All Chapters of Tempted by the wrong bad boy : Chapter 21 - Chapter 28

ZARA; Jace and I. Noah and I parted ways. He said he had something to take care of, and honestly, being seen with him would only stir up more speculation and gossip, I didn’t want that.I took a moment to breathe, to pull myself together before leaving the stall. My reflection in the mirror looked… different. Flushed. Wild. And, well, Noah still had my pants. Great.Also… no blood. Wasn’t I supposed to bleed? Everyone always said virgins do. Maybe it’s not the same for everyone. I’d probably ask Riley later, though God knows how that conversation would go.When I finally reached for my phone, my heart nearly stopped, fifteen missed calls. Jace. Riley.“Crap…” I muttered under my breath, shoving the phone into my tiny bag before heading back toward the dance floor.The music hit me like a wave again, loud, fast. I tried to blend in, to pretend I hadn’t just had the most chaotic night of my life in a club restroom.“Zee!” Riley’s voice cut through the noise as soon as she spotted me. S

ZARA; I don't know what we are. After the meeting, Lena, Riley, and I were walking home. Jace and Amber had already left, and Noah rode off on his bike. I was planning to part ways with the girls before heading to the basement to meet Noah. “I hope everyone cooperates so we can all get an A in this course,” Riley said. “Me too.” “Definitely…” Lena added, and silence followed for a while as we kept walking. “Hey,” Lena finally spoke, glancing at me. “I noticed you were texting with Noah earlier. Are you two close?” My heart skipped a beat, and my tongue felt tied. “I think Noah likes Zara,” Riley said quickly, before I could come up with anything. I tried signaling for her to stop, but she only nodded at me knowingly. Lena stayed quiet for a moment. “Oh, really? Do you like him back? I thought you had a thing for Jace,” she asked eventually. “Lena, I don’t know. We’re just friends. Nothing important. I honestly don’t know…” The words tumbled out awkwardly. Truth is, I don’t

ZARA; His scars.I took the phone from him and switched it off, the screen going dark. The room fell into an awkward silence, the only sound coming from Milo’s soft purring as she brushed against Noah’s leg.Noah crouched down, running his hand over Milo’s fur like he was lost in thought.“Do you still like him?” he asked suddenly, breaking the silence.My breath caught. Words failed me because… I didn’t know. Jace—he would probably always have a place in my heart, no matter how much I tried. “I…” I trailed off, unsure how to answer.Noah gave a small nod. “Don’t worry. I get it. You don’t need to say anything.”“Are you mad about that?” I asked quietly, rubbing my palms together.“No,” he said after a beat, his voice steady, almost too calm. “Because I shouldn’t be worried about that.”“Oh really?” I teased, raising a brow.“Yes, Bambi…” He rose to his feet, his eyes locking with mine. My heart skipped, heat creeping into my cheeks.He reached out and slid his hands around my waist

ZARA..The whole ride back to the apartment was painfully quiet. The air between us felt thick, so thick I could barely breathe. Noah hadn’t said a single word, not one. His jaw was tight, his eyes fixed on the road like he was lost somewhere else entirely.When he finally pulled up in front of the apartment, I climbed down slowly and handed him his helmet. It was already late. He didn’t say a word, just took the helmet from my hand, nodded slightly, and drove off without looking back.My chest tightened instantly.What the heck was going on with him?I let out a frustrated hiss under my breath and dragged myself inside, still replaying the silence in my head.The apartment was quiet, too quiet. Jace must’ve gone back to Amber.I tossed my bag on the couch and reached for my phone. A few notifications blinked on the screen mostly random stuff, until I saw Lena.I opened the message, and my chest instantly sank.(Hey. I was wondering if I could ask for your help in getting back togethe