Paired
933 Words
Thursday morning arrived with a level of exhaustion that should have been medically concerning.
I blamed Jace.
Not because he’d actually done anything wrong.
Because it was easier than admitting I’d spent half the night replaying yesterday in my head.
The messages, the panic, the tears.
The fact that Jace Donovan had witnessed all of it.
Unfortunately.
I walked into first period determined not to think about any of it.
That plan lasted approximately thirty seconds.
“Good morning, class.”
Mr. Harrison stood at the front of the room holding a stack of papers.
That alone felt suspicious.
Teachers only smiled like that when they were about to ruin lives.
“I have exciting news.”
The entire class groaned.
Mr. Harrison ignored us.
“Our next assignment will be completed in pairs.”
The groans became louder.
A girl in the front row actually dropped her head onto her desk.
Smart. I should have done the same.
Mr. Harrison continued.
“The project counts for forty percent of your grade.”
Silence immediately followed because now everyone cared.
I sat up slightly.
Forty percent was enough to destroy a GPA.
Mr. Harrison picked up a clipboard and began reading names.
Students started pairing off. Some happy, some horrified. The usual.
I stopped paying attention.
Until—
“Naomi Blake.”
My head lifted.
“Jace Donovan.”
No! Absolutely not.
Several students laughed immediately.
Someone whispered, “Of course.”
I wanted to leave, possibly the country.
Mr. Harrison smiled.
“You two will be working together.”.
Across the room, Jace looked equally thrilled.
Which made me feel slightly better.
The bell rang a few minutes later.
Students immediately began discussing project plans.
I stayed seated hoping reality might change but it didn’t.
A shadow appeared beside my desk I looked up and it was Jace.
Of course.
“This is your fault.”
His eyebrow lifted.
“How?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Good argument.”
I glared. His mouth twitched slightly.
“We have to meet after school.”
I sighed.
“Unfortunately.”
“Library?”
“Fine.”
The agreement felt suspiciously easy. That should have worried me.
The rest of the day dragged on; every class felt longer than usual, and every hallway felt crowded.
Every conversation somehow returned to the project.
By lunch, Kiara had already learned about it.
Naturally.
“The universe ships you.”
I nearly choked on my drink.
“The universe needs therapy.”
She laughed so hard people stared.
I considered ending the friendship.
After classes ended, I headed toward the library.
The building sat near the academic center.
It was large, quiet, and peaceful, or at least it normally was.
The moment I walked inside, my phone buzzed.
My stomach tightened instantly.
Unknown Number. Again.
The familiar dread returned.
I opened the message there was one sentence.
He’s going to leave too.
The words hit harder than they should have.
For several seconds, I simply stared at the screen then locked it quickly.
Before I could think about it, before I could spiral, before I could let it ruin another day.
“Naomi.”
I looked up sharply.
Jace stood near one of the study tables watching me.
The concern in his expression appeared briefly then disappeared.
Too late. I’d already seen it.
“Ready?”
I forced a smile.
“Sure.”
It wasn’t convincing apparently.
Because his eyes narrowed slightly but he didn’t push.
Thank God.
We settled across from each other at a table near the back of the library.
The project topic appeared simple enough.
Sports psychology.
Unfortunately, simple projects still required effort.
For the next hour, we worked surprisingly well together.
Which was annoying.
Because I preferred when he was difficult. Difficult was safer.
This version of Jace was a problem. It was focused, patient, and funny when he forgot to be serious.
A dangerous combination. At one point, I laughed at something he said.
Not a polite smile or sarcasm but real laughter.
The sound surprised both of us.
For a second, neither moved nor looked away.
Then the moment passed barely.
“See?”
Jace leaned back slightly.
“You do know how to smile.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Don’t get used to it.”
“Too late.”
My heart betrayed me immediately.
The next hour passed quickly.
By the time we finished outlining the project, the library had emptied considerably.
Evening sunlight filtered through the windows.
Everything felt quieter and softer.
The kind of atmosphere that made thoughts dangerous.
I packed my notebook quickly.
Ready to leave before my brain did something stupid.
Then Jace spoke.
“You never told me.”
I paused.
“Told you what?”
His gaze remained steady.
“What happened?”
The words landed heavily, silence stretched between us long and u comfortable.
Finally, I exhaled slowly.
“I don’t really tell people.”
“Why?”
A laugh escaped me.
Not a happy one.
“Because every time I do, they already have their minds made up.”
The answer hung in the air. Jace didn’t respond immediately.
Instead, he studied me carefully like he was trying to solve something.
Eventually, he spoke.
“I haven’t.”
My chest tightened unexpectedly.
Three simple words.
That’s all.
Yet somehow they carried more weight than anything else.
I swallowed hard.
Because for the first time in a very long time—
Part of me wanted to believe him.
And that was far more terrifying than any anonymous message.
- Writer
