Chapter 2

The crew team behind Ronan trailed him like a pack of trained bodyguards, parting the crowd as they went.

I instantly ducked my head so low I was practically burying my face in my oatmeal, praying frantically: Please don't come over here, please don't come over here.

"Jaxon." Ronan's voice rang out less than three feet away from me.

I felt Jaxon violently flinch beside me, his chair scraping back half an inch. "C-Cap. Morning. Your playbook... I already dropped it off last night..."

"Did I ask about the playbook?" Ronan cut him off, his voice so low and gravelly it sounded like he was crushing ice in his throat. He pulled out the chair opposite Jaxon and crossed his long legs. But his gaze didn't land on Jaxon; instead, it slowly slid over to me, where I was desperately wishing I could shrink into a single atom.

"And this is?" Ronan narrowed his eyes slightly.

"M-my sister, Maeve," Jaxon stammered. "She's not in the frat, she's just having breakfast with me."

"Sister," Ronan repeated, suddenly leaning forward.

"Sorry, I gotta run," I blurted out in a panic, using it as an excuse to bolt.

I was a nervous wreck through all my classes that day.

I thought I'd be safe just hiding out in the library, but of course, Jaxon managed to screw up again.

"Maeve!" Jaxon, rocking a mess of tangled blond hair, literally dropped to his knees in front of me. "Save me! I left the replica Rolex Dad gave me on Ronan's nightstand! If he finds it, or if Dad finds out, I am a dead man!"

I scoffed and shoved my phone screen in his face. "Look at this first. Ronan is currently conducting a campus-wide manhunt for the person who left that 'wild strawberry scent.' Do you honestly think my situation is any better than yours?"

"I already tried looking for it, but I couldn't find it."

"We have a frat meeting later, just sneak in while that's going on. We look exactly alike—as long as you wear my hoodie and pull a baseball cap down, no one's gonna realize you're a girl!"

"Plus," Jaxon leaned in close and took a hard sniff. "You don't smell like wild strawberries right now. Definitely not."

"Are you out of your damn mind? He's a massive germaphobe! He'll chop me into pieces and throw me in the Charles River to feed the fish!"

"Please, Maeve! Just this once! I swear I'll never steal your strawberry yogurt ever again!"

Half an hour later, swimming in Jaxon's massive navy-blue hoodie and wearing a baseball cap pulled low, I was standing outside Ronan's dorm room door again like a thief.

The hallway reeked of stale beer and old pizza, but the second you got close to this door, the air automatically purified into a clean, crisp forest scent.

I took a deep breath. Right as I laid my hand on the doorknob, the door was suddenly yanked open from the inside.

Ronan stood there.

Jaxon, that absolute moron, had lied to me.

Ronan was wearing gray sweatpants and a tight black t-shirt. He had clearly just showered, water still dripping from his hair.

"Jaxon?" He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Hey, Ronan, bro," I croaked, dropping my voice to mimic Jaxon's punchable tone.

"I was pretty trashed last night, think I left my watch in here. Sorry for messing up your bed, I'll grab it and get right out of your hair..."

I ducked my head, trying to slip out from under his arm, but he suddenly raised his hand and planted it against the doorframe, completely blocking my path.

He leaned down, his nose practically brushing the brim of my baseball cap.

I could feel the warmth of his breath ghosting over my ear.

"What body wash do you use?" he suddenly asked.

"What?" I completely froze.

"Wild strawberry." A dangerous hint of amusement slipped into Ronan's voice.

He suddenly reached out and flicked off my baseball cap. My long hair instantly cascaded down.

"It was you the other night, wasn't it?"