The Edge Control

The dormitory walls were paper-thin, and Sienna could hear the chatter and laughter of girls down the hall as she sat cross-legged on her bed. Her tiny room was bare except for the essentials: a desk, a bed, and a wardrobe that barely fit her thrifted clothes.

She stared at the cracked screen of her phone. No new messages. Not from her father, who probably didn’t even remember she’d left, and certainly not from her mother, who hadn’t been in her life for years.

The loneliness clawed at her chest, but she shoved it down. She couldn’t afford to wallow. Not here. Not now.

A sharp knock on the door jolted her. She hesitated before crossing the room and pulling it open.

The girl from the library stood there, holding a steaming mug.

“Thought you could use this,” she said, thrusting the mug into Sienna’s hands.

“Thanks…” Sienna trailed off, realizing she didn’t know her name.

“Camila,” the girl supplied with a small smile. She stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, her gaze sweeping over the room. “Cozy.”

“That’s one word for it,” Sienna muttered, sitting back down on the bed.

Camila leaned against the desk, sipping from her own mug. “So, how was your first day? Survive the gauntlet?”

Sienna shrugged. “Barely. Everyone here acts like they can smell the new kid from a mile away.”

Camila laughed. “They can. It’s a sport for them, like polo or lacrosse.”

Sienna managed a weak smile. “What about you? How’d you survive it?”

“I didn’t,” Camila said simply, her expression turning serious. “You just learn to fake it until they lose interest.”

Sienna nodded, her grip tightening around the mug. She didn’t need to fake it. She just needed to keep her head down and stay invisible.

But then Luca Deveraux’s face flashed in her mind—his dark eyes, the smirk that seemed to see through her. She wasn’t sure invisibility was still an option.

Luca wasn’t in the mood for a party, but the team wouldn’t take no for an answer. The music was deafening, the bass vibrating through the walls of the massive Ridgecrest mansion where one of his teammates was hosting.

He stood near the edge of the room, a bottle of beer in his hand, watching the crowd.

“Deveraux!” someone shouted, clapping him on the back. “You’re brooding again. Lighten up, man.”

Luca forced a smile and raised his bottle in mock cheer before returning to his silent observation. His teammates were easy. Predictable. They lived for rugby, parties, and the next conquest.

But Luca’s mind was elsewhere.

He couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Sienna Hayes.

There was something about her—something raw and unpolished, a vulnerability she tried to hide but couldn’t quite mask. It drew him in, like a flame he knew would burn him but couldn’t resist.

He downed the rest of his beer and set the bottle on a nearby table. He needed air.

The campus was quiet under the cover of night, the crisp air cutting through the lingering haze of alcohol in Luca’s system. He wandered toward the dorms, his hands shoved into his pockets, his mind racing.

He didn’t even realize where he was headed until he stopped in front of her building.

The light in her room was still on, a faint glow spilling through the closed curtains.

What the hell was he doing here?

Luca ran a hand through his hair, his jaw clenching. He should walk away, go back to the party, and forget about her. She wasn’t his problem. She wasn’t anything to him.

But as he stood there, staring up at her window, he knew he wasn’t going anywhere.

Sienna nearly jumped out of her skin when the knock came.

It was almost midnight. Who could possibly—

She opened the door and froze.

Luca Deveraux stood there, leaning casually against the doorframe, his dark eyes glinting under the dim hallway light.

“Can I help you?” she asked, her voice sharper than she intended.

He smirked, and her stomach twisted.

“Just wanted to check on the new girl,” he said smoothly, his gaze sweeping over her. “Settling in okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said, crossing her arms. “Thanks for asking.”

“Good,” he said, but he didn’t move.

Sienna narrowed her eyes. “Why are you really here?”

His smirk faded, and for a brief moment, something darker flickered across his face—something almost vulnerable.

But then it was gone, replaced by the cocky mask he always wore.

“Just curious,” he said, stepping closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “You don’t look like the type to stick around this place. But maybe I’m wrong.”

Her heart pounded as his gaze locked on hers, intense and unyielding.

“You don’t know anything about me,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Not yet,” he replied, his lips curving into a slow, dangerous smile. “But I will.”

He stepped back, his eyes lingering on her for a beat longer before turning and walking away.

Sienna shut the door, her hands trembling.

Luca Deveraux was trouble. And now, she was squarely in his sights.