Chapter One
Aria’s POV
It was my first week at Crestwood College, and though I tried to act calm, my stomach was a restless knot. New place, new people, and all I wanted was to blend in.
I adjusted the strap of my bag and walked faster toward the hall. I had always loved books, but lectures in a big room filled with strangers? That part I dreaded.
Inside, the hall buzzed with voices. Girls in skirts, boys in hoodies, some laughing too loudly, some scrolling their phones. I found a seat in the middle row and sat, hugging my notebook like a shield. My plan was simple: study, graduate, avoid drama.
But drama found me in the form of Ryan Carter.
I didn’t know his name at first, but I felt the shift when he walked in. Heads turned. Laughter got louder. The kind of presence you couldn’t i
