MasukAARON'S POVThe rest of the excursion passed differently.After that night, Jack became even more distant. He still spoke to me whenever we needed to discuss our project, and he never deliberately caused a problem between us, but our conversations rarely went beyond what was necessary.During the games, we worked together. During the group activities, we stayed with everyone else. Whenever Professor Rachelle assigned us something, Jack did his part without complaint, and I did mine.But outside of those moments, there was nothing between us.And I knew exactly when it had started.That night in our room. The question I had asked him about the masquerade gala.I regretted asking it.I didn't even know why I'd brought it up in the first place. I'd been thinking about U.X.'s message, and somehow I'd let my curiosity get the better of me.Maybe I shouldn't have asked. Maybe I should have just left him alone.The worst part was that I missed talking to him.I missed the small moments we'd
AARON'S POV“Aaron, pass me the pepper sauce.”I reached for it and handed it across the table to Kyle. “Here.”“Thanks.”I picked up my fork again, but my mind was nowhere near my food.We had actually won.I could still picture the canoe cutting across the lake, the sound of the paddles hitting the water perfectly in sync after we finally found our rhythm. Even Professor Rachelle had looked impressed when we'd crossed the finish line, and she'd told us that our performance would count toward the project work.Kyle leaned back in his chair. “I still can't believe I and Emily were able to paddle together. We have little experience but we still managed to take 3rd place. You and Jack took 1st place. I still can't believe it.”I smiled faintly. “Neither can I.”Chloe laughed softly across from me. “You should've seen your face when the canoe started tipping.”I frowned slightly. “I was trying not to fall into the lake.”Kyle grinned. “You were holding onto Jack for dear life.”Chloe ins
JACK'S POVI looked up from the shirt I was folding and froze.Aaron was standing there, just in a towel. His wet hair clung to his forehead and the sides of his face, with tiny drops of water sliding down his bare chest before disappearing beneath the towel wrapped securely around his waist.That towel had better be tightly wrapped.My fingers tightened around the shirt in my hands as I swallowed hard.Fuck.This was exactly why I had stayed away all day.I had been genuinely happy when Professor Rachelle announced that Aaron and I would be sharing a room. I'd even spent most of the afternoon wondering what it would be like to have him around without the rest of the school constantly getting in the way.But somewhere between imagining it and actually having him standing in front of me like this, I'd apparently forgotten one very important detail.I was attracted to him and now we were going to spend three nights in the same room.I forced myself to look away, but my eyes betrayed me
AARON'S POVBy the time everyone finished collecting their keys, students began dragging their luggage toward the different buildings and calling out to their project partners.I followed Kyle for a while, but eventually we had to split up because our rooms were in different buildings.The rest of the afternoon passed surprisingly quickly.After lunch, we were given some free time to settle in, arrange our things, and rest before dinner. I went back to the room, unpacked most of my clothes, and tried to make myself comfortable.Jack's suitcase was already there.That was the only sign that he had even been in the room.I didn't see him.Not once.At first, I didn't think much of it. Maybe he had gone somewhere with the other students or was sorting something out with Professor Rachelle.Eventually, though, I got tired and lay down for what I thought would only be a few minutes.Apparently, those few minutes turned into hours.When I opened my eyes again, the room was darker, and my pho
AARON'S POVI still couldn't bring myself to look directly at Jack without remembering the wet spot on his shirt and the way he'd told me to stop assuming he was upset.I kept my attention on the scenery outside the window instead, watching the road become narrower as we moved farther away from the city.Then a resort came into view.My eyes widened with amusement. “No way.”The buses slowed as we passed through a large wooden entrance, and suddenly everyone around me started talking about it.The place was beautiful.The resort stretched across a huge area surrounded by tall trees and green hills, with several modern buildings scattered around the property. There was a large swimming pool near the center, a wide lawn filled with outdoor chairs and tables, and beyond the buildings, I could see what looked like a lake reflecting the afternoon sunlight.A few students immediately started taking pictures through the windows."Whoa.""This place is insane.""Are you kidding me?"“No way.”
AARON'S POVI stared at Jack. Then I looked at the empty seat beside me.Seat twelve.Fuck.There was no way.My heart started pounding as I looked back at him, silently hoping that maybe he'd glance at another seat and decide to sit somewhere else, but Jack didn't even spare me a look. He simply sat beside me.I froze.He was actually sitting beside me for the entire ride.I quickly turned toward the window, trying to calm myself down while my heart continued racing.Why the hell was I panicking like this?It was just a bus ride. It was just for a few hours.That's all.Professor Rachelle suddenly climbed onto the bus, and her voice carried through the aisle."Alright, everyone, just a reminder that you’ll be sitting beside your project partners. So if you were wondering why you got those particular seat numbers, now you know. Make sure you’re in the right seats, get settled, and be quick. We’ll be leaving soon.”I slowly turned around. Project partners.Oh.That explained everythin
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
JACK'S POV “The way you sound when you say my name.”I shouldn’t have said that, but it was true. There was something soft and careful in the way he said ‘Jay’.But that wasn't my name. A flicker of irritation surged through me. I looked away, running a hand through my hair.I wanted—just once—to
AARON'S POV My arms tightened around him.I didn’t even realize how hard I was holding on until my fingers curled into his coat, gripping like I was afraid to let go.My face was buried against his chest, my breathing uneven, my heart still racing from everything that had just happened.For a mome







