Unexpected Love ✔️

T H I R T Y T H R E E

Chapter thirty three

A R I A N N A

RYAN PARKS IN THE STUDENT PARKING SECTION, KILLS THE ENGINE BEFORE TURNING TO ME, "You ready to do this?" He whispers, turning to face me with a soft, reassuring smile tugging at the corners of his lips, softly brushing the pad of his thumb over my knuckles. "You got this babe,"

"I'm not scared," I murmur softly as my teeth bite down onto my bottom lip.

In the driver's seat, Ry's gaze slips to my leg shaking a mile per minute, as my mind works overtime, my thoughts racing. "Bullshit babe," He murmurs, unbuckling his seat belt and leaning over the centre console. He grips my chin between his hands, the pad of his thumb freeing my bottom lip.

"I just... I don't want people talking," I release a groan because I know how it sounds. I know I'm fairly popular around campus thanks to my surname, but I'm not the one people are interested in; no, because that would be Zayn. My brother. "Having a surname like Malik attracts people's attention like a moth drawn to a flame," I couldn't possibly keep people's attention off me if I tried.

And I've always hated it.

But before I could blend into the background. No one cares who I am as long as my name isn't in the media; with some preposterous headline slagging my brother or his model girlfriend off. Right. But for the past month or so, my name has been in the media; tagged with some headline or the other spectating how my mother died.

We don't need the attention. We don't want the attention.

We know the truth and that's enough for us.

I've never wished that my brother wasn't famous. Because he's out there doing what he loves; he deserves to do what makes him come alive. But at times like this, when all I wanna do is hide from the prying eyes of the vultures looking for a clickbait article, a cheap and easy sell, I can't help it.

The media has no right. Prying into his personal life; everyone has got skeletons in their closet. a chapter they don't read out loud, they have no right to then go and broadcast it to the whole world and everyone listening.

I mean, go fuck with someone else. I'm sure someone famous is breaking up sometime this week or next.

"No one's talking," Ry assures me, "Forrester's chick made sure of that,"

"Sierra," I correct, arching a brow, "She did?" I laugh because it sure as shit sounds like her.

"Yeah, she managed the whole morning without saying anything to the whispers around your group and the rumours before climbing up on stage during senior assembly interrupting the Dean during his welcome back speech and threatening that if she heard another whisper around campus about Arianna, they'd have to deal with her," He chuckles with a shake of his head as if remembering it.

"Only she would," With a hand hovering above the door handle, I pause flashing a smile before glancing over my shoulder, "I've got to go find Christina, wish me luck," I murmur to Ry as his hand squeezes my knee.

"Want me to walk you?" He offers, already reaching into the back and grabbing his bag before opening his door and sliding out of the car, slamming his door shut behind him. He opens my door, and I slip out, throwing an arm over my shoulder, he leans down to my ear, "You've got this babe,"

I've got this. I repeat his words in my head, blowing out a breath and straightening my shoulders and nodding my head as I turn back to Ryan.

"Hey, you alright?" Isla calls out strolling over, her blue eyes darting between us and offering us a smile.