blackthorn students loved to gossip, and there was always something scandalous brewing in this place.
But then I started noticing the stares.
It wasn’t just the usual side-eye glances that came with being the new girl. No, this was different. This was wide-eyed, whisper-behind-their-hands kind of staring.
“What the hell is going on?” I muttered to Livia as we made our way toward our next class.
“You haven’t seen it yet?” she asked, her eyes darting nervously around the hallway.
“Seen what?”
Livia sighed and pulled out her phone. “This.”
She handed it to me, and my stomach dropped. There, plastered across the student-run gossip page, was a picture of me and Draven at the café, leaning toward each other in what looked like a very cozy, very flirty conversation. The caption read:
Blackthorn’s Bad Boy and New Girl: Coffee or Chemistry?
“Are you freaking kidding me?” I groaned, shoving the phone back at her.
“It’s not that bad,” Livia said, trying to sound reassuring. “I mean, at least they didn’t catch you making out or something.”
I shot her a glare. “Not helping.”
“Look, it’ll blow over. People will move on to the next scandal by tomorrow.”
“Yeah, well, in the meantime, I get to be the subject of everyone’s staring contest.”
As if on cue, a group of girls walked past us, giggling and shooting me not-so-subtle looks. One of them—a tall, perfectly polished blonde I didn’t recognize but who looked like she belonged in some elite sorority—gave me a slow, disdainful once-over.
“Who’s that?” I asked under my breath as the girl walked away, her high heels clicking dramatically against the marble floor.
Livia grimaced. “That’s Sera Langford. She’s… Draven’s ex.”
I blinked. “His what?”
“Yeah. They had this on-again, off-again thing for a while, but it ended in flames. Sera doesn’t like competition, so… watch your back.”
“Great,” I muttered, my day officially ruined.
By the time I made it to class, I was seething. Draven, of course, was already there, lounging in his seat like he didn’t have a care in the world. When he saw me, his lips curled into that infuriating smirk.
“Morning, Veyra,” he drawled. “Rough night?”
I dropped my bag onto the desk with a satisfying thud and glared at him. “Care to explain why we’re suddenly the talk of the school?”
His smirk deepened. “What can I say? People love a good story.”
“Yeah, well, they’re about to get one when I strangle you in front of the entire class.”
Draven chuckled, clearly enjoying this way too much. “Relax, Veyra. It’s just a picture. No one actually thinks we’re a thing.”
“Except now they do,” I hissed. “And I don’t need that kind of attention.”
“Why not?” he asked, leaning closer, his tone deceptively casual. “Afraid people might think you actually like me?”
“Afraid people might think you like me,” I shot back, hoping to throw him off balance. But instead of backing down, his grin widened.
“Maybe I do,” he said, his voice low enough that only I could hear.
My breath hitched, and for a split second, I forgot how to form words. But then I remembered that this was Draven—smug, cocky, and probably messing with me just for fun.
“Cut it out,” I muttered, shifting in my seat and trying to ignore the heat rising in my cheeks.
Draven leaned back, still watching me with that infuriating, knowing look. And as the lecture started, he didn’t stop there. Throughout the entire class, he kept up his game—little taps on my desk, whispered comments, subtle glances that he knew would get under my skin.
By the time the class ended, I was ready to explode.
“Will you knock it off?” I hissed as we gathered our things.
“Knock what off?” he asked innocently.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
He smirked, leaning in just enough to make my heart stutter. “You’re cute when you’re flustered, Veyra. You know that?”
I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to throw my notebook at his head. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re fun to mess with.”
As we walked out of the classroom, I could feel the stares following us. Draven, of course, played it up—walking just a little too close, leaning in to whisper something in my ear that I didn’t even catch because I was too busy trying not to combust.
“People are watching,” I muttered through gritted teeth.
“I know,” he said, grinning like the devil. “Let them.”
And as we walked down the hallway, side by side, I realized two things: one, Draven Ashford was enjoying every second of this ridiculous rumor, and two, he wasn’t planning on letting it die down anytime soon.
- Writer
