Adrian's pov
The Hardin mansion was quiet, the kind of silence that clung to velvet curtains and marble. I sprawled lazily on the leather couch, scrolling absentmindedly through my phone. I wasn't much for weekend plans—especially not the kind that involved loud music, drunk teenagers, and someone's house trashed by midnight.
My best friend, Jasper, had other ideas.
"Dude, you're not seriously planning to rot in here again, are you?" Jasper's voice bounced off the high ceiling as he walked into the living room without knocking—like he always did.
I arched my brow but didn't move. "It's called relaxing. You should try it sometime."
Jasper groaned dramatically. "Relaxing? This place is a museum. You don't even need relaxation—you have two private chefs, a pool that no one uses, and parents who would buy you an island if you asked. And still, you refuse to live."
I smirked, used to Jasper's speeches. "So what do you suggest? I join you in celebrating our generation's love for cheap beer and terrible party music?"
Jasper plopped beside me, grinning. "Exactly. There's a party tonight. Everyone's going. And before you say no—yes, she'll be there."
That caught my attention. I tried not to let it show, but Jasper had known me long enough to catch the flicker in my eyes.
"Her?" I asked carefully.
Jasper leaned back, smug. "Yeah. The one you keep pretending you don't notice. Don't look at me like that—I know you. She's going. And you're coming with me."
"How did you know?" I asked, curious.
"Have you forgotten I'm Avery's boyfriend?"
I sighed, running a hand through my dark hair. Parties weren't my scene. But for some reason, the thought of her being there, laughing with her friends, maybe talking to someone else… it tugged at me.
"Fine," I muttered, grabbing the jacket draped over the couch. "But if I regret this, I'm blaming you."
Jasper's grin widened. "Deal. But trust me, you won't."
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Tessa's pov
I shouldn't have come here.
The thought repeated in my head as I stood pressed against the living room wall, clutching a plastic cup of soda I hadn't even tasted. The music was so loud my chest vibrated, kids were shouting over each other, and couples were already making out in dark corners.
My best friends had dragged me here, promising I "needed this," but they'd vanished the second we walked through the door. And now I was stuck, awkward and out of place, like a lamp in a room that didn't match the furniture.
The music thumped through the crowded living room, lights flashing as laughter and chatter filled the air. I hugged my cup close to my chest, trying to look like I was enjoying myself, even though my eyes kept darting around the room. I was looking around if I could find Adrian,it'll be an interesting sight to me.
I had heard from Charlotte and Avery that he might show up tonight, and that was how they were able to persuade me into coming to this stupid party ,I've seen Adrian's best friend,Jasper , apparently he's the one dating Avery but I haven't seen Adrian. I had liked him for so long, silently admiring him from a distance, and maybe—just maybe—tonight would be the night I finally got to talk to him.Who am I kidding.
But as minutes turned into an hour, and familiar faces kept passing me by without a single glimpse of him, the excitement in my chest began to fade. Maybe he wasn't coming after all. Maybe this had been a mistake.
I slipped out toward the backyard, hoping for some quiet, but instead, I walked right into a group of older girls. They smirked at me, blocking my path.
That's when they found me.The leader of the cheerleading team-piper and two other mean members-molly and ronnie. They've always had a beef with me,I have no idea why .
perfect hair, perfect eyeliner, perfect cruelty—closed in like they had scented blood.
"Well, look who decided to show up," one of them sneered, giving my outfit a slow once-over. "Did you get lost or are you just trying to follow people around today"
"Who dressed you up,your grandmama?"
one of them asked rhetorically
The other two laughed, shrill and sharp. My grip on the cup tightened, and I tried to smile. "I like it," I muttered.
"Oh, she likes it," another mocked, tilting her head in fake sweetness. "That's adorable. But, honey, this is a party, not… Sunday school."
My face burned. I turned to walk away, but one of them bumped into me—deliberately. My drink splashed down my dress sticky and cold.
Laughter exploded.
I froze. Heat rushed to my cheeks, humiliation clawing at my throat. I wanted to disappear, to sink into the floor and never be seen again.
"Enough."
A voice cut through everything—music, laughter, even my panic.
I knew that voice. I'd know it anywhere.
Adrian Hardin
He stood a few feet away, tall and broad-shouldered, his dark eyes steady on the girls. The casual, dangerous kind of steady that made them shift uncomfortably.
"Funny how tough you act when it's three against one," he said coolly. "Want to try me instead?"
Silence fell. Piper forced a nervous laugh. "We were just kidding, Adrian darling. Don't get all worked up."
He didn't even blink. "Then joke somewhere else."
They departed with visible reluctance. As they moved away, Piper raised her hand to her right ear in a gesture that mimicked answering a phone call. Tilting her head slightly, she leaned closer and whispered softly to Adrain, "Call me."
I stood there, trembling, half from shock and half from the realization that he'd seen me. He'd seen my humiliation, my smallness. And he'd stepped in.
Adrian's eyes flicked to me. His gaze wasn't mocking or pitying—it was sharp, concerned.
"You okay?"
I nodded too quickly. "Y-yeah. I'm fine."
He looked at my dress, damp and clinging, and frowned. Before I could stop him, he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders.
It was warm. Heavy. Smelled faintly like clean soap and something darker, something him.
"You don't look fine," he said softly.
My throat tightened. My brain screamed at me to say something witty, confident, something that would make him see me as more than the girl he'd just rescued. But all that came out was, "You didn't have to."
One corner of his mouth curved—not quite a smile, but close enough to make my stomach somersault. "Maybe I wanted to."
I forgot how to breathe.
The room felt even smaller now, the music too loud, the eyes of everyone burning into my skin. Adrian seemed to sense it, because he tilted his head toward the glass doors. "Come on. You'll breathe better outside."
I hesitated—then followed.
The backyard was strung with fairy lights, soft and golden, swaying in the night breeze. The thumping music dulled behind us. I pulled his jacket tighter around myself and tried not to think about the fact that I was wrapped in Adrian Hardin.
For a while, neither of us spoke. My nerves buzzed. My brain screamed: Say something. Anything.
Finally, I managed: "Why did you… step in?"
He shoved his hands into his pockets, casual like this was nothing. "Because they're cowards. And because you looked like you needed it."
My heart squeezed.
I tried to cover the fluster in my voice with sarcasm. "What, do you go around rescuing girls at parties for fun?"
That half-smile again, this time softer. "Just the ones who don't belong in crowds like that."
I blinked. "So… you noticed me?"
His eyes held mine. Steady. Intense. The kind of look that made the world fall quiet. "Hard not to."
I swallowed hard and quickly looked away, heat crawling up my cheek. He couldn't mean that. He couldn't. I was just… me. Quiet, plain, invisible me.
But still—my heart wouldn't listen. It raced, it fluttered, it soared at the thought that maybe, just maybe, he had noticed me.
A voice from inside called Adrian's name,it was Jasper. He glanced toward the house, then back at me.
"Stay out here for a while,it'll calm you down ," he said gently. "You don't owe anyone in there your time."
And just like that, he was gone.
I sank onto the back steps, pulling his jacket tighter around me, inhaling his scent like my life depends on it. My dress was still sticky, my hair a mess, —but none of it mattered.
Because tonight, after a long time of crushing on him from afar, Adrian Hardin had finally noticed me.
And I knew I'd never forget it.