9. Heartbreak + History

By the time I make it to school on Tuesday morning, eyes seem to constantly be on me.

Apparently a lot of the kids at our school follow Presley on Instagram, and the fact that Jayce commented on my body means that I'm suddenly somebody worth acknowledging. It's sad that's what makes people valuable in this school. I'm annoyed by it, and pretty fucking embarrassed, to be perfectly honest.

It seemed like every girl was giving me a stink eye and every guy was looking me up and down. I wanted to run and hide. I felt so exposed. How the hell do popular people do this shit on a daily basis?

By the end of first period, I am majorly regretting my outfit choice.

Like a petty idiot, I had wanted to wear something that I knew was sure to get Jayce's attention. Of course, Presley had gladly let me raid her closet. When I told her what happened in the driveway and that I wanted to make him hurt with desire, she nearly did a backflip out of excitement.

The dress and shoes she picked for me were way too fucking uncomfortable and were warranting far too many extra glances.

I wanted to change so badly, but I kept my mission in mind: one-upping Jayce for the bullshit he pulled on me yesterday.

By the time I start heading to junior lunch, I still haven't seen Jayce. I was starting to wonder if maybe it was his turn to play hooky.

Presley and I sit at our usual picnic table in the quad. The sun is usually a welcomed, invigorating change from the bleak hallways but today, with everyone looking at me, it feels like a burning, invasive spotlight.

"You're literally the only thing anyone is talking about," Presley informs me excitedly.

"Is that supposed to be a good thing?" I'm so ready for this fucking day to be over. At this point, I'm completely embarrassed that I dressed 100% out of spite.

"Literally anyone but you would think so," Presley admonishes me with an eye roll.

I groan and hide my face in my hands. "I hate this."

I hear Presley sigh. "If it helps," she says, "Every dude I've spoken to is down to date you. Talk about making Jayce want you, right? Jealousy is a real ass thing, and all you'd have to do is go on one little date."

My head snaps up and I can't hide the glare I give her. This is too fucking much. "You've been asking guys about dating me?!" I whine, wishing she wasn't so unashamed. "Why the hell would you do that?"

She looks slightly taken aback, "Fal, I thought–"

"–Well, you thought wrong!" I snap, feeling sorry as soon as the words leave my mouth. I'm about to apologize when I hear a sickeningly chipper voice behind me.

"Hello, fellow students!"

Ugh. Layla Wright.

I turn around to face the wicked witch herself. She's wearing a red, lace-up front crop top with dangerously short, distressed True Religion jean shorts and shining black Armani ankle boots. Her lips are painted to match the red in her top, which brings out the blue of her eyes and looks flawless with her practically white-blonde hair. She's flanked by two of her obsessed followers.

How she and her minions got away with half of their wardrobe, I had no idea. It probably had something to do with the fact that her uncle was the principal of the school. Just maybe.

Screw nepotism, honestly.

"I do hope that I can count on your vote for Homecoming Queen?" She slams two red feather pens on the table, each one with an engraved gold tag that reads, 'Wright is Right!'

On a normal day, I would ignore her. But with the amount of annoyance I currently have at myself and the way this day has gone, I can't keep the words in my mouth. "Really, Layla? It's literally the third week of school. Isn't it a bit early to start shoving your dick down our throats, even for you?" I'm so fed up with her overzealous, unrelenting desire for status and attention. "Homecoming is literally two months from now."

She doesn't even flinch. "Excellence doesn't rest, Fallon Rhodes. Something you wouldn't understand," she flashes a sarcastic smile and places a manicured hand on her tiny hip. "Also, tryouts for the cheerleading squad are next Friday. You should totally come. You'd be on the team with Presley, after all!"

Her smile is laced with poison. I have a feeling that she's only extending an invitation because I'm suddenly a fucking school celebrity. It's making my skin crawl. She literally has an agenda for everything.

"And what makes you think I'd ever want to be trapped in the same premises as you longer than absolutely necessary?" I scowl at her, not having any of her fake friendliness.

She bends at the hips, leaning in so close that our noses are almost touching. "Oh, sweetie," she says softly, placing a patronizing hand on my shoulder. "I think you'll find that being close to me is the best place for you." She pats my arm and straightens up, her blue eyes glowing with a sick retribution that I don't entirely understand.

"Are you high?" My voice is tense as I glare at her. Her comment had felt like a threat, and it's sort of freaking me out. "If I was meant to be controlled, I would've come with a remote."

She just giggles at my fury. "See you on Friday, Fallon!"

She saunters to the next table, her long blonde ponytail swishing at her waist. Her minions follow closely in her wake, carrying large boxes with red feathers sticking out the top.

"Wait, come back!" I say loud enough for nearby tables to hear. "You forgot your bullshit!"

Several sets of eyes land on Layla and I, along with scattered laugher. I glance around, proud of my wit for actually working in a timely manner. Layla shoots an evil look in my direction, but carries on passing out her feather pens.

To my surprise, I see Jayce walking along the opposite side of the quad. He's walking and laughing with another senior guy. God, he's so fucking fine.

He's in a simple grey v-neck t-shirt, camo printed pants and black Nike sneakers. His brown hair is peeking out from underneath a backwards cap and the amused smile on his lips is making his jawline even sharper.

I keep my gaze glued to him until we finally make eye contact. My heart skips about a thousand beats as he smirks and tips his head back in acknowledgment, that adorable way guys do. His eyes travel slowly down my body and before he turns away, I see him slightly bite his lower lip while an undeniably pained expression flashes across his face.

Bingo.

Suddenly, all the uncomfortableness of the day is 110% worth it. I'm completely elated and feeling giddy, floating on cloud nine as I turn to look at Presley, whose lips are parted in shock.

"Pres?" I wave my hand in front of her face.

She suddenly cracks up, clutching at her stomach. "That - was - amazing," she gasps out between guffaws.

I tip my head in thanks. "I'm sorry for being a bitch... You're just trying to help me by talking to all those guys."

She smiles and shrugs. "Based on what I just saw of Jayce's face, you don't need any help making that boy go wild."

My heart jumps in my chest. "What should I do, Pres?"

"What do you mean?" She chuckles and bites into a protein bar.

"I mean, I can't spend all my time focused on this fucked up little game Jayce and I have created. Don't get me wrong, I definitely intend on winning and it's fun as hell to make him want me... but I can't spend all my time thinking about him."

Presley's eyes widen. "So don't! Honestly, oh my god," she's bobbing up and down in her seat. "You should do your best to not think about him. He has power over you because he's constantly in your head, but if you're just your normal, school-and-soccer-and-work-focused self... It might make him want to work even harder to get your attention!" She takes a large bite and smacks her lips together, her mouth full of protein bar. "It's okay, you can admit that I'm a genius," she smiles proudly.

I giggle at her enthusiasm. "You're the best, Pres," I admit appreciatively.

She spends the rest of lunch telling me about the supposed boat-load of guys who are wanting to date me, but no matter how hard I try to sound interested, all I can think about is how damn good it felt to see that strained, longing expression on Jayce's face.

~

After the girl's coach, Coach Cindy, scolds me for missing practice yesterday we begin our first day of conditioning and by the time we're done, I'm completely exhausted from the exertion. I can't wait to change out of my sweat-soaked clothes.

When she dismisses us, most of the girls go straight to their cars, but I head back to the locker room to grab my bags. Before I make it to the girl's locker room door, I suddenly stop in my tracks and my stomach drops to the floor.

I hear my name being said from inside the guy's locker room.

"...Fallon's sweet little ass grinding up against you?" An unfamiliar male voice asks.

"Bro, I wanked to that shit all fuckin' night," I recognize this voice to be Deion's, and I shiver as I remember what could've happened two Fridays ago had Jayce not intervened. "I swear, I was an hour away from running my hands all over her naked body." His laughter is echoed by several others. "I can't wait to hear what she sounds like when she–"

Deion's voice is interrupted by the loud sound of locker being violently slammed shut.

"You horny fucking idiots think it's cool to talk shit?" I recognize Jayce's voice immediately. "I swear to God, one more fucking word and I will rearrange your face," his voice is a low, fierce growl. I can't even see him, but I can only imagine how intimidating he must look. My heart swells with gratitude towards him for defending me.

"What the fuck, Jayce? One Instagram comment doesn't make her yours," Deion roars back. "Besides, I called dibs."

"Jayce, chill he's just–" Another voice shouts.

"Shut up, Anderson!" Jayce snarls. Suddenly there's a sound like someone was shoved against a locker. "Don't fuck with me, Deion," Jayce's intense, threatening tone is unlike anything I've ever heard come out of his mouth.

"Fucking Christ!" Deion's voice sounds strangled, like he's being choked and I imagine that Jayce has shoved him against a locker and has his hands around his neck. "I can't breathe!"

"Put him down, J!"

"What the fuck?!"

"Chill out, man!"

The voices of Jayce's teammates scream in panicked protest.

"You will stay the hell away from Fallon and never talk about her again, do you understand me?" Jayce says with a chillingly calm voice.

"Fuck! Put me down!" Deion gasps.

"I said, 'DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!'" Jayce shouts so loudly that my ears start ringing. I hear what sounds like Deion's head being slammed into the locker.

"Yes! Yes! Jesus, let me go!" Deion's garbled voice chokes out. Suddenly I hear the sound of heavy gasping, as I imagine Jayce letting Deion drop to the ground, finally able to get air back into his lungs.

Loud, angry footsteps start walking toward the door but I'm glued to the spot. The locker room door flies open so fast and hard that it cracks when it slams into the wall. Jayce storms out of the locker room and he looks so angry, I think he could literally kill someone. His steps falter for a moment and his features soften slightly when he makes eye contact with me, standing in complete shock.

He continues down the hall and out to the parking lot without so much as a glance back at me.

I finally unfreeze and sprint into the girl's locker room before any of the other guys come out and see me.

Holyfuckingshit.

Jayce literally just defended me in front of his entire team. I never would've thought that someone of his reputation would pass up the chance to talk crudely about women, but he just proved me wrong. I'm so impressed and touched, I feel like I could cry. I also want to beat the living daylights out of Deion for being such a fucking pervert.

I quickly grab my bags and sprint out to the parking lot, hoping to catch up to Jayce so I can thank him for his chivalry. By the time I make it out, he's already speeding out of the parking lot on his bike. Without really thinking my actions through, I throw my bags in my car and peel out of the lot after him.

I end up losing him as he daringly weaves in and out of traffic, but I drive to his house anyway, still questioning whether or not I should be following him home.

By the time I pull in the driveway, he's climbing off his bike. I dash out of the car, not bothering to close the door behind me. I run up to him but stop short, not quite sure what to say.

"Hey, uh, thanks for–," I start, breathing heavier than usual. Jayce spins around and glares at me, leaving me taken aback.

"–Thanks for what?" He barks.

"Thanks for defending me. It-um-it really meant a lot and I just want to let you know that I'm grateful," I say slowly, the angry expression not leaving his face as his eyes bore into mine.

"You're grateful I choked one of my teammates?" His tone is hard and unrelenting.

"That's not what I–" I shouldn't have followed him. I don't know what his problem is right now, but I wish I was anywhere but here. "I'm just thankful that you stood up for me when those guys were being pervs."

"You seriously think I did that for you?" His words bite and he lets out a sarcastic laugh that cuts me to my core. "Those guys talk about banging practically anything that moves, I just got sick of hearing their disgusting banter. I didn't do shit for you. Get over yourself." He spins on his heel and storms inside, slamming the garage door behind him, leaving me humiliated, clueless and honestly, hurt.

I don't even know what to think. He literally just threatened a man for talking shit on me and then turned around and yelled at me for thanking him? Honestly, what the fuck is his problem? I can't tell if I want to scream or cry. Maybe I should do both. Who knows.

I'm about to run back to my car and drive the fuck out of there when something catches my eye in the corner of the garage.

A tall filing cabinet stands with one of its drawers open and I could swear I'm being pulled toward it. My curiosity gets the best of me and after looking around to make sure no one was watching, I inch towards the open drawer. Standing at a distance, I scan the titles on the tabs and my heart shatters when I see a file that has Benjamin & Angelina Rhodes scrawled on it in messy black ink.

Those are my parents' names.

Without thinking, I snatch the folder out of the filing cabinet and race to my car, never taking my foot of the gas until I'm back in my driveway.

I charge into my room to find Presley sprawled on my bed, flipping through a homecoming dress catalogue. I was so focused on the events of the past hour, I didn't even register that her car had been parked outside.

"Whoa, there!" She exclaims, the intensity I feel inside more obvious than I realized. "Are you okay?"

I tell her about what I overheard in the locker room, what happened when I tried to thank Jayce and about the folder I stole from the filing cabinet. Her eyes somehow get wider with every word.

"Holy shit, Fallon, where is the folder? That's so fucking creepy," she breathes, sounding a bit scared.

Adrenaline hasn't stopped coursing through me since I overheard Jayce standing up for me, but somehow, even more seems to surge through me as I gingerly place the folder on the bed.

I have no fucking idea what to expect.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath in and out, honestly terrified of the fact that I have no idea what could be inside this folder.

Finally, I flick it open.

...Oh.

I flip through the rest of the pages, just to be sure.

They're all the same document - yearly reviews of my parents, filled out by the other members of the Founders Council, spanning from to 1998 to 2007.

"Well, that's boring," Presley huffs, clearly disappointed with the normalcy of the folder's contents.

I can't tell if I feel relieved or not.

Either way, I close the folder and push it away from us, a stew of emotions brewing in my stomach. I snuggle into Presley, grateful that she's here.

"So, why the hell was Jayce such an asshole when you were just trying to say thank you?" Presley muses, putting her arms around me comfortingly.

"I have no fucking clue," I sigh loudly, wishing I knew the answer to her question.

"I guess moodiness just comes with the whole 'bad boy' thing," she lets out a small laugh.

I smile halfheartedly. "It's whatever," I shrug, mostly saying it to try and convince myself to just let it go. I don't want to dwell on it for the rest of the evening. "The real question is, how the hell am I going to get that file back before anyone realizes that it's missing?"

"I mean, I guess we just have to go put it back," she says, trying to mask the excitement in her voice. In her head, I'm sure the idea of sneaking into Jayce's parent's garage and returning the folders feels like it could be a fun adventure.

I wish I could just melt into my bed sheets.

"Yeah..." I give in after a few minutes of trying to conjure up a way to avoid going back to Jayce's.

Within minutes, we've slung our jackets on and are in Presley's Fiat, flying through town. By the time we pull up to the gate, it's closed, leaving us no option but to hop over the wall and walk to the house.

I try to convince Presley to wait in the car so she doesn't get in trouble if we get caught, but she insists that I need backup.

Climbing over the wall and sneaking through the vines, I'm reminded of when Jayce brought me here for the first time. It feels like it's been forever, but it was only less than two weeks ago that were sitting on the roof of the winery, looking out at the setting sun.

We soundlessly make it to the garage, which is still open, thank God. Triple checking that the coast is clear, I grip the folder like my life depends on it and sprint into the open garage. I flip the folder horizontally to slip it back in the filing cabinet when a small piece of paper flutters to the ground.

My breath catches in my throat as I slowly bend down to pick it up off the cold, cement floor. My heart is pounding against my ribcage like a fucking bass drum as I look upon the all-caps handwriting that I immediately recognize as my father's. It's dated June 2nd, 2007 - 10 days before my dad died.

Tears fill my eyes as I replace the file, but stuff the note in my jacket pocket before dashing back to where Presley is crouching at the edge of the vines.

"Let's get the fuck out of here," I whisper, forcing tears to not fall down my face as we race back to the car.

~

Friday morning, I have mom call Goldcrest High for the third consecutive day to tell them that I'm sick and won't be in class.

Ever since I found the note from my dad, I've been unable to eat or sleep. The "I'm sick" excuse has doubled in effectiveness, because I've been able to tell Presley she can't come over, so I don't have to endure her constant chatter about the police station's charity ball tomorrow night. I love her, but that's literally the last thing I'm thinking about right now.

I spend my entire morning and afternoon laying in bed, staring at the note with a huge hole in my heart, just as I've done for the past two days.

Please don't make me do this.

That's what my dad had written. What did he not want to do?

I had so many questions and whenever I thought about them too much, I started to cry. For some reason, this letter seemed to have broken me. I hadn't shown it to anyone since I'd found it. How could I? I didn't know if his death was somehow connected to this letter, but everything about it made me too scared and sad to function.

I pray that you will think of the years that we've spent closer than brothers, and that you will see my family and I are innocent. Please don't make me do this.

My heart breaks for the millionth time as I imagine my dad spending his last few days on this earth, begging for grace for his family, knowing he will have to do something he doesn't want to do.

Hot tears flow down my cheeks as I curl into the fetal position and bury my face in my pillows, letting myself silently sob.

I must have gone through ten boxes of tissues by now.

By the time evening rolls around, my eyes and face are so puffy, I look like I've been stung by about fifty bees. I lay in bed, miserable.

Tom Jeffers.

My mind suddenly latches onto the other name in the letter and I sit straight up. Until now, I had been too full of grief to think about anything other than my dad. But suddenly, I was randomly struck with curiosity to find out who Tom Jeffers was.

I slowly climb out of bed and trudge across the room to bring my laptop back into the comfort of my bed with me. Opening it up, I type 'Tom Jeffers Goldcrest California' into my search bar.

My stomach growls as the page loads. I haven't eaten in a while.

The first hit is a link to a website for a business lawyer.

I'm about to click the link when the door to my room slowly opens and Haven's face pops in. I throw the note in my laptop and slam it shut, praying he hadn't seen anything.

"Hey, sis, how're you feeling?" Haven's smile is so caring and refreshing, I'm sure that my eyes would be watering if I had any more tears left to cry.

"A little better," I say, not even having to try to make my voice sound weak.

"What's going on?" He gently sits on the edge of my bed.

"Oh, just a really bad stomach and headache," I lie and give him a small smile.

Haven chuckles and shakes his head. "You've always been shit at lying, Fal. What's really going on? Do I need to beat up a boy?"

I laugh weakly, not sure if I'm going to be able to explain the truth.

"Remember how you told me about the bad blood between our parent's and the Solises?" I start slowly, trying to get some kind of gauge about what his response will be.

He nods his head, his brows furrowing as surprise and confusion seep into his big, green eyes.

"Well, I found something. Please don't ask me to explain how I have it, just look at it," I breathe deeply before slipping the note out from my laptop and handing it to him.

Haven's eyes slowly scan the letter. I can see tears brimming his eyes, as well, by the time he finishes it and looks back up at me.

"Oh my god, Fallon," he breathes as he pulls me into a tight hug.

"I don't know what to do," I say pathetically, squeezing my eyes shut.

He drops his arms and pulls back to look at me. "Alexei as in Alexei Solis, right?" He points to where Alexei's name is scrawled on the note.

I nod, looking down at my bed sheets.

"Who the hell is Tom Jeffers?" He asks, more to himself than to me.

I open my computer and point to the website I found. Haven studies it for a moment before turning to me, his expression full of concern.

"I don't want you to worry about this right now," he tells me. "I'm going to find out who this guy is, and I'll let you know when I find an answer. But I think you've spent too much time consumed by this letter. Why don't you get out of the house? Go to Presley's?" His voice is loving yet serious, and I know he's right.

"Thank you," I say, feeling slightly relieved. "Getting out would be good," I chuckle lightly as I realize that I literally haven't showered since Monday night. Maybe that's part of why I've been feeling like such a lump.

He gives me one more hug before vanishing back into the hallway with the letter safely tucked into his wallet.

With the note no longer in my presence, I feel like I can finally breathe. I imagine this is how Frodo must have felt when he let Sam take the Ring for the first time.

I take a long, hot shower and let my mind stay blank as I brush my teeth, style my hair, and put on some fresh clothes. I scarf down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and spritz on some perfume at the last minute.

Now that I'm finally feeling like a human again, I check my Snapchat map to see that Presley is currently in downtown Goldcrest - if you can say that a town of 40,000 even has a downtown.

Pulling my bike from the garage, I start pedaling towards the main square.

The fresh air and twilight is absolutely stimulating. I breathe deeply as the night breeze fills my lungs over and over again.

I'm so grateful for Haven, and for the cathartic effect of the outdoors. By the time I reach the center of town, I feel like an entirely new person, and I'm surprised to realize that I'm actually in the mood to have some fun.

I check the map again and see that Presley is at the park - not a big surprise. I make it there in a few minutes time and lock my bike to the long bike rack. There are several groups of teenagers scattered all around. For some reason, the park seems to be the primary hangout spot in Goldcrest. Well, that and Pepper's diner, which is a short walk from here.

I make my way past several groups of teens when I hear a familiar voice call out, "Fallon!"

Oh my god.

I slowly turn around to see my most recent, um, fuck buddy? Jogging toward me.

"Leo!" I cry as he picks me up in a strong hug and swings me in a circle before setting me back down on the ground. "What the hell are you doing here?" I smile up at him. I forgot how handsome he is. He's tall with a thin but strong build, perfect chocolate skin, jet-black hair, a stunning golden gaze and a smile that could outshine the sun.

He lives about an hour north, so I'm surprised that he's in Goldcrest, especially when I didn't call him. We met at the last soccer tournament of my sophomore year, got drunk and you know... Had fun. We'd seen each other pretty much every week until I ended things this past July when he had started to get really clingy and treating me like I was his girlfriend or somehow had a claim on me.

"One of my friends has been talking to a girl on Tinder who lives here in Goldcrest. She wanted to meet her and I told her I'd come too, you know, for moral support and to make sure the girl wasn't a serial killer or something. But they ditched me a while ago," he laughs as his golden eyes give me a once over.

I realize that I don't get the same thrill as when Jayce's eyes trail over me.

"You look so damn good," Leo says with appreciation, biting on his lower lip. "It's been a while, Fal," he steps closer to me and slowly pushes my hair behind my ear. "I've missed you."

I smile up at him, not wanting to be rude but also feeling some resistance to what I know he's thinking. It's especially strange because I've been so pent up for the past two weeks, thanks to a certain brown-haired goalie. I decide to not put sex with Leo entirely out of the question, but I'm also not sure it's exactly what I need right now. What I need right now is a little more liquid.

"Do you have anything to drink?" I ask with a smile.

He snickers. "Just like old times, huh? Come with me," he confidently takes my hand in his and we stroll down the sidewalk.

It's actually nice, feeling my hand entwined with someone's. Despite the fact that me and Leo's relationship has been purely sexual, we're honestly pretty close, and he's a damn good dude. Pillow talk leads to intimacy, I guess.

We get to his beat up Subaru and he pops the hatchback, revealing a bottle of Jack Daniels and a couple shot glasses tucked underneath some wrinkled clothes. He pours us both a shot and we sit in the back of his car, catching up and drinking far too much far too fast.

Over the next hour, he tells me about a girl that he liked who ended up being a total psycho, how his soccer team is doing this season and how he wishes he could find someone like me to date in his town. As the shots keep going down, I tell him about the letter from my dad, how my best friend is dating a 33 year old, and finally, about Jayce.

"Oh shit, Fal," Leo hiccups and then laughs at his hiccup. "Your life is definitely more interesting than mine."

"What are you talking about?!" I practically shout, my body completely buzzing, "I loved hearing about that girl doing weird things to a voodoo doll of you!"

Leo shakes his head and tries to pour another shot, but the bottle is empty. "Oh, fuck." He pouts. "We're out."

"That's okay," I shrug. "Too bad Jayce isn't here, his family owns a vineyard after all, he would totally be able to hook us up," I boop Leo's nose with my finger.

Leo smiles from ear to ear, his dark skin crinkling around his eyes. "You're cute."

I giggle, letting myself enjoy feeling completely numb. "So are you!"

Leo inches closer to me, and when I don't protest, he brings his familiar fingers up to cup my face.

"So, what would Jayce do right now?" He asks softly, his eyes never leaving my mouth.

I let out a small laugh, "Say something stupid and cocky."

Leo strokes my cheek with his thumb. "Something like, 'I've kissed a lot of girls, so give me your best performance'?"

"Yeah, probably," I whisper as my eyes slip shut and Leo closes the gap between our mouths.

His lips are warm and familiar, and I feel myself relax the second our mouths join. We move together so naturally after two years of learning each other's bodies.

After a few seconds of sweet, slow kisses, his hands hitch underneath my knees and he pulls me on top of him. I respond by pressing my hips against his crotch, taking his face in my hands and kissing him like he actually was Jayce and I was trying to drive him wild with need.

In my drunken stupor, I feel a pang of guilt for using Leo for my own little fantasy, but being touched feels too nice to stop.

Leo roughly grabs at my bum as I press my front against his. He yanks my head back and starts trailing kisses up my neck.

As I grind into Leo, who is currently grabbing my ass and kissing my neck, my eyes flutter open when I hear the grumbling of a loud engine close by.

Looking out through the front windshield, I see Jayce's motorcycle idling at a stop sign right across from us. He's looking at me with a clenched jaw, his lips pressed into a thin line, and I swear I see pain in his brown eyes as he turns left and speeds out of sight.

~~~

AHH! How's the drama in this chapter?? 🤔

I know J wasn't in this one too much and when he was in it he was being an ass, but don't worry😉 the future is bright and he's not a total jerk face hahah.

Next chap is the ball & it's gonna be a good one. 😍😍

Tap the ⭐️ if you're excited! And tell me what your theories are about what's gonna go down next!

♥️

ILYSM!!!!