LAURA
"Do you want to talk about it?"
My voice is quiet, but the question hangs loud between us.
Jae has been driving for almost ten minutes, eyes locked on the road like it might swallow him whole.
I'm not even convinced he knows where he's going.
He doesn't answer.
Fine. New tactic.
"Whose wedding was today?"
His jaw flexes. He glances at me, just once, clearly aware I just crossed a line with the question.
"My father's," he finally says. "Not a wedding. Renewing vows. Daciana's idea."
"Daciana?" I ask.
"The woman you were working for."
"Oh." It hits me. "No—I wasn't working for her. I was with the catering. She just asked me to take her coat."
His eyes flick to me, sharp, then snap back to the road.
"You just can't say no to anyone," he mutters, barely audible.
It's soft. But somehow it lands like a slap.
Because he's right.
I can't say no.
And look where that's gotten me—mistreated, cornered... humiliated.
I swallow hard and stare out the window, biting my tongue before something pathetic slips out.
He must notice, because after a few beats he says, "I didn't mean—"
"No," I cut him off, still looking straight ahead. "You're right. I am like that. I'm so naïve I keep thinking people deserve another chance no matter what they did."
The car jerks right. He pulls over and brakes hard, dust swirling around us.
"What the hell?" I blurt, gripping the seat.
He's holding the steering wheel in a death grip. Shoulders tense. Eyes stormy.
"Would you give me a chance?" he asks suddenly. His voice is low, rough.
"What… what are you talking about?"
"Just answer me," he says. "If I failed you… would you give me a second chance?"
I stare at him. He looks like the answer might break him.
"I guess I would," I say softly. "But I don't have to. You haven't done anything wrong. You keep helping me. And… weirdly… you're always there."
Something in him loosens. But not enough.
Not fully.
It feels like he´s hiding something—something that feels big, heavy, dangerous.
Jae's eyes stay locked on mine.
I can't look away.
"Why?" I whisper. "Why are you always there for me, Jae? Why do you care?"
He doesn't move. Doesn't speak.
Then he leans in.
I don't even think, my body just follows, drawn like there's a thread between us pulling tight.
We're close.
Too close.
I can feel his breath.
His lips hover over mine, one tiny inch and he'd be kissing me.
My heartbeat stumbles.
He's going to—
But he doesn't.
He pulls back fast, like he almost touched fire.
His eyes squeeze shut as he falls against the seat, breathing like he's fighting something I can't see.
"What is wrong with you?" I snap, hurt flaring before I can hide it.
He drags in a breath but says nothing.
"Take me back," I tell him. "Now."
"Laura—"
"Take me back or I'll walk." My voice cracks on the last word.
He doesn't move. Doesn't start the car.
Fine.
I shove the door open and climb out, slamming it behind me.
I'm halfway down the road before I hear his door slam.
"Laura, wait!"
I keep walking.
"Laura, please!"
I stop. Slowly. My whole body shaking.
He stands there, looking more lost than angry.
"I'm sorry, Laura," he says, voice raw. "I don't want to hurt you. That's all."
I cross my arms, frowning hard, trying to understand this boy.
This complicated, infuriating, impossible boy.
"Then why," I ask, "does it feel like you always are?"
His eyes flicker, like he can't decide whether to look away or let me see everything.
"Peter told me," I say quietly. "He said you don't want anyone hurting me. Why? What is going on, Jae? You don't know me. You know nothing about me."
He drops his gaze to the ground, shoulders slumping.
His hands slide to his hips as he takes a sharp breath.
"The truth is…" He swallo
ws. "I'm messed up." His eyes lift to mine, intense and honest. "And you should stay away from me."
He really believes that. It's written all over him, like he's warning me about a fire he can't put out.
"Being my friend is the last thing you need" he says, voice rough. "But I can't stay away from you. I tried. I can't."
I just stare. Trying to untangle the whiplash.
He shouts at me. Then almost kisses me. Now he's telling me to stay away? But he can't stay away??
Being near him is like standing on a cliff—terrifying, but you can't seem to step back.
"So, what do you want me to do?" I ask.
He opens his mouth, closes it again. His throat works, like the words are fighting him.
"Can we try to be friends?" he finally says.
I let out a short, humorless laugh. "I don't think that's possible. Friends don't… mess with me the way you keep doing."
He's chaos. A whole roller coaster of emotions.
And somehow I always end up buckled in with no warning.
But maybe… maybe I'm chaos too. Just quieter about it.
And I can't deny I want to know more about him. That I want answers. That I want him, even when I shouldn't.
He's staring at his shoes again, jaw tight.
He tries to speak but shuts down instantly, shaking his head like he's mad at himself.
"Okay," I say suddenly.
His head snaps up. His eyes go wide.
"But we need to communicate," I add. "Friends do that, you know? They actually talk about what's going on in their heads."
He gives me a tiny, crooked smile.
I can't help returning it.
"Communication," he repeats softly. "Right."
"And no more grabbing me," I warn. "That freaks me out."
He nods, exhaling like he expected worse. "Yeah. I'm sorry."
"Good." I pause. "Why did you drag me out of your house like that?"
He shifts uncomfortably, glancing everywhere but at me.
"My father is… a jerk. Daciana´s... useless. I don't want you near people like that."
"I was working," I remind him. "Working. As in earning money. Good money, actually."
He straightens, voice turning sharp again. "Look—I'll pay you whatever they were paying. Just don't go back there."
"Just because you don't want me to?" I ask.
"Because I don't like it," he snaps. Then lowers his voice. "Can you just… not go?"
He talks about his own family like they're dangerous people.
It sends a weird chill through me.
"This isn't going to work," I say. "If you're going to boss me around like that, it's not going to work, Jae."
"I'm not telling you what to do. I'm asking." His voice softens, almost pleading. "If you want, I can drive you back to the party. But I'd rather not."
He looks so tense, so worried, that I feel my resistance slip.
Lydia has plenty of help. I'm just an extra now.
I can always say that I'm not feeling well.
"Fine," I say. "You don't have to pay me anything. Just take me home. They'll manage."
"All right." He says it too quickly, but I catch the flicker of disappointment on his face before he looks away.
I text Lydia, telling her I'm not feeling well and I'm so sorry.
I slip my phone back into my pocket and we get into the car together.
A thick silence stretches.
If we're going to communicate, I guess I should start.
"Was that your mom?" I ask quietly. "In the photo in your room?"
His grip on the steering wheel tightens, then loosens.
He nods.
"She died when I was eight. Cancer."
"I'm sorry," I say.
"It was a long time ago." His voice is steady. Too steady. "It doesn't hurt the way it used to."
I nod. I understand more than he knows.
"And your father?" I ask before I can stop myself. "Is he always that… much?"
The question barely leaves my mouth before brakes screech.
My body jerks forward. He slams the horn at a car that blows through a red light.
"Fucking psycho!" he growls.
I clutch my stomach, heart hammering. He turns immediately, eyes darting over me.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I breathe out. "Just… a scare." A massive scare.
If he hadn't been paying attention, we'd be spinning right now, airbags exploding, maybe worse.
He stares at me for a second too long, chest rising and falling like he's trying to get his breath back too.
I try to shake it off. "Are you a vampire?"
He blinks, then snorts. "What? What kind of question is that?"
"You sounded like Edward Cullen back there—'you should stay away from me,'" I say in my best dramatic voice.
He squints at me, confused. Shakes his head.
"Twilight," I clarify. "You've never heard of it?"
His eyes widen just a little. "Oh. I've heard of it. Definitely not my thing."
"Not mine either. I just… happened to read the book."
"How do you just happen to read that crap?"
"I lost a bet to James."
He looks at me, clearly expecting more.
"You really don't want to know," I say, smirking.
He doesn't say anything. Just grips the wheel and stares at the road.
For a second, I think about how close we got… how he almost kissed me.
And I can't lie, I want more. I want him to kiss me.
My stomach twists, my heart's racing.
The car feels… different, like something just shifted between us.
I don't look at him, but I can feel him watching me.
And I want him to keep watching.