MARKED BY THE ENEMY

THE WALLS BEGIN TO FALL

Chapter 6: The Walls Begin To Fall

Over the next few days, tutoring became part of Ashley’s routine. Every afternoon, Devin would show up at her door — sometimes with his usual smirk, other times quiet and unreadable — but always on time.

Her mother had taken a liking to him instantly, and every visit started the same way.

“Devin! You’ll join us for dinner again, won’t you?”

Ashley would groan. “Mom, he’s here to study, not eat all our food.”

Devin only smirked. “I don’t mind either way.”

Ashley would roll her eyes, but secretly, she didn’t hate how easily he fit in.

---

In her room, their sessions started out focused, but little by little, they slipped into casual conversation.

“So,” Ashley asked one evening, tapping her pencil, “why do you never take notes in class? You just sit there like you’re above it all.”

Devin leaned back in his chair, spinning her pen between his fingers. “Because I don’t need to.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Really? And those test scores prove what, exactly?”

He chuckled, leaning forward. “Maybe I was just waiting for someone like you to do the hard work for me.”

Ashley gasped, playfully swatting his arm. “You’re impossible!”

The sound of her laughter filled the room, and for a moment, Devin just watched her, something softer flickering in his eyes.

---

Another day, she caught him glancing at her bookshelf.

“You like reading?” he asked.

“Of course. Don’t you?”

He shrugged. “Never had the patience. Too many words.”

Ashley stood, picking a worn paperback from the shelf. “Here. Try this one. It’s not long, but it’s good.”

He took it, turning it over in his hands as if it were something unfamiliar. “You’re really giving me homework outside of tutoring?”

“Call it extra credit,” she teased.

To her surprise, the next time he showed up, the book was tucked under his arm. “Finished it,” he said casually, as if it hadn’t meant anything.

Ashley blinked. “Already? Did you… like it?”

For a second, his usual mask slipped. “Yeah. It wasn’t bad.”

She smiled, warmth spreading through her chest. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t as untouchable as everyone thought.

---

By the end of the week, something had shifted. Devin no longer felt like the cold, distant figure from school. In her room, under the soft glow of her desk lamp, he was… human. Teasing, thoughtful, even kind.

And Ashley found herself looking forward to each session more than she cared to admit.

But little did she know, getting closer to Devin Park also meant stepping deeper into the world he kept hidden — a world that might not let her go so easily.