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ARKs POV
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The next morning, my alarm rang at six, but it didn't matter- I'd been awake long before that. Sleep had never come.
I lay staring at the ceiling, replaying the last thing Jade had said. See you tomorrow.
Three little words, sharp as knives, carved into my skull.
I had tried burying myself beneath my blankets, tried convincing myself it was just Jade being Jade, but it didn't work. Every blink brought back his hand at my neck, his smirk above me, the heat of his lips against mine.
When I finally stood, my legs trembled like I hadn't rested at all. My scarf felt heavier when I wrapped it around my face. He had pulled it down. Did he see me. My imperfection. My lips. And he hadn't laughed. He had kissed me instead- like he wanted to burn me alive.
By the time I reached school, my chest was a cage too small for my own heart.
First Period
The classroom buzzed with chatter when I slid into my seat. Minute past and I thought, for a moment, I'd have time to breathe before Jade appeared.
I was wrong.
The scrape of the chair next to mine came seconds later. He slipped into it lazily, like the seat had been waiting for him. His bag dropped with a careless thud. I didn't dare look.
But I felt him.
His eyes. They pinned me instantly, dragging over me like invisible fingers. My hand trembled where it clutched my pen. I tried writing my name at the top of the page, but even my letters shook.
Then something warm brushed against my knuckles.
I froze. Slowly, cautiously, I glanced sideways.
Jade's hand was there, sliding across the desk until his pinky deliberately touched mine. He didn't look at me. He sat with his chin propped on one hand, pretending to be bored, but his other hand kept moving- slowly, confidently- until his fingers grazed mine fully.
My breath caught. I wanted to yank my hand back, but my body didn't move. His fingers stayed, brushing lightly over the ridges of my knuckles, teasing, testing.
Heat crawled up my arm, straight into my chest.
When the teacher's voice filled the room, Jade shifted lower in his seat, head tilted as if he were going to sleep. But his hand stayed right there, sliding a fraction closer, until his pinky hooked with mine under the desk.
I couldn't breathe.
He wasn't even looking. That somehow made it worse. Like my panic, my shivering, was his silent victory.
Mid-Lesson
Thirty minutes passed in slow torture. Every time I flipped a page, his knee brushed mine under the desk. At first it felt accidental. Then deliberate. Then constant.
When I pulled my legs tighter, he pressed further, locking me in place. A cage. His cage.
I swallowed hard, trying to listen to the teacher, but all I could hear was the thundering of my own pulse. His scent lingered close- clean soap, faint cologne, and something sharper that was just Jade.
And then-
A ghost of a touch across the back of my hand.
My pen slipped, scribbling ink across the page. I jerked slightly, but Jade's fingers curled around mine beneath the desk, trapping me. His grip was lazy but unyielding, as if daring me to try breaking free.
I stared at our hands hidden from sight, his thumb stroking once, slow and possessive, before stilling.
My lungs refused to work. My face burned under the scarf.
Between Classes
The bell finally rang, the scrape of chairs filling the air. I nearly bolted upright, clutching my books like they were armor.
But Jade didn't let me go.
His hand slid across my waist as I stood, fingers curling tight. Not enough to hurt- just enough to claim. To keep me close.
"Where do you think you're going?" His voice was low, meant only for me.
I dared to glance at him. His smirk was there, faint but dangerous, his eyes glinting with something sharper than amusement.
"I... bathroom," I whispered.
He leaned down slightly, his lips brushing the top of my head through my scarf. A kiss. Quick, almost casual- if anything about Jade could ever be casual.
My knees almost gave out.
He pulled back just enough to meet my wide eyes. Then he winked, releasing me like nothing had happened, and strode out of the room.
I had to grip my desk to steady myself before following.
Lunch
I avoided the cafeteria. The library felt safer, but not safe enough- not anymore. My feet dragged as I moved between shelves, remembering yesterday, remembering his lips stealing the breath from me.
And then-
Warmth. A presence at my back.
I froze. My pulse stuttered.
"Running again?" His voice slid down my spine, soft and mocking.
I turned slowly. He was there, too close, his tie loose again, sleeves rolled high. He leaned in, bracing one hand on the shelf beside my head, caging me in.
"I-I wasn't," I whispered.
He tilted his head, smirk deepening. Then- before I could even think- his lips pressed against my forehead. Soft. Dangerous.
I gasped.
His hand slid to my waist, pulling me against him firmly. I could feel the solid line of his body, the certainty of his strength. He held me there, not giving me a single inch to retreat.
"Jade-"
"Shh." His lips brushed my temple now, feather-light, burning all the same. "You make too much noise."
Another kiss. This time on my cheek, warm and lingering. My heart thudded so hard I thought he'd feel it through my scarf.
When I turned my head instinctively, his nose brushed mine. His smirk curved against my skin. He pressed one final kiss to the side of my head, slow and deliberate.
Then he leaned back, eyes burning into mine. His hand on my waist tightened once, possessive, before he finally let go.
"See you in class," he murmured, as if he hadn't just branded me again.
And then he was gone.
The rest of the day blurred into fragments:
Jade's eyes on me across the classroom, never wavering.
His knee brushing mine under the table until my entire leg felt on fire.
His hand slipping over mine when the teacher turned away, squeezing once before releasing.
The quiet, stolen kiss on the crown of my head when no one was watching, so quick I almost thought I'd imagined it.
But I hadn't. My lips, my skin, my entire body remembered.
By the last bell, I was trembling all over again. My books slipped in my grip. I rushed, hoping to escape before he trapped me again.
But as I stepped out into the hall, his hand closed over my wrist.
My breath caught.
Jade leaned close, smirk soft but dangerous, eyes glinting with satisfaction. He said nothing. He didn't need to.
Instead, he bent down, pressed a kiss to the side of my scarf- right where my jawline hid beneath the fabric.
Then he let go, walking away with a lazy stride, like he hadn't just shattered my world all over again.
And I stood frozen, trembling, lips parted under the scarf.
Burning.
Haunted.