Chapter 3

“What are they?” Selena asked.

Ryan leaned back slightly. “Rule one—you already agreed to it. You won’t be my nanny. Not in name. Not in action.”

“Only if you behave,” Selena replied firmly. “If your dad thinks I’m not doing my job—”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry about that, okay?” he said dismissively.

She didn’t look convinced.

“Rule two,” Ryan continued, “no one at school finds out you’re my nanny. Or that you live in my house.”

“Deal,” Selena said.

She hesitated, then added, “I have a rule too.”

Ryan tilted his head. “Okay. Go on.”

“Stop bullying me at school.”

Something shifted in his expression.

Instead of answering, Ryan moved closer, climbing onto the edge of the bed beside her. One knee pressed into the mattress, his body leaning in, crowding her space.

“I’ll try to control myself,” he said quietly. “Though I’ve never been very good at that around you.”

He was too close now almost lying over her.

Selena’s heart pounded. “What are you doing?” she asked, tension creeping into her voice.

“Sealing our deal,” Ryan said, lifting her chin slightly. “With a kiss.”

Her eyes widened. “Are you kidding me? We hate each other.”

A slow smirk crossed his face. “Then I guess we’ll do it the old-fashioned way.”

He stepped back, kissed his own palm mockingly, then stretched his hand out for a handshake.

Selena stared at it, then shook only the tips of his fingers, pulling a funny face.

“Deal,” she said.

The next morning, they drove to school together in Ryan’s car.

He parked a short distance away.

“Wait in the car, yeah?” Ryan said. “I don’t want anyone knowing we’re together.”

“Fine,” Selena replied, turning her gaze away, a faint sting of hurt settling in her chest.

Ryan opened the door, but suddenly Selena remembered something.

“Ryan—Lily’s lunchbox. We need to—”

“I don’t care,” he said coldly, shooting her a sharp glare before walking away.

The door slammed shut.

Selena stared after him, stunned.

Maybe I can use a delivery service to send it to her, she thought.

Instead, she took the lunchbox to her locker and placed it inside.

As she turned to leave, she nearly collided with Ella and Lucas.

“Still showing your face at school?” Lucas asked mockingly.

“Haven’t you gotten the message yet?” he added.

Selena straightened. “What? That you hate me?” she asked. “I think that’s pretty clear.”

“Guess words aren’t enough,” Ella said, stepping closer.

“Oh, what are you going to pour your drink on me?” Selena asked dryly. “How original.”

“You already look pathetic,” Ella replied. “Dumping this on you won’t change much.”

She leaned in. “I know the right way to hurt a desperate try-hard like you.”

Then she turned to Lucas with a fake smile. “Don’t we have a history essay due today?”

“No,” Lucas replied lazily.

“I spent two weeks on that,” Selena said quickly, clutching her essay book.

“Too bad,” Ella said flatly. “I don’t care.”

Just then, Ryan walked into the hallway, passing by.

“Ryan—stop them,” Selena said immediately when she saw him, her voice cracking slightly.

Ella froze. “Did you just ask Ryan for help?” she asked in disbelief.

She laughed and turned to Ryan. “Wow. Don’t tell me this psycho is throwing herself at you now.”

Ryan looked bored, uninterested.

If I stop Ella, he thought, she’ll just go after Selena even harder.

Then he spoke.

“Next time you want to say my name,” Ryan said coolly, “take me to the bedroom first.”

Ella and Lucas smirked.

Without hesitation, Ella tipped her cup, pouring the coffee all over Selena’s history essay.

The pages soaked instantly.

Selena stared at it in disbelief, her chest tightening as sadness washed over her.

Ryan’s jaw clenched.

And for the first time, when he saw the look on Selena’s face, he almost regretted his choice.

Selena bent down slowly, staring at the ruined pages of her history essay. Coffee soaked the paper, the ink bleeding until her hard work was nothing but a mess. Her vision blurred as tears threatened to fall.

“See you in class, bottom feeder,” Ella smirked.

She deliberately stepped on Selena’s fingers before walking away, laughing, Lucas following right behind her.

Selena sucked in a sharp breath and forced herself to stand, her hands shaking. not from pain, but rage.

She turned to Ryan.

“What happened to our deal?” she demanded, her voice tight with fury.

Ryan’s jaw clenched. His eyes went cold.

“I promised I wouldn’t bully you,” he said flatly. “I never promised I’d protect you from other bullies.”

Selena laughed bitterly, tears finally slipping down her cheeks.

“And why do you think they’re bullying me, Ryan?” she asked. “Because you started it.”

Her voice cracked, and for a split second, something in Ryan’s chest splintered. It almost showed on his face but he buried it, choosing pride over honesty.

“They’re just following your lead,” Selena added quietly.

She turned to walk away.

“Selena, wait,” Ryan said suddenly, grabbing her wrist.

She yanked her hand free.

“No.”

“Our deal’s off,” she said, not looking back.

Then she walked away, leaving Ryan standing alone in the hallway exactly where his choices had put him.