Chapter 12 – Rules, Rumors, and Red Flags
1178 Words
Lena didn’t go back to class that day.
When Jace dropped her off two blocks away from school—just far enough to keep anyone from seeing them together—her legs were still a little shaky. From the ride. From the kiss. From the fact that she, Lena Carter, had broken about five of her own internal commandments in less than two hours.
And she didn’t regret any of it.
Well—maybe she regretted her hair. Helmet hair was not flattering.
By the time she slipped into the back of the library with a forged hall pass and her heart still thudding like a stereo on max bass, she felt like a totally different person. Like someone who had tasted freedom—and a boy’s lips—and didn’t quite know how to return to normal.
But of course, normal didn’t wait.
“Where were you?”
Lena flinched, nearly knocking over a display of banned books as Riley popped up beside her with a glare that could melt steel.
“Geez,” Lena whispered. “Ever thought about leading with ‘hi’?”
“Hi. Where were you?” Riley crossed her arms, eyebrows lifted like she already knew the answer and was just waiting to catch Lena in a lie.
Lena swallowed. “Um… bathroom?”
Riley arched one very judgmental brow. “For two whole periods?”
Lena hesitated. Then sighed. “Okay. Not the bathroom.”
Riley leaned in, eyes widening. “You didn’t.”
Lena stared at the floor.
“Oh my God. You did.” Riley’s voice dropped to a whisper, like they were discussing war crimes. “Lena. Did you—did you skip school? With him?”
Lena looked around, cheeks heating. “Can we not do this in the middle of the library?”
Riley grabbed her wrist and yanked her into the narrow aisle between the encyclopedias and forgotten maps. “Okay. Spill. Now.”
Lena hesitated. Then, quietly: “We went for a ride. Just… out of town. He showed me this overlook.”
“And?”
“And we talked.”
Riley stared at her.
“And kissed.”
Riley screamed—but silently. It was more of a full-body vibration than a sound, complete with hand flapping and wild eyes. “You kissed Jace freaking Blackwood?”
Lena nodded, biting her lip.
“Lena.” Riley grabbed her shoulders. “This is huge. This is—you’re spiraling.”
“I’m not spiraling.”
“You’re spiraling in a sexy way, but it’s still a spiral!”
Lena couldn’t help but laugh. A small one. Because it was ridiculous. But also kind of perfect. “He’s… not what I thought he was.”
Riley tilted her head. “You mean not the devil in black leather?”
“He’s… complicated. Like, really complicated. And kind. And hot.”
“Oh, he’s definitely hot.” Riley sighed dramatically. “So what now? Are you, like, together?”
Lena hesitated. “I don’t know. We didn’t talk about labels. Or… anything, really.”
“Well, you better figure it out fast.”
“Why?”
Riley pulled out her phone, tapped into the school gossip app, and handed it over.
The screen was already halfway down the rabbit hole of #Jena—a ship name someone had apparently made up already. There were blurry photos, probably taken during school hours, of Lena’s empty desk and Jace leaving the lot earlier.
A particularly damning post read:
“Pretty sure I saw Lena Carter holding onto Jace like he was her final exam. Spicy.”
Lena’s stomach dropped.
“I thought we were subtle!”
“You rode off on the back of his motorcycle like a scene from Grease, Lena.”
Lena groaned and covered her face. “I’m so dead.”
Riley squeezed her shoulder. “Not dead. But definitely social media famous. Honestly, I’m just glad you’re finally doing something reckless.”
“I wasn’t trying to—”
“Shh,” Riley said, grinning. “Don’t ruin it. I love this for you.”
⸻
By the time the final bell rang, Lena had survived a solid five different stares, three whispered comments, and one very aggressive wink from a girl in her history class. The school rumor mill was spinning faster than usual, and she wasn’t ready to face the next wave.
So naturally, the universe sent Jace.
He was leaning against her locker like he owned it, one boot up against the metal, arms crossed, eyes locked on her like a heat-seeking missile.
“Hey,” he said casually, but there was a look in his eyes. Like he knew. Like he liked that everyone knew.
“Hi,” she replied, trying to keep her voice from cracking.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Rumors are everywhere.”
“I know,” he said, completely unbothered. “You want me to tell them we’re not a thing?”
Lena blinked. “Do you want us to be a thing?”
He looked at her for a long moment. The hallway buzzed around them, but for one second, it was just them. His voice was quieter when he spoke next.
“I think we already are.”
Her breath caught.
And then—
“Aw, look at the lovebirds.”
Lena turned to find Hayden Mercer smirking from down the hall, flanked by his ever-charming posse of overconfident idiots.
“You finally tamed the beast, Carter?” Hayden said, mock-clapping. “Guess every good girl needs a little bad in her life.”
Jace didn’t move. But something in his jaw ticked. Lena could feel it, that storm behind his eyes.
“Walk away, Mercer,” Jace said, voice low and even.
“Or what?” Hayden stepped closer. “You’ll fight me again? Maybe this time she’ll cheer you on while you get suspended.”
Lena stepped between them. “This isn’t worth it.”
Jace looked at her. And for a terrifying moment, she wasn’t sure if he’d listen.
But then he relaxed. Just a little.
“Come on,” he said to her instead. “Let’s go.”
They walked away, Hayden still muttering something behind them.
Jace didn’t speak until they reached the lot.
“Sorry about that,” he said finally. “I’m trying not to be the guy who solves everything with his fists.”
“I know,” Lena said softly. “That’s why I stopped you.”
He looked at her, brow furrowed. “You believe I’m trying?”
“I believe you want to be better,” she said. “And that counts for something.”
He gave her a look she couldn’t quite name—equal parts surprised and disarmed.
Then, after a beat: “You’re dangerous, Carter.”
Lena smirked. “I thought you were the dangerous one.”
He stepped closer, voice a whisper now. “Only when it comes to you.”
And once again, Lena’s rules crumbled.
- Writer
