Chapter 189
HANNAH
“You know me?” I asked, unsure whether he meant that in a good or bad way.
Judging by his easy smile, I assumed it was the former. I tried to recall if I had seen his face before but I hadn't.
“Of course,” he said. “You’re quite popular, you know? Hannah Baker—the white wolf. It’s good to finally meet you in person. A pleasure, really. By the way, my name’s Devin. I’m one of the new students here to write my final exams.”
“Nice to meet you, Devin,” I said, keeping my tone neutral.
He looked at me expectantly, and when I followed his gaze, I noticed his outstretched hand. With a small smile, I shook it. But when he held on longer than necessary, I pulled my hand away.
“You’re even more impressive in person if you’ll excuse me for saying so,” he added. "I hear people talk about you all the time so it's really a big deal to get to meet you."
With an exaggerated motion, he ran his fingers through his brown curls as if he wanted me to admire him.
“Thanks,” I said flatly. “I have to get back to class now.”
Without waiting for a reply, I stepped around him and walked away.
“Wait!” he called after me, but I pretended not to hear.
Unfortunately, the next moment, he was walking beside me, looking at me like some adorable puppy he just found.
“Hey, I’d like for us to meet up sometime,” he said. “What’s your Instagram handle? Mine is Devindfirst.”
He even went ahead to spell it out for me, as if I cared.
“I’ll see you around, Devin,” I said dismissively. “There’s no need for us to connect on social media. So please leave me alone."
“But still, I’d need your handle,” he pressed. “Okay, no Insta, then. How about your number? I promise I won’t bug you. Just a check-in every now and then.”
He pulled out his phone, tilting it just enough for me to see the image on the case—a picture of him standing next to a sleek race car. I had the distinct feeling he wanted me to notice. Did he put his pictures on everything he owned?
“What do you say?” he asked, his confidence unwavering.
“No,” I said firmly. “I don’t give my number to strangers.”
I picked up my pace, but Devin effortlessly kept stride, which only irritated me more. Why the hell was my class so far away?
He chuckled. “But how else do strangers become friends if you don’t give them a chance?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “And I don’t care, either. I'm not interested in friends."
I stopped short of saying that last part out loud—only for the sake of politeness.
“Let’s just drop this, okay?” I added. “I’m sure you have a class to be in.”
“Alright, I get it. You don’t trust people easily.” He sighed dramatically. “Look, I may seem like a stranger to you, but I’m not. I’m actually a fan. A big fan. I’ve read all about you. So why don’t we link up so you can know all about me too? I promise you, I’m worth knowing.”
I clenched my teeth. “No, thanks.”
We turned a corner, and his voice dropped to a low, confidential tone.
“You probably don’t know this, but I’m an Alpha’s son from a nearby pack. I’m as important as you are, you see?”
I stopped walking.
Now I was sure I didn’t care for his attitude.
Devin halted as well, flashing another grin.
He tipped me a wink, and I suddenly had the overwhelming urge to punch him in the face—just to wipe that smug look off.
Once again, he held out his phone. This time, the screen side up.
“Changed your mind?” he asked, his tone dripping with confidence.
I exhaled sharply. “I’ve met a lot of Alpha’s sons,” I said, deliberately slow.
“That’s good, I guess. It shows you have class—”
“And some of them turned out to be psychopaths,” I finished.
His smile faltered, his brown eyes clouding with confusion.
“Come on, Hannah. I promise you, I’m not—”
“Not interested,” I cut in. “Don’t you get that?”
Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and stormed off, irritation simmering beneath my skin.
What the hell was wrong with him?
***********
"He's smart, smells amazing, and on top of that, he's hot." Willa sighed dreamily as she rolled around on my bed. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed. You’d have to be literally blind not to."
I rolled my eyes. Willa had been going on and on about Devin without any signs of stopping. The way she talked about him, you’d think he was some kind of mythical god, sent to bless the world with his beauty.
I thought back to his face. Sure, he was good-looking in an ordinary sort of way, but he was nowhere near the heartthrob Willa imagined him to be. Or like he seemed to think he was. He had that air about him, like he thought the world owed him something—something I picked up on the moment we spoke this morning.
"You've actually seen him, right?" I asked, a little skeptical.
She tossed the pillow she’d been clutching as though it were him. "Seen him? Of course! I’ve got his pictures saved on my phone, and I saw him at school today. He’s one of the new students." She said. "You should see his instagram. He's so so hot."
"So, you've been stalking him?" I teased, though part of me wasn’t entirely joking. "Because there's no way you know all that about him by mind reading. Don't you think that's a little creepy?"
Willa ignored me. "Did you know he was voted the most handsome guy in his pack last year?" She asked. "And the year before. Honestly, it's not even a suprrise."
I shrugged. "Nope. Never heard of him until today."
Willa’s jaw dropped. "You mean, you've never heard of Devin? He's like, the guy in this territory."
I raised an eyebrow. "Most popular Alpha's son, you mean."
That was pretty much all Devin had going for him, especially considering how he made sure to throw his daddy’s position in my face earlier.
But Willa wasn’t listening. "If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you’ve been living under a rock. Everyone knows him. That award he got was just the start. If there were a 'Best Dressed' category, he’d win that hands down. Did you see what he was wearing today? Total hunk." Willa sighed, her eyes glazing over with that dreamy look. "I wish I had talked to him, but he was surrounded by a crowd of girls. I couldn’t even get close."
I shrugged again. "Really, Willa? I honestly don’t see the hype."
Willa shot up, staring at me like I’d just insulted her favorite celebrity.
"Are you serious?" she nearly shouted.
"Yep," I said flatly.
"Don’t you have eyes?" she gasped. "Devin’s the hottest guy to ever walk the earth!"
"Okay, he's not bad looking," I admitted. "But hottest guy ever? That’s a serious exaggeration."
Willa flopped back onto the bed, hands sprawled out like she was sinking into her fantasy world.
"I know what your problem is," she mused. "It’s the problem of everyone with a mate. You think your brothers are the best, so you don’t even notice cute guys anymore." She paused, hopeful. "Devin’s an Alpha’s son, and his family is rich—like, filthy rich. They lead a pack close to ours. Handsome, charming, rich, future Alpha... He has everything. If he ever noticed me, we’d be perfect together, don’t you think?"
"No," I replied without hesitation. "You deserve better than him. Devin’s a spoiled, pompous ass."
Willa snorted loud enough to shake the walls. "Why would you even say that? Devin is perfect."
"I said it because I talked to him today for five minutes. My first impression? Arrogant. And he wasn’t even trying to hide it. He practically waved his dad's position in my face."
Willa's expression tightened with disbelief. "Well, you're wrong," she said stubbornly. "Devin’s not like that."
I was about to ask how she could be so sure, considering she hadn’t even spoken to him, when there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Willa grumbled.
Jace poked his head in.
"Hey," he said, glancing at me. "You’re not ready yet?"
"Ready for what?" I asked, confused.
"The party, Hannah. The one we were supposed to go to? The one tonight?"
"Oh!" I gasped, suddenly remembering. A few days ago, Jace had invited me to a fundraising party hosted by his art group. "You wanted me to be your plus one."
"Exactly. Want to show you off a little," Jace added with a mischievous glint in his eye.
With everything that had happened today—Willa’s constant Devin obsession and my own distracted thoughts—I had completely forgotten about the party.
"Are we late?" I asked.
He checked his watch. "A bit, but we’ll still make it in time for the fun part."
I grabbed my jacket and walked toward the door.
"I’ll see you later," I said, waving to Willa.
"Have fun!" she called after me, still lost in her daydreams of Devin.
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