my prized possession

CHAPTER 9

The weeks that followed were hell.

I was a mess. A walking ghost of the girl who once thought she had it all figured out. I couldn’t focus in class, I barely slept, and I cried more nights than I care to count. I thought Jackson was going to be the start of something beautiful—maybe even the life I had dreamed about. But instead, I was just the girl he kept in the shadows. A secret.

Worse than that? I couldn’t stop thinking about Noah. That fact alone was enough to make me hate myself some days. The attraction was confusing and overwhelming. I didn’t even know him. But his voice haunted me. His eyes followed me in my dreams. And I didn’t understand why.

Mom hadn’t visited since she left for work, and for once, I actually missed her. I hated that I did. I needed someone—someone to make sense of this chaos inside me.

The only one who’d truly been there for me was Annabella. My rock. My sanity. She’d held me while I cried, screamed at Jackson on my behalf, and reminded me—constantly—that I deserved better. She hated him now. But me? I didn’t. Not fully.

And that was the sick part.

Even after everything, I still wanted him. And I hated myself for that.

He moved on like nothing happened. Like I was just a phase. A distraction. He walked through school without so much as glancing my way, and it burned. But I wasn’t desperate for his attention. Not anymore. I was just... trying to survive.

It had been a month since that day. A long, painful month. But slowly, I was putting myself back together. And I needed to. Today was important.

Today was the college fair. My chance to escape this town, this school—this heartbreak. My ticket out.

I took a deep breath as I stepped into the hallway and spotted Annabella. She was holding a pamphlet, her eyes scanning it intensely.

I walked up to her, waving. “What’s that?”

“One of my college picks,” she said, smiling. “They’re not here yet—someone just handed this to me.”

I let out a sigh of relief. “Good. I thought I was late.”

She looked up at me with a grin. “So... got any schools in mind?”

“Not exactly,” I replied. “But I know the state I want to be in.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Where?”

“Florida.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, thank God. I thought you were gonna say New Jersey.”

I laughed, genuinely. “Please, I’m not that desperate to follow him.”

Annabella chuckled, but then her expression shifted—more serious now. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Do you like Jackson’s cousin?”

I blinked. “What?”

“You heard me.”

I stared at her, stunned. “Why would you even ask that?”

She shrugged, but she was watching me closely. “Because you left out a lot when you mentioned him before. And the way you looked at him that day... you’ve never looked at anyone like that.”

Damn. She was observant. Too observant. No wonder she wanted to be a psychologist.

I opened my mouth to lie—to brush it off. But I couldn’t. She had been there for me when I couldn’t be there for myself. She deserved the truth.

“I don’t know what it is,” I admitted quietly. “The first time I saw him, I felt something... weird. Something I didn’t understand. Everything about him just—captivated me. And it hasn’t stopped. I tried to fight it, to suppress it, but every time I see him, I just... I stare. Like I don’t have control over myself. It’s like... something in him is calling something in me.”

Annabella was quiet. I waited, nervous she’d judge me. But she didn’t.

Instead, she said softly, “Vanessa... you’re in love with him.”

I laughed. Hard. “No way. I don’t even know him. That’s not love.”

“Sometimes love doesn’t wait to make sense,” she said. “Maybe it’s destiny. Maybe it’s why you can’t control the way you feel around him.”

I shook my head. “No. My heart wants Jackson. Not Noah. This is just... lust. He’s beautiful, yeah. But I’m not in love with him.”

Even as I said it, it didn’t sound convincing.

Still, it didn’t matter. I wasn’t going to see Jackson anymore. Which meant no more Noah, and hopefully, no more of these stupid, confusing feelings.

Annabella squeezed my hand. “Don’t overthink it. The right person—your person—he’ll find you. And you’ll know. Trust that.”

I smiled faintly. She always knew what to say.

Then she tugged me gently toward the hall. “Now come on. Let’s go find your future.”

The hall was packed—buzzing with excitement and possibilities. Students hurried from booth tobooth, each one chasing a dream, a future. I stood there for a moment, scanning the room, trying to find something that spoke to me.

And then I saw him.

Jackson.

He was staring at me.

It had been weeks since he even acknowledged I existed. Not a single glance, not a single word. But now—suddenly—his eyes were fixed on me.

Did he miss me?

Or was he just looking for another warm body to use?

Annabella nudged me gently. “Don’t even go there,” she said quietly, reading my thoughts like a book.

I gave a small nod. She was right.

Trying to shake it off, I turned and spotted a booth labeled Florida Tech Programs. My heart lifted slightly.

“I’m going to check that one out,” I told her.

She smiled. “Go. I’ll be over there.”

I made my way to the stand. The woman behind the table greeted me warmly, her presence calm and inviting.

“What brings you here?” she asked.

“I’ve always loved creating things with computers,” I said. “Anything tech-related... it just feels like magic.”

She nodded encouragingly. “Do you have a course in mind?”

“Computer Science,” I replied without hesitation. “I’m fascinated by how people build apps, or how artificial intelligence works. It’s just—cool.”

She smiled, clearly pleased. “That’s a great field. Lots of innovation and opportunity.” She handed me a pamphlet filled with program details. I thanked her and moved to a quiet corner to read.

Just as I started flipping through the pages, I felt the seat beside me dip.

I turned—and there he was.

Jackson.

Of course.

What now?

I tried to stand up, but he gently caught my hand. “Please,” he said softly. “Don’t go.”

I froze.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I was an i***t. I shouldn’t have treated you like that. I thought about everything, and I... I want to change. For real.”

His words should’ve meant something. Weeks ago, they would’ve shattered me in the best way. But now? Now they just hurt.

I looked at him, eyes filled with the pain I didn’t bother to hide. “Do you even want me?”

“Yes,” he said quickly.

“In what way?” I asked.

Silence.

He couldn’t answer.

That told me everything.

He didn’t want me. He wanted the comfort I gave. The release. The girl who’d take him in the dark and pretend she was enough.

He had dozens of girls who’d give him what he wanted—but for some reason, it had to be me.

And I was done being that girl.

I stood up, slipping my hand from his grip. He stayed seated, speechless.

“Just a few more months,” I whispered to myself as I walked away.

“A few more months and I’ll be done with this place.

And with him.”