Chapter 1: The Rant That Started It All

Zivra Tressen stabbed her fork into her cafeteria salad with enough force to crack the plastic tray. Across the table, her best friend Sorenna blinked, mid-bite of her sandwich, as Zivra launched into her tirade.“I swear, if I have to hear Torin Kade’s stupid laugh one more time, I’m going to lose it,” Zivra said, her voice low but venomous. “He’s everywhere, Sorenna. Everywhere. Strutting around campus like he’s some gift to humanity, flirting with anything that breathes. It’s disgusting.”Sorenna chewed slowly, her hazel eyes glinting with amusement as she leaned back in her chair. The Crestwood College cafeteria buzzed around them—students chattering, trays clattering—but Zivra’s focus was razor-sharp, locked on her rant. “Okay, but he’s hot,” Sorenna said, shrugging. “Like, objectively. You can’t deny that.”Zivra glared, her fork hovering mid-air. “Hot doesn’t excuse being a total sleaze. He’s a walking cliche—23, senior, thinks he’s God’s answer to women. Every girl on this campus drools over him, and he laps it up like a dog. Except me. I’d rather eat glass.”Sorenna snorted, brushing her curly black hair out of her face. “You’re, like, the only one. I saw him outside the library yesterday, and three girls were practically fighting to hold his coffee. It was pathetic.”“Exactly!” Zivra dropped her fork, leaning forward. “And the worst part? Kellan worships him. My brother acts like Torin’s some kind of hero because they’re in the same class and he’s got that whole ‘cool senior’ vibe. They’re both five years older than me, and somehow I’m the one stuck dealing with him. He was at our apartment all summer, crashing on the couch, hitting on delivery girls, baristas—our mail carrier, Sorenna. Who does that?”Sorenna laughed, nearly choking on her sandwich. “Okay, that’s excessive. But Kellan doesn’t know you hate him, right?”“No,” Zivra said, slumping back in her seat. “He thinks Torin’s the best thing since sliced bread. If I told him, he’d just say I’m overreacting or try to drag me along to hang out with him. I’d rather die.”She glanced out the cafeteria window, where the late September sun blazed over the quad. As if on cue, there he was—Torin Kade, sprawled on the grass like a king holding court. His dark hair flopped over his forehead as he tossed a football, his gray hoodie stretched across his broad shoulders. A cluster of girls hovered nearby, giggling at whatever nonsense he was spouting, and Zivra’s stomach twisted.“Look at him,” she muttered, nodding toward the scene. “It’s like a cult. The Torin Kade Fan Club. And he doesn’t even notice me enough to care that I can’t stand him. I’m just Kellan’s little sister, the invisible freshman he calls ‘squirt’ when he bothers to acknowledge me at all.”Sorenna followed her gaze, smirking. “He’s got that whole bad-boy charm thing down. You sure you’re not just mad because he hasn’t flirted with you yet?”Zivra’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious? I’d rather claw my eyes out than be one of his conquests. He’s a player, Sorenna. A loud, obnoxious, girl-chasing disaster. I don’t care how popular he is—I’m staying as far away from him as possible.”“Famous last words,” Sorenna teased, taking a sip of her soda. “You know how these things go. Hate turns into something else real quick.”“Not a chance,” Zivra snapped, but her cheeks flushed despite herself. She shoved the thought down, focusing on her salad instead. Torin Kade was a problem—her brother’s problem, not hers. Kellan could idolize him all he wanted, but she’d keep her distance and her sanity.Still, as she stabbed another lettuce leaf, she couldn’t shake the prickle of irritation—or the tiny, traitorous spark of curiosity she refused to name.