Aria Bennett tightened her grip on the coffee cup, balancing it precariously on top of a stack of books as she walked briskly through the school library. The familiar scent of old paper and the muffled silence of the room brought her a sense of comfort. She loved this place—the one spot where she could escape the noise and chaos of high school life.
Dressed in her usual oversized sweater and worn-out jeans, Aria kept her head low, her glasses slipping down her nose as she avoided making eye contact with anyone. Not that there were many students in the library this early in the morning. Most of her peers were still lingering in the hallways, catching up on gossip or cramming for a last-minute test.
Aria found an empty table by the window, her usual spot. The morning sunlight streamed through the glass, casting a warm glow on her workspace. She set down her books and coffee, letting out a small sigh of relief. Today was going to be a long day, with an important biology project due, but she was ready. Or so she thought.
She reached for her notebook and began flipping through the pages, her pen poised to jot down the remaining points for her assignment. She was so absorbed in her task that she didn't notice the heavy footsteps approaching from behind.
A sudden voice, deep and sharp, cut through the quiet. "Watch it!"
Startled, Aria turned, her elbow nudging the precariously placed coffee cup. Time seemed to slow as the cup tilted, its contents spilling in an arc before landing on the person behind her.
The library fell into an uneasy silence. Aria's heart sank as she looked up, her eyes meeting the dark, furious gaze of Damien Carter.
Damien stood there, his designer jacket now splattered with coffee. His broad shoulders and tall frame seemed to dominate the small space between the shelves, and his piercing eyes burned with anger. He exuded an aura of control and power, but at that moment, his composure was cracking.
"Do you even know how much this jacket costs?" he growled, his voice low but filled with menace.
Aria stammered, her hands shaking as she grabbed a napkin from her bag. "I-I'm so sorry. It was an accident. I didn't mean to—"
Damien cut her off with a cold laugh. "An accident? Of course, it was. You couldn't do something like this on purpose because you don't even have the guts."
The humiliation was immediate. Aria felt the heat rise to her cheeks as a few students nearby began whispering, their curious eyes fixed on the scene. She wanted to disappear, to sink into the floor and never be seen again.
She tried to dab at his jacket with the napkin, but he stepped back, his expression hardening. "Don't bother. You've done enough."
"I really didn't mean to," she repeated, her voice barely audible.
Damien leaned in slightly, his towering presence making her feel even smaller. "Next time, watch where you're going, nerd."
Aria flinched at the word. It wasn't the first time she had been called that, but coming from him, it felt sharper, more personal.
With a final glare, Damien turned and strode away, leaving Aria standing there, clutching the soggy napkin and fighting back tears.
As she sat back down, her hands trembling, she couldn't shake the image of his piercing eyes and the anger simmering beneath them. But there was something else there, too—something she couldn't quite place. It wasn't just anger; it was almost like he was holding back something deeper, something darker.
Aria shook her head, forcing herself to focus on her work. Damien Carter was trouble, and she had no intention of crossing his path again. But deep down, she knew that things were rarely that simple.
---
Across the library, Damien leaned against a bookshelf, staring at the dark stain on his jacket. His jaw tightened as he replayed the scene in his mind. He had seen Aria Bennett before—quiet, invisible, always buried in her books. She wasn't the type to catch his attention.
But today was different.
He hadn't missed the way her hands shook or the faint quiver in her voice. Yet, beneath her fear, there was something else—something that intrigued him. A flicker of defiance, a spark that refused to be extinguished even under his glare.
Damien smirked, his anger giving way to something more dangerous. He didn't like being defied, but he couldn't deny that it made her stand out.
For the first time in a long while, someone had caught his attention. And Damien Carter wasn't the type to let that go.
---
Later that day, as Aria opened her locker to grab her books for the next class, a small piece of paper fluttered to the ground. Frowning, she bent down to pick it up.
The note was simple, written in bold, slanted handwriting.
"You'll regret what you did."
Her breath caught as she stared at the words, her heart pounding. She looked around, but the hallway was crowded, and no one seemed to be paying her any attention.
Clutching the note tightly, she felt a wave of unease wash over her. She didn't know what she had done to deserve this, but one thing was certain—her quiet, uneventful life was about to change.
And Damien Carter was at the center of it.