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ARKs POV
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Monday mornings are supposed to feel ordinary. Alarm. Shower. Clothes. Walk to school. Blend in.
Today, nothing felt ordinary.
I stood in front of my bed longer than I should have, scarf in place, shirt pulled low, sleeves covering my hands. My reflection looked like me- the me I wanted everyone to see. The safe me. But somewhere under the scarf, under the fabric, the girl who sat in Jade's car two days ago was still alive, still buzzing from the way his face had hovered near mine at the gas station.
I hated it. I hated that I kept replaying it like some stolen, forbidden scene in a movie I'd sworn I wouldn't watch.
It was nothing.
It meant nothing.
It had to mean nothing.
Because Jade didn't care about me. He didn't like me. He wasn't some slow-burn romantic, waiting for the right moment to confess something heartfelt. He was cold. But taken. And he is being kind to me now, is it only because he thought kindness was the quickest way into something I wasn't giving him.
I pulled on my backpack, shoved my phone into the side pocket, and walked out.
__
The school grounds were already loud when I arrived- sneakers slapping pavement, voices echoing, the morning air thick with chatter. I kept my eyes down, weaving through the crowd.
It wasn't hard to avoid Jade in theory. I knew the spots he lingered: near the side stairs, by the vending machines, leaning against lockers like a scene set just for him. All I had to do was not go there.
Easy.
Except…
Except I felt him before I saw him. That strange awareness, like heat on the back of my neck.
I glanced up just once.
He was there.
Leaning against the brick wall outside the main entrance, hood up, chain catching the light, arms crossed like he'd been waiting all morning for me. His eyes locked onto mine, and the corner of his mouth curved- not a smile, not quite- just an acknowledgment.
I looked away so fast my scarf brushed my cheek. I ducked inside before he could move.
First period.
Jade wasn't in class.
Safe.
Or so I thought.
Halfway through class, the door clicked open. My pencil froze mid-note.
Jade walked in like he owned the oxygen, late as always, a slip of paper in hand for the teacher. His eyes scanned the room, then landed directly on me.
He didn't hesitate. Just walked over, slid into the seat beside mine, dropped his bag to the floor.
"Morning," he said low, like it was a secret between us.
I didn't respond.
He leaned slightly, enough for his arm to brush mine. "Thought that I won't come soyou could hide from me?"
I kept my eyes on the notebook, heart thudding. "I'm not hiding."
"Really?" His voice was lazy, amused. "Could've fooled me."
He dropped his pen, letting it roll toward my side. When he reached for it, his fingers brushed mine- deliberate, slow. My breath caught before I could stop it.
"Still trembling," he murmured. "You're not as untouchable as you think."
I pulled my hand back, flipping the page in my notebook with more force than necessary.
He just smirked.
By lunch, my stomach was a knot.
I made my way to the cafeteria, scanning for a spot that felt crowded enough to hide in. I slid into a seat at the far end, unpacking my sandwich.
But it didn't last.
Jade appeared, tray in hand, and sat directly across from me like he'd been assigned the spot. He didn't ask. He didn't need to.
He stole one of my chips without a word, chewing slowly as he studied me. Not the scarf. Not my clothes. Me.
I hated that I could feel his gaze like it was physical. Like fingers trailing over skin.
"W-what?" I muttered finally, unable to take it.
He swallowed, leaned forward slightly. "Just wondering how long it'll take before you stop pretending you're not curious about me."
"I'm n-not curious," I said flatly.
"That's cute." He bit into another chip.
From the corner of my eye, I caught movement. Melissa.
She was seated with her usual group a few tables away, her gaze fixed on us. Her smile was small, sharp. It didn't reach her eyes.
I looked down, focusing on my tray, willing her to look away. But she didn't.
Jade noticed too. He didn't glance her way, didn't acknowledge her. Just kept his eyes on me, as if he enjoyed the tension.
When I finally stood to leave, his hand brushed my wrist. Not enough to hold me- just enough to remind me he could.
After school.
I slipped out before everyone could.
I thought I'd made it. I thought I'd slipped out unnoticed.
I was wrong.
Near the side of the building, where the crowd thinned, he stepped out from behind the wall like he'd been waiting.
"You're good at avoiding people," he said.
"I'm not- "
"You are," he cut in. "But not good enough."
I shifted my bag higher on my shoulder. "I need to go."
He stepped closer, just enough to make the air between us tight. His voice dropped to something softer, sharper.
"You think you can ignore me and I'll just… go away?"
I forced my eyes to meet his. "Why do you care?"
He smiled- slow, deliberate. "I told you. You make me curious."
"That's not a reason."
"It's reason enough for me."
I swallowed hard, taking a step back. "I'm not interested in you."
His smirk deepened, like he'd heard me but didn't believe a word.
Before I could step back again, he moved.
Fast.
My shoulders hit the cool brick wall, and his hands shot up, catching my wrists and pressing them above my head. My breath caught hard in my chest.
Then the scene from the first day I met him flashed before my eyes.
He wasn't touching me anywhere else, but his presence was everywhere- closing me in, taking the air, filling the space between us. His eyes locked on mine, unblinking, steady.
"Is that so. Then why do you stummer when talking to me. Why.. do you tremble whenever I touch you.You think you're hard to read," he murmured, voice low enough to crawl straight under my skin.
My pulse was loud in my ears. I could feel every inch of him without him even needing to press closer.
Then he leaned in- slow, deliberate- like he wanted me to see it coming. His gaze flicked from my eyes to my scarf, lingering there as if imagining what was underneath.
He stopped just close enough for me to feel the faint brush of his breath.
For a few seconds, I didn't think. Couldn't. His eyes had me trapped, and the rest of the world blurred.
And then, like ice water poured through me, I remembered.
Melissa.
The way she'd been watching us in the cafeteria, that smile sharp enough to cut. The knowledge that if she saw this- if she even suspected- I'd pay for it later.
I pushed him hard in the chest, breaking his hold.
He let me go easily, but his eyes didn't change. They stayed locked on me, unreadable, almost… amused.
I didn't wait to see if he'd say something else.
I turned and ran- away from him, away from the wall, away from whatever almost happened.
That night, my phone buzzed.
Jade: Sleep well❤️
I stared at it, every muscle tight.
This wasn't kindness. This wasn't care. This was him pulling strings, testing how far I'd bend before I broke.
And the worst part?
I didn't delete the message.
I just lay there, scarf still wrapped around me, trying to convince myself that I was still in control.
Even as I knew I wasn't.