Casey POV

I sighed, stepping out of the car. Just this simple house, tiny garden out front. I have no idea how my mom even scored this place. After the divorce, she just took me out from our old house and dragged me to this town, like, way out in the middle of nowhere, far from the city grind.

"Casey, help me!"

Mom's voice snapped me out of my daze. I looked over at her.

"Alright, Mom," I mumbled, short and sweet.

I ambled over to her, where she was taking stuff out from the trunk.

"This is Dad's car, right?" It just hit me.

"This is mine. He has nothing in our marriage!"

Emh... I didn't wanna talk anymore. My mom's mood gets so messed up when talking about dad. So, I just grabbed some stuff and headed for the house.

As I was lugging boxes, I kinda accidentally heard this loud roar of bikes, like, echoing off each other. Mom and I both looked out at the street. Some guys on bikes, turns out, were the cause of all that noise. I just stared at them. Woods Town was supposed to be chill, not like the city, but these bikers were seriously proving me wrong.

"They're a bunch of scumbags," Mom grumbled, stomping inside.

One of the bikes screeched to a halt right in front of our house. I gasped, but also, like, what the heck? The guy riding it was wearing a denim jacket and jeans ripped all over the place. Those leather boots, casual but with that punk vibe, totally screamed his identity. He pulled off his helmet. Yeah, at least he wore a helmet.

"You're moving here."

The guy with the brown hair, clear blue eyes, and this intense, serious stare asked. And just like that, I felt like I got hit with a lightning bolt. I couldn't even answer. His vibe was seriously intimidating.

I just nodded. My hands were suddenly shaking, but then this guy actually grinned at me.

"You scared of me?"

My body literally felt like it got shoved into a freezer, frozen solid, couldn't move. I heard biker gangs were more like thugs. They caused trouble and attacked anyone without mercy.

"You such a jerk!"

Suddenly, Mom stormed out, swinging her purse, and just hit the guy. I gasped. Mom was furious, just wailing on him, no mercy.

"Hey, hey!"

"Go! Leave my daughter alone! You can't go close to her!"

I was so freaked out that Mom's move was gonna cause problems, especially since we had no clue what the situation was like in this town.

"Okay! Okay! Chill out, Ma’am. I'm leaving! I’m leaving now! Who do you think you are yelling at me?"

The guy looked at me. I ducked behind Mom. He put his helmet back on and then just left us there. My mom is so amazing. She'd do anything for her kids, but I was worried this stunt was gonna cause new trouble.

"Mom!" I protested.

"What? You think I'm gonna let that jerk bother you? You are not hanging out with people like that!"

"Mom, don't discriminate! I will not hang out with him. Plus, I don't even know him."

"Casey Turner! I brought you here, away from your dad, because I'm so worried about your future. I will protect you no matter what. So, you need to follow my rules."

One thing I always remembered about Mom and Dad, back when they were together: they never got along. Every single day, it was a fight. My mom's tough. She always fights injustice. But sometimes, she just goes overboard.

"Get inside. Don't let those scumbags see you again!"

I hurried into the house, but my mind was still stuck on that guy. This house was simple, but cozy. I liked it, but I had no idea what living here would actually be like. I'm super introverted and don't make friends easily. So many things scare me, especially starting over. My parents' divorce just added this huge new wound.

"Has Anthony contacted you, Casey?"

Mom asked as she started unpacking.

"He hasn't. Maybe he's busy getting ready for college."

Mom looked at me all sadly. She already knew how tight I was with Anthony Balweel, my boyfriend of three years from high school. We were totally in love, and I was so hurt to be in a long distance relationship with him.

"I am so sorry, Honey. I know you had to sacrifice..."

"Nah, nah. Don't blame yourself, Mom. I'm fine. Anthony and I are fine. We should hurry up. After we finish with the house, I'm gonna prepare for college stuff."

"Oh, yeah. You're going to college. Welcome to the new era. You're definitely gonna make tons of friends. Forget Anthony for a bit. You gotta start your new life on campus."

I smiled, but it was just for formality. I can adapt, but making friends? That'll probably be tough. I'm not good at starting conversations first.

***

Today's my first day on campus. I'm so nervous. I know there are probably tons of other freshmen too, but I just have trouble controlling myself.

I looked down the corridors of the Communication Faculty building. So many people. My nerves were totally spiraling.

Suddenly, I felt a hard jolt against my shoulder. My body lurched. My bag hit the floor, and stuff spilled everywhere. Oh, crap! I forgot to zip my bag when I left for campus this morning.

I kneeled down, grabbing my book, my phone, and my glasses case that was almost popping open. Just as I reached for the glasses case, someone walked by and stepped right on it. I glared, then looked up to see who was rude enough to stomp on my glasses case. It didn't break, but it was all muddy now.

"Oops, sorry. I'm in a hurry."

A pretty girl in a casual red dress with little flower accents on the shoulder just walked past, totally unapologetic.

I was so annoyed, but I can never stand up for myself. I quickly gathered my stuff and got up. As I stood, I suddenly bumped into someone else. My body almost toppled over, but I didn't fall because the person in front of me grabbed my waist.

My eyes widened. It was the guy with the denim jacket and that intense stare I'd seen before. He narrowed his eyes at me, looking at me like he knew exactly who I was.

"You're here." The guy smirked. "We meet again."

My heart was hammered. I thought yesterday was just a coincidence. A fluke that I saw a guy from a biker gang. I was so scared then, but now I realized this wasn't a coincidence. I met him at college. This destiny thing is weird. Why him? Why do I have to keep running into this scumbag? Why is he always around me?

Casey POV

My first day of college was pretty uneventful. I just tried to keep to myself and not talk to anyone, especially not that guy I ran into before class. After all my classes wrapped up for the day, I headed to the admin office to sort some stuff out. I still hadn't fully submitted my personal info or paid my tuition. My mom didn't want to use mobile banking 'cause she didn't want Dad to find us. So, everything's gotta be done manually. Such a pain, but I get why she's doing it.

I pretty much sprinted to the admin office. I went up to this lady who was totally engrossed in her music through her bluetooth headset.

“Excuse me, I need to pay my tuition,” I said.

She was still super into her music, though. I didn't wanna bother her, so I let her finish her song. I waited until she finally looked up at me.

“God damn it!” She jumped when she saw me standing there.

I gave her a shy smile. “I need to pay my tuition fees,” I told her.

“You scared the heck out of me, Pretty Girl. Do you know how many people are dropping dead from heart attacks lately?”

“I'm sorry.” I felt bad, but I had no idea how to interrupt her while she was so into her jam.

Suddenly, I heard something slam really hard on a desk. I looked to my left. It was that guy again. The one who always wears a jacket and jeans.

“If you're not gonna follow campus rules, you should just leave. I don't need useless students like you. You need to quit that biker gang!”

A guy in formal clothes was seriously mad at him.

“I'm not doing that,” he replied without hesitation.

“Noah Adam! Don't make me angry. You know those people are good for nothing and always cause trouble for society. Why are you trying to ruin your future?!”

“Shut your mouth!” This guy, Noah, yelled back. “You don't need to meddle. If you want to kick me out of campus, just do it if you can!”

I didn't get it. The situation was seriously messed up. I kept staring at him, and then suddenly Noah turned his head. His eyes landed on me. That made me totally panic.

“Don't mind him, Pretty Girl. Noah's a troublemaker. It's better to stay away from him if you want a peaceful life. Just do what you gotta do.” The admin lady said to me.

“Oh, yeah.” I was surprised. “I was just, like, shocked.”

The admin lady quickly processed my payment. She also re-entered my data in more detail.

“You should've gotten all this done before classes started, Honey. But cause you're pretty and innocent, I'm making an exception for you,” she said, handing me the payment receipt.

“Thank you so much. I just got to this town a few days ago. I had so much to do,” I replied. “See you.”

“Have a nice day.”

I quickly left the admin office and walked through the campus hallway. There wasn't really anyone else around, so I decided to head home.

“Casey!”

Someone called my name. When I turned, a guy in neat, clean clothes walked up to me. He was charming and seemed friendly, but I had no idea who he was.

“I'm Lucas. We're in the same year, same classes. You're alone. Wanna walk together?”

I smiled. It felt so awkward.

“If you don't wanna, I can just go by myself.”

“Oh, it's okay. We can walk together.”

Lucas motioned for me to go first. He was so nice and friendly. I liked how he treated me.

“You're not from this town, Casey.”

“Oh, yeah. How do you know?”

“Hm, this area is small. I could tell just by your vibe. You don't know this place. You're too quiet for this town.”

His explanation was clear, but it made me feel a little weird. We walked out of campus. Even though it was awkward, I was glad I at least knew one person. But that peaceful vibe suddenly changed when the sound of a motorcycle got closer to us. Noah and his bike rode alongside me and Lucas, and it looked like he purposely swerved close to Lucas.

“Go away!”

Noah yelled at him. His eyes were laser focused on Lucas.

“Why should I go?” Lucas shot back.

Suddenly, Noah sped up a bit, passed us, then turned around and aimed his bike right at Lucas. My eyes widened. He was gonna hit Lucas. I almost screamed because the bike was just inches from Lucas, but then he suddenly stopped. Lucas was shaking. Without saying anything, he just bolted, leaving me with Noah. I was terrified too. What did Noah want?

I wanted to bolt too, but he grabbed my hand quickly. I couldn't go anywhere.

“You're scared of me,” those words came out again.

Noah pulled me closer until our faces were right in front of each other.

“Am I like a monster? Why are you looking at me like I'm dirt?”

“I… I don't understand what you mean.”

His gaze got even fiercer. His grip on my hand became painful.

“I know girls like you act all innocent. You think I'm trash. Women who grew up in good families like yours look at me like I don't deserve to live!”

Why was he saying that? I'd never even thought anything like that. Why was he bothering me and scaring me?

At the absolute worst time, my phone suddenly rang. It was super loud. Why now?! I quickly pulled my phone out of my bag. When I looked, it was my friend Selina.

“Answer it,” Noah said.

With shaking hands, I answered Selina's call.

“Hey, Selina. What's up?”

“I don't know where to start, Casey, but I think you need to break up with Anthony. I'm gonna send you a video. He's cheating on you with Nathalie!”

I was shocked. Anthony cheating? It felt like being struck by lightning. A message came in from Selina. I quickly opened it. Selina sent a video of Anthony making out with Nathalie at a nightclub. In an instant, I felt completely shattered, and my phone just slipped out of my hand.

I couldn't think clearly. Anthony and I loved each other. He was the only one who stayed with me when I was at my lowest after my parents' divorce. We had a bit of a fight when I decided to move with Mom, but he'd promised me he wouldn't betray me.

“What's the hell with you?” Noah picked up my phone. He looked at it, then looked at me with a satisfied smirk.

“So, the swan's got a broken heart.”

Casey POV

My mood was totally shot, especially when I saw Noah, this guy I didn't even know, looking at my phone and laughing at me. I snatched my phone back, hard. All the fear I had a second ago just poof, vanished.

"That's none of your business!" I yelled.

"Don't lie to yourself. Your eyes can't hide it. You're definitely hurting, right?"

"What do you want from me? Why are you suddenly here, acting like you know me? I don't know who you are. Just stop bothering me!"

I must've been nuts. This was the first time I'd ever talked that boldly. The pain from Anthony's cheating was just gnawing at me. I couldn't think straight right now.

"Look at you." Noah stayed chill, still smiling at me. "They're watching you yell like a maniac."

"I don't give a shit!"

I couldn't hold it in. Tears just poured down my face like a waterfall. My chest felt tight. How could Anthony do this to me? Three years of our relationship, just meant nothing.

"You wanna forget all this?" Noah spoke up again.

"Just leave me alone."

"Really?" Noah gestured to some students walking by, staring at me looking like a hot mess.

Suddenly, I felt so embarrassed. They were watching me cry. Noah went back to his bike, getting ready to peace out from campus.

"I'll go if you really want me to."

What now? I couldn't go home looking like this, totally wrecked, but I couldn't get a grip on my emotions. I was seriously heartbroken. I didn't want Mom to see me like this. She already felt guilty for making me do the long-distance thing. If she found out Anthony cheated with Nathalie, she'd totally blame herself. Mom's already a wreck from her divorce. I didn't wanna make things worse.

"Hold on!"

I rushed over to Noah, then hopped on his bike.

"Woo, the swan's not scared of the wolf anymore."

"Just take me away. Hurry up."

Noah grinned. Without a second thought, he peeled out, taking me away from campus. He started slow but picked up speed. I'm usually a total chicken, but right now, the pain in my heart was bigger than anything. Tears kept streaming down my cheeks. All those sweet memories with Anthony kept replaying in my head.

I didn't even realize how far Noah took me. We ended up on a road right on the edge of a forest. Noah stopped his bike there, on the side of the road. It was midday, but the vibe here was like dusk. Sunlight barely filtered through the trees. The road was so empty, not crowded like back in the city.

Noah got off his bike, leaving me sitting there.

"Why did we stop here?" I was so confused.

"Why are you crying?"

I didn't wanna answer. Should I even tell him after he saw what happened to me?

"Your boyfriend cheated? Why are you acting like you're the most oppressed person in the world? You could just get him back, same way. Or even worse than what he did to you."

"Don't butt in."

"Then why are you with me right now?"

I sighed. Nothing to say because I'd done all this on impulse. I was confused why I was here, but I couldn't go home just yet.

"Wanna make your sadness go away?" Noah offered something in his voice.

"Don't you dare try to lead me astray."

Noah burst out laughing, totally mocking me.

"Alright, whatever you want. Fine, I won't butt in. I gotta go. Figure out how to get home yourself."

"You're gonna leave me here?"

"You're the one who told me not to bother you, right?"

"This is a forest!"

"Everyone in this town knows that. And no one has a problem with it."

"You're seriously such a jerk!"

I didn't wanna move. If Noah left me here, I'd be stuck. I didn't know my way home yet.

"So, you coming with me?"

I didn't answer, and Noah took that as a ‘yes.’ Honestly, I was just a bundle of nerves. He hopped back on his bike, drove it towards a busier area, but then we turned into a neighborhood with small streets. I barely saw any trash lying around here. Wow, this place was stunning. Now, I know why Mom picked this spot.

We pulled up to a building that looked like a diner, and out front, there were tons of bikes lined up. I remembered that forest bike with the rose and skull on the tank when it zoomed past my house.

"What is this place?" I asked when we finally stopped.

"You'll see," Noah replied.

I got off the bike. Noah just walked into the diner. I mean, I knew he would, but it was super quiet around here. I followed Noah inside. There was that rose and skull symbol again. Then I saw "Black Hell" written above the door. It hit me instantly: this was a biker gang's clubhouse.

My body just froze when I walked in. This place was more like a bar, packed with people who looked exactly like a biker gang. Some were chugging alcohol. Others were chatting super excitedly. I even saw a couple, like, totally making out, all hot and bothered.

"Noah!"

A guy with an exotic complexion yelled out. He walked over to us. He was tall and built. He wore a leather vest, and there was a skull tattoo on his temple. He was so intimidating.

"You brought something cute here," the guy said, looking at me with a flirty smile. I immediately felt a wave of fear. I hid behind Noah. Noah glanced back at me.

"What are you doing?"

"Why did you bring me here?"

"You wanted me to take you to a hotel?"

"Noah, this pretty girl's scared. Don't be so harsh on her." The guy smiled at me, but it was still kinda creepy. "Lady, let me introduce myself. I'm James Howard. Glad you could make it into this place."

I didn't know how to respond. This place was totally foreign to me.

"What the hell is it?"

A woman with short black hair walked over to us. She stared at me intensely. Her expression was sharp, and there wasn't a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Why did you bring a stranger here, Noah? I don't want any trouble. Fallen Bike will think we're breaking the agreement!" the woman snapped.

"She's my classmate. Let her hang out here for a bit. I'll send her home later," Noah said, just walking deeper inside. He left me with these two creatures.

My heart was pounding with fear. Why did I have to be here? I was seriously terrified. I tried to smile at them.

"Sherly, she's kinda cute," James said, looking at me and grinning.

"Shut your fucking mouth. I don't want any problems." The woman, Sherly, spun around. "Come here, girl. Don't stand in the doorway. If anyone finds out you came into a den of bastards, we're gonna have problems."