CHAPTER 29
1032 Words
ADINNA’S POV
The fall feels endless, but I hit the ground before I can even think. Pain shoots up my arm, but before I can move, a strong hand grabs mine and pulls me up.
Jace.
Our hands stay clasped longer than they should. His grip is firm, grounding, and for a second, the world goes silent. Then I hear the whispers, gasps, and the sound of people watching.
I pull my hand away fast, but it’s too late. I can already see the looks on their faces, the smirks, the knowing glances.
A girl in the back murmurs something to her friend, and then another one giggles. The sound spreads like fire. I don’t even need to hear the words. I already know what they’re saying.
Jace straightens, brushing invisible dust off his shirt, and gives me a look I can’t read. Something is mocking about it, but there's also something else. Something that feels too real.
“Guess you started this,” he says later when we cross paths again, his tone low, almost teasing. “Remember?”
I blink, confused. “Started what?”
He just smirks and walks away, leaving me standing there, feeling like I missed something important.
The next few days are hell.
Every hallway, every corner, every whispered laugh feels like it’s aimed at me. Some people don’t even bother to whisper.
“She’s really milking that Alpha attention, huh?”
“Must be nice to have Jace picking you up off the floor.”
I pretend not to hear them. I keep my head down, and my face blank, but inside I’m unraveling.
Jace doesn’t make it easier. One moment he’s teasing me in front of everyone, acting like nothing between us matters, like I’m just another joke to him. The next moment, he’s nowhere to be found, avoiding me entirely. It’s like he can’t decide whether to ruin me or protect me.
Each day, the weight of it allgrows heavier. The stares, the whispers, and the tension that never lets up. I start skipping lunch just to avoid people. Even Riley can’t keep up with how fast the rumors change.
By the third day, Dean finds me in the hallway, leaning against the lockers.
“You okay?” he asks softly.
His voice is calm, and steady, but his eyes give him away. He’s worried.
I nod, though it’s a lie. “Yeah. Just tired.”
“Don’t let them get to you,” he says. “They’ll get bored eventually.”
“Eventually,” I repeat, even though it doesn’t feel true.
He gives me a small, sad smile before walking away.
Later that day, I feel someone behind me again. The air shifts before I even turn. I already know who it is.
Jace.
He steps in front of me, blocking my way. His usual smirk is gone. His eyes look almost serious.
“You okay?” he asks quietly.
I freeze. Of all the people to ask, he’s the last one I expect. “Why do you care?”
He looks away for a second, then back at me. “Because I meant what I said. I can’t stop thinking about you.”
The words hit hard, heavier than they should.
I laugh, but it comes out shaky. “You’re unbelievable. One minute you’re humiliating me, the next you’re—what, confessing?”
He steps closer. “You think I’m lying?”
“I think you’re playing another one of your games.”
His eyes darken. “You really believe that?”
“Yes,” I snap. “Because that’s what you do. You mess with people, and you enjoy it.”
The air between us tightens. He takes another step forward, and I take one back until my shoulders hit the wall.
“Jace, stop.”
He doesn’t. His hand catches my wrist, and suddenly we’re too close. His breath grazes my cheek, his voice dropping low. “Tell me to stop if you don’t feel it too.”
I can’t speak. My chest rises and falls too fast. I hate that part of me responds to him, that my heart beats faster instead of slower.
“Let me go,” I say, forcing the words out.
He doesn’t move. His thumb brushes against my skin, slow and deliberate. The world feels too small, too still.
I push him hard, and he stumbles back a step, surprise flashing across his face. But before I can move away, he grabs my arm and pulls me right back. Our faces end up inches apart.
His breath mixes with mine. My pulse roars in my ears. For a moment, I think he’s going to kiss me.
Then the smirk returns.
“Did you really think you were special?” he says softly, and before I can process it, he lifts a small carton of milk from his other hand and pours it over my head.
The cold hits first. It soaks through my hair, my clothes, dripping down my face and neck.
For a second, no one says anything. Then laughter erupts around us.
The whole class watches. Some cheer, some record it on their phones. I can barely see through the milk in my eyes. My chest feels tight, my throat burns, but I refuse to cry.
Jace watches me with that same infuriating calm, his expression unreadable.
“Did you think I’d go easy on you just because you make me feel something?” he says.
The laughter gets louder. Someone throws a napkin at me like it’s a joke.
I don’t move for a few seconds. My hands tremble, but I keep my head up. I walk past him without saying a word. Each step leaves a small trail of milk behind me.
Every laugh feels like a slap, every whisper like a knife.
By the time I reach my room, my clothes are sticking to my skin, and I can still hear the echoes of their laughter in my head. I close the door behind me, press my back against it, and finally let out a shaky breath.
The smell of milk clings to me, sweet and sour.
- Writer
