All Chapters of PAY TO BREAK ME: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

AARON'S POVI lied.Oh yes, I had to.I couldn’t say “yes,” even if it was the truth. Not when Chloe had asked me the same question a few hours earlier and I’d already given her a lie I couldn’t take back.I shifted slightly in my seat, rubbing my back against the chair as if that would settle the discomfort building in my chest. Jack’s gaze was on me again. I could feel it without even looking.He had been watching me since the game started.And I noticed.I just didn’t understand why.Maybe he was still holding onto whatever happened at the principal’s office.Before I could think deeper into it, something tapped lightly against my thigh.I glanced down. Chloe’s hand rested there briefly before she pulled back. “It’s your turn,” she said softly.Right. I almost forgot.I reached forward and grabbed the bottle, spinning it lazily across the floor.It spun for almost ten seconds before it finally stopped. It was pointing directly at–My heart skipped a beat.What the actual fuck.Jack

AARON’S POVAlex disappeared inside the house almost immediately, probably out of embarrassment.And honestly?I didn't blame him.I still couldn’t fully process what had just happened.Jack Pierce had forced Alex to kneel and apologize to me in front of almost the entire school.Why?That question kept repeating itself in my head no matter how hard I tried to focus on something else.Eventually, the game died completely when Deaton yelled something about the pool.That instantly shifted everybody’s mood again.The music became louder as people moved towards the pool. Some jumped straight into the water while others grabbed more drinks first.Emily dragged Kyle into the pool with her and Kyle couldn't stop smiling like an idiot.The whole backyard became chaotic again.But my mind still felt stuck.“You’re thinking too much.”I looked sideways at Chloe as she stood in front of me with her drink in one hand.I hadn’t even noticed her walk over.She smiled softly before setting her cup

JACK’S POVAaron froze for barely half a second before kissing me back. The second he said those words, something inside me snapped quietly. He was confused because of me. He was standing there drunk and frustrated, talking about the way I kept helping him one minute and pushing him away the next like it was genuinely messing with his head.Hearing Aaron stand there and unknowingly admit that I affected him too was enough to fuck up my head completely.His lips were warm and clumsy from the alcohol, but there was still something strangely desperate about the way he leaned into me. My hand tightened instinctively around his waist, pulling him closer while the other moved to the back of his neck.I could still hear the distant music from the pool and people laughing somewhere behind the house, but it all sounded far away now.Aaron’s fingers curled weakly against my shirt as the kiss deepened. His breathing was uneven against my mouth while he kissed me like he didn’t fully understand

AARON'S POVChloe studied my face carefully after that, like she was trying to decide whether to push the conversation further or let it go.Unfortunately for me, she chose both.“I’m just saying,” she said with a small shrug. “Your lips looked very kissed last night.”My stomach twisted so hard it actually hurt. “Kissed?” I repeated too quickly.Chloe’s brows lifted slightly at my reaction. “Relax. I didn’t say Jack kissed you.”The fact that she specifically said Jack made my chest tighten even more.I forced out an awkward laugh before looking away from her. “Yeah, because that would be insane.”Wouldn’t it?The problem was my brain refused to answer that question properly. Tiny flashes kept flickering through my head like broken scenes from a movie.Jack’s hand gripping my waist. Warm breath against my mouth. His face close enough for me to feel it.Every time I tried pushing further, my memory blurred again before I could reach the important part.God.What if something actually

JACK’S POVMonday morning.I was halfway through stuffing books into my bag when my gaze landed on the small bunch of keys sitting on my drawer.Aaron’s keys.For a few seconds, I just stared at them silently.Then, annoyingly, my brain dragged me right back to Saturday night. The backyard behind Vanessa’s house had already been mostly empty after Aaron and Chloe left in the taxi. The music from inside still echoed faintly through the air while I stood near the fence trying to clear my head.Or more accurately—trying to forget the fact that I’d just kissed Aaron fucking Smithy.Drunk Aaron.Confused Aaron.Aaron with flushed cheeks and shaky breaths who had looked me dead in the eyes and said:“One minute you help me… then the next, you act cold again. It's messing with my head…. Jack, I can't even think straight… you make me confused.”Even now, remembering it made something tighten unpleasantly inside my chest.I still didn’t fully understand why I lost control after that.Maybe it