Chapter 1: The Night Everything Changed

Heartbreak still clung to me, raw and aching, so on New Year's Eve I begged my best friend Tanya to get drunk with me.

The bar was decked out for the holiday: neon signs flickering, a lopsided plastic Christmas tree in the corner, and a crowd packed tight, all desperate to drown out last year’s regrets. The air was thick with spilled beer and the faint scent of cinnamon from somebody’s abandoned cider. I slid into a booth, scrolling through my phone, texting Tanya every ten minutes as the hours dragged by. In the end, I waited at the bar for three hours, only for her to text that her flight was delayed.

"Aubrey, don’t worry, I’ve already asked my brother to pick you up. If my brother’s there, I know you’ll be fine. Seriously, don’t stress."

Tanya and I had been glued at the hip since middle school. We ended up at colleges thousands of miles apart, but our group chats—full of memes and venting—kept us close. After the breakup, I wanted nothing more than to see her in person.

The second she heard I’d been dumped, she booked a ticket to come keep me company. I never imagined things would spiral like this.

"Alright then."

I’d met Tanya’s brother before, but we were never close—honestly, he kind of scared me. He’d always show up with that bored, too-cool-for-everything look, earbuds in, barely glancing at us, but somehow I always knew he was there.

Her brother was the golden boy. While Tanya and I sweated over algebra, he was already accepted into one of the country’s top schools. Every holiday meal turned into a contest because of him.

The few times we met, he was always distant and cold. Even Tanya, the ultimate troublemaker, never dared act out in front of him. Whenever he came home for Thanksgiving, she’d suddenly become the world’s most helpful daughter, just to avoid his quiet judgment.

So, when I woke up and realized I was sharing a bed with Nathan, my whole world collapsed. A cold sweat broke out on my back. My mind raced—had Tanya called? Did anyone know? Could I just disappear?

"Hey. You up?" came a slightly hoarse male voice.

I stiffened and turned my head, bracing myself, but my heart still hammered in my chest. For a second, I felt like a guilty teenager caught at a sleepover gone wrong.

God, he’s so damn handsome...

Sharp brows, deep eyes, flawless skin, and a few messy strands of dark hair falling over his forehead—he was unfairly gorgeous. This is exactly the kind of thing that only happens in TV shows—except now it was my actual life, and I wanted to crawl under the bed.

Especially at this range. I could make out the little scar on his jaw—Tanya once told me he got it falling off his bike as a kid. Funny what sticks in your head when you’re in full panic mode.

Our eyes met, and suddenly flashes of last night came rushing back. I drank too much. When Nathan found me, I was barely conscious. I remember crying into my drink, then, like I’d lost my mind, climbing on top of him...

Stop!

I looked around. This was definitely Nathan’s apartment.

I shivered and stammered, "...Nathan, nothing happened last night, right?"

Nathan’s eyes were tired, but at my words, he narrowed them slightly.

Just then, my phone rang. Tanya’s name flashed on the screen and I shot up like I’d been electrocuted.

"Hello, Tanya!"

Tanya sounded puzzled: "I sent you so many texts. Why didn’t you reply? Just landed! I’m grabbing an Uber to your dorm—remind me, what building again?"

Me: "..."

Probably... your brother’s building...

But I’d never admit that, even under torture. My stomach twisted as I lied, praying Tanya couldn’t hear the panic in my voice. "I overslept and didn’t hear them. I’m in Building 6, Room 201."

Tanya didn’t suspect a thing and hurried me: "Looks like my brother did his job. Okay, I’m coming over."

After I hung up, my mind was still spinning.

Suddenly, Nathan’s voice came from behind me:

"If you don’t leave now, you’ll be late, right?"

Me: "..."

But Nathan was already out of bed, the blanket sliding off and revealing his abs. My face flushed. He said, "I’ll drive you."

I stammered, "I—I can walk on my own..."

Nathan gave me a look:

"It’s only responsible if I drop you off, right?"

He had that no-nonsense, older brother energy that left no room for argument. Like he was already halfway out the door before you’d even decided what to say.