Chapter 18
Andrea slammed her locker shut, her fingers trembling as she clutched her books to her chest. She could still hear the echo of the taunts from earlier that morning.
“Maybe she thinks she’s one of us now,” one of the elites had sneered, their laughter cutting through the hallway as Andrea had walked by.
It wasn’t just whispers and glances anymore. Ever since she’d stepped in to defend a younger girl from her class—a shy, white-tied Joker who had been cornered by two older elites—the threats had gotten worse.
Andrea hadn’t been able to stand by. The girl had been frozen in fear, tears streaming down her face as the elites mocked her cheap shoes and shoved her books out of reach. Andrea had marched straight into the middle of it, her voice ringing out louder than she’d intended.
“Back off!” she had shouted, glaring at the group until they finally left, sneering over their shoulders.
The Joker girl had thanked Andrea in a shaky whisper, but it hadn’t taken long for the retaliation to start. The stares. The notes slipped into her bag, calling her “a pretender” and “a charity case.”
Andrea exhaled shakily as she turned toward her next class, her stomach churning.
“Rough day?”
She turned to see Liam Sinclair leaning casually against the wall, his hands in his pockets. His tie was loose, and his golden hair looked like he’d just rolled out of bed, but his sharp green eyes were locked on her with an unusual seriousness.
“What do you want, Liam?” Andrea muttered, too tired to deal with his usual teasing.
“To walk you to class,” he said simply, pushing off the wall.
Andrea blinked, taken aback. “Why?”
Liam shrugged, his tone light. “Call it a public service. You’ve got half the elites looking for an excuse to mess with you, and you’re not exactly great at staying out of trouble.”
Andrea frowned, clutching her books tighter. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Maybe not,” Liam said, stepping closer. “But I’m offering anyway.”
His usual smirk was gone, replaced by a quiet intensity that caught her off guard. For once, Liam wasn’t joking.
Andrea hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. “Fine. Just don’t make this a thing.”
Liam grinned, falling into step beside her. “Whatever you say, Queenie.”
The next few days passed in a blur. Liam escorted Andrea between classes, his presence drawing more stares than she cared for. But despite the attention, no one dared approach her while he was around.
“Do you always have to walk so fast?” Liam asked one afternoon as they hurried across the courtyard.
Andrea rolled her eyes. “Maybe if you didn’t stop to flirt with every girl we passed, we’d be on time.”
Liam held a hand to his chest, mock wounded. “Flirt? I was being friendly.”
“Right,” Andrea muttered, suppressing a smile.
They were halfway to the next building when Liam grabbed her arm suddenly, pulling her into a narrow alcove between two stone columns.
“Hey—what—”
“Shh.” Liam pressed a finger to his lips, nodding toward the courtyard.
Andrea peeked out cautiously. A group of elites lingered near the fountain, their laughter carrying across the cobblestones. She recognized one of them as the boy who had slipped a threatening note into her bag earlier.
“They’re not subtle, are they?” Liam muttered, his voice low.
Andrea turned back to him, her heart racing. The alcove was barely big enough for both of them, and she was hyper-aware of how close he was.
“We could’ve just walked past them,” she whispered, trying to ignore the way her pulse quickened as his shoulder brushed hers.
“Not with the way they were looking,” Liam said, his green eyes meeting hers. “I’m not taking any chances.”
Andrea opened her mouth to argue, but the words caught in her throat. Liam was still watching her, his usual playful expression gone. There was something different in his gaze—something softer, more intense.
The air between them felt heavy, charged.
Before she could process what was happening, Liam leaned in, his hand brushing lightly against her arm. His lips met hers in a kiss that was unexpected but tender, sending a jolt through her.
Andrea froze for a moment, then found herself leaning into it, her heart pounding.
But just as quickly as it had started, Liam pulled back. His hand lingered on her arm for a moment before he stepped away, his expression unreadable.
“We should keep moving,” he said quietly, his voice steady but lacking its usual warmth.
Andrea nodded, unable to speak.
The rest of the walk passed in silence. Liam stopped at her dorm, giving her a faint smile before turning and walking away without another word.
That night, Andrea sat on her bed, her mind spinning. She touched her lips absentmindedly, replaying the kiss over and over. What did it mean? And why had Liam pulled away so quickly?
“You’re quiet,” Sophie said, glancing up from her laptop.
Andrea startled, pulling her hand away from her mouth. “What?”
Sophie tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. “You’ve been weird all night. What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Andrea said quickly, though her flushed face betrayed her.
Sophie raised an eyebrow, setting her laptop aside. “Andrea.”
Andrea sighed, slumping back against her pillows. “Liam kissed me,” she admitted.
Sophie’s eyes widened. “He what?”
“It wasn’t… it wasn’t planned,” Andrea said quickly, heat rising to her cheeks. “It just happened.”
Sophie stared at her for a moment, then sighed, shaking her head. “Andrea, you’ve got to be careful.”
Andrea frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” Sophie said carefully, “that the Sinclairs don’t do anything without a reason. Liam’s charming, sure, but he’s still a Sinclair. And that makes him dangerous.”
Andrea bit her lip, her chest tightening. “I don’t think it was like that,” she said softly.
Sophie didn’t look convinced. “Just… don’t lose yourself in whatever game they’re playing, okay? Promise me that.”
Andrea nodded slowly, though she wasn’t sure she believed her own answer.
