Chapter Twenty-Three

The next few hours drag by in a blur. By the time last period rolls around, I'm more than ready to go home, crawl under a blanket, and pretend today never happened.

But, of course, life has other plans.

As I make my way to my locker, I feel a presence behind me before I even turn around.

"Hey, Carter," Jaxon's voice is way too casual for my current emotional state.

I exhale, shutting my locker before facing him. "What now? Here to give me another headache?"

He smirks. "Tempting, but no. I'm here to cash in that favor you owe me."

I blink. "Excuse me?"

Jaxon leans against the locker next to mine, looking annoyingly relaxed. "You know, from when I heroically rescued you from the treacherous parking lot?"

I scoff. "Treacherous? It was literally just my job's parking lot."

"Details," he says, waving a hand dismissively. "The fact remains—I helped you, which means you owe me. And lucky for you, I've come up with the perfect way to collect."

I cross my arms. "And what exactly do you want?"

His smirk deepens. "One night. No strings, no expectations. Just a little fun."

I stare at him, suspicion rising. "Define 'fun.'"

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

Damn him.

I hesitate. Do I really want to do this?

Jaxon watches me, something unreadable flickering in his expression. "Come on, Carter. I promise it won't be that painful."

And for some reason, against all logic, I find myself saying—

"Fine. One night."

What am I getting myself into?

I have several regrets before this night even begins.

The first is saying yes to Jaxon in the first place.

The second is not demanding to know where we were going before he picked me up.

Oh, and just to really test my patience? Jaxon Walker is casually humming along to the radio, like he hasn't just dragged me into whatever this is

I shift uncomfortably in the passenger seat. "Are you going to tell me where we're going yet?"

Jaxon smirks, eyes still on the road. "That would ruin the fun, Carter."

"I'm still waiting for the fun part to start," I mutter, crossing my arms.

"Oh, come on. You'll like it. Probably."

I roll my eyes. "You're so reassuring."

He glances at me, and for the briefest moment, something softer flickers in his gaze. "Relax, Carter. I wouldn't take you somewhere terrible."

I shouldn't find that reassuring. But somehow, I do.

Fifteen minutes later, we pull into a dimly lit parking lot. I frown as I take in the familiar sign. "The arcade?"

Jaxon grins. "Surprised?"

I turn to him. "You dragged me out for a middle school date night?"

"Correction. I dragged you out because you looked like you needed to have some fun."

I hesitate, caught off guard. That... is not what I expected him to say.

Jaxon climbs out of the car, and before I can argue, he jogs around to my side, opening my door for me. "Come on, Carter. Unless you're scared I'll beat you at every game in there."

I scoff. "Oh, please. You wish."

And that's how I find myself stepping into an arcade on a Friday night with Jaxon Walker.

---

It turns out, I might have underestimated how competitive I am.

"This game is rigged!" I shout as Jaxon sinks yet another shot in the basketball hoops game, beating my score by an embarrassing amount.

He chuckles, grabbing his tickets. "Or maybe you just suck."

I glare. "Rematch."

"Again? Carter, this is the third time. You've already lost. Accept it."

"Never."

Jaxon laughs—actually laughs—like he's enjoying himself. And something about that moment feels different.

For once, it doesn't feel like we're playing some game of wit and sarcasm. It just feels... easy.

"Alright," Jaxon says, tossing a few more tokens into my hand. "One more. But when I win, you have to admit I'm the better athlete."

I roll my eyes. "Not happening."

We start again, and this time, I actually get close to his score.

Close. But still lose.

Jaxon smirks. "So, you were saying?"

I groan, dragging a hand down my face. "This is the worst night of my life."

"That's a lie. You're having fun."

I am.

But I don't say that out loud.

Instead, I just shake my head. "Whatever. What are you even going to do with all those tickets?"

Jaxon looks at the absurd amount of tickets in his hands, then grins. "I don't know. Let's find something stupid."

Minutes later, he's holding a ridiculous oversized stuffed basketball, grinning like he just won the lottery.

I raise an eyebrow. "That's what you went with?"

He shrugs. "Thought it'd be funny."

Before I can respond, he tosses it into my arms.

I blink down at it. "What—"

"It's a participation award, Carter. You tried your best." He smirks. "You know, since you didn't win one yourself."

I clutch the ridiculous stuffed ball and glare. "I hate you."

Jaxon smirks, tilting his head. "You say that a lot, Carter. Almost like you're trying to convince yourself."