Page 20 of My Girl to Ruin

“Tatum.”

I look up. It’s Daniel.

He’s a few feet away, smiling easily. He’s in a couple of my classes this semester. Always friendly in that effortless way that makes it easy to talk to.

“Hey,” I say, forcing a small smile as I sling my bag over my shoulder.

“You looked like you were about to fight your notebook,” he jokes, nodding toward my things. “Rough day?”

I huff a quiet laugh before I can help it. “Something like that.”

He falls into step beside me as we walk out of the classroom. “You okay?” he asks.

I hesitate. Then shrug. “Yeah. Just…stuff.”

He nods. “Well, if you ever need a distraction,” he says lightly. “I make a pretty great one.”

I chuckle and roll my eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

We step out into the hallway, the noise of other students filling the space around us. Conversations overlapping, footsteps echoing.

I don’t notice him at first. Not until something in my body reacts before my head turns.

And there he is. Lachlan.

He’s standing at the far end of the hallway, leaning against the wall like he’s been there long enough to see all of it.

And for half a second—less than that—his face is open. Something in it I’ve only seen once, in the dark, with his back against my dorm room wall.

Then his eyes move past me to Daniel.

And it’s gone.

His jaw tightens. That’s all the warning I get. Because the next thing I know, he’s moving. Fast, in long strides. My pulse spikes, heat rushing through me as he closes the distance in seconds. His presence is overwhelming as he stops right in front of me.

“Tatum.” My name comes out low, and his eyes travel down my body and back up like he has all afternoon.

“What are you doing here?” My voice catches, softer than I intended. My traitorous body is already reacting to the proximity, to the way he’s looking at me.

His gaze flicks to Daniel again, brief but sharp. Then back to me. “Who’s this?” he asks roughly.

He shifts, barely half a step, and somehow it puts his shoulder between Daniel and me entirely.

Something akin to excitement and worry flips through my stomach. “This is Daniel,” I say, glancing between them. “He’s in my class.”

Daniel straightens slightly, clearly registering the shift, his easy demeanor tightening just a bit. “Hey,” he says, offering a hand.

Lachlan doesn’t take it. Doesn’t even look at it. His focus stays on me. Completely.

“Walk with me,” he says. It isn’t a request. My whole body answers before I’ve decided anything, heat sliding low and immediate.

“Lachlan…”

“Now.”

That’s all it takes. I glance back at Daniel briefly, offering an apologetic look. “I’ll see you later,” I say quickly.

Lachlan’s hand closes around my arm. He pulls me down the hallway before I can say anything else. My heart is racing now, heat building under my skin as I try to keep up with his pace.