When freshman Sophia Honey moves into Northridge University, the last person she expects as her roommate is Theo Gray-her brother's best friend, a star hockey player, and her childhood nemesis. Little did she know, everything was about to change fas...
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T H E O G R E Y
THERE ARE MEMORIES of Sophie that flashes through my mind like lightning-sharp, vivid, and impossible to ignore. I see us back in her hometown, when we were just kids. I'd tease her relentlessly, and she'd throw it right back at me without a second thought. I remember how the other boys used to mock her just because she didn't want to play their stupid games. They thought they could make her feel small. They were wrong.
Sophie Honey was-and still is-a fighter. She didn't cry back then. Not once. Instead, she'd glare at them with those piercing emerald eyes, a silent promise of retaliation. And when she did strike back, it always left its mark.
But now, seeing tears welling in those same eyes, threatening to spill down her flushed cheeks? It doesn't just surprise me-it infuriates me.
Tears. For a boy.
Let them fall, and he won't just get a black eye. I promise that.
This shouldn't even be my problem. Ryan didn't ask me to keep an eye on his little sister. He didn't need to. Because even if Sophie hates my guts-and she's made that crystal clear-I'll still show up when she needs me.
For old times' sake, of course.
Her eyes widen when she realizes I'm here. The moment stretches, heavy with tension. I know she hates the fact that out of all the people who could've seen her like this, it had to be me.
"What..." Her voice wavers, her lips trembling as she fights to steady herself. "What are you doing here?" She blinks quickly, trying to chase the tears away. When she steps back, I notice the space between us for the first time. We were closer than I realized. Too close, apparently.
She glances back toward the party, like she's ready to bolt.
I step forward instinctively. "Just needed some quiet." It's not a lie. I'm not in the mood for this party, though I couldn't tell you why.
She nods slowly, her fingers twisting the hem of her top. "Okay then. I'll leave you to it." Her voice is brittle, her expression closed off. She turns to leave, but I grab her wrist before I even think about it. She freezes, then glares back at me with barely contained anger.
"Soph-"
"Let me go, Grey." Her voice is sharp, her use of my last name deliberate. She knows I hate it. Normally, it would piss me off. But right now, I don't care. Instead, I take in her face-the way her lips are raw from biting them too hard, the deep flush in her cheeks that betrays her embarrassment.
