Chapter 9: Jealousy Looks Good on You
589 Words
Monday arrived like a slap.
Lena walked into the hallway, hoodie-free and determined to be normal again. Organized. Focused. The kind of girl who didn’t share tacos with trouble or catch feelings for boys who knew how to smirk like it was a weapon.
And then she saw Jace. Laughing.
With Riley Harper.
Riley had perfect cheekbones, a nose ring that somehow didn’t look try-hard, and a voice like a flirty lullaby. She was everything Lena wasn’t: bold, effortless, wild.
And currently twirling a strand of her hair while talking way too close to Jace’s face.
Lena hated how fast her heart flipped.
She tried to walk past without looking, but Jace’s eyes snapped to her like they had heat-seeking radar. His whole expression shifted—from charmed to… smug?
He waved.
Riley turned. “Oh. You’re that girl in Jace’s hoodie, right?”
Lena stopped mid-step. “Excuse me?”
“I mean, it’s cool. He has a whole collection of girls who wear his clothes. Like a weird, hot lending library.”
Lena blinked, then smiled sweetly. “And yet, here you are, still trying to get checked out.”
Riley’s jaw dropped.
Jace choked on his laughter.
Lena turned on her heel and walked off before she could implode.
⸻
Later, in the quiet corner of the library, Jace found her.
“Hey,” he said, plopping into the seat beside her.
“I’m studying,” she said, not looking up.
“You roasted Riley so hard she might need therapy.”
“She deserved it.”
“I’m not disagreeing. I’m just… impressed.”
Lena closed her book. “Do you flirt with everyone, or am I just lucky?”
That caught him off guard. “Are you seriously jealous?”
“I’m not jealous.”
“You so are.”
She crossed her arms. “You were smiling like she was your favorite dessert.”
“Are you comparing me to junk food now?”
“I’m comparing you to something I regret eating.”
“Ouch.” He leaned forward, voice low. “You’re allowed to be jealous, you know.”
“I’m not.”
He gave her a long look. “Then why did you burn her to ash in front of half the hallway?”
Lena hated him. Hated how he could see her even when she tried to hide. Hated how being near him made her want to confess things she hadn’t even admitted to herself.
“I don’t like sharing,” she muttered finally.
Jace’s smile vanished. He stood, walked around the table, and sat beside her instead of across. Closer. Close enough for her pulse to skyrocket.
“You’re not,” he said. “I’m not with anyone else, Lena.”
“That’s not the point.”
“It is to me.”
She looked at him, really looked, and saw it—the truth sitting in his eyes. No games. No charm. Just him.
And it terrified her.
Because she was starting to believe it.
And maybe worse—starting to want it.
“I still think you’re reckless,” she whispered.
“Probably.”
“And chaotic.”
“Definitely.”
“And you make everything harder.”
Jace leaned in, eyes on hers. “But do I make it better, too?”
Silence.
Then—
“Yes,” she whispered.
And he didn’t kiss her.
Not yet.
But his hand brushed hers under the table. Soft. Intentional.
And Lena didn’t pull away this time, either.
- Writer
