MasukAARON'S POVI was still scrolling through Kyle's pictures when he reached over and snatched his phone back."That's enough," he muttered, though he was still laughing.I grinned. "I'm just saying, you need better pictures.""Better pictures?" He looked offended. "Those are literally the best pictures I've ever taken."I scoffed. “You wish.”He shook his head and locked his phone before dropping it onto his desk.I chuckled quietly. For a few seconds, we sat in comfortable silence. Then Kyle glanced toward Chloe.She was chatting with the girl sitting beside her, but her expression still looked dull.Kyle leaned closer. His voice dropped to a murmur. "Why did you lie to her?"I looked at him."Why did you tell her you weren't attending?" He added."Because I'm not attending." I replied, folding my hands.Kyle's eyebrows pulled together. "Why?"I stared at him for a second before lowering my voice too. "Have you forgotten? Didn't I tell you Jay's injured?""Oh." His expression changed i
AARON'S POV"What?" I croaked.Chloe's face immediately turned red. She looked down at her hands, rubbing her fingers together as though she already regretted asking. "I..." She let out a small, nervous laugh. "I don't mean it like... you know..."She quickly waved both hands. "Not like that."I blinked.She forced another awkward smile. "I just meant... as friends."Her voice grew quieter with every word. "I thought maybe... since we already know each other..." She looked up at me cautiously. "It would be less awkward than going with someone we barely talk to."For a second, neither of us spoke.I stared at her till my heart finally settled enough for me to think straight.Jay.My mind drifted back to him almost immediately.His sleepy smile. His forehead resting against mine and the memory of adjusting the ice pack against his back.He wasn't even supposed to be out of bed if I had my way.How could I possibly leave him tomorrow night just to attend some masquerade gala without him?
AARON'S POVThe moment I stepped into school the next morning, Jay's face drifted into my mind almost instantly."It's always been you. There's no one else."I lowered my head, biting back another smile as warmth spread across my cheeks. The special client had been me all along. Not someone richer. Not someone better looking.Me.I still couldn't believe it.And then… "Just kiss me... please."I covered my face for a second with one hand.Fuck.Jay had actually begged me. If Kyle ever found out about that, he would never let me live it down.I shook my head to myself, still smiling as I continued walking through the hallway toward my classroom.Students drifted past in groups, their conversations blending into one another as lockers opened and closed all around me.My eyes wandered around the hallway.Jack...I bit my lower lip. I really hoped he was feeling better today.Yesterday's text suddenly came back to me. I had apologized and told him he shouldn't have given me his jacket.He
AARON'S POVI stared at him. My heart was still trying to catch up with everything he'd just said.It's always been you. There's no one else.The words kept echoing inside my head, louder than my own heartbeat.Then, his next words. “Just kiss me… please.”I blinked.Jay?The same Jay who had looked me straight in the eye the very first night and calmly told me, "Kissing is against the club policy."Now he was looking at me like that.There was something in his eyes I had never seen before.Need.He looked like he needed me to close the distance. The thought alone made my breath catch.Was this real?I searched his face, expecting him to laugh and tell me he had only been joking.He didn't. He just kept staring at me, waiting. I leaned forward. At the exact same moment, so did he. Our foreheads brushed first. Then our noses. Then his lips found mine again.The kiss was slow like neither of us wanted to rush something we'd both waited far too long for.My eyes fluttered shut on their
AARON'S POVJay's eyes lingered on me for another moment. Then, slowly, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. His eyes brightened with amusement. "Maybe." He said simply.That single word made my chest sink.Maybe.That meant there really was someone. Someone special enough that Jay made time for them no matter what.Someone he never rejected. Something inside my chest tightened before slowly sinking.I hadn't expected that. I didn't even know why it hurt.For a while, I couldn't find my voice. I simply lowered my eyes, staring at my own hands as they rested on my lap.So there really was someone...Someone Jay always chose. Someone he enjoyed spending time with. Someone important enough that everyone else got turned away.My fingers curled together.Who was he? Had I seen him before? Had we crossed paths out there in the club without realizing it? Was he older?Richer? Better looking?The questions started piling up one after another before I could stop them.What if Jay a
AARON'S POVFor a few seconds, neither of us moved.Jay's eyes stayed fixed on me, still clouded with sleep as though he hadn't fully returned to reality yet. He blinked once... then again, his gaze never leaving my face."Aaron?" The way he said my name was so quiet that I almost thought I had imagined it.I gave him a small, awkward smile. "Sorry..." I said softly, keeping my voice low. "I didn't mean to wake you."He continued staring at me.It almost felt like he wasn't really seeing me. Then, as if something finally clicked inside his head, his eyes widened slightly.Without warning, he pushed himself upright.“Ahh…” A sharp wince crossed his face as he immediately stopped, one hand flying toward his side.My body reacted before my brain had time to think. "Careful!"I reached out and caught his arm to steady him before he could lose his balance.The moment my fingers wrapped around him, both of us froze.Jay looked down at my hand. Then back at my face. I followed his gaze and r
JACK’S POVSecret lover?I almost scoffed out loud at Professor Robin’s question.The laughter around the classroom slowly died down after a while, but Aaron still looked like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him.His face was slightly red as he stared down at his test paper. I looked do
AARON'S POVFencing practice was the only thing that had felt normal all day. The moment I stepped onto the strip and tightened my grip around the foil, my head finally started clearing a little. Coach blew the whistle lightly from the side as my opponent lunged first.I stepped aside quickly and
AARON'S POVI held the folded paper tightly in my hand as I walked toward the cafeteria. My thumb rubbed slowly against the edge of it while the words inside kept replaying in my head.“Keep your eyes open, Aaron. You’re missing something obvious.”Missing what exactly?Then the signature beneath i
AARON'S POVMy dad once said, if something is worth having, you don’t let it slip away without a fight. I used to think it was just one of those things parents say to sound wise. But now I understand it differently because nothing about this scholarship has been easy. And I’m not about to lose it w







