Bruised Desire

Mornings were never easy for me anymore. I woke up to the comforting fragrance of coffee Mom left by my bedside, sunlight spilling across the family photograph on my desk. Dad’s smile in that picture always made my chest ache. It reminded me of what we lost, of that night that carved a scar so deep I knew it would never fully heal.

I pushed the thoughts aside and got ready in my usual simple way—a plain white t-shirt tucked into blue jeans, my small gold earrings, and the heart-shaped pendant I never took off. Inside it was the only picture that mattered—one of me and Dad.

Plugging in my earphones, I walked toward college, trying to keep my nerves at bay. My playlist shuffled, and Arcade – Duncan Laurence began to play, the melancholy notes syncing too well with my mood. Music was one of the few things that made the silence in my head bearable.

I never realized when I had reached campus until I heard it—an unmistakable roar of an engine that ripped through the air. My heart skipped a beat as a red Ferrari glided into the parking lot, sleek and arrogant like it belonged there. For a second, I froze.

Dad had worked in the automobile industry his entire life. I grew up around cars, could name them on sight, and he’d taught me the thrill of riding shotgun on test drives. But after the accident, I couldn’t even look at one without flinching. Now, the Ferrari’s growl dragged me back into memories I didn’t want to face.

Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I realized something—I was standing right in front of the car. The Ferrari braked, and for the first time, I saw him.

He leaned out of the driver’s side, brown-hazel eyes locking onto mine with sharp irritation. There was something magnetic about them—cold yet burning—but I didn’t recognize him. I had only been here a week, and faces still blurred together.

His lips curled, and his voice came out low, edged with impatience.

“Move. You’re blocking my way.”

For a moment, I just stood there, staring, every nerve in my body on edge. Something about him unsettled me, like the echo of a nightmare I couldn’t place.

I froze under his sharp gaze, too stunned to move. His words echoed in my head like a challenge. And then—he did something I didn’t expect.

The Ferrari’s engine roared louder, a thunderous growl that vibrated through the ground and sent a shiver up my spine. My heart raced, panic bubbling in my chest. For a second, I thought he was actually going to lurch forward.

Before I could react, another sound split the air—a sleek super bike pulling up beside the Ferrari. The rider tugged off his helmet, his dark hair falling into place as if he’d stepped right out of a magazine ad. His grin was playful, almost mocking as he glanced between me and the driver.

“Ryan, stop! You’ll end up scaring the poor girl to death,” he called out.

The guy—Ryan—didn’t move his eyes from me. His voice was a low growl, dangerous and unbothered.

“I don’t care.”

Those hazel-brown eyes lingered on me, not blinking, as if he was studying every nervous flicker of my expression. The intensity made my skin prickle, like I’d been thrown into the middle of a storm I hadn’t asked for.

The biker, however, only smirked wider. He leaned his arm casually on the handlebar and said, “Come on, princess, unless you’re planning on becoming Ferrari hood art today, maybe step aside? He’s got a reputation for running late and running over egos.”

The crowd that had gathered around burst into chuckles, though I wasn’t sure whether they were laughing at his joke or at me. My cheeks burned as I quickly stepped back, trying to shake off the humiliation.

The biker turned to me then, flashing an easy smile. “Don’t mind him. I’m Max, and he’s… well, Ryan. You’ll figure him out soon enough. Or maybe not.” His voice had the kind of warmth that immediately cut through the tension Ryan had created.

Only then did I notice—everyone was staring. A whole circle of students had their eyes on me, whispering, smirking, watching like I had unknowingly walked into the middle of some spectacle.

And at the center of it stood him—Ryan—his stare never wavering, the Ferrari’s engine purring like a predator ready to pounce.

I stepped aside, cheeks still burning, and hurried past the Ferrari, ignoring the eyes that followed me. Only when I glanced at my phone did I realize—I was late. Perfect. Exactly how I wanted my first week of college to look.

The rest of the morning dragged on with back-to-back classes. I did my best to keep my head down, though Tessie made it impossible. Tessie—my only real friend here, even if I’d known her barely a week—was the exact opposite of me. Loud, cheery, the kind of girl who could talk to a wall and make it laugh. She was already tugging at my arm.

“You’re too boring, you know that?” she whined as we walked to our next class. “College is about parties, wild nights, and bad decisions. And you—white t-shirt, neat notes, perfect attendance—you’re killing my vibe.”

I smiled despite myself. That’s Tessie. Somehow, around her, the heaviness in my chest lightened a little.

By the time we handed in an assignment, we were late for lunch. On the way to the cafeteria, Tessie leaned closer, whispering, “God, Professor Alaric’s glare nearly burned a hole through my skull. Why does he always hate me?”

I laughed softly. “Because you never shut up in his lectures.”

“He doesn’t hate you though. He actually smiled at you! He never smiles at anyone. Do you have him wrapped around your finger or what?”

“I’m just his favorite student, that’s all,” I teased, though the truth was Alaric had always been oddly kind to me, patient in ways he wasn’t with others.

Finally, we reached the cafeteria, and Tessie rolled her eyes at me as I pointed straight at the sandwich counter.

“You and your obsession. The same sandwich every day. Are you secretly married to it?”

“It calms me, okay? Don’t mock my coping mechanism,” I said, grinning as we joined the line.

But of course, fate had a cruel sense of humor. There was only one sandwich left. And at that exact second, another hand reached for the counter—his. Ryan.

Before I could even react, Vernon, the cafeteria guy—and one of my oldest friends from school—looked up. His face lit up instantly.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my favorite customer. You planning on making me jealous again with this sandwich obsession?” he teased, leaning on the counter.

I laughed, playing along. “Maybe if you made it better, Vernon, I wouldn’t be cheating on you with your sandwiches.”

“There you go. The last one, saved just for you,” he said, leaning in playfully.

I rolled my eyes, smiling. “You always say that. One day, I’ll believe you.”

“One day? Please. Admit it, you come here just for me,” he teased, winking.

I opened my mouth to fire back, but a shadow fell over the counter. The air seemed to shift, pulling my attention instantly. Ryan was standing right there, closer than I realized, his presence sharp and unsettling.

“Actually, I placed the order,” he said flatly, his voice low but carrying enough weight to silence Vernon’s grin. His hazel eyes flicked to me, studying me the same way he had in the parking lot—as if I were some puzzle he couldn’t decide whether to solve or toss aside.

Vernon frowned. “Uh, yeah, but—”

Ryan cut him off, leaning slightly forward. “Next time, maybe don’t waste time with childish chatter. Some of us don’t have time for foolishness.”

My stomach tightened at the words. His tone wasn’t loud, but it was laced with a quiet arrogance that left me speechless. The crowd behind us shifted, whispering, and I could feel the heat in my cheeks again.

Ryan didn’t wait for an answer. He just smirked faintly, grabbed the sandwich, and walked away as if he hadn’t just set the entire cafeteria buzzing.