EPISODE TWO: TENSION
1250 Words
Ava Montgomery told herself she was imagining things.
The way people’s eyes lingered a second too long.
The quiet murmurs that stopped when she walked past.
The subtle looks of curiosity, judgment, and interest that seemed to follow her across campus.
She had been here long enough to know how rumors worked. One spark, one misunderstanding, and suddenly a story existed—shaped by people who had nothing better to do than exaggerate the lives of others.
Still, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling settling in her chest as she walked into the café just off the main quad.
Her phone buzzed.
Lila: So… should I ask now or later?
Ava frowned and typed back quickly.
Ava: Ask what?
The reply came instantly.
Lila: How you managed to catch Jaxon Reed’s attention on the FIRST DAY.
Ava stopped walking.
“What?” she muttered.
She scanned the café until she spotted Lila at their usual table near the window, already grinning like she’d uncovered a scandal. Ava approached slowly, setting her bag down with more force than necessary.
“I didn’t catch anything,” Ava said firmly. “We have one class together. That’s it.”
Lila raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. And the library encounter?”
Ava stiffened. “How do you know about that?”
Lila leaned forward, eyes sparkling. “Because half the campus does.”
Ava’s stomach sank.
“That’s ridiculous,” she said. “We studied. Briefly.”
“Sure,” Lila said, clearly enjoying herself. “You studied. With him.”
Ava hated the way heat crept into her cheeks. “Why does everyone care so much?”
“Because it’s Jaxon Reed,” Lila replied. “And because he doesn’t just sit with anyone.”
Ava exhaled slowly. “Well, he sat with me. It meant nothing.”
Lila smiled knowingly. “That’s what they all say.”
Ava didn’t respond. She couldn’t, because part of her—small but dangerous—was still replaying the way Jaxon’s voice had sounded in the library. Low. Calm. Like he knew exactly what effect he had on her.
She pushed the thought away.
Across campus, Jaxon Reed leaned against a railing near the dorms, phone pressed to his ear as his friends laughed nearby.
“You’re distracted,” Marcus said, watching him closely. “Who is she?”
Jaxon glanced toward the library building in the distance before answering. “No one.”
Marcus snorted. “You don’t get that look over ‘no one.’”
Jaxon ignored him, ending the call and slipping his phone into his pocket.
The truth was, he hadn’t planned on thinking about Ava Montgomery again so soon.
But he had.
More than once.
She was different from the girls who usually gravitated toward him. She didn’t flirt. Didn’t pretend. Didn’t soften herself to be liked. There was something rigid about her—like she’d built walls out of habit, not fear.
And he wanted to see what would happen if he pushed.
The opportunity came sooner than expected.
Their next lecture ended early, the professor dismissing them with a warning about upcoming assignments. Ava packed her things quickly, intent on escaping before—
“Montgomery.”
She froze.
Jaxon’s voice carried easily through the half-empty hall.
She turned slowly. “Yes?”
He stood a few steps away, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable. “You left your notebook.”
She glanced down. Her notebook sat on the desk beside him.
She walked back, keeping her posture composed. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He didn’t move to hand it to her right away.
She lifted an eyebrow. “Is there a reason you’re holding it hostage?”
He smirked. “Maybe I want something in return.”
Her heart skipped. “Like what?”
“Coffee,” he said simply. “Five minutes. No strings.”
She hesitated.
Every sensible instinct told her to decline. To walk away and restore balance before things grew complicated.
But something else—reckless and curious—rose up instead.
“Fine,” she said. “Five minutes.”
His smile widened.
They walked side by side to the café. The silence between them wasn’t awkward, just charged. When they reached the counter, Jaxon ordered without asking.
“For you,” he said, handing her a cup.
She took it reluctantly. “How did you know what I drink?”
“I guessed,” he said. “You look like a vanilla latte person.”
She scoffed. Then took a sip.
Her eyes widened slightly.
He noticed.
“Lucky guess,” he said.
They sat across from each other. Ava kept her back straight, fingers wrapped around the warm cup.
“So,” she said, “why do you care what people are saying?”
He shrugged. “I don’t.”
“Then why invite me here?”
His gaze held hers. “Because I wanted to.”
The honesty unsettled her more than any excuse would have.
“You don’t know me,” she said quietly.
“True,” he replied. “But I want to.”
“That’s usually where things go wrong.”
He leaned forward slightly. “You assume I want something from you.”
She met his gaze. “Do you?”
He paused.
“Not yet.”
The answer was worse than a lie.
Before she could respond, a voice cut in sharply.
“Ava.”
She turned to see Serena, her classmate and not-so-subtle rival, standing a few feet away. Serena’s eyes flicked to Jaxon, then back to Ava with thinly veiled interest.
“I didn’t know you two were… close,” Serena said.
“We’re not,” Ava replied immediately.
Jaxon leaned back, unfazed. “Depends on your definition.”
Serena smiled tightly. “Well, Jaxon, we were just talking about the party on Friday. You’re still coming, right?”
His gaze stayed on Ava. “Maybe.”
Ava stood abruptly. “I have to go.”
She didn’t wait for a response.
Outside, she inhaled deeply, trying to calm the rush of emotion surging through her. Annoyance. Curiosity. Something dangerously close to disappointment.
Behind her, footsteps approached.
“You run a lot,” Jaxon said.
She turned sharply. “You thrive on attention.”
He stopped a few feet away. “Maybe. But you don’t give it easily.”
“That’s not a challenge.”
His eyes darkened. “Everything is.”
She crossed her arms. “You enjoy pushing people’s limits.”
“I enjoy honesty,” he countered. “Yours fascinates me.”
She swallowed. “You don’t scare me.”
“Good,” he said softly. “Because I’m not the villain in your story.”
Her breath hitched.
Before she could reply, her phone buzzed again. She glanced down, grateful for the interruption.
Dad: Dinner this weekend. Important.
Her jaw tightened.
Jaxon watched her expression change. “Everything okay?”
“Yes,” she lied. “I should go.”
She walked away before he could stop her.
That night, Ava lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling as her thoughts spiraled.
She replayed his words. His look. The way he hadn’t chased her but hadn’t let her go either.
Across campus, Jaxon sat on his bed, jaw tight as he scrolled through messages he didn’t care about.
For the first time in years, he wasn’t sure what move to make next.
And that uncertainty thrilled him.
- Writer
