I woke up to sunlight streaming through the cabin's wooden blinds and a blanket I didn't remember pulling over myself. For a moment, I forgot where I was. Then I turned my head.
Adrian.
Curled up on the opposite side of the couch, hoodie pulled over his head, hair a mess, lips slightly parted as he slept. The hoodie was mine now. He'd practically insisted I keep it after I mentioned it was warm and smelled like cinnamon.
For the record, it still did.
The events of the night before came rushing back — the crowd at the pizzeria, the getaway, his secret house, our long talk… the kiss.
The kiss.
My heart fluttered just thinking about it.
I quietly slipped off the couch and padded into the small kitchen. I didn't want to wake him, and honestly, I needed a second to breathe. The entire night had been like something out of a dream I never dared write down. I opened the fridge. Empty. Of course.
A handwritten note was stuck to the door with a magnet that said, "Keep Going." In Adrian's messy writing, it read:
> "If you wake up before I do:
1. The coffee's in the top cabinet.
2. You looked beautiful last night.
3. Don't run away.
A"
I held the note to my chest, smiling like an idiot.
Of course, that smile lasted a solid two minutes — until I turned my phone back on.
Seventeen missed calls. Nine from Mimi.
Twenty-three new messages.
And a dozen notifications from social media apps I barely even used.
Oh no.
I tapped Instagram. And there it was — a blurry photo, clearly taken from someone lurking in the trees outside the cabin. Me and Adrian. Walking side by side. Laughing. His arm slung casually around my shoulders.
The caption read:
> "Ace Ryder's secret romance REVEALED? Who is the mystery girl hiding away with the pop prince?"
I froze.
I hadn't even been with him for 24 hours, and already someone had found out where he hid. And worse — they'd posted me.
My name wasn't mentioned yet, but it was only a matter of time. Someone on campus would recognize me. Then my life wouldn't just be Zara-who-keeps-to-herself-and-has-a-chaotic-roommate.
It would be Zara, Adrian Ryder's mystery girl. And I didn't know if I was ready for that.
The couch creaked behind me. I turned.
Adrian was awake, blinking blearily at me, still half-asleep.
"Morning," he said, voice groggy but soft. "You okay?"
I held out my phone.
He took one glance and groaned. "You've gotta be kidding me."
"How did they even find us?" I asked, more confused than angry.
He ran a hand through his hair. "My guess? Someone from the pizza place followed us or saw the license plate. I should've been more careful."
"It's not your fault," I said quickly.
He didn't respond right away. Just stared at the screen, expression unreadable.
Then, "They're going to come after you now."
"Come after me how?"
"Paparazzi. Fans. Blogs. People will start digging. You're not just some anonymous student anymore. You're 'the girl with Adrian Ryder at his secret cabin.' And they're going to want more."
My heart pounded harder than it had during the escape last night.
"What do we do?"
Adrian looked at me — really looked — and his gaze softened.
"I can handle them. But you? You didn't sign up for this."
"Yes, I did," I said before I could stop myself. "Maybe not all of it. But I knew who you were. I knew this wouldn't be normal."
"But it's not fair."
"No, it's not. But I still want to be with you."
His eyes searched mine like he was checking for doubt.
He didn't find any.
And just like that, the distance between us closed. He pulled me into his arms and rested his chin on top of my head.
"I'll protect you," he murmured. "I promise."
---
By the time he dropped me back at campus later that morning, the first-year girls in my dorm building were buzzing.
I tried to be sneaky, taking the back entrance and wearing a baseball cap, but the whispers followed me up the stairs like a bad smell.
Mimi was waiting at the door. Arms crossed. Foot tapping. Face unreadable.
"You slept over at his place and the internet exploded while you were cuddled up in la-la land," she said.
"I know," I sighed.
She stared for a second longer, then broke into a grin and screamed into a pillow. "I am going to DIE. I HAVE A CELEBRITY COUPLE IN MY DORM."
"Mimi, I'm not a celebrity."
She waved her hand. "Technicality. The second you kissed him, your soul was absorbed into the celebrity dimension. You can't come back."
I laughed, but I was nervous. "Do you think I'll get in trouble?"
"For what? Dating a pop star? Unless the school has a no-famous-boyfriend policy, I think you're fine."
I flopped onto my bed.
"What do I even do now? Pretend I'm invisible while the entire world zooms in on me?"
Mimi sat beside me. "You do what you've always done. Be Zara. The girl who wears socks that don't match, listens to sad music at 2 a.m., and apparently melts international heartthrobs with her charm."
I laughed again, this time more genuinely.
Maybe I wasn't completely alone in this madness.
---
Later that evening, Adrian texted me.
> Ace Ryder: Hey. It's official. Management wants to release a statement tomorrow before someone else does.
> Zara: A statement? Like... a press release?
> Ace Ryder: Yeah. I told them I won't let them say anything unless you're okay with it.
> Zara: What would it say?
> Ace Ryder: That I'm dating someone. That we're asking for privacy. That the girl I'm seeing isn't a celebrity but she's amazing and real and mine.
My heart did that stupid fluttery thing again.
> Zara: Go ahead. Say it. I'm not scared.
> Ace Ryder: You sure?
> Zara: Only if you promise to keep bringing me cinnamon dessert pizza.
> Ace Ryder: Deal.
---
And that's how I went to bed that night.
Still Zara. Still a normal girl.
Only now, I wasn't just Zara with the weird playlists and messy ponytails.
I was Zara, the girl Adrian Ryder chose.
And tomorrow, the world would know.