Jax's Little Obsession

Chapter 28

Maya’s Pov

The alarm on my phone blared at seven in the morning, pulling me out of a restless sleep. I slapped my hand down on the screen, silencing the noise, and stared up at the white ceiling of my dorm room.

My fingers automatically reached up, gently brushing against my lips. Even hours later, I could still feel the warmth of Jax’s kiss burning against my skin. Every time I replayed that moment in the car, my stomach did a nervous, breathless flip. I felt completely embarrassed.

I had spent weeks convincing myself that I could keep him at arm's length, that I was just a clever mechanic and he was just an arrogant billionaire playing a dangerous game. But last night proved that argument was completely dead.

By the time I walked onto campus, my nerves were stretched tight like guitar strings. I expected everything to look different. I expected the air to feel charged, or for people to look at me differently.

But the university courtyard was its usual noisy self. Students rushed to morning lectures, professors hurried past with stacks of papers, and nobody paid me any special attention.

Then I saw him.

Jax was standing near the main engineering hall, talking to Professor Vance about some upcoming campus grant. He wore a crisp, tailored gray suit, his posture completely relaxed, his expression smooth and professional. He looked like the untouchable heir of Calloway Holdings. He didn't look like the man who had pulled me into the passenger seat of his car, kissed me until I forgot my own name, and admitted he was jealous of Saige.

As I walked closer, hoping he would catch my eye and offer at least a small hint of what had happened, he glanced right at me. His dark eyes met mine for a fraction of a second. There was no secret smile, no lingering look, nothing. He just gave a polite, distant nod—the exact kind of nod he would give any random student passing by—and turned right back to his conversation with the professor.

A sharp spike of annoyance hit my chest. My hands balled into tight fists inside the pockets of my jacket. Unbelievable, I thought. He acts like he owns the universe one night, and the next morning he treats me like a stranger.

I didn't go to my morning lecture. Instead, I waited near the side entrance of the faculty building, pacing back and forth across the concrete until I saw Jax step out alone with a stack of folders in his hand.

I marched right up to him, stepping directly into his path so he had to stop.

Jax blinked, looking down at me with mild surprise. "Maya. You're supposed to be in class."

"Don't 'Maya' me," I hissed, my voice dropping low so the passing students wouldn't hear. I stepped closer, staring up into his face with my teeth gritted. "What is wrong with you?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked calmly, his dark eyes studying my angry expression.

"You!" I threw my hands up in exasperation. "Last night in the car, you kissed me, you said you were jealous, and now you're acting like nothing happened! You looked right at me out there like I was just another piece of scenery! Are you playing games again, Jax?"

Jax didn't look flustered. He didn't offer a arrogant smirk or make a sarcastic joke. Instead, a slow, quiet understanding crossed his features. He shifted the folders to one arm, reached out, and gently grabbed my elbow, pulling me away from the busy walkway into the quiet shadow of a brick archway.

"Keep your voice down," he said quietly, his gaze softening as he looked down at me.

"Why should I?" I demanded, though I lowered my voice anyway. "You act like it meant nothing to you."

"It meant everything to me," Jax answered instantly, his voice dropping into a rough, low tone that sent a shiver straight down my spine.

I stopped struggling against his grip, blinking up at him. "Then why are you acting like a stranger?"

"Because I know you," Jax replied simply. "I know how much you fought to get into this university on your own terms. If the entire campus found out what was happening between us, they wouldn't see your engineering project anymore. They wouldn't see your showcase win. They would just say you're another girl bought and paid for by a Calloway."

The words hit me like cold water. I stared at him, completely speechless. All my anger evaporated, replaced by a sudden, heavy wave of realization. He wasn't ignoring me because he didn't care. He was protecting me. He was giving me my space, guarding my reputation, making sure nobody could use our connection to tear down everything I had worked for.

"You... you did that for me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I did it because I know how much your independence means to you," Jax said, his fingers gently loosening their grip on my arm. "I'm not going to let anyone take that away from you. Not even me."

I stood there in the quiet shadow of the archway, my heart swelling with a confusing mix of frustration and deep, unexpected affection. I had spent so long expecting him to be selfish, expecting him to demand everything on his own terms. But here he was, putting my pride ahead of his own desires.

"So what are we doing, Jax?" I asked softly, looking right into his dark eyes. "Are we just going to pretend when we're alone, and strangers when we're out here?"

Jax looked down at me, a faint, rare smile touching the corners of his mouth. "For now, yes. Whatever is happening between us stays between us. Private. Just you and me."

"Okay," I agreed, a strange knot tightening in my stomach. "Just us."

He nodded, giving my arm one final, gentle squeeze before turning around and walking away down the pathway. I stood completely still, watching his tall figure disappear into the crowd of students. He was doing the right thing. It was smart, safe, and logical.

Yet, as I watched him leave, a quiet ache settled deep inside my chest. To my absolute horror, I realized something I didn't want to admit.

I didn't want it to stay a secret forever.

I didn't want to hide in the shadows or pretend we were nothing when the world was watching. I wanted to walk beside him in the open sunlight, without caring what anyone else thought.

I turned around and started walking toward my engineering lab, my mind racing a mile a minute. The rules of our secret arrangement were set, but I knew deep down they wouldn't last. The tension between us was growing too heavy to contain, and sooner or later, the secret was going to break.