Handsome Devil

Chapter One: The Perfect Smile

The campus buzzed with energy as students poured into the halls of Crestwood University for another semester. The laughter and conversations blended into a lively symphony, but one person stood out above the rest-Jake Marshall. He was the kind of guy everyone noticed, not just because of his looks but because of the effortless confidence he carried. With dark, tousled hair, a sharp jawline, and an easy grin, Jake was the quintessential campus heartthrob. It wasn't just the girls who admired him; the guys wanted to be him. To everyone, he was perfect.

But underneath that perfect smile was a secret buried deep. Few knew about the accident. Fewer still understood the weight Jake carried every day, a weight that threatened to crush him completely.

He sat at his usual table in the courtyard, surrounded by a group of friends. As they joked and talked about the latest campus gossip, Jake chimed in with his usual charm. His best friend, Nate, nudged him with a grin. "Dude, you've got that 'everyone loves me' thing going on again."

Jake laughed, a sound that seemed natural, but there was something behind it. A slight pause that no one ever noticed. "Can't help it, man," he replied, leaning back in his chair. "Just lucky, I guess."

But luck had nothing to do with it. Jake had learned how to mask his pain, how to present himself as the guy who had it all together. Inside, the memories of that night still haunted him-the screech of tires, the blinding headlights, and then the crushing silence. The silence that followed him even now, years later.

As the conversation drifted to weekend plans, Jake's eyes wandered across the courtyard. A couple of students waved at him, and he returned the gesture, his smile in place. But inside, something dark stirred, a reminder that he was alone. Completely and utterly alone.

The laughter around him felt distant, almost like white noise, as he thought about the accident. His family-his parents, his younger sister-all gone. The shock had worn off long ago, replaced by something colder, something darker. Anger, grief, and despair had twisted into something more insidious, something Jake couldn't control.

His phone buzzed on the table, snapping him back to the present. A message from Rachel lit up the screen. "Can we talk later? Need to tell you something."

Jake's eyes narrowed slightly as he read the message. Rachel had been one of his closest friends, but lately, she'd been acting strange, asking questions about his past, about the accident. He didn't like that. Not at all. His fingers hovered over the screen before he quickly typed a reply: "Sure. See you later."

The conversation at the table had shifted again, this time to an upcoming party. Nate was in the middle of convincing everyone to go when he turned to Jake. "You in?"

Jake's grin returned. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

But even as he said the words, that dark part of him, the part that whispered in his mind, was already planning. Rachel knew too much. She was starting to see past the facade. And Jake couldn't let that happen.

He smiled again, the perfect, charming smile everyone expected. But underneath it, the handsome devil was already at work.