A CHANCE
1374 Words
IVY
Just less than 48 hours here and I had f****d up my life in so many ways. And it was all thanks to him.
Kade Thorne.
I was not going to think about Kade. Nope. Not even a little bit.
That was my plan, my resolve, my personal mantra.
And yet, there he was, sitting two rows ahead, his broad shoulders and infuriatingly perfect hair in my direct line of sight.
Seriously, why was he in this class? Out of all the classes he could have been grouped to, why this class?
My mother would be so disappointed in me if she knew I had been f****d, rejected and defy a century old rule in 48 hours, that was a new world record after my father's.
Focus, Ivy. Look at the board, not at Kade’s stupidly sharp jawline or how his arms flexed when he wrote. Goddess, this was unfair.
A chair scraped beside me, and I turned to find Blaise settling in with a lazy grin, his dark eyes twinkling like he knew a secret.
Great. Just what I needed.
"Hey, Ivy, got a minute?" His voice was smooth, casual. Too casual.
I did not want to have this conversation. Not now, not ever, but he was my partner for the next one month so I couldn’t avoid him but I didn't trust myself around any man. Of course, my brain chose to short-circuit, and all I managed was a feeble, "Uh… sure?"
"Cool. Meet me after class?"
He was still smiling, easy and warm, like he had no idea my life had crumbled into pieces overnight. Meanwhile, I was barely holding myself together with duct tape and delusions of normalcy.
Kade turned his head slightly at Blaise’s words. He wasn’t looking at me, not directly, but I knew he was listening.
Damn it.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself to nod. "Yeah. One hour."
The grin on Blaise’s face widened, and I felt the urge to smack it right off him. Not because he’d done anything wrong, but because being around him right now felt too much like moving forward when I hadn’t even processed what was behind me.
Class ended, and I all but fled to my dorm.
Gina was already there, lying sprawled on her bed, scrolling through her phone like she had no cares in the world. She glanced at me, then did a double take.
"You look like someone just kicked your puppy. What happened?"
I collapsed onto my bed, groaning into my pillow. "Nothing. Just… curiosity got the best of me. What do you know about Kade, you were talking about him the other day?"
Gina’s eyes widened before a slow, knowing smirk stretched across her face.
Oh no.
"Oh my Goddess, you’ve caught the Kade Craze."
I lifted my head just to glare at her. "The Kade what?"
Gina cackled. "The Kade Craze. Everyone who breathes in the same room as him gets sucked into his vortex of mystery and brooding hotness."
I groaned. "That’s ridiculous. I just want to know more about him. Apart from being the Alpha’s son, what else is there?"
Gina crossed her arms. "Well, he’s practically a ghost. No one really knows much about him. Of course, he’s a Thorn—"
"A what now?"
She rolled her eyes. "A Thorn. His family’s lineage is all leaders. It’s practically in his DNA. But apart from that? People say he’s a playboy, but honestly, no one has solid proof."
I snorted. "What about Sophia?"
Gina gagged dramatically. "Ugh. Classic queen bee, with a diva attitude and an overbearing nature. Her father is an elder, so naturally, she’s got her eyes on the top spot for Luna."
I frowned. "Top spot? Isn’t it The Eye that chooses the Alpha and Luna?"
Gina laughed so hard she actually wheezed. "Oh, Ivy, you’re so naive. There’s politics involved. You don’t just sit back and wait for science to pick you like some kind of old fairytale."
My stomach twisted. "So… I have zero chance."
Gina arched a brow, studying me for a moment before scoffing. "What are you talking about? Of course, you have a chance."
"How?"
She tilted her head, a slow smirk forming. "Blaise."
I blinked. "What about him?"
Gina sighed like she was explaining something painfully obvious to a toddler. "Blaise Talon, Ivy. Your partner is Blaise Talon."
Silence.
Then I blinked again. "Okay? And?"
Gina smacked her forehead. "Oh, for the love of—Talon. As in, Head of The Eye Academy. Blaise is his son."
My entire body went still. "Wait… what?"
Gina nodded like it was no big deal. "Yep."
"And you knew this?"
"Duh. He’s my best friend."
"And you didn’t think to mention it?!"
Gina shrugged. "You never asked."
I let out a strangled noise. "Oh my Goddess. That means—"
"That means you still have a chance," Gina finished for me. "A big one."
I stared at her, my mind reeling.
Blaise Talon. The son of the man who controlled The Eye Academy. And my partner.
I was going to throw up.
Gina grinned. "So. Still think you’re out of the running?"
I buried my face in my hands. "I don’t even know what to think anymore."
Gina flopped onto her bed with a dramatic sigh. "Welcome to the chaos, babe."
Oh, Goddess help me.
******
The moment I stepped into the garden on my way to meet Blaise, the scent hit me like a freight train. Familiar. Infuriating. Addictive. My feet halted against my will, and before I could stop myself, my eyes snapped to the source.
Kade.
He stood a few feet away, his face unreadable, his dark eyes locked onto mine. My pulse betrayed me, hammering in my ears, and I gritted my teeth. Didn’t he reject me? Then why did his presence still do this to me? Why did my body still respond like I belonged to him?
His gaze never wavered as he stepped closer. “Can we talk?”
I let out a sharp laugh, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. “I have nothing to talk to you about.”
“Ivy—”
“Nope.” I held up a hand, cutting him off before he could even start. “I have an actual meeting to get to. With my partner. So, if you’ll excuse me—”
“I had to do what I did.”
My whole body tensed. My fingers curled into fists at my sides.
“For us.”
My eyes rolled so hard I might have seen into my past life. “Okay, Alpha son.” My voice dripped with sarcasm. “That’s cute. Very noble. But I’m not interested in whatever speech you’ve prepared.”
His jaw clenched. “You think this was easy for me?”
“No. I think you’re a privileged, trust-fund kid with a playboy reputation. A real classic.”
Kade took a slow step toward me, his expression darkening. “That’s what you think of me?”
My chest tightened, but I refused to show it. “That’s what everyone thinks.”
His voice dropped lower, softer. “And do you believe them?”
The question caught me off guard. I opened my mouth, ready to throw another sarcastic retort, but my brain betrayed me and blanked for half a second. Just enough time for doubt to creep in.
But I couldn’t let him see that.
I squared my shoulders. “I don’t know you, Kade.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “That’s funny. Considering we—”
I cut him off before he could finish. “It was a one-night stand.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them.
Kade’s lips parted slightly like he had something to say. But he didn’t. He just… stared at me, his eyes stormy and unreadable.
Something in his face flickered. Hurt? No, that wasn’t possible. Right?
Then his gaze shifted, not to me but behind me.
Dread curled in my stomach before I even turned around.
Sophia.
The b***h of the school.
Oh, hell.
I had just outed myself. In front of her.
What. The. Hell.
- Writer
