Frank pov
Gary's mom taught Spanish at the community college, and he grew up speaking it like his native tongue. So when Ruby and I whispered in Spanish—stupidly assuming no one else could understand—as we gossiped about the Hank family's background, we didn't notice Gary passing by.
But he heard every word.
He didn't stop. Just slowed his pace for half a second, brow arching ever so slightly.
Looking back, that was when he caught on.
After all, William was his closest friend. If some scam group or sugar-hungry maniac was targeting the Hank family, he'd obviously be the first to tighten the net.
Except when Gary took a second look at me—and at Ruby, with her starstruck eyes glued to William like he was some pop idol descended from the heavens—he must've realized the truth.
This wasn't a scam.
This was… a dumbass fangirl and one very confused admirer who couldn't keep their mouth shut.
And the one being "targeted"?
William was slouched on the couch, scrolling through his phone like none of this was worth the breath it took to react.
He didn't even glance up at us.
To him, we were probably background noise.
But Dylan?
He was grinning now, amusement glinting in his eyes as he nudged William with a finger.
"You don't think they staged the whole thing to get your attention, do you?"
His eyes flicked toward us, the grin spreading.
"God, William—this whole ploy is dumb as hell, but I gotta say, it's working."
Everyone knew William hated being approached.
Unlike the rest of the White Wolves, who cycled through girls like meal preps, William's social circle was practically nonexistent. He'd had exactly two relationships during high school, and both ended in less than two weeks.
Not because the girls were clingy, or because he lost interest—
But because the second one of them posted a hand-in-hand photo captioned "Such a happy day 💕", the entire school exploded.
William. Hank. Was. Dating.
Boom. Game over.
He hated being displayed.
Hated becoming anyone's conversation topic.
Worst of all, he despised seeing himself on someone else's social feed—like he was a trophy to show off.
Rumor had it he once said:
"Being with someone shouldn't mean being paraded like a prize."
So he stopped dating altogether.
Back then, Harris had asked him,
"Then why do you even hang out with them? Do you even like them?"
William never answered.
Now, Harris chuckled as he caught on to Dylan's joke.
"You think the kid's faking it? That it's all a dumb act?"
"Why not?" Dylan flipped his blond hair out of his eyes, leaning forward. "Think about it. If they are putting on a show, it's the dumbest, cheesiest rom-com bullshit I've ever seen—but I'm not gonna lie, it's kinda entertaining."
They were laughing.
They were looking at us.
I couldn't hear every word, but I could feel the heat rising in the room like someone had lit a match.
And then—
William looked up.
Directly at me.
And just like that, I froze.
He stared. His expression unreadable but undeniably cold.
There was no curiosity, no humor—only a trace of contempt.
That single glance was Arctic-level frigid.
And then he looked away.
Like I wasn't even worth a second more of his time.
"Did anyone see the way the kid looked when that guy walked in?" Dylan kept going, voice loud, eyes dancing.
"He looked like, 'Finally! My scene partner's here!'"
The group burst into laughter.
Palms smacked palms.
Mockery swirled like smoke.
I felt the ground shift beneath me.
They'd made up their minds.
In their heads, we were already a joke.
Except I wasn't acting.
This wasn't a script.
I was just… trying to help.
But it was too late now.
Ruby and I were walking toward the couches.
Gary's voice practically chirped, "Here we go! Showtime!"
The moment we stopped, every gaze in the room snapped to us.
Judging.
Waiting.
I took a deep breath.
William was my friend.
I wasn't about to let him get blindsided.
So I lowered my head and spoke steadily.
"William… I'm sorry. Tonight was a mess—and it's all my brother's fault. Ruby shouldn't have said what she said. She shouldn't have… challenged you."
He didn't look at me.
His posture was lazy, almost bored. Like this whole scene was beneath him.
There was a pause. I could feel the smirks around us.
Waiting for us to trip. To say something stupid.
I inhaled again.
"As compensation, we're willing to cover tonight's drinks. All of them."
The room went silent.
Then:
"Eh?"
A chorus of surprised murmurs.
They'd been expecting something cringe.
Like, "Can we have your number?"
But I came here with a real apology.
William's head tilted.
Finally, he looked at me.
Those eyes—smoky grey and impossibly sharp—landed on mine.
I froze.
There was something dangerous in that stillness.
Something magnetic.
Now I understood why so many girls had fallen after the championship game.
He had the kind of presence that took over a room—even when silent.
My heart skipped.
And not because of the humiliation or fear.
Because he was beautiful.
Predatory, poised, cold—
And completely untouchable.
Then he spoke.
"Do I look like someone who needs money?"
My mind blanked.
Wait, what?
When did I say anything about him needing—
Laughter exploded around me.
"Pffft—"
"HAHAHAHA—OH MY GOD—"
I blinked.
The firestorm of laughter hit like a slap.
I was the punchline.
So was Ruby.
"What, they thought paying for drinks would fix it?"
"This is hilarious!"
The crowd grew louder.
They were gathering.
My ears burned. My face was scorching.
I turned toward Ruby—
She was staring at the floor, cheeks blazing red.
I opened my mouth.
Tried to speak.
My voice came out softer than I'd planned. Almost pleading.
"Then what would make it right? What do you want from us?"
He gestured toward the table.
Toward the drinks.
Six full glasses.
Plus Ruby's leftovers—eleven and a half.
His voice was cool, casual.
"Simple. He finishes all of those, and you can leave."
My stomach dropped.
He wasn't serious… was he?
Someone jeered,
"Wait, that's it? Too easy, man!"
"C'mon, at least make the brat run two laps naked!"
"Who does this guy think he is, walking in here with that attitude?"
The laughter grew louder, crueler.
And yet William—
He just watched.
Quiet.
Unbothered.
Like he was waiting for me to decide.
I looked at the drinks.
I wasn't good with alcohol.
Ruby was worse.
She'd never even been drunk before.
Just one glass of beer and her face turned scarlet.
I licked my dry lips.
Then looked up at him.
"Can I drink with him?"
He blinked.
Didn't see that coming, did you?
Something shifted in his eyes.
The mockery… disappeared.
Instead, he looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time.
Really seeing me.
And in that moment—
Maybe I imagined it—
But I thought I saw something flicker.
Not cruelty.
But surprise.
Like maybe, just maybe, he didn't expect me to be real.