chapter 2: No strings Attached
871 Words
If there was one thing Jayden was known for ...... aside from his looks ,it was his rules .
unspoken ,but understood . He didn't do relationships, he didn't do commitments and most importantly.....he didn't fall in love .
At first , people thought it was just rumors , The kind of stories that followed someone popular. But over time , the patterns became obvious.
Jayden could make anyone feel special, but never for long.
It usually started the same way _ laughter, attention, late night conversations that felt deeper than they really were. He had a way of making people feel seen , like they mattered in that moment.
And maybe in that moment,they did .
But moments never lasted with him .
" Another one ?" Jane asked one evening, leaning against his door frame with the her arms crossed.
Jayden glanced up from his phone .
" what are you talking about?"
" Don't act clueless" ,she said . " I saw you earlier.new girl " .
He shrugged "so "
Jane sighed, walking into the room ." Does it ever get tiring"
" what?"
"This", she featured vaguely.
" The same cycle . Different face"
Jayden leaned back in his chair , completely unfazed." it's not that deep " .
" That's exactly the problem", Jane replied.
He smirked. " you worry too much " .
" And you don't worry at all " Jane said .
There was a brief silence between them .
Jane softened slightly. " Do you even remember their names ?" .
Jayden didn't answer immediately.
That alone was enough if an answer.
she shook her head , " you're going to hurt someone one day "
"I don't force anyone" ,he said calmly " They know what it is " .
" Do you know what it is ? ". He frowned slightly, brushed it off ." it's simple no expectations,no dramas."
" no feelings " she added .
" Exactly"
Jane didn't look convinced.But she let it go ..... for now .
To Jayden ,it really was simple.
He wasn't trying to be a bad person.
He just didn't believe in anything lasting .
Growing up , he had watched people make promises they couldn't keep ,seen how quickly" forever" turned to nothing .
No one could hurt you if you never gave them the chance.
And for a long time, it worked.
At parties, he was always surrounded. Music loud, lights low, laughter everywhere. People gravitated toward him without effort. Conversations blurred into each other, faces became familiar but never meaningful.
It was a rhythm he knew too well.
Predictable.
Safe.
Empty.
But he never called it that.
One night, after leaving yet another party, Jayden found himself walking alone across campus.
That wasn’t unusual.
What was unusual… was the silence.
No music.
No voices.
No distractions.
Just him.
He slowed down slightly, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable.
For a brief moment—just a moment—he felt something he didn’t expect.
A kind of stillness.
And underneath it…
A question.
Is this really enough?
He frowned, almost immediately dismissing the thought.
Of course it was enough.
It had always been enough.
He didn’t need anything more.
Did he?
His phone buzzed, pulling him back.
A message.
Another name.
Another invitation.
Jayden stared at the screen for a second… then typed a short reply.
Simple.
Effortless.
Familiar.
Just like always.
The next morning, Jane watched him carefully as they walked to class.
“You look tired,” she said.
“I’m fine.”
“You say that every time.”
“Because it’s true.”
She tilted her head slightly. “You ever think about… slowing down?”
Jayden laughed. “For what?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Something real, maybe.”
He shook his head. “That’s not really my thing.”
Jane smiled faintly. “Not yet.”
Jayden didn’t respond.
Because deep down—though he’d never admit it—there was a small part of him that wondered what she meant.
Not yet.
Later that day, as he crossed the quieter side of campus, something caught his attention.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just… different.
A girl.
Sitting under a tree.
Focused.
Calm.
Completely untouched by everything happening around her.
Jayden slowed down slightly.
For no clear reason.
He glanced once.
Then again.
Something about her didn’t fit into his world.
No attention-seeking.
No performance.
No expectations.
Just… presence.
And for the first time in a long while—
Jayden didn’t feel in control of the moment.
He stopped walking.
Just for a second.
Then continued on like nothing happened.
But the image stayed in his mind longer than it should have.
That night, as he lay in bed staring at the ceiling, something felt… off.
Not wrong.
Just unfamiliar.
He couldn’t explain it.
Didn’t try to.
Instead, he turned over, closed his eyes, and let the routine thoughts take over.
But somewhere in the back of his mind—
Without his permission—
A quiet question lingered.
What if there’s more than this?
And somewhere under a tree…
Without even knowing it—
Jasmine was already the answer.
- Writer
