LOGINJACK'S POVHeavy silence stretched between us.Aaron didn't look away. His hand was still holding the ice pack against my back, his fingers steady despite the question he'd just asked."Why did you take the hit for me?"I stared at him for a long moment.There were a hundred answers fighting inside my head.Because seeing you get hurt terrifies me. Because I don't know how to stand there and watch something happen to you. Because I don't understand this strange feeling of always wanting to protect you.None of them could leave my mouth.So instead, I let out a quiet breath and asked the only thing that came to mind. "Would you rather it had hit you?"He blinked. "What?""If I hadn't pulled you away..." I held his gaze. "Would you rather that piece of wood had hit you instead?"His brows drew together as he stared at me. "That's not what I mean."I held his gaze. "Then what do you mean?"He lowered the ice pack slightly before carefully settling it back against my lower back."I..." He
AARON'S POVThe moment our lips met, everything else disappeared.His lips were warm despite everything that had happened, soft against mine in a way that made my chest tighten. For one heartbeat, neither of us moved.Then he answered the kiss.His lips moved gently against mine, warm and careful, like he was afraid I would pull away if he kissed me too hard.I didn't.I couldn't.I continued kissing him back, gently. A soft moan escaped me as I leaned in just a little more, my hand still threaded through his. His fingers tightened around mine almost immediately, holding on with a tenderness that made something ache deep inside me.My eyes slipped shut as I felt him shift closer. He let out the faintest moan against my lips.My heart stumbled.Why did that sound affect me so much?I found myself lingering instead of pulling away.The room had gone unbelievably quiet except for the sound of our lips moving against each other.I could still hear the muffled screams from outside but it f
JACK'S POVHe didn't stop. The door opened. He rushed out and the door slammed shut behind him."Damn it..."I sat there for one second, listening. Even through the walls, I could still hear shouting from the club.My chest tightened.What if he gets hurt?What if…I couldn't stay here. Not while Aaron was out there.Ignoring the pain shooting through my back, I pushed myself to my feet.A sharp groan escaped me. "Fuck."One hand instinctively pressed against my lower back as I staggered toward the door.I had barely reached it when it suddenly swung open.Aaron rushed inside first. Right behind him was Maya.She carried an ice pack in one hand and a first-aid kit in the other.Relief hit me so hard that my knees almost gave out.Aaron was okay.My eyes swept over him immediately without thinking. His face, his arms, his clothes...No blood. No bruises. Nothing.Thank God."Fuck..." Aaron breathed the moment he saw me standing. His face twisted instantly. "Sit down."He reached me in
JACK'S POVThe words hung in the room for a while. Then, I let out a tired laugh and scrubbed both hands over my face.I just had to hope he hadn't spend the rest of the day thinking I was some obsessed stalker.A sharp knock sounded against the dressing room door.Three quick taps.I straightened immediately.”Come in.”The door opened a crack before Maya peeked her head inside.She looked at me for a second before giving a small nod."It's time."I glanced at my reflection one last time, then slowly rose to my feet. "Okay.”I slipped my phone into a drawer and straightened the red mask over my face.When I looked back up, Jay was staring at me from the mirror.No more Jack.I drew in one slow breath. Then I followed Maya out of the dressing room.The moment we stepped into the hallway, the music became louder.The bass rolled through the walls, vibrating beneath my feet with every beat. Mixed with it were whistles, cheers, laughter, and the familiar noise of people enjoying themselve
JACK'S POVThe music reached me as a distant pulse through the dressing room walls, muffled enough that it sounded more like a heartbeat than a crowd. Every now and then, a louder cheer slipped through before fading again, reminding me that the club was already filling up.I leaned back against the couch in front of the mirror, already dressed for tonight's performance, my red mask resting comfortably against my face. The dressing room lights reflected off the crimson fabric, making everything around me feel warm.I looked down a my phone screen for what felt like the umpteenth time since I got here.Aaron had booked.A stupid grin spread across my face before I could stop it."You're hopeless," I muttered to my own reflection.Maybe I was.In less than an hour, he would walk through those doors looking for Jay again, completely unaware that the man he kept choosing over and over was the same person he had spent the entire day trying to avoid but couldn't.The irony would've been funn
AARON'S POVFor a few seconds, I couldn't move.I simply sat there, staring at the familiar gate in front of me while my mind struggled to catch up with what had just happened.This...This was my house.It wasn't just my street or neighborhood.My house.My fingers slowly loosened around Jack's waist before I pulled them away completely. My heartbeat was so loud that I could barely hear anything else.How?I climbed off the motorcycle on shaky legs, almost stumbling when my feet touched the ground. Jack remained seated, one hand resting on the handlebar while the engine idled beneath him.I reached up with slightly trembling hands and unclipped the helmet. The cool evening air brushed against my face as I lifted it off.For a moment, I simply held it.Then I remembered. "Oh..."I stepped closer and held it out to him. "Your helmet."Jack took it without a word and hooked it onto the handlebar.I swallowed.The question had been clawing at me ever since we turned into my street and I
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 Pov)I had been washed clean of all the self-righteous, audacious ideas. “Nothing,” I screamed out immediately. “Nothing, Jack!”“That's right,” he said, his voice smug but I didn't care. I had just had enough.He let go of my head, letting my body drop fully to the wet floor. A moment lat
(Aaron's Pov)Desperately, my sword found her left side, and I stabbed her, with only a few seconds left on the clock.Yes!A small smattering of enthusiastic applause and even a cheer echoed through the room as our Coach, and referee, called out a point for me.I took off my head gear, grinning. M







