Chapter 5: We Need Boundaries. Probably.
660 Words
Lena stormed into the empty classroom like she was preparing to file a lawsuit. Her backpack hit the desk with a thud, and her planner followed, slamming down with the kind of righteous authority only color-coded organization could provide.
Jace strolled in behind her, all lazy smirk and careless swagger, like a golden retriever who’d figured out that chewing on the furniture got him more attention.
“We need to talk,” Lena said without turning around.
He leaned on the teacher’s desk. “Uh-oh. I know that voice. That’s the ‘I’ve got a spreadsheet and a grudge’ tone.”
She spun to face him. “People think we’re dating.”
He shrugged. “Yeah. I saw.”
“You saw? You didn’t think to say anything? Maybe, I don’t know—correct them?”
He tilted his head, faux-thoughtful. “Didn’t really seem like a problem.”
“It’s not true!”
He took a step forward. “Does it have to be?”
Lena’s mouth opened, then closed. Then opened again. “What is wrong with you?”
“Where do I start?”
She huffed, pulling out her notebook. “We need boundaries.”
He perched on the desk beside her, clearly entertained. “Okay. Hit me.”
She raised a finger. “No touching.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Not even high fives?”
“This isn’t a sports team, Jace.”
“Fine. What else?”
“No flirting.”
His lips twitched. “Define flirting.”
“Don’t give me that look.”
“What look?”
“The one that says ‘I’m definitely going to break all your rules and you’ll thank me later.’”
“That’s a very specific look. I didn’t realize I had that.”
She glared. “Also, no more of those notes.”
He gasped, dramatically clutching his chest. “You mean the note where I said you were brilliant and had criminally beautiful eyes? That note?”
Lena turned bright red. “Yes, that one.”
“You kept it.”
“I did not—” She cut herself off, realizing the trap. “You are the worst.”
“I’m just honest.”
“You’re exhausting.”
“And yet, here we are.”
There was a pause. Jace’s smirk faded just a little as he looked at her—not with sarcasm, but something softer. Something closer to real.
“You really care what people think, huh?”
Lena looked away. “No. I just… don’t want rumors.”
“Why?”
“Because they change things.”
“Like what?”
“Like expectations. Like reputations. Like how I have to act just to keep people from jumping to conclusions.”
He nodded slowly. “So… if people think we’re together, you’ll have to act like you don’t like me?”
“I don’t like you.”
“Lena.”
Her name, said softly, hit differently. Like a chord struck just right. She hated that.
“You’re annoying,” she said. “And reckless. And you never shut up.”
“But?”
She met his eyes, lips parting, and for a moment she almost said it.
But you make me laugh. But you make me feel seen. But you make everything feel like it might actually be okay for once.
Instead, she exhaled and turned away. “We have a history project to finish.”
“Right. History.” He walked toward the desk. “The one subject where people never learn from their mistakes.”
She gave him a look. “That was… surprisingly profound.”
“I contain multitudes.”
Lena rolled her eyes, opening her textbook. But inside, her mind was still spinning.
Rules. Boundaries. Walls.
They were all good in theory.
But Jace Blackwood was exceptionally talented at making her forget the rules even existed.
And that scared her more than any rumor ever could.
- Writer
