CHAPTER 4: STRANGER
The next morning…
I groaned awake to the sound of my phone ringing.
"What?" I mumbled.
"Girl, what is getting your ass out of bed? You're late for class!" Natasha's voice snapped me fully awake.
"Late for what—"
"Thanks, Natasha, you're a lifesaver!" I cut in and hung up.
I really needed to do something about waking up late for classes.
I ran straight to the shower.
Bathing took only a few minutes, but panic quickly set in.
"My God, what am I going to wear?"
"Shit, where's my black jeans?" I asked no one in particular.
Damn it.
I randomly picked a dress and threw it on, not even bothering to check what I was wearing.
---
"I'm late, I'm late, I'm late," I kept repeating in my head as I ran down the hallway.
When would I ever stop running to class like this?
I finally arrived and pushed the door open.
My eyes widened.
Luck definitely wasn't on my side today—the lecturer was already teaching. The class had started.
All eyes turned to me.
I stood there, frozen.
"Miss, you may take your seat," the man said.
I slowly walked toward the back, feeling everyone's eyes on me. Why were there more people in this class than the last one?
There was no empty seat, and I couldn't even spot Natasha. I was too shy to look around properly.
Eventually, I settled into a seat beside someone.
The moment I sat down, the entire hall gasped.
Some looked shocked.
Others… scared.
What the hell?
Did I have something on my face? Or was I wearing mismatched clothes?
Too late to change now.
Little did I know, they weren't shocked by me—
They were shocked by who I sat beside.
After a few minutes, the atmosphere settled. I tried hard to focus on the lecture, but my attention kept drifting back to the stranger beside me.
His aura was intense.
And his cologne…
God.
It made me dizzy, like I could lean into him and never get enough.
Leah, get back to your senses, I scolded myself.
I pulled out my notebook, hoping writing would help me focus.
"Where's my pen?" I searched through my bag but found nothing.
Giving up, I rested my hands on the desk.
Then—
A hand reached out, offering me a pen.
I looked over.
The stranger.
His hand was beautiful—long fingers, like the ones you read about in novels. I noticed dark vein-like tattoos running from his fingers down to his wrist, disappearing beneath his jacket.
"Thank you," I whispered, taking it.
Our fingers brushed.
This wasn't the usual butterflies.
This was a spark.
Fireworks exploded through my body.
I felt him tense too—his hand withdrew quickly.
Not long after, the class ended.
I turned to return his pen—
But he was already gone.
And I hadn't even seen his face
I pouted.
As I stood to leave, a hand suddenly grabbed mine.
"What the hell—" I shouted, only to find Natasha standing there, arms crossed and frowning.
"Why were you late, young miss?" she asked.
Rolling my eyes, I replied, "I overslept."
She stayed quiet, staring hard at me.
"You have to promise not to come late to class again."
She couldn't be serious.
I laughed—but her expression didn't change.
Oh. She was serious.
"Fine," I sighed. "I promise not to come late again."
She smiled sweetly—then suddenly gasped.
"Oh my God! You made an entrance with those killer clothes you're wearing!"
That confused me.
I grabbed her wrist.
"Come with me."
---
Back in my room…
"Oh my world, this is your room? You're so lucky staying alone," she said.
I ignored her and walked to the mirror.
My eyes widened.
This is what I wore?
An off-shoulder mesh gown hugged my hourglass shape perfectly.
Aunty Milly bought this for me. I'd never worn it before—actually, I'd never worn anything that showed my figure like this. I'd always been a baggy-clothes girl.
Is this what it feels like to dress like a girl?
Maybe it was time I embraced myself.
I laughed softly at my thoughts.
"Do I need to call a doctor?" Natasha asked. "Why are you laughing at yourself?"
My mind drifted back to the guy in class.
"Natasha… I've been meaning to ask—"
I hesitated. "Never mind."
"No, go on," she said, crossing her legs.
"The guy I sat with… do you know him? Or have you seen him before?"
She smirked.
"Does my girl suddenly have a crush?"
"No! I just want to return his pen," I said, showing her.
Her eyes widened.
"No way. First you sit next to Dominic, and now you have his pen? Girl, I tap from your luck."
I looked at the pen closely. Black. Customized. His name engraved on it.
Dominic.
"Sweetie," she said, "Dominic doesn't sit with just anyone—let alone give his pen. It's rare for him to allow anyone close."
That explained the stares.
"So… who is he?" I asked.
She facepalmed.
"You live under a rock, don't you? Dominic is the most handsome guy in school. His father owns the school. Quiet, dangerous-looking, and surrounded by hundreds of die-hard fans."
"And if I know any better," she added, "you should watch your back."
"Why? What did I do?"
"You sat with Dominic. Girls will come for you."
"That's ridiculous," I scoffed. "Besides, I didn't even see his face."
"How do you sit next to someone and not know what they look like?" she scolded.
"I don't know! I was distracted," I snapped. "And how do you know so much about him anyway?"
She replied casually,
"Because he's my cousin, Leah."
Crap.
"Well, forget about him," she said, rummaging through my closet.
"Let's fix you up for tonight."
"What's tonight?" I asked.
She grinned.
"The Wood Burn, silly."
Oh.
Great.
I'm Kevin