I thought I could just sink into my pillows and fall asleep after Pierce dropped me home that night, dreaming about the absolutely, enthralling, wonderful, incredible evening he gave me—but Cassie and Haruko had other plans.

"He took you to his house?! EEEEEK!" Was the synchronized reaction from both my friends when I told them everything that happened with Pierce on our nightly video call. Naturally, they were not gonna let me sleep without making me give them every single detail. Although I did spare exactly how long and hard Pierce and I kissed—no need to share that juicy bit.

"He is sooo romantic!" Cassie swooned on my behalf. "Ugh, makes me wish I had a boyfriend like him so bad..."

"You know, something tells me the foundation for this little tryst was laid a long time ago," Haruko said slyly to me. Cassie blinked.

"Huh?" She asked, looking blank.

"I have a feeling this exchange of affections didn't start now... they just lay dormant all these years," Haruko elucidated. I blushed and Cassie gasped.

"Amb, is it true? Did you have feelings for Pierce all this time?" She asked. I went redder and giggled sheepishly.

"Hehe... Maybe?" I answered demurely. Cassie squealed.

"EEEK! You guys are totally MFEO then!"

"MFEO?" Haruko asked in confusion.

"Made for each other!" Cassie giggled mischievously. Haruko rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, American slang... but I knew it! I think this love affair has been budding since that time you broke your leg, huh, Amb?" Well, a little longer than that but... Sweet marshmallows, she was good.

"I won't deny that..." I mumbled and Haruko rubbed her hands in glee.

"Oooh, I so knew it! And it's a good thing he's got moves, he sure showed Trey, huh?" She continued, looking smug.

"Yeah, Trey's lost it!" Cassie said with an angry sound. "What he did was absolutely crazy, it's lucky he only got away with detention!" I had told them about what happened with Trey, naturally. And despite enjoying myself with Pierce all evening, I had worried about what was to come the next day. The way Trey acted terrified me, I didn't think he'd go that far.

"What are you gonna do about him, Amb?" Haruko asked, looking worried now. "If he tries something like that again—"

"I'll report him, Haru," I said with a sigh. I'd never felt so bitterly disappointed in my once best friend. To think it came to this, that I'd have to report my best friend for beastly behavior! It was just sad.

"Yeah, and we just gotta keep a closer eye on you and make sure he can't get to you again," Cassie said, also looking nervous for my sake. I nodded, shutting my eyes. My best friend turned into my worst enemy... I gotta watch out.

At least I had a golden boy looking out for me.

~

I got a pleasant surprise when I came downstairs the next morning. I'd just walked out the front door with my skateboard in hand, intending to meet up with the girls and skate to school for a change—when I looked up and did a double-take. A familiar red Jaguar was parked in my driveway and slouching against it with one ankle crossed-over the other and his arms folded, was my Pierce, looking sexy as... Well, I didn't think anything was as sexy as him.

"P-Pierce! H-hi!" I stammered in delight, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to take my babydoll to school," he drawled with his usual, seductive smirk, patting the top of his car. I gave a little squeak in surprise.

"Eek, you serious?" I asked with starry eyes. He simply flipped that adorable lock of hair on his forehead back and looked at me in affirmation. I smiled widely, dropped my skateboard like a hot potato and ran straight into his arms. He gave me a morning peck.

"Hello, gorgeous," he crooned. He suddenly peered at my neck with wide eyes and clicked his tongue.

"Shit, now I did it," he muttered, looking vexed. I blinked blankly.

"Huh?" I stared at Pierce in confusion. He trailed a sensual finger along my throat, sending a shiver up my spine.

"I gave you a hickey, babydoll," he explained, looking annoyed with himself. I giggled, blushing up to my hair roots. Really? Pierce gave me a hickey? My fingers felt the area he just touched but I felt nothing. I didn't even notice it in the mirror this morning.

"I don't mind," I replied, looking dreamily at him. "It's a sign that I belong to you." Pierce left his mark on me—heck, I couldn't be prouder. Pierce chuckled, looking pleased.

"Naughty girl... c'mon troublemaker, let's get you to school." He helped me into his car and soon we were on our way.

"I hope you don't mind if I pick you up everyday," Pierce said while he drove, "I do want whatever extra time I can get with my babydoll every morning."

"I'm all yours, Pierce," I replied breathily, gazing at him in adoration. He chuckled softly and patted my knee.

"Good," he replied. I quickly sent a text to Haruko and Cassie explaining my absence today—and every day from now on, or else they'd wonder why I didn't ride to school with them. I put my phone away before I could see their replies—further explanations could wait.

"So, you feeling better after yesterday, babydoll?" Pierce asked gently. I nodded.

"Mm-mm."

"You're not worried about Russo?" Pierce asked more concernedly. I sighed at that.

"I can't say I'm not..." I uttered quietly. Pierce nodded.

"Mind if I ask what's your relationship with him?"

"He's—was, one of my best friends," I said, correcting myself. "We'd known each other for years before he started trying to bully me into a relationship with him."

"I see," Pierce said softly. "So it's a case of unrequited love..." Something in Pierce's tone made me glance sharply at him. I got an inkling of his thoughts from his words.

"Pierce, whatever you're thinking, it's not like that. I know what you went through and trust me, with Trey, it's totally different."

"I'll admit his methods are brash and and brutish," Pierce began, "but I can understand what he's coming fr—"

"He kissed me against my will yesterday, Pierce," I cut him off, determined to see what he would say to that. His expression flickered and his eyes narrowed.

"Damn, he can't be forgiven for that then," he said in a hardened tone. "No one touches my girl and gets away with it." Pierce just called me 'his girl'. Huuuhhhh...

"Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll make sure he learns his lesson," Pierce assured me. "I meant it when I gave him detention."

"You should expect him to ditch though, he can be insufferably stubborn," I warned him, wincing at the thought of Trey's flagrant disregard for Pierce. Pierce's hands visibly gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"So can I," he said in that terrifying, awe-inspiring voice. My admiration for him tripled. My boyfriend wasn't just a golden boy, he was totally badass.

"So, you ready?" Pierce asked me when we'd arrived at school. I glanced ahead, suddenly feeling a weight of anxiety fall in my stomach. My mouth went dry and I felt like I was hyperventilating. Which I was, I realized a second later. I guess I was more affected by Trey than I thought—I was a nervous wreck inside. Pierce sighed.

"I had a feeling this would happen," he said, unbuckling our seatbelts and leaning over to me. "Amber, sweetheart, look at me." He cupped my cheeks and turned my face to his, penetrating my eyes with his heady aquamarine gaze.

"Listen to me. Nothing is going to happen to you, alright? I'm gonna be right by your side when you walk in there and I'm not gonna let anyone who means you harm get near you, I promise you that. You've got me now, babydoll." The tender passion in Pierce's voice made me feel like I was the luckiest girl in the world. I placed my palm on top of his on my cheek.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you..." I whispered, suddenly feeling extra moist in my eyes. Pierce placed a lovefelt kiss on my forehead.

"Shh, don't say things like that, sweetheart. I'm the lucky guy to have found you. I know that every time I look into your eyes." I looked into his eyes now, feeling like we were the only two people in the world—until Pierce withdrew, reminding me we were in reality.

"So shall we get in there—together?" Walk hand in hand into school with the TA? Now that would spark gossip big time—but I didn't quite care.

"With you? I'm ready," I said, braving my anxiety. We got out of the car and immediately Pierce came to my side, firmly holding my hand. I sucked in a breath.

"Pierce, are you totally sure?" I asked cautiously, suddenly a little unsure if this was safe for him. "If it causes you any trouble—"

"Trouble is my specialty, babydoll," he said with a smoldering glance at me, setting my heart off. "Just relax and trust me." I exhaled, deciding to let him be in charge. As he led the way, we walked into school together—and I braced myself.

The reaction everyone gave us was well expected—mouths hung agape and eyes popped out from practically everyone who saw us. The hum of excited but hushed murmurs filled the air. Yep, Pierce and I would make the school headlines. But that would come second to what was in store for us. Because I was about to face something way worse.

"Amber, there you are!" Cassie and Haruko came running to me upon spotting me. "We have a serious—oh, snap." Their eyes widened before wider smiles spread on their faces on seeing my hand interlocked with Pierce's. Haruko's eyes even went to my hickey.

"Ladies," Pierce smiled at them, giving them a polite incline of his head. Cassie looked like she was biting back excitement.

"Good morning, Mr. Hartman," she said, giving us both a cheeky double-point. I gasped in amused shock. She was making my relationship so obvious!

"We're thrilled for you, Amb, really," Haruko interjected, looking worried. "But you've got a bigger issue to deal with." My smile faded and something told me Trey had caused trouble again.

"Is it Trey?" I asked cautiously, and Cassie nodded, looking distressed now.

"He's done the most despicable thing ever," she said, holding up her phone. I gasped in horror and would've collapsed to the ground if Pierce's arms hadn't been around me the moment I swayed on my feet.

Cassie's phone showed the headlines for today's online newspaper our school published—which read 'Love after hours', but that was not even the shocking part. Below was a clear, vivid video on play looking like it was taken by a professional, of me, wide-eyed and being pinned to the blackboard with Trey looking like he was giving me the kiss of a lifetime. It clipped off right before the part where I bit Trey's lip and he jumped back cussing—it just looked like a perfectly heated kiss instead of a hated kiss. Under it was the caption, 'Trey Russo makes a move on his sweetheart, Amber Gardener'. I almost had a heart attack from the shock!

"I see," Pierce uttered in a deadpan voice. I glanced up at him, feeling sick at the thought of him seeing that video—and Trey looking like he was having his ferocious way with me. Pierce glared at it so hard I thought Cassie's phone would combust into flames. Was he—upset with me? I did tell him about it...

"Trey must've set you up yesterday, Amb," Haruko told me in a low, agitated voice. "And Ronnie and Juno were in on it, they didn't let us come get you."

"I guess this is what he meant by 'whatever comes next'," I gritted out bitterly, rage consuming me. Trey just signed his own death warrant with this—humiliating me by setting me up like this was the lowest of the low. He furnished that video somehow and leaked the story to the newspaper club so that the whole school would see it—and the video of us kissing depravedly would burn in everyone's minds forever, clinching the idea that there was something between us! I despised Trey with all my heart at that moment—even if he tried his best to convince everyone that we were in a relationship, he would never convince me.

"Always hated that damn newspaper club," Pierce uttered in a low, controlled voice, but I could sense how incensed he really was.

"What are you going to do now, Amb?" Cassie asked me worriedly. Crowds of students suddenly started to mob me, throwing questions in my face.

"Amber, are you really going out with Trey now?"

"You guys make such a cute couple, since when have you been going out?"

"Was this part of your plan, going public about your relationship in the news?" No, it wasn't...

Pierce suddenly marched onward, leading me through the throng as our hands were still intertwined together.

"Pierce, what—" I tried to ask breathlessly but I panted to keep up with him as he extracted me from the crowd. He didn't stop until he reached a door in a more distant hallway labeled 'Mr. Hartman'. Holy smokes, he got his own office?!

He opened it and went in, pulling me inside and shutting the door. It was a quaint little office with a desk, a comfortable set of chairs and a cupboard. Once inside, Pierce let go of my hand and sighed heavily over his desk, turning to me with disquiet in his eyes. It made my heart sink.

"Pierce, you have to know that kiss wasn't real, please believe me," I pleaded. Pierce immediately pulled me into his chest, cupping my face.

"Amber, sweetheart, I don't doubt you for even the slightest minute," he said fervently, soothing my agitated heart. "You already told me about it and of course I believe you. And it's obvious to me you were victimized from that video. What I'm more concerned about is Russo making things difficult for you." Pierce didn't doubt me—oh, what a load off my chest!

"Babydoll, I'm worried about how you're taking this, are you alright?" Pierce asked, looking me over with tender concern. I shook my head in dejection.

"No, I can't pretend I'm alright with this, Trey is doing everything he can to make my life miserable!" I cried. "That wretched video is all over the school by now, and I don't know how to undo it!" Pierce's hands slipped around me, lovingly caressing me all over.

"Shh, I know, sweetheart, and I'm gonna do something about it, don't you worry. I'll fix this, for both of us, alright? If Russo thinks he can make life purgatory for you, I'll make hell for him." I stared at Pierce.

"But Pierce, I don't want you to get into trouble with your job by getting involved in my problems—"

"Our problems," Pierce interposed, placing a finger on my lips. "Whatever happens to you is my concern, babydoll. And don't worry about my job, it's not going anywhere. It's time I wielded some of the power it came with on behalf of my babydoll." Pierce's expression hardened.

"Russo's gonna get a lot more than he'd bargained for. And I'm gonna make that damn newspaper club eat their words, they've been causing trouble for as long as I can remember." I blinked at Pierce, suddenly giggling as I envisioned the newspaper club actually eating all the newspapers they printed.

"What's so funny, babydoll?" Pierce asked, his lips tweaking up a little. I told him what I'd imagined and he laughed.

"Not bad. But by the time I get done with them, there won't be a newspaper club."

"But I can't make everyone unsee that wretched video," I said sadly. "And Trey's not gonna stop, I know him. If he fights back—"

"Shh, leave Russo to me, sweetheart," Pierce hushed me with his finger on my lips again. He replaced it with his thumb, brushing it across my lower lip. It felt like he'd pressed a button to open my mouth because my lips parted in an instant. And in the next moment, his lips were molding between mine.

I hummed automatically, getting lost in his kiss from the get-go. My body relaxed into his arms while our lips exchanged a conversation of their own. He suddenly spun me around so that I was against his desk and he hoisted me up onto it. I giggled at his intensity but he didn't even break the kiss. He just continued leaning into me between my legs, revering me with his lips, running his hands all over me... the way he pressed up against my body, weaving against me made me feel like I was on fire.

"Pierce..." I gasped, when his hot-blooded, open-mouthed kisses nearly made me lose my mind. He gave a soft chuckle and I felt him smile against my lips.

"Maybe it's too early for this, I'll save it for after school," he said, withdrawing and straightening up my clothes. My breath came out ragged, like I'd just gone bungee-jumping. But this was way better.

"My babydoll should get to class..." Pierce said, trailing his sensual fingers down my body. I shivered in pleasure but then whined in my throat.

"Ugh, right, class..." I'd rather spend forever with my golden boy. Pierce smiled.

"Don't worry, you happen to have a free period today where I can make time to be with you." I blinked in surprise.

"How do you know I have a free period?" I asked. Pierce looked suave.

"Oh, I might've glanced at your schedule when I broke into your locker yesterday," he said casually. "By the way, cute locker. I like all those stickers." I laughed. My golden boy could be so adorable.

"You have Spanish to get to, I'll take you there," Pierce said, glancing at his watch. "But before that, there's something I almost forgot..." He pulled out his phone.

"Get your phone, babydoll, and take this down," he said. I obeyed and he began reciting a number. A slow smile spread on my face.

"You're giving me your number?" I asked with uncontained delight.

"Naturally, you're my girlfriend," he said like it was obvious, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming. Pierce called me his girlfriend, EEEEEK! I quickly saved his number.

"What name did you give me?" Pierce asked curiously, peeking at my phone. I held it up for him to see and he laughed.

"My golden boy... Huh, I like it." I had also put a little red heart next to it. He lifted me off the desk and put me down, sending my heart racing a mile a minute at being pressed up against his body.

"C'mon, troublemaker, I gotta get you to class," he said suavely, taking my hand and leading me out. I smiled, feeling on top of the world again. No matter what the day brought, I had my golden boy looking out for me.

💜

Trey is trouble with a capital T😑. Rants welcome. Pierce works fast though how do you think Trey will retaliate?😯 Ain't gonna be pretty... Stay tuned! And... hope Mr. Golden Boy made you ladies swoon.😏🥰