JASON'S POVI tried to focus on the partying around me but all I kept seeing was the image of Evan, my first enemy in the new school in the field, and now also in my personal life. I couldn't tell whether approaching Tess was a way of trying to piss me off or if he genuinely liked her. While I could tolerate the first one, asking me to accept the second one was asking for the impossible. There was no way I was going to let him have even the tiniest bit of a chance with her.Just as I was about to step forward ready to take on him, two girls stepped forward and blocked my way. "Jace!" One of them exclaimed as they both smiled.I knew them from most of my classes. They had sat in front of me multiple times and their seductive smiles every time our eyes met hadn't passed me by. I had noticed them. I had experienced their "head bitch in charge" personality, they were pretty, confident, and outspoken. I couldn't lie and say that I hadn't noticed them because who was I kiddi
TESSIE'S POVI woke up the following day with a pounding head, a disoriented face and what felt like layers and layers of nausea. I sat up and held my head in my palms trying to adjust to the lighting. "Oh, God!" I swallowed a chunk of nausea. What had I gotten myself into? Right. The party the previous night. That wasn't my first party though. Why was I feeling like a zombie? I got up slowly knowing that any sudden movements could throw me off balance. If I hit the floor, I wasn't sure I could get up again for the next several hours. If that was how alcohol was supposed to make someone feel, I didn't understand how people became alcoholics. Waking up to this? Dealing with vicious hangovers and the urge to throw up that early in the morning? Not my cup of tea. The thought of tea made my stomach churn. How had I gotten here? Oh, right. Evan with his confession. That wasn't a dream. And Jace— that especially was a major blow to my ribcage. At that moment, I just wished I hadn't remem
JASON'S POVBy the time I got downstairs, Tess was already gone. Thanks to Lexi, now I had an explanation to give. I had no idea how I would convince her that I hadn't slept with her. The temptations had been there and yes, I had kissed her back but I hadn't gone beyond that. Sure she had thrown herself at me and I had wanted it but I just couldn't go through with it.The living room was a mess. I made the calculations of cleaning up alone and groaned. Whatever thing had made me think that throwing a party for rowdy teenagers was a good idea, I was now regretting it. My head was spinning from a hangover and there was no one to help me.The couch looked inviting. If one could ever say that. I had spent the night there leaving my bed for Lexi. Quite a gentleman I had been, only for it to come to this. I clutched my head in my hands and sat down with a heavy sigh. "Hey, handsome! I hope you don't mind that I borrowed these?"I looked up abruptly as Lexi walked into the l
TESSIE'S POVI lay flat on my back in the school cafeteria, my arms tucked under my head and eyes exploring the air above me. The combination of student murmurs and the clatter of plates all around was not enough to drown the loud thoughts in my head.I was trying so hard to get past the night of the party at my house but it seemed to be the only constant thought in my head. The day after was just a bonus to it all— a huge one at it. Leaving the house, I had intended to spend the day at Ava's but a trip around town and then another had landed me somewhere else entirely. With Evan Mayers. I still didn't know what the connection was with him. How he ended up being a Mayers and Lexi a Bradford was also beyond me. Why did they have different surnames if they were siblings? Step siblings like me and Jace? No. Now that I was thinking about it, they did have some resemblance. "Yo, sit up!" Ava kicked me on my side with her knee forcing me up. "What in the world is going on wi
JASON'S POVI wasn't sure whether Tess was entertaining Evan to spite me or not. Her gaze from across the room was piercing and hateful. That was as close as I could get to her without her getting up to get away from me even before I could speak. The look however also contained regret. So yeah, maybe she was doing that out of spite. And yeah, she had a reason to hate me. I know I hated myself.I'd had better days in school and that was by far the worst. I decided to skip practice that day because I knew my mind wouldn't be there. I also knew that if I happened to run into Evan, I would break his bones. Instead of going straight home, I took a detour around town to clear my head. That evening at dinner, Tessie sat far away from me and didn't dare look at me. She ignored my attempts trying to get her attention until the meal was over. She got up to clear the table and I followed quickly with my plate. I was determined to get something out of her if only a word. The silent treatment was
TESSIE'S POV I nodded in assurance to push away the uncertainty in his eyes. There was however a whole different battle going on inside me. I hadn't lied to him. I wanted it and trying to go to sleep that night had proven hard with the thoughts of what was going on between us haunting me. I didn't want to be fighting with him but I also knew that I couldn't contain my jealousy. "Take it off," I stated and tugged on his boxers. My mind and heart were racing but somehow I managed to remain calm physically. The moment he stood before me, his cock stiff and waiting obediently to be tended to, I gulped. This was my first time looking at a fully naked boy and I had no idea what to do. Jace took it into his hand and started stroking slowly. He held my gaze the whole time, wanting to say something but holding back. "You can touch it, don't be scared," he reassured me calmly. "I will teach you what to do."I only hesitated for a moment before I replaced his han
TESSIE'S POVI walked down the hallway heading to my locker slowly. I could hear voices around me but I couldn't make out anything anyone was saying. My thoughts were wandering somewhere between the sheets on Jace's bed and his bedroom, in the hallways of our house, our living room, our kitchen—Whoa. Did I just think of it all as ours? It was funny how I didn't want to associate with him from the first day but now I was considering things as 'ours'. I chuckled softly and bit my lower lip with a dreamy smile. I clutched the books in my hands closer to my chest as the thought took root. Suddenly I was leaning against my locker and I couldn't tell how I got there. "Still thinking about penises and hormones?" Ava asked as she banged her locker closed. It was next to mine. "Oh, right. You joined the club so it's hard not to." "Oh my God! Could you be any more vulgar?" "Hmm," she pretended to think. "I don't think so. I'm not getting any action and
JASON'S POVDays moved fast and suddenly another week was gone by. My blooming secret romance with Tessie was the highlight of my life and I couldn't get enough of her. Being a senior came with too many activities on my plate. We were heading to a regional football competition, our midterms were due and our parents' wedding was fast approaching. Finding the time in between practice, studying, and helping with wedding preparations turned into a game of sneaking around every moment we got. I was in the kitchen helping my mom with dinner that evening. Tess and her dad had left to do some shopping in town. This was the moment in maybe a month that we were all having a one-on-one parent-kid conversation as separate families. "Your relationship with Tess has turned out to be something after all," my mom started.My heart jumped in panic and the knife I was holding in my hand slipped. I leaned down to get it then looked up at her more composed and smiled. "What do you mean, 'something'?" I