My Bad Boy Obsession

Episode2

THE WARNING

Ava barely slept that night.

Every time she closed her eyes, Jace’s voice replayed in her head, low and unyielding—

“Don’t pretend I’m invisible.”

Why did he even care?

Why had he walked across an entire cafeteria just to tell her that?

The whole school was already buzzing.

Her first morning back, whispers followed her down every hallway like ghosts.

“That’s the new girl.”

“She’s the one Jace talked to.”

“Who does she think she is?”

Ava kept her head high, but her stomach twisted. She never liked attention. And now she had the worst kind—the kind tied to a boy who practically fed on chaos.

When she reached her locker, a folded note slipped out from the vent.

She frowned and bent to pick it up.

STAY AWAY FROM JACE KNIGHT

FOR YOUR OWN GOOD.

Her heart dropped.

The handwriting was sharp and aggressive. She glanced around quickly, but students just went on with their morning routine, pretending not to watch her.

She crushed the note in her palm.

She had been here less than twenty-four hours, and already someone felt the need to threaten her.

Wonderful.

Homeroom felt different today—tighter and heavier. Ava walked in cautiously. Students looked up immediately, whispering, nudging one another.

But Jace didn’t even glance her way.

He sat in his usual spot, hood up, tapping his pencil rhythmically again. If he noticed her presence, he didn’t show it.

For a moment, Ava felt the tiniest relief.

Maybe yesterday had been a fluke.

Maybe he had already forgotten about her.

She slid into the seat beside him, quietly pulling out her notebook.

Two seconds later, he spoke.

“You’re early.”

Ava stiffened. “Is that… a problem?”

He didn’t look at her. “You weren’t here when I walked in.”

“So…?”

His pencil stopped again. Slowly, he turned his head. His eyes were dark and cool so it was unreadable.

“Don’t sneak up on me.”

Ava blinked. “I wasn’t— I literally walked in like a normal person.”

He stared at her a moment longer, as though searching for something in her expression. Then:

“You’re noisy.”

Her mouth dropped. “Noisy again? I didn’t even do anything!”

He shrugged one shoulder lazily. “You exist loudly.”

Ava pressed her lips together, fighting the urge to throw her pen at him.

Nothing about him made sense.

He ignored people.

He avoided them.

He scared them.

But somehow she irritated him by breathing and existing?

Ava took a breath to steady herself…

and Jace smirked at that too.

Before she could snap at him, Mr. Reid cleared his throat from the front of the classroom.

“I need two volunteers to partner for the semester project. It’s mandatory. You must keep the same partner for the next six weeks.”

Students groaned.

Jace immediately sank lower into his seat.

Ava looked down at her notebook.

Maybe she could partner with one of the quiet girls in the second row. No drama. No stares.

“Miss Carter,” Mr. Reid said suddenly. “You don’t have a partner yet.”

Ava froze. “Oh—um—I can work with—”

“Knight,” Mr. Reid continued without hesitation. “You’ll partner with Ava.”

Dead silence.

A collective gasp rippled through the room.

Jace slowly raised his head. “No.”

Mr. Reid blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I said no.” Jace’s jaw tightened. “Assign me someone else.”

Ava swallowed hard.

The class held its breath.

Mr. Reid crossed his arms. “You do not get to choose, Mr. Knight.”

Jace turned slightly, eyes flicking to Ava.

For a moment, she swore she saw something hot and sharp flash in them—not anger.

“No,” he repeated, voice colder. “Find me someone better.”

Ava felt something stab through her chest.

So now she wasn’t good enough?

She opened her mouth before she could stop herself. “I don’t want to work with him either.”

“Good,” Jace muttered.

“Perfect,” she shot back.

Mr. Reid slammed his hand on the desk. “Enough. You’re partners. End of discussion.”

Jace leaned back in his chair, a muscle ticking in his jaw. Ava tried not to let the humiliation burn too much.

Great.

Just great.

Six whole weeks tied to a boy who clearly didn’t want her around.

When class ended, students swarmed out. Ava packed her things quickly, desperate to escape before—

“Carter.”

Jace’s voice rolled behind her like distant thunder.

Ava shut her eyes briefly, then turned. “Yes?”

He stood close. Too close. His height forced her to look up at him. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were anything but calm.

“You shouldn’t have said no.”

She frowned. “You told the teacher you didn’t want me. Why shouldn’t I say the same thing?”

Jace stepped even closer. “Because now they’re watching.”

“Who?”

His eyes dragged across the hallway. “Everyone.”

Ava paused, scanning the crowd. He was right. Students were pretending to walk, pretending to chat, pretending to check their phones…

…but they were all watching Jace.

Watching her.

Watching them.

He leaned down slightly, lowering his voice. “This school doesn’t need reasons to destroy people. You just gave them one.”

A chill slid down her spine.

She forced her voice steady. “You act like everyone’s obsessed with what you do.”

“They are,” he said simply.

The worst part?

It wasn’t arrogance.

It was a fact.

Jace Knight was a walking storm.

And everyone feared getting caught in his lightning.

Ava exhaled slowly. “Well, I’m not scared.”

Jace studied her for a long, quiet moment.

“Maybe you should be,” he murmured.

And just like that, he walked off, disappearing into the crowd.

Leaving her heart pounding against her ribs.

Ava headed to the library after her next class, still shaken. She needed air. Space. Silence.

The moment she stepped in, she relaxed a little. The library smelled of old books and carpet cleaner. Peace. Finally.

She grabbed an empty table and opened her notebook.

Five minutes later, someone sat across from her.

She looked up.

A boy she didn’t recognize smiled warmly at her. Soft brown hair. Warm hazel eyes. A calm gentleness that felt like sunlight after a storm.

“Hey,” he said quietly. “You’re Ava, right? The new transfer?”

She nodded. “Yes. And you are…?”

“Ethan Collins.” He extended his hand. “One of the student tutors.”

Ava shook his hand, shocked at how completely normal he felt. Normal and safe.

“I saw what happened in class,” Ethan said, his voice full of sympathy. “Don’t let Jace get to you.”

Ava stiffened. “Everyone keeps warning me about him.”

“Because we’re not exaggerating.” Ethan leaned forward, tone lowering. “Jace Knight is… complicated. And dangerous. Most people stay out of his way.”

“I didn’t choose to sit beside him.”

“I know.” Ethan offered her a small smile. “But if he bothers you again, just tell a teacher. Or tell me. I don’t mind helping.”

Ava blinked, surprised by his sincerity.

He wasn’t staring at her the way the others did—like she was a time bomb because Jace noticed her.

And that felt… nice.

“Thank you,” Ava said softly. “Really.”

Ethan’s smile grew. “Anytime.”

But the peace didn’t last.

Because someone else had noticed.

A shadow fell over their table.

A familiar one.

Ethan’s expression shifted instantly—polite friendliness turning into wariness.

Ava looked up slowly.

Jace stood there, hands in his pockets, eyes cold and hard as steel.

He didn’t look at Ethan.

He looked at Ava.

“You’re supposed to meet me,” Jace said.

Ava blinked. “What? When?”

“Now.” His voice was clipped. “Project.”

“I didn’t know we were meeting today.”

“You do now.”

She stared at him. “You could have asked nicely.”

“I don’t ask nicely,” he replied without hesitation.

Ethan stood up then, jaw tight. “She’s busy.”

Jace finally turned his gaze to him—slowly.

Deliberately.

The air thickened instantly.

“Was I talking to you?” Jace asked.

Ethan exhaled sharply. “She doesn’t have to follow you around because you snap your fingers.”

“And you don’t get to tell her what to do.” Jace stepped forward, eyes narrowing. “Back off.”

Ava shot up before either could get closer. “Stop. Both of you.”

Ethan stepped back immediately.

Jace didn’t move.

Ava met his cold stare evenly. “If you want to meet, fine. But don’t talk to people like they don’t matter.”

Jace didn’t blink. Didn’t flinch.

Just stared.

Then something unexpected happened.

His gaze dropped briefly to her lips.

Then her eyes.

And his voice softened, just barely.

“Let’s go.”

It wasn’t a request.

But it wasn’t the same cold demand as before, either.

Ava hesitated, then sighed. “Ethan, thanks. I’ll see you later.”

Ethan’s expression fell, but he nodded.

Jace watched him walk away before turning back to her.

He didn’t smile.

He didn’t look proud.

He just stared at her as if trying to solve a puzzle he had never seen before.

He led her to the back of the science building—quiet, unused during mornings. Ava set her bag down, crossing her arms.

“What was that?” she demanded.

“What was what?”

“You acting like I belong to you.”

Jace blinked once, slowly. “I didn’t.”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “You did.”

His jaw flexed.

He looked away for the first time all day.

“That guy is all over you,” he muttered.

Ava froze.

Did he… sound annoyed?

“No,” she said slowly. “He was being nice.”

“He was staring at you.”

“That’s called having a conversation.”

Jace scoffed. “No. He wants you.”

Her heart skipped.

“That’s ridiculous. He barely knows me.”

“Guys don’t need to know you,” Jace said, voice low and dark. “They just need an excuse.”

Ava stared at him, trying to read the emotion under his tone.

“You don’t get to decide who I talk to.”

Jace met her eyes. “Maybe not.”

Silence.

“But don’t talk to him alone again.”

Ava’s mouth fell open. “I can talk to whoever I want!”

“You can,” Jace said calmly.

“But not him.”

“Why?” she challenged.

He stepped toward her.

One step.

Two steps.

Too close again.

“Because he doesn’t see you,” Jace murmured closely to her ear.

“Not the way I do.”

Ava’s breath caught.

Her pulse jumped.

“I don’t even know you,” she whispered.

“You will.”

Her stomach turned upside down. “This is ridiculous. You’re impossible.”

Jace finally smirked.

That slow, dangerous smirk that made her knees wobble.

“I know.”

Then he walked past her and sat on the stone ledge, pulling out his notebook.

“As your partner,” he added casually, “start writing.”

Ava blinked. “Writing what?”

“The introduction to our project.”

She stared at him.

Jace Knight was…

jealous?

Infuriating?

Everything about him was a contradiction.

Everything about him was chaos.

And for reasons she couldn’t understand…

he had decided to focus that chaos on her.

He annoyed her.

He frustrated her.

He confused her.

And that annoyed her more than anything.

And the more she tried to stay away…

the more he seemed determined not to let her.