LETHAL LEGACY

Chapter 4: The Group Project

POV: Leo

I hated group projects. They introduced uncontrollable variables.

I sat in the back of the library, watching Rian. He was sitting with three other students. Two were irrelevant.

The third was a problem.

Tom. A second-year rugby player. He had broad shoulders and a smile that was entirely too wide. And he was touching Rian.

"You're really good at sketching," Tom said, leaning over Rian’s shoulder. His hand rested on the back of Rian’s chair, inches from Rian’s neck.

Rian smiled politely.

Contact.

My hand tightened around my pen until the plastic casing cracked.

I waited until the group broke up. Rian went to the studio. Tom went to the gym.

I followed Tom into the empty locker room.

"Tom," I said.

He jumped, spinning around. "Whoa! You scared me."

I walked closer, looming over him. "You're in Rian Ellis's group."

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"You're crowding him," I said. "Invading his personal space."

Tom scoffed. "Relax, mate. I'm just being friendly. He's cute."

Mistake.

I grabbed Tom by the collar and slammed him against the lockers. The metal clanged loudly.

"He is not 'cute,'" I hissed, my face inches from his. "He is rare. And if you touch him again... I will make sure you lose your scholarship. Do you understand?"

Tom’s eyes went wide. He saw the violence in my gaze.

"Okay! Okay! I'll back off!"

I released him. "Switch groups. Tomorrow."

POV: Rian

The next day, Tom wasn't there.

"Where's Tom?" I asked.

"Transferred to the morning section," a girl shrugged. "Weird."

I looked up at the back row. Leo Vane was sitting there, reading. He met my eyes and nodded once.

I shivered. Sometimes, things just worked out for me lately. It was starting to feel... curated.