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ARKs POV
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My alarm shrieked before the sun had properly climbed, but I was already awake. Sleep hadn't been kind to me lately. Every time I closed my eyes, Jade appeared- leaning too close, smirking like he owned the air I breathed, lips brushing against me until I jolted upright, burning.
I rubbed at my face under the scarf before pulling it tighter, adjusting it again and again like it might suddenly fail me.
Mom's voice floated in from the kitchen, cheerful as always. She didn't notice my trembling hands as I packed my books. If she did, she never said. Maybe she thought I was just nervous about classes. If only she knew.
Going to school felt like dragging chains. My chest grew tighter with every turn. I told myself I wouldn't let him near me, wouldn't even glance his way. But part of me already knew it didn't matter. Jade never asked. He decided.
First Period
The classroom was alive with chatter, the scrape of chairs and thud of bags. I slid into my seat quietly, praying he doesn't come to school for once.
But of course- he wasn't.
The sound of the chair beside mine scraping the floor nearly made me drop my pen. He sat down like he'd owned the seat forever, his bag tossed carelessly, his body radiating heat even when he leaned back lazily.
I kept my eyes glued to my notebook. But it didn't matter. His presence swallowed me whole.
"Morning, scarf," he murmured, voice pitched low enough that only I could hear.
My fingers clenched. I wanted to snap, to say don't call my name but the words never made it past my throat.
Then it began- his knee brushing mine. Not hard, just light. Testing. Every time I tried to shift away, his knee pressed closer until I had nowhere else to move.
I squeezed my pen, trying to focus on the lesson, but my handwriting betrayed me- ink smudged.
He noticed. Of course he did. His hand slid across the desk until his hands were on top of mine, hidden beneath our books. My breath stuttered. My entire body screamed at me to pull back, but I sat frozen, caught in his quiet trap.
He didn't look at me. Didn't need to. He lounged in his seat as though bored, but every flick of his fingers over mine was deliberate, every brush a silent reminder: you're mine.
By the time the bell rang, I was shaking so badly my books slipped when I tried to gather them.
Midday - Between Classes
The hallways roared with voices, lockers slamming shut. I tried to slip away unnoticed, but Jade was already there- leaning casually against the lockers like he'd been waiting.
His hand shot out, catching my wrist before I could escape. He tugged me gently- too gently, which made it worse- until my back brushed the lockers.
"Still running?" His smirk curved, eyes locked on mine.
I swallowed hard, guilt and heat colliding in my chest. I should have yanked free, shouted, anything. Instead, I just stood there, my scarf hot against my burning cheeks.
He leaned down, his breath warm at my ear. "You think I'll let you go that easy?"
My knees nearly buckled. His hand at my waist pressed me firmer against the lockers, and suddenly the world narrowed until it was only him.
And then-;my scarf slipped.
Just slightly, just enough. A fold shifted, revealing the curve of my lips beneath.
Jade froze for half a heartbeat. His gaze dropped. The smirk softened into something sharper, hungrier. His fingers twitched against my waist, pulling me closer.
He tilted his head- so close, lips hovering, heat brushing my skin. My chest heaved. My hands trembled against my books, useless shields.
I knew I should move. Push him. Shout. But I didn't. I just stood there, heart thundering, waiting for something inevitable.
And that's when-
"Mr. Vale! Miss Ark! What exactly are you two doing here?"
The teacher's voice cut through the air like a whip.
We jumped apart so fast my scarf snapped back into place. My face burned. Jade, infuriatingly, only smirked deeper, sliding his hands into his pockets as though he hadn't just been about to-
"Nothing, sir," he drawled, his voice calm, lazy. "She dropped her books. I was helping."
The teacher narrowed his eyes but moved on, muttering something under his breath.
I clutched my books so tightly my knuckles ached, heart pounding in my throat.
Jade leaned close once more, whispering with quiet fire. "Next time, I won't stop."
And then he walked away, leaving me pressed against the lockers, trembling, embarrassed, and guilty for letting him touch me at all.
Afternoon - Lunch
I avoided the cafeteria. I couldn't stand the noise, the curious stares, the possibility of Melissa watching. Instead, I drifted toward the back stairwell, a quiet place no one cared about.
Or so I thought.
The echo of footsteps followed not long after I sat down on the cold step, clutching my onto my novel.
"Not hungry?" His voice. Lazy. Smooth. Dangerous.
I stiffened, my throat locking.
Jade crouched in front of me, his elbows resting on his knees, head tilted as he studied me. Like I was a puzzle he'd already solved but enjoyed rearranging anyway.
"You shouldn't hide." His gaze flicked to my hands, then back to me. "You'll make people think you're scared."
I swallowed hard. "I'm not." My voice cracked, betraying me instantly.
His smirk deepened. "Then why are you shaking?"
I looked down quickly, but he didn't let me escape. His hand lifted, slow and deliberate, brushing against the fabric of my scarf near my jaw. I flinched, clutching the book tighter.
"Relax," he murmured, fingers lingering against the edge. "It's just me."
That's the problem, I wanted to scream. But instead, I just froze, shame twisting in my chest.
Before I could move, he leaned forward, pressing the lightest kiss against the side of my scarf where my jawline hid. My entire body jolted, heat rushing to my face.
"Jade-someone could see-," I whispered, panicked.
He leaned closer, his breath brushing my skin. "Let them."
My heart lurched. I tried to scoot back, but the wall was already at my spine. He didn't push harder, but his presence filled every inch of air around me.
And then, with that same terrifying ease, he pulled back, standing as if nothing had happened.
"You should eat," he said lightly, adjusting his bag over his shoulder. "You'll need energy. I'm not done with you."
And just like that, he was gone again, leaving me stunned, book crushed in my hands, shame flooding me.
Every hour crawled by like torture.
He sat beside me, of course, his knee brushing mine whenever the teacher wasn't looking. His hand drifted onto my desk, his fingers sliding across the page of my notebook until I had no choice but to pause writing.
When I tried to pull the notebook closer, his hand covered mine. Not tight, not harsh - just firm, commanding.
The teacher's voice blurred. My pulse thundered instead.
"Pay attention," Jade whispered near my ear, his lips almost grazing my scarf. "Or I'll make you."
My hand trembled beneath his, useless to fight. And yet-I didn't pull away. That truth alone made me feel sick with guilt.
When the bell finally rang, I bolted upright, nearly tripping over my own bag.
But before I could take a single step, Jade leaned close again, his hand brushing the top of my scarf-covered head in a gesture too intimate, too claiming. "Don't run too far, scarf."
I thought maybe he'd leave me alone when the final bell rang. He hadn't said much in the last class. Maybe, I told myself, he was bored.
But of course, I was wrong.
The hall was quieter now, mostly empty. I walked quickly, clutching my books tight, when suddenly a hand snagged mine and tugged me sharply to the side.
I gasped, nearly dropping everything, only to find myself pressed against the cool brick wall just outside the side exit.
Jade stood there, eyes glinting in the fading light. His grip on my wrist wasn't painful, but it was unyielding.
"You keep looking at the door like it'll save you," he said softly. "But doors don't matter if I'm the one waiting behind them."
My breath caught. My scarf felt suffocating, heat burning underneath it. "Jade, please-I don't-"
"Don't what?" he asked, stepping closer, his body brushing mine. "Don't like it? Don't want it? Or don't want to admit it?"
My lips parted, but no sound came out.
He reached up, tugging lightly at the edge of my scarf again. Not enough to strip it, just enough to make me panic. The fabric slipped a fraction, exposing the corner of my lips. His eyes darkened instantly, his gaze locked there.
He leaned in, slow, deliberate- about to take what he wanted-
And then he stopped. Straightened. And smirked at me.
"I'll let you go. Just today."
And then he walked off, lazy as always, leaving me clutching my books like a shield, trembling with guilt and heat I couldn't shake.
At home, I locked myself in my room, scarf still on, too afraid to see my bare reflection. My lips burned with every heartbeat, though he hadn't kissed them. Not yet.
But I knew, deep down, he would.
And worse than that- part of me already wanted him to.
He shouldn't have stopped.