Chapter 1
"Chloe, don't. We shouldn't..." Even though I was saying that, with Chloe White's scent around me, my heart was racing like I'd just come off an overtime match.
*****
My name was Ryan Ford. I was 21, a junior, 6'1", and captain of the school basketball team. My girlfriend was Sophie Leaf, a sophomore, 5'8", with legs for days. She was on the school dance team.
When someone first met her, she came off as cold and distant, but once they really got to know her, they'd find out that she had a heart as soft as marshmallows.
Sophie was my first love. With my looks and background, a lot of girls had a crush on me or confessed their feelings, but my family was strict.
They made sure I focused on getting into Riverdale University and didn't let me date early. So, I didn't date anyone until I got in.
Sophie was my junior. Back then, I was a sophomore and president of the sports club in the student council, in charge of welcoming freshmen.
The new girls saw the tall, handsome senior and crowded around, asking questions about college and wanting my contact info.
But Sophie stood off to the side in a white dress, and her body was out of this world. That day, her aloof vibe totally caught my eye.
After that, I chased her hard. My family was well-off, so money was never a problem. I was tall and good-looking, always taking her out, buying her stuff, and before long, Sophie and I were together.
Once we started dating, I realized Sophie was the type who looked cold on the outside but was a total firecracker in private. Her amazing body and that crazy contrast in her personality totally had me obsessed.
We were glued together, head over heels for each other. Like every first love, I thought we were meant to be, and I was sure I'd marry Sophie one day.
But my parents didn't want me and Sophie together. They thought her family wasn't well-off, while mine ran several companies, and they always said I should find someone who was more on our level. That'd be good for my future.
My dad was totally against me and Sophie. He kept saying she was just after my money and warned me not to let so-called love mess with my head. We had a massive argument, and I walked out on them.
To prove to my parents we could make it on our own, Sophie and I decided to rent a place together. With graduation just a year away, it felt like a good way to get used to living independently, and we'd finally get to see each other every day.
But since we were still students, renting an entire apartment was way out of our budget. Plus, to show my parents we could tough it out, we decided to find roommates and split the rent.
When my parents saw my online post looking for roommates, my dad was so furious that he threatened to disown me. Luckily, my mom was all bark and no bite. She talked tough but had a soft heart.
Even though she said she didn't approve, she secretly sent me money. I was honestly super thankful for her.
*****
That day, I posted on a rental forum looking for roommates. But after I hit send, I realized it wasn't as easy as I thought.
Sophie and I agreed we wanted other students but not sketchy people from off-campus. But two days went by, and nobody messaged me.
On the third day, I finally got a friend request on WhatsApp.
The guy was Jake Strong, a senior at our school who worked part-time as a trainer at a nearby gym. He and his girlfriend were looking for a place together, saw my post, and wanted to rent a two-bedroom apartment with us.
I checked out his social media. Almost all his posts were from the gym, showing off arms that looked bigger than my legs. He seemed pretty real.
We chatted for a bit, and he came across as easygoing, so we agreed to check out the apartment together the next day.
The sun was blazing that day, and we got to the apartment complex early. Ten minutes later, Jake showed up, holding hands with a girl.
She was Chloe White, Jake's girlfriend. She was in the school choir. That day, she was rocking denim shorts and a crop top, her toned abs showing just enough to tease, and her legs were so long and straight.
"You must be Ryan, right?" Jake grinned and reached out to shake my hand. His grip was thick and calloused. Definitely a gym rat.
"Yeah, that's me. Dude, your body is insane," I said, totally meaning it.
"Thanks, man," he said, giving my shoulder a friendly pat. Then he introduced Chloe. "This is my girlfriend, Chloe White. She's in the school choir."
Chloe flashed me a playful smile, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Heard you're on the basketball team? No wonder you're so tall."
I chuckled as I introduced Sophie. She just nodded, keeping her guard up. She was always kind of cold around strangers.
The apartment was brand new, with two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The place was bright, and the living room opened up to a balcony with a view of the community garden.
We decided on it right away and agreed to move in together the next day. Since we were students, we didn't have much stuff anyway.
After we said goodbye to Jake and Chloe, Sophie and I packed up our stuff and spent one last night at a hotel.
"Sophie, what do you think of those two?" I asked.
Sophie snuggled up to me, way softer than she was during the day. "I think they're pretty cool. But Jake's arms are massive. Kind of scary, honestly."
I looked down at her. She seemed lost in thought, her cheeks a little flushed.
"Just admiring his arms, huh? What about mine?" I joked, then rolled her over and held her hands above her head.