My Fake Boyfriend Is the School Bad Boy novel Chapter 81

Chapter 81 A Doorway Gaze Turning Quietly Lethal

គ 178

The urge to dump the sodium hydroxide over his expensive leather shoes flared hot and bright in my chest. I bit the inside of my cheek. I

needed the grade. I could not afford a disciplinary infraction.

“I know how the game is played,” Julian continued. His voice held a conspiratorial edge: “You needed an alibi. He needed a tutor to keep his father from pulling his trust fund. It was a mutual benefit. But the act is getting old. You are too good to associate with a guy who

spends his weekends in police stations.”

The disrespect stung. It was a physical burn in the center of my chest. Julian knew nothing. He did not know about Leo. He did not know about the quiet devotion Ryder harbored for years. Julian saw the world through a lens of privilege and entitlement, where people were

commodities used to elevate social standing.

“Let’s finish the titration, Julian,” I said. My tone lacked any warmth.

I turned my attention back to the burette. The pink hue in the flask deepened, signaling the approach of the endpoint. I kept my breathing shallow. I wanted to vanish into the chemistry formulas. I wanted to replace the variables of my life with predictable, stable

elements.

He ignored the dismissal. He closed the remaining gap between us, stepping into my half of the workstation. He reached out, placing his

hand over mine on the glass flask.

His skin felt clammy. A repulsive shudder traced down my spine.

“I am saying you do not have to settle, Julian murmured. He lowered his voice, dropping the conversational tone for something intimate. He leaned forward, bringing his face inches from my shoulder. “You don’t have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to make a point. Some of us appreciate a smart girl. Some of us can take you to the spring formal without starting a fistfight in the parking lot.”

He was flirting. He viewed the supposed demise of my fake relationship as an opportunity. He saw Ryder as a joke, a temporary lapse in my pristine judgment, and he thought he offered a superior upgrade. He assumed my silence was an invitation.

“Let go of my hand,” I demanded.

‘I am helping you swirl the flask,” Julian deflected. He kept his fingers layered over mine. He traced a circle against the back of my hand. “You look tense, Raisa. You need to relax. The semester is ending. You should have some fun.”

‘I am fine, I insisted. I pulled my hand out from under his grip. I took a step back, bumping my hip against the edge of the metal stool. The metal squeaked against the linoleum.

Julian smiled. It was a confident, predatory curve of his lips. He interpreted my boundary as a challenge. The elite boys of Crestview Prep did not hear the word no. They viewed resistance as a temporary obstacle to overcome with charm and persistence. He took another step, cornering me between the stool and the lab bench. He reached for a loose strand of my hair, tucking it behind my ear.

You deserve someone on your level, Julian whispered.

1/2

13:01 Fri, Jul 10

Chapter 81 A Doorway Gaze Turning Quietly Lethal

The air in the chemistry lab shifted.

:))

78

The change was profound. The ambient chatter of thirty students faded into a muted, distant hum. The temperature in the room

plummeted. The tiny hairs on my arms stood on end. A heavy, chaotic static electricity flooded the space, making the skin on the back of

my neck prickle.

I knew that energy. I knew that suffocating, consuming pressure. It was the same energy that flooded the A-wing every time he walked

through the doors.

I turned my head toward the classroom entrance.

Ryder stood in the open doorway.

He wore his scuffed leather jacket over a faded black t-shirt. The heavy silver rings glinted on his healing knuckles. His combat boots planted firm on the linoleum floor. He did not belong in this wing during third period. He belonged in shop class on the opposite side of

the campus.

He was not looking at Mr. Sterling. He was not looking at the swirling beakers of chemicals.

His hazel eyes were locked on Julian Hayes.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify