Chapter 4

Julian’s pov.

I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles were turning white, but I kept my face like stone.

Inside, I was screaming.

I was actually, physically vibrating with the kind of high I haven't felt since I was what, ten years old?

She was in my car.

Aria Vale was sitting in my passenger seat, her scent of old coffee beans and rain filling up my space. I had waited three years for this exact moment.

Most people think I transferred to Westbridge for the hockey program or the business prestige.

And it made sense considering those were the excuses I gave my parents to let me come here. But still, that was far fetched, really.

The only reason I transferred was because I saw a post on her Instagram three years ago about her getting a scholarship here.

I spent my entire freshman year at a different school just watching her from a screen, waiting for the right time to move.

I knew Luca was an idiot.

I knew he would eventually choose someone shiny and loud like Serena because he has zero taste and even less heart.

I was actually on her school profile when it happened.

I had been scrolling through her old photos, just like I did every morning, when the notification popped up at the top of my screen. It was a public post on the housing board.

"Major accommodation issues. If you have a room I can rent, DM me. Urgent."

My heart nearly stopped.

I didn't even think. I didn't breathe. I just typed out the reply as fast as my fingers could move.

I knew it was public. I knew the whole school would see it. I wanted them to see it. I wanted every single person on this campus to know that if Aria Vale needed a place to go, she was coming to me.

I came to this school and I played the role of the quiet, disciplined hockey captain.

I walked past her lecture halls every single day, just hoping to catch a glimpse of the back of her head.

I knew her schedule better than she did. I knew what time she started her shifts at that shitty coffee shop. I even knew which library table was her favorite because I’d sit three rows back just to watch her study.

Some would call it stalking, and yes, I'm not going to bother lying about it.

But I was also protecting her.

I’d seen the way people looked at her because she was a scholarship girl. I made sure those people knew that if they messed with her, they’d be dealing with Vance.

But all that didn't matter anymore because now, all of my hard work had finally paid off. Even though I pretended not to know she was the one I was meeting at the cafeteria... she was here. She was finally here.

I pulled into my garage and took a breath, trying to calm my racing heart before I looked at her.

"We're here," I said.

My voice sounded normal, which was a miracle considering I felt like I was losing my mind.

She didn't say anything. She just got out and stood there with her two suitcases.

I took them from her, wanting to burn them because they reminded me of the life she lived with that loser.

We got up to the apartment and the elevator doors slid open.

I gave her the tour, pointing out the kitchen and the living room and the balcony.

I watched her face the whole time.

It remained icily blank.

Totally unfazed by the marble floors or the view that costs more than most people make in a lifetime.

I’ve always loved that about her.

She doesn't really care about things that aren't hers. She’s hardworking, beautiful, even though she isn’t financially buoyant. She’s herself and doesn’t try to impress anyone or keep up with the campus hot girls, as they call themselves.

She has this pride that is so thick you could choke on it. It makes me want to break and bend her so badly, until she only relies on me.

"This is your suite," I said, opening the door to the guest wing.

She walked in and looked around, her expression still not changing.

"Thank you, Julian," she said. Her voice was small, but it was steady.

"I mean it. I appreciate you helping me out of that situation," she added.

"It’s fine, Aria. I told you I had the space," I said.

I was standing too close to her, and I could see the way her eyelashes were still damp from the rain.

"I just want to be clear about something," she said, turning to face me.

"There is nothing more to this situation. You're helping me, and I'm grateful," she said.

She was drawing a line in the tiles, and I wanted to laugh.

"I’m going to start paying you rent as soon as I can pick up extra shifts," she continued.

"You don't need to worry about money here," I told her.

"I do. Because I don't take charity," she snapped.

She stepped back into her room and grabbed the handle of the door.

"Goodnight, Julian," she said. Then she slammed the door right in my face.

I stood there in the hallway for a long time, staring at the dark wood of the door.

I bit back a smile until my cheeks actually hurt.

I couldn't remember the last time I had been this happy.

She could feel like she was doing the right thing by setting boundaries all she wanted.

But she was already in my house.

She was under my roof, eating my food, and sleeping in a bed I bought.

She was mine now, even if she didn't know it yet.

My phone started buzzing in my pocket, ruining the moment.

I pulled it out and saw my mother’s name on the screen.

I sighed and swiped to answer.

"Julian. Why am I hearing that you have a guest?" she asked.

She didn't even say hello.

My mother has people tailing me, and she’s never been subtle about it.

"I have a roommate, Mother. It’s a big apartment and I was getting tired of being lonely," I said.

I walked over to the window and looked out at the city lights.

"Don't lie to me. I know who she is. She’s that girl. Moretti's friend. Come on, son. She's pathetic," my mother said.

"Her name is Aria," I corrected her, my voice turning cold.

"I don't care what her name is. She is a distraction. You have a reputation to maintain, and the Morettis would love to use this against us," she hissed.

"Make sure she does not distract you from your goals, Julian. Or I will make sure she is removed from the equation," she warned.

The threat made my blood turn to ice.

"If you touch her, I will burn everything you’ve worked for to the ground. I swear it," I said.

I didn't wait for her to respond before I hung up. I threw my phone onto the sofa and rubbed my face with my hands.

The Vance family was a shark tank, and I had just brought a lamb into the middle of it.

But I didn't care. I walked back toward my own bedroom, pausing outside her door one last time.

I could hear the faint sound of her moving around inside. She was safe here.

I had spent years watching her be treated like an afterthought by a guy who didn't deserve to breathe her air.

Now, I was the one who got to see her wake up in the morning. I was the one who got to see her without the mask she wore for the rest of the world.

I didn't have any plans on letting her go. Not tonight. Not tomorrow. Not ever.

I went into my room and lay down, staring at the ceiling and listening to the silence of the apartment.

It didn't feel empty anymore. It felt full. I thought about the look on Luca’s face when I picked her up.

He looked like he had just realized he lost his most valuable possession. He was right.

He had lost her, and he was never getting her back. I’d make sure of that. I’d make sure she forgot his name within a month.

I couldn't wait for tomorrow morning. I couldn't wait to see her sitting at my table.

I was going to make her her favorite tea. I was going to make her the eggs she liked. I was going to show her what it felt like to actually be seen.

I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face for the first time in years.

Everything was finally going according to plan.