Chapter 6
1243 Words
Chapter 6 (Jace’s POV)
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Jace West hated estates, it was too clean., too quiet, too fake.
They reminded him of everything he wasn’t supposed to want—safety, predictability, control. Places like this reeked of promises only money could keep.
He glanced sideways at the man pacing beside him. Crisp charcoal suit, Bluetooth in one ear. Not a single wrinkle in his shirt. Even his cologne smelled like power.
“Why here?” Jace asked flatly.
The man didn’t answer right away. He finished his call, then finally turned, assessing Jace like he was some disappointing stock report.
“Because this place is secure. And because she is here.”
Jace didn’t have to ask who she was.
He looked away, jaw tightening.
“I thought we agreed I’d do it my way.”
“You’re just eighteen, You don’t get to make deals. You’re lucky I’m even letting you see her.”
Jace’s fingers curled into fists. But he stayed silent. The guy wasn’t technically his dad. Just his dad’s former lawyer. Now his… handler, he guessed. Babysitter, maybe. Whatever.
He only tolerated him because this was the price of staying close.
“Does she even know?” Jace muttered.
“Not yet at least not the full story. And it’s best we keep it that way and by we I mean you!”
Jace rolled his eyes, it seemed to to piss the man off, he sneered “Remember who’s writing the checks.”
Jace almost laughed. Writing the checks. Like he hadn’t earned every cent fixing the mess his old man left behind.
But whatever. Let him think Jace was the puppet.
He knew who really held the strings.
“You’ve got one job,” the man said, tapping a file under his arm. “Keep your head down. Play nice. And don’t blow your cover for some high school crush.”
Jace didn’t answer. His gaze drifted toward the fountain ahead.
And then—like clockwork—there she was.
Maya.
Flanked by Faith and Jade, her eyes scanning the path until they landed on him.
The part of him he hated—the vulnerable, cracked part—flickered with something like hope.
He hadn’t texted her since last night. Didn’t know how. Didn’t know what he was supposed to say after Natalie showed up out of nowhere and ruined everything.
Maya’s expression was unreadable. Not hurt. Not cold.
Just… guarded.
He hated that look more than anything.
“Go,” the man beside him said. “Keep her in check.”
Jace turned sharply. “She’s not a mission.”
“Then stop treating her like one.”
The guy walked off, disappearing into the trees.
Jace exhaled slowly.
He didn’t move.
Not yet.
Because the truth was, Maya wasn’t a mission.
She was the one part of this entire mess he hadn’t planned for.
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Two Hours Earlier
He’d been sitting on that bike for twenty minutes, staring at nothing, trying to find the words.
Last night had gone to hell fast.
He hadn’t even known Natalie was in town. And the way she’d looked at Maya—like she already knew she could unravel everything with a smile—had made him want to scream.
But he couldn’t.
Because screaming wasn’t his style. And because deep down, he wasn’t angry at Natalie.
He was angry at himself.
For freezing up.
For not saying more.
For letting Maya walk away like she was just another girl.
And maybe that was the scariest part.
Because Maya wasn’t.
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The First Time he saw her, was in the community theatre. The theatre director had dragged him into the auditorium with his usual half-bribe, half-threat combo: “Help Maya rehearse or I start telling colleges you peaked junior year.”
He hadn’t expected anything, definitely not her.
She’d stood on that stage like a deer caught in headlights. Clutching her script, cheeks pink, voice too small. He had recognized her but didn’t remember where from.
But something about her had hit him hard. Not the usual high school pretty. Not flirty. Not fake.
Just… real.
And when she’d looked at him—really looked—like she could see past the front he wore like armor…
He’d panicked.
Played it cool. Did his usual charming-bad-boy routine.
But it didn’t work on her the way it did on everyone else.
She called him out. She pushed back. She asked why he was helping her.
He hadn’t had an answer then and still didn’t.
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Now, standing near the fountain again, watching her from across the path, he thought maybe he was finally getting close to one.
Why he kept showing up.
Why he hadn’t quit the play after one rehearsal.
Why Natalie’s surprise appearance had made him feel like he’d already lost something he wasn’t supposed to want.
He wanted Maya to believe in him.
But that meant telling her the truth.
About his dad.
About why he was really staying in this estate.
About the lawyer who wasn’t really his guardian—but was keeping tabs on both him and the family Maya didn’t know she was connected to.
Because this wasn’t just about the play anymore.
It was about Secrets. Secrets that he didn’t want getting out.
And Maya was at the center of it all—whether she knew it or not.
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Back to the Present
He shoved his hands into his hoodie pocket and stepped forward.
“Hey.”
She stopped mid-laugh. Faith and Jade instantly stiffened.
“Hey,” Maya said, wary.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again tonight,” he said quietly.
She raised a brow. “You always say that. Then show up anyway.”
He gave a weak smile. “Guilty.”
She crossed her arms. “So who was that guy?”
Jace hesitated.
“Just… someone who works for my dad.”
“Your dad?”
“He’s not around. But he left a few… loose ends.”
That wasn’t exactly a lie. But it wasn’t the whole truth either.
Maya didn’t push.
Instead, she asked softly, “ I texted you today, Why didn’t you text me back?”
Jace looked away. “Because I didn’t know how to explain Natalie, why I didn’t come for rehearsals. Or any of this.”
“You could’ve tried.”
“I know.”
Silence stretched.m, Jace sighed.
“I’m not like them, Maya,” he said finally. “The people in this estate. Or Sienna. Or Natalie. I don’t care about games. I’m just trying to survive this year.”
She frowned. “And I’m what? A pit stop on the way?”
“No.” His voice was sharp. Too sharp. He softened. “You’re the only part that makes any of this bearable.”
Faith made a noise like she might vomit. Jade muttered something under her breath about teenage drama queens.
But Maya didn’t move.
“Then prove it,” she said. “Be honest with me. No more secrets.”
Jace nodded slowly.
“Okay,” he said. “Tomorrow. After rehearsal. I’ll tell you everything.”
She studied him for a long moment.
Then gave a small nod.
And walked away.
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Jace stood there long after she was gone.
Wondering if maybe—just maybe—this time, telling the truth wouldn’t ruin everything.
But knowing his luck?
It probably would.
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- Writer
