JULIET
Starting junior year at Rosewood High, I expected to lose myself in textbooks, science experiments, and the comforting quiet of the library.
What I didn't expect was to be paired with Alex Rhodes-the school's star quarterback and every girl's dream-in chemistry class.
Alex is charming, confident, and completely out of my league. When he offers to study together, I'm wary. How could someone like him be interested in someone like me?
But as we dive into chemical reactions, I discover there's more to Alex than his athletic prowess and easy smile.
Beneath the surface, he's smart, curious, and utterly captivating. I should keep my distance, but every time his hand brushes against mine or he leans in close to explain a concept, I feel a thrill that I can't ignore.
He's a magnetic force, and I'm helpless against the attraction brewing between us.
ALEX
Junior year means football, friends, and maintaining my reputation as Rosewood High's golden boy.
What it doesn't mean is falling for a girl like Juliet Mayfield-quiet, brilliant, and completely different from anyone I've ever known.
Assigned as her lab partner, I'm instantly intrigued. Juliet is everything I didn't know I wanted: passionate, insightful, and with a hidden fire that draws me in.
Our chemistry goes beyond the classroom, sparking a connection I can't fucking ignore. Her shyness is endearing, her intelligence enthralling.
The more time I spend with her, the more I crave her presence, her touch, her everything. But being with Juliet means challenging expectations, breaking the mold I've been cast in.
And damn, I want her. I want her in ways that make my heart pound and my body ache. I want her laughter, her moans, her whispers of my name. I want all of her, and I don't give a damn about the consequences.
Her brows furrowed. "You look like you have something specific you wanna ask me."
The tips of Liam's ears turned red at Emma's very accurate observation. "I, uh... I usually just bullshit my way through projects, so I have no idea what the hell I'm doing."
The corners of Emma's lips formed a small smile.
Liam arched his brow. "What are you smiling at?"
Her smile widened. "Nothing."
Ever since Emma started going to Silver Creek High, she's been bullied over her discolored eyes. It all started when a boy brought attention to her in biology class one day, laughing at her and calling her a "freak" while the rest of the class laughed along with him. She never looked at him or saw his face; she just ran out of the room crying. She was now an outcast labeled as a freak and she wanted nothing more than to just disappear. She felt she had no purpose in life.
Until her sophomore year when she fell in love with Liam, the guy every girl wanted; the guy every dude wanted to be. He had stolen her heart and she now wanted nothing more than to be with him. Unfortunately, Liam seemed to want nothing to do with Emma. He seemed to be straight up avoiding her.
They never interacted for 3 whole years. That is, until now in their senior year, when they get paired up for a school project. The two must put their differences aside and try to work as a team. But as they spend more time together, feelings grow deeper, and secrets start to rise to the surface.
Warning: Contains mature language, sex, and topics of bullying, sexual assault/harassment, self-harm, and suicide