Catherine’s POV
I regretted stepping into Julian’s car when the door shut behind me.
The engine purred, and I sat there with my hands awkwardly folded in my lap, trying not to breathe too loudly because, apparently, even my oxygen intake decided to be self-conscious today.
He didn’t say anything, he just rested one hand lazily on the steering wheel, the other tapping rhythmically against his thigh like he was listening to music.
"Seatbelt," he finally spoke, his words snapping through the silence.
I fumbled to buckle up, pretending like I hadn’t forgotten the literal law of road safety. "Right. Yeah. Got it."
He glanced at me for a second and that was enough to make me shift in my seat. The morning sunlight streamed through the windshield, catching the sharp edge of his jaw and turning him into a goddamn commercial for heartbreak.
I hated that he looked that good this early in the day.
"Why are you silent? Didn’t think you could be this quiet." He said after a minute.
I blinked. "I’m sorry, are you trying to make conversation with me?"
He smirked faintly. "Why does that sound like an insult?"
"Because it is," I said, staring out the window. "You don’t do ’conversation,’ Julian. You do sarcasm, arguments, and unnecessary staring."
His tone turned playful. "Unnecessary?"
"Very unnecessary."
He laughed under his breath; a low, deep sound that I swear had no business being that attractive. "You’re funny when you’re defensive."
"I’m not defensive."
"Sure you aren’t."
"Shut up."
He chuckled again and the sound filled the car, soft but warm. I could feel my heartbeat picking up even though my brain was screaming at me to stay calm. This was Julian Vaughn. The same Julian who used to attack me, even for matters he knew I didn’t have any involvement in.
I wasn’t supposed to find this version of him, the gentle, teasing, and easygoing part, remotely interesting.
A slow pop song played on the radio. The kind of music you’d expect in a cliché montage of two people falling in love. The timing was suspiciously perfect.
Of course, my brain betrayed me again, imagining us in some stupid teen movie scene, with me laughing, him smiling, maybe reaching to tuck my hair behind my ear, then I immediately wanted to jump out of the moving car.
Julian’s voice broke the silence. "You look tense."
I side-eyed him. "I wonder why."
"Because of yesterday?"
My cheeks heated. "Don’t."
He tilted his head slightly, clearly enjoying my suffering. "You mean when you screamed like I broke into your room?"
"I was half-naked!"
"You were wearing something," he said casually, eyes on the road.
"Bra and panties don’t count!"
His lips twitched. "You make it sound like I traumatized you."
"You did!"
He laughed again, openly now. "Relax, Catherine. I’ve seen worse."
"Wow," I muttered, crossing my arms. "That’s not helping."
He glanced at me. "You’re cute when you’re angry."
I blinked. My brain completely short-circuited. "What?"
He smiled to himself like he hadn’t just detonated a verbal bomb in my lap.
"You—you can’t just say stuff like that," I stammered.
"Why not? It’s true."
"Julian!"
"What?"
"You’re being weird!"
He grinned. "Weird or honest?"
I turned away, staring at the road ahead like it had all the answers. "Being honest doesn’t fit you. Stick to something else, maybe manipulation."
"Noted," he said lightly, clearly unbothered.
The car became silent again. I hated how the tension between us didn’t feel completely bad. It felt like standing too close to fire and knowing you’d probably stay anyway.
We were halfway to school when he suddenly asked, "Are you still mad at me?"
I scoffed. "You mean aside from barging into my room, seeing me half-naked, and pretending like it’s normal? No, not at all. Totally fine."
He smiled faintly. "You know, your replies are always sarcastic. That’s one of the things I like about you."
"Ugh, that’s bad."
"Another sarcasm. You always have something to say, it’s crazy and attractive," he said quietly.
That shut me up. The rest of the drive was awkwardly peaceful. The wind brushed through the open window, and for a second, I almost forgot who I was sitting next to.
When we pulled into the school parking lot, some students turned to us.
"Get ready to have everyone up your ass. I never let girls in my ride," Julian whispered before stepping out of the car.
What!
Almost all eyes turned to me when I stepped out of his car.
Tessa ran to me and a shriek was the first thing I heard. "Oh my GOSH!" She was standing near the entrance, wide-eyed, practically bouncing on her toes. "Tell me this isn’t real!"
I groaned. "That I rode with my stepbrother to school? It’s real. What’s all this madness?"
Tessa gasped dramatically. "That’s no madness, Catherine. You just broke a record. The first girl to ride in Julian’s car."
Julian bent to my ear, "I told ya." Then he looked at her and smiled faintly. "Morning, Tessa."
Her jaw dropped like he’d just blessed her with divine attention. "M-morning, Julian," she stuttered.
He winked and moved past us, casually sliding his bag over one shoulder. He looked effortlessly hot while I probably looked like I’d barely survived an apocalypse.
I turned to Tessa, who was looking at Julian and grinning like a kid who just got a candy. With a smack, I brought her back to reality. "Stop drooling."
She whispered to me as we walked off, "What the hell, Catherine? If you can’t appreciate God’s beauty, that’s fine but don’t interrupt me."
"There are hotter men!" I hissed. "Stop acting like he’s the finest man alive. He’s not even in the top ten."
I heard Julian chuckle, then he turned around and walked back to me.
"You know," he said under his breath, "you talk a lot about me for someone who supposedly can’t stand me."
I shot him a glare. "You’re delusional."
He smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "Suit yourself."
"Julian—"
But before I could finish, he stopped by the hallway that led to his locker, turning toward me with that same infuriating half-smile. "See you later, Catherine."
"Yeah," I muttered, forcing my voice not to shake. "Hopefully not."
He winked. "Impossible."
And then he walked off, leaving me frozen in the middle of the hallway with my heart doing backflips like it had no self-control whatsoever.
Tessa gripped my arm. "Okay, either you both are secretly into each other, or I just witnessed a slow-burning haters to lovers romance happening in real time."
I covered my face with both hands. "Please shut up."
She squealed anyway. "Nope. You’re blushing, he’s smiling, and I’m calling this... a Chapter one of something dangerous."
I groaned. "No, this is Chapter one of my downfall."
But even as I said it, I couldn’t help glancing down the hallway, though Julian had already disappeared.