Chapter 1
I stare at the words on the page, but nothing really sticks. My brain is too busy bouncing between excitement and nerves to focus on my book. The clock ticks away, reminding me I’ve got less than an hour before I have to leave. It’s my first day at Blackridge. New school. New people. I am trying not to freak out about it.
“Morning, sweetheart.”
I look up, finding my mom dragging herself into the kitchen. She has dark circles under her eyes, hair still tied up from her shift at the hospital. She kisses the top of my head, then sighs as she sinks into the chair across from me.
“How’d you sleep?” she asks, voice hoarse from exhaustion.
“Okay, I guess.” I sip my tea, shrugging. “You?”
She waves it off. “I’ll survive.” She yawns, then looks me over. “You nervous?”
I push my glasses up my nose. “A little.”
“You’ll be okay, Remy. You look adorable by the way,” she adds, gesturing to my crooked glasses.
I smile. “Thanks, mom.”
She stands up, rummaging through her purse. “I’ll leave bus money on the table.”
I shake my head quickly. “Don’t need it. Collin’s picking me up.”
She frowns. “But Collin goes to Eastwood. Why is he coming all the way here?”
I shrug. “He’s excited for my first day, I guess.”
“Mm-hmm.” She eyes me for a second, clearly not buying it but too tired to care. “Well, I’m heading to bed before my next shift. You’ve got this, babe.” She drops a kiss on my forehead and heads toward her room.
“Bye, mom,” I call after her.
“Bye, baby.”
I finish my tea, then head to the bathroom to comb my bangs, trying to make them look less... well, awful. My hair’s a mess of brunette waves, but at least my lip gloss makes me look semi-presentable. I pull on my oversized sweater and adjust my leggings. Good enough.
A loud honk from outside tells me Collin’s here. Grabbing my bag, I head out the door and spot his beat-up Corolla parked in the driveway. The same car he used to drive us to high school in every day.
I slide into the passenger seat and smile. “Hey, babe.”
He gives me a quick once-over, then scowls. “That’s what you’re wearing?”
I blink. “Uh, yeah? It’s just leggings, a sweater, and sneakers. Why?”
Collin sighs, shaking his head. “Remy, you need to make a good first impression. It’s college. You’re not in high school anymore.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m there on scholarship, Collin. I’m pretty sure no one’s going to care what I’m wearing.”
“They will. Trust me.” His tone is flat, like he’s already given up on the conversation. “You should’ve worn something... nicer. It’s Blackridge.”
“I don’t give a shit about that,” I snap, my patience wearing thin. “I care about school. That’s it.”
He doesn’t respond. Just presses his lips together and pulls away from the curb. I stare out the window, watching the neighborhood blur past, the silence between us growing heavier by the second. We’ve had this argument before. Collin cares too much about appearances. I care too much about being comfortable.
We’re about halfway to campus when he finally speaks again. “Just... try, okay? You’re smart, Remy. You don’t have to act like you don’t care.”
I bite back a retort and settle for another eye roll. “Right.”
“Look, I’m just trying to help you.”
“Yeah, sure.”
We pull into the parking lot at Blackridge. I glance at the campus, my stomach twisting. It’s bigger than I recall. A whole new world compared to high school, but I’m ready. I think.
“Thanks for the ride,” I mumble, pushing the door open.
“Remy—”
“I’ll see you later.”
I slam the door behind me before he can say anything else. I’ve got enough to worry about without adding Collin’s opinions on my wardrobe to the list. Today’s about me, not him. I’ve got this.
Time to start something new.
I step onto campus and immediately feel out of place. Blackridge’s campus is... something else. I knew it was a fancy school, but this ? This is next level. Everywhere I look, it’s rich kids. Designer bags, flashy clothes, and sunglasses that probably cost more than anything I own. Everyone looks like they are fashion influencers on social media.
Meanwhile, I’m standing here in leggings, sneakers, and my sweater, clutching my backpack like a lifeline. I try not to stare, but it’s hard. Every single person looks like they belong here, like they’ve known this world all their life. And then there’s me—here on scholarship, hoping no one notices how lost I am.
I finally tear my eyes away and head toward the admin building, trying to act like I know where the hell I’m going. I don’t, but at least I can fake it. The big, marble building towers over me, practically glowing in the morning sun. It’s intimidating as hell, but I make it inside without tripping over my own feet, so that’s a win.
“Hi, I’m Remy Arden. I’m here for my schedule?” I say, stepping up to the desk.
The woman behind the counter barely glances at me before typing something into her computer. “Arden... Arden... Ah, here you are. You’re a psych major, correct?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Here’s your schedule,” she says, handing me a printout. “And your dorm assignment.”
Wait. What?
“Dorm assignment?” I blink, completely confused. “I—I don’t think I have a dorm. I live off-campus.”
The woman frowns, then checks her screen again. “It says here you’ve been assigned a room in Hollister Hall. Didn’t you receive the notification?”
I shake my head, my stomach flipping. “No. I had no idea there was boarding involved. I live with my mom, and she... she didn’t mention anything.”
“Well, you’ve got a room if you want it. You can forfeit it if you’d like.”
“I—uh, I need to talk to my mom first.”
“Of course. Let me know as soon as possible so we can release it if necessary.”
I nod, taking the papers from her. “Thanks.”
“Your roommate will be here to get you. She will show you around the school,” the woman says. I am about to ask what my roommate’s name is, or even what she looks like, but she is already talking to the next student.
I step outside the admin block, feeling a little dazed. Dorms? I can’t even imagine staying in a place like this. It’s too... rich. And probably not free. I’m already on a scholarship, so there’s no way I can afford extra fees or whatever comes with it.
I sit down on a bench, staring at the campus again. This place is insane. There are huge banners advertising the school’s hockey team—Blackridge Ravens. I stare at a poster for a second. The guys on it look like actual models, all grins and cocky stances. Ice hockey is a big deal here, apparently. Great. More people I don’t relate to.
My phone buzzes in my bag, pulling me out of my thoughts. Collin’s name flashes on the screen, but I ignore it. I shove the phone back in my bag. He’s probably just calling to apologize.
“Love your sweater!”
I glance up and see a girl standing in front of me, grinning. She’s got long, fiery red hair, a killer smile, and looks like she walked out of a runway show. She’s wearing a cute plaid skirt and a crop top, with thigh-high boots. Gorgeous, basically.
“Thanks,” I say, tugging at my oversized sleeves.
“I’m Maya Pierce.”
“Remy.” I push my glasses up again, feeling awkward.
Maya tilts her head, studying me for a second. “Where are your bags?”
“Uh, I didn’t bring any. I live near here.”
Her eyes widen slightly. “Oh, no, no. You’re supposed to stay on campus. Didn’t they tell you?”
“Yeah, I just found out. I didn’t know boarding was part of the deal.”
“No biggie. I’ll show you our room anyway,” she says with a shrug, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “It’s super nice. You’ll love it. Come on.”
I hesitate for a second but then follow her. She seems nice enough, and I’d rather have someone guide me than wander around like a lost puppy.
“So, what’s your major?” Maya asks as we walk.
“Psychology.”
“Oh cool, I’m doing fashion design. My parents weren’t thrilled, but screw it, right? Gotta do what makes you happy.”
“Yeah, totally,” I say, though I don’t really relate. I picked psychology because it seemed like a solid choice. Something stable. Not because I love it.
As we walk, Maya gives me a mini tour, pointing out different buildings. “That’s the library. You’ll probably spend half your life in there. Oh, and over there’s the dining hall. The food’s actually decent. And that’s the arts center—they do a ton of events there.”
I nod along, trying to absorb everything. This place is massive. And fancy. Like, ridiculously fancy. Every building looks like it belongs in some high-end magazine. It’s a lot to take in, and it just makes me more aware of how out of place I feel.
“I’m in a huge fight with my friends,” Maya says. “They can’t decide if they want to go to Olivia Rodrigo’s concert or Taylor Swift’s. It’s, like, a huge drama right now.”
I try not to laugh. “That sounds... intense.”
“Right? I’m like, just pick one , but they’re all so obsessed with both. Honestly, rich people problems,” she says with a dramatic sigh.
I blink. Okay, that confirms it. Everyone here is rich. Even Maya. I’m suddenly glad I didn’t bring up the fact that my mom’s a nurse and we’re barely scraping by. Not that she’d judge me for it, but still... it’s awkward.
We finally reach the dorms, and Maya leads me inside. Hollister Hall is even more luxurious than I imagined. The common areas look like something out of a five-star hotel. Everything’s sleek and modern, with giant windows and shiny floors. The air smells like vanilla and fresh linen, and I swear I can hear soft music playing somewhere in the background.
“Here we are,” Maya says, stopping in front of a door.
She unlocks it and pushes it open, revealing a room that’s huge. There are two beds—one side of the room is fully decorated with twinkling lights, a fluffy pink comforter, and a million throw pillows. The other side is completely empty and barren, clearly waiting for me.
“That’s your side,” Maya says, pointing.
I nod, still processing everything. It’s bigger than my entire room back home, and definitely a hell of a lot fancier.
“I’ll leave you to get settled. If you need anything, just let me know!” Maya flashes me a smile and heads for the door. “I’ll see you around, Remy!”
“Thanks, Maya,” I call after her, still a little dazed.
I drop my bag on the bed and sit down, staring at the empty wall in front of me. This is... a lot. Everything about this place screams money, and I’m not sure I’m ready for it. But I’m here. Somehow, I made it.
I should probably call my mom. She might be asleep, but she’ll freak out when she realizes I haven’t called yet.
I’ll give it another hour. I toss the schedule on my bed and grab my phone instead.
I swipe through the home screen and look at the missed call from Collin. Of course . There’s a part of me that wants to call him back, but we’ve been arguing so much lately, it’s probably better to leave it. Another dumb fight about something stupid. Lately, it’s like everything sets him off, and I’m getting tired of it.
I throw my phone down, not dealing with that right now. I need to get out of this room and explore before I go completely insane.
Grabbing my bag, I walk out and wander around campus. The first day buzz is real, people everywhere, laughing, talking, and showing off their new outfits. Everyone looks like they’re dressed for a photoshoot. And then there’s me. I tug at my sleeve self-consciously. I know I look out of place. I remind myself that I didn’t come here to impress anyone.
I spot a small campus store and decide to grab something quick—chips and a soda. Classic. It’s probably all I can afford until I find a part-time job. Maybe I’ll ask Maya later if she knows about any jobs on campus. She seemed nice enough, though I still can’t figure out if she’s rich like the rest of these people or just pretending to be.
Heading back to my room, I kick my shoes off and sit on the bed, cracking open the bag of chips. My phone buzzes again. Another text from Collin. Ugh. Do I really want to deal with this right now?
I glance at the screen, reading his messages.
Collin: Hey, how’s it going?
Collin: I feel like you’ve been distant lately.
Collin: We should talk.
Yeah, no thanks. I’m not doing this today.
I throw the phone beside me and lean back against the wall. Collin’s been my neighbor since forever, practically my whole life. We started dating in middle school if you could even call it that back then. Holding hands and awkward kisses in between classes—that kind of thing. But now, it’s different. He wants more. More mature stuff, as he calls it.
I’m just not ready for that yet.
I’ve always had this idea in my head about how my first time would be. Something romantic. Special. Like, candles, maybe some soft music, a guy who actually knows what he’s doing. Not some rushed thing in the back of a car because he’s ready and I’m apparently too slow. But that’s the problem—Collin’s impatient, and I’m starting to worry that’s all he cares about anymore.
I shake my head and pull up Pinterest, scrolling mindlessly through wedding dresses and cute couple ideas. It’s kind of pathetic, but hey, a girl can dream. Then I switch to the half-broken Kindle app on my cracked screen, squinting to read the latest chapter of this romance novel. I can barely see half the text, but I’m determined to finish. The guy in this book would never pressure the girl . He’s rich, sexy, and has an accent. Total fantasy material.
I crunch on a chip and lose myself in the book. So much better than thinking about Collin right now. The heroine is in some billionaire’s penthouse, falling head over heels for him, and I’m grinning like an idiot. Who cares if it’s unrealistic? It’s a hell of a lot better than my real-life drama.
And then— someone’s standing over me .
I freeze, looking up and seeing this tall, blonde dude. Muscles for days. What the hell? He’s wearing a tight black shirt that shows off every inch of his biceps, and his green eyes are locked on me. No way this guy is real.
He reaches into my bag of chips and grabs a handful.
“Hey,” he says, like we’re old friends or something. “You’re new, huh?”
I blink, still trying to process the fact that he’s not only standing in my dorm room but also stealing my snacks. “Uh, yeah. I just got here.”
He grins, popping another chip into his mouth. “Thought so. I’m Caleb. Caleb McCabe.”
Oh. My. God.
“Remy,” I manage to say, finally sitting up straight and fixing my glasses. “I’m… Remy.”
“Yeah, I got that part. So, where’s Maya?”
“She left earlier,” I say, still thrown off by this whole situation. Who is this guy, and why does he think it’s cool to just… eat my chips?
He shrugs, like it doesn’t matter. “Tell her not to miss tonight, okay?”
“Okay. What’s tonight?”
He smirks, like I’m supposed to know. “You’ll see. Come as her plus one.”
“What if I don’t wanna go?” I ask, crossing my arms, trying to act all casual. But it’s hard when he’s towering over me like that, muscles bulging out of his sleeves and everything.
“Oh, you’ll want to come,” he says, winking. “Trust me. Plus, you’ve got great taste in chips. I think you and I are gonna be friends, Remy.”
Before I can even respond, he walks out, still munching on my snacks like he owns the place.
I stare at the door, wondering what just happened.
Less than five minutes later, Maya bursts through the door, looking a little winded but still all smiles. Her eyes land on me sitting on the bed, and she freezes for a second like she wasn’t expecting me to be here.
“Remy! Hey!” She grins and dumps her stuff on her desk. “How’ve you been?”
I shrug, trying to seem casual while shoving my phone under a pillow. “Oh, you know, first day and all that. What about you?”
She groans, rolling her eyes as she collapses onto her bed. “God, my friends are the worst .” She throws her arm dramatically over her face. “Like, I swear they live to annoy the shit out of me. I’m two seconds away from slapping someone.”
I wait for her to take a breath, though she doesn’t seem like she’s stopping anytime soon. Maya seems like the type to love to rant.
“They’re all like, ‘Maya, you never show up for anything anymore,’ and I’m like, ‘Dude, it’s the first fucking day of school, chill!’ And then Brie was going off about some guy she hooked up with last weekend, and honestly, I couldn’t care less. Like, I didn’t ask for details about his ‘incredible abs’ and whatever other bullshit. And don’t even get me started on—”
“Maya,” I interrupt her, raising a hand, “some guy was looking for you earlier.”
That gets her attention. She props herself up on her elbows, curiosity flashing in her eyes. “Who?”
I hesitate because the last thing I want is to feed into any drama. But hell, she’s going to find out sooner or later. “Uh, Caleb something… McCabe?”
Her eyes light up, and I swear there’s the tiniest blush on her cheeks. Oh yeah, this girl’s got it bad .
But of course, Maya waves it off like it’s nothing. “Oh, we’re just friends. He’s cool, though.”
“Sure you are,” I say, rolling my eyes.
Maya glares playfully, but I can tell she’s trying not to smile. “We are .”
“Whatever you say.” I smirk. “But anyway, he told me to tell you not to miss tonight.”
At that, she practically bounces up from the bed. “He what ? He said that?” She looks like a kid on Christmas morning.
I nod, popping another chip in my mouth. “Yep. Oh, and he invited me too. Said I could be your plus one.”
Maya’s eyes go wide, and then she squeals, jumping up and down like I just told her she won the lottery. “Oh my God, Remy! You have to come! This is going to be amazing!”
I raise an eyebrow, suddenly curious. “Wait, what’s happening tonight?”
Maya grins, leaning closer like she’s about to share the world’s biggest secret. “Only the biggest party of the year.”
I blink. “But it’s literally the first day of school.”
“Yeah, duh,” she says, like I’m the clueless one here. “That’s why it’s so huge. The Brotherhood always throws a party to kick off the year.”
I squint at her, confused. “The Brotherhood? What the hell is that?”
Maya’s eyes go wide, and she claps a hand over her mouth. “Oops, I shouldn’t have said that.”
Now I’m really intrigued. “Okay, spill. What the hell is this Brotherhood?”
She shakes her head, still grinning. “I’m not supposed to talk about it. But trust me, it’s a big deal . You can’t miss this party. Everyone’s going to be there.”
I lean back, crossing my arms. “I don’t know, Maya. I’ve got stuff to do—like calling my mom and making sure she’s not losing her mind over me being here.”
Maya pouts, giving me the world’s most exaggerated puppy-dog eyes. “Please, please, please come! You’ll have fun, I swear. Plus, Caleb already said you’re my plus one. It’ll be epic. It’s invitation only.”
I hesitate, mostly because I really should check in with my mom. But damn, Maya looks like she might start begging on her knees if I say no.
“Fine,” I sigh. “But I have to check with my mom first.”
Maya jumps up in excitement, clapping her hands together. “Yes! I hope she says yes because, Remy, welcome to Blackridge ! You and I are gonna have so much fun here.”
I can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.
Maya bounces around the room for a minute, still hyped up about the party, while I pull out my phone and stare at the screen. My mom hasn’t texted yet, which is weird. Maybe she’s still sleeping or something. I glance at the time. It’s late enough that she should be up by now.
“Just call her,” Maya says, noticing me hesitating. “It’ll be fine.”
I nod, dialing my mom’s number and putting the phone to my ear. It rings a couple of times before she picks up.
“Hey, sweetie,” she answers, sounding groggy. “How’s it going? Settled in okay?”
I give her the quick rundown of my day, leaving out the part about the weird Caleb guy eating my chips and inviting me to an invitation-only party.
“Well, sounds like you’re adjusting pretty well. I was worried,” my mom admits, and I can hear the concern in her voice. “But you’re handling it like a pro.”
“Yeah,” I say, glancing at Maya, who’s practically buzzing with excitement across the room. “Uh, there’s this party tonight… Maya, my new friend, invited me. Can I go?”
My mom pauses, and I can already picture her overthinking it. “A party? On your first day? I don’t know, Remy…”
“Moooom,” I groan, rolling my eyes even though she can’t see me. “It’s not like I’m going to stay out all night. I’ll be fine.”
Another pause. “Alright, fine. Just don’t do anything crazy, okay?”
“When do I ever?”
At that she laughs. “Just promise.”
“Promise,” I say, crossing my fingers behind my back. I mean, how bad could this party actually be?
We hang up, and I glance over at Maya. “I’m coming.”
She squeals again, literally jumping up and down. “Yes! This is going to be so fun, I swear.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Alright, alright. So, what’s the dress code for this thing?”
Maya grins, already rifling through her closet. “Something sexy, but not too obvious. You know, like you’re not even trying but you look hot as hell.”
I snort. “Right, because that’s so easy. And I don’t have clothes here.”
Maya pulls out a tight black dress and tosses it onto her bed. “Trust me. You’ll kill it. Now let’s find something for you.”
I sit back, watching as she digs through her closet like a woman on a mission. I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into, but something tells me tonight’s going to be anything but boring.