Chapter Ten — Caught Between Us
466 Words
(Harper’s POV)
Noah’s in a good mood, which is never a good sign. When he’s cheerful, it usually means he’s planning something that will drag the rest of us into it.
“Family movie night,” he announces, waving a bag of popcorn like a flag. “You, me, Jace. No excuses.”
I start to protest, but Jace walks in behind him carrying sodas and gives me a look that says play along.
So I do.
We end up on the couch—Noah in the middle, me on one side, Jace on the other. The movie flickers across the room, some loud action film I’m not really watching. My focus keeps drifting to the space between us: three feet, a bowl of popcorn, and about a thousand unsaid words.
Every so often our eyes meet over Noah’s shoulder. Quick glances, gone before they can turn into anything.
Halfway through, Noah falls asleep sitting up. Typical.
I shift to grab a blanket, but Jace does the same, and our hands brush. The tiniest spark, but enough to make me freeze.
He whispers, “You should move, or he’ll wake up.”
“I can’t,” I whisper back. “You move.”
His mouth twitches. “Always stubborn.”
We both sit there, pretending to focus on the movie while Noah snores between us like a human barricade.
Finally, Jace stands, stretching quietly. “I’m grabbing another drink. Want anything?”
“Water,” I murmur.
He disappears into the kitchen. A moment later, I follow.
The light from the fridge glows against his shoulders when he turns. “You’re supposed to be watching the movie.”
I shrug. “You disappeared.”
His laugh is soft. “So you followed me?”
“Maybe.”
Something flickers across his face—affection, worry, both. “You’re going to get us in trouble, Harper.”
“Maybe I don’t care anymore.”
Before he can answer, Noah’s voice echoes down the hall. “You guys better not be eating all the popcorn without me!”
We jump apart, both trying not to look guilty.
Jace clears his throat. “Water. Right.” He hands me a bottle like it’s evidence.
Noah stumbles in, still half-asleep. “What’d I miss?”
“Nothing,” we say in perfect unison.
He squints. “You two are weird.”
He wanders back to the couch, leaving us standing there, hearts pounding, pretending everything is normal.
Jace leans in just enough to whisper, “We’re getting too close to being caught.”
I whisper back, “Then maybe stop giving me reasons to follow you.”
He stares at me for a moment, the corners of his mouth lifting in that quiet, dangerous smile. “Can’t promise that.”
- Writer
