Chapter 14

Chloe’s POV

Maya stormed out of the room after yelling nonstop. I was only sad cause she had to take my dog with her.

"It's fine," I whispered to myself, my voice trembling with a mix of leftover adrenaline and pure stubbornness. "She's just bitter. She doesn't get it."

I leaned back against the pillows, staring blankly at the ceiling tiles. Who cared if she was mad? She was living in my beautiful house, sleeping in my huge bed, and driving my car. The least she could do was let me find a silver lining in this nightmare. If we were stuck like this forever, I wasn't going to spend it miserable and invisible like she did.

Suddenly, the smartphone resting on the cluttered desk buzzed, the vibration cutting through the quiet room.

I scrambled across the mattress, snatching the device up. My breath caught when I saw the lock screen. It was a text from Jaxon.

Jaxon: Hey Maya, Just wanted to talk to you for a bit, could I stop by at your place, if that's cool with you ofc.

He wanted to come here. To talk to me.

I bit my lower lip slowly, feeling the metallic edge of her retainer against my skin. It was the ultimate proof. Maya thought he was a monster, but a monster wouldn't be this polite, and he wouldn't go out of his way to visit the school outcast.

My thumbs flew across the keyboard before I could talk myself out of it. “Yeah Jaxon, you can definitely stop by. Then I hit send.

Panic immediately set in. I looked around Maya’s room, suddenly realizing what a complete disaster zone it was. Stacks of old textbooks, stray papers, and clothes were strewn everywhere. If Jaxon was coming over, he couldn't see this. I began throwing things into drawers and trash bin across the room, kicking stray shoes under the bed, and smoothing out the tangled sheets on her mattress, my mind racing with every single possibility of what he wanted to say to me.

Few minutes later, a low, familiar engine rumbled to a halt out on the street.

I sprinted to the window, pulling the blinds back just enough to look down. Jaxon’s black truck was by the curb. He climbed out, adjusting his leather varsity jacket, and looked up at the house.

I took a deep breath, checked my reflection in the smudged mirror, wishing more than ever that I had my old hair and my old clothes. Ihurried downstairs to open the front door before he could even ring the bell.

"Hey," Jaxon said, stepping onto the porch. He looked at me, a soft, easy smile crossing his face. "Thanks for letting me stop by."

"Hey, Jax," I said, stepping back to let him into the small front hallway. "Come on in. We can talk in the living room."

We sat down on the old fabric sofa. The house was quiet, Maya's parents still out for the afternoon. Jaxon leaned back, resting his arm along the top of the cushions, looking completely at ease.

"So," he started, his hazel eyes locking onto mine. "I was thinking about what happened at school. I really want to make things right between us, Maya. And honestly, I wanted to see if you'd be down to go out with me this weekend. Just a mini eat-out, nothing crazy."

My breath hitched. "Like a date."

"Yeah," Jax smiled, leaning in a little closer. "There's this new retro diner across town. I figured it'd be nice to get out of our usual neighborhood, somewhere quiet where we won't be bothered by school drama. If you don't mind, I'd really love to take you there."

"I... yeah. I'd love to go with you, Jaxon," I said, a massive wave smile was all over my face. He was actually asking me out. He was proving Maya wrong with every single word.

"Awesome," he grinned, standing up from the couch. "It's a plan then. I'll text you the details later. I should probably get going before practice."

I walked him to the front door, my heart pounding with excitement. As we stepped out onto the front porch, the afternoon sun hit the pavement, and I noticed a figure walking down the sidewalk toward the house.

It was Tristan.

He was wearing his beat up denim jacket, carrying a plastic bag from the convenience store. When his eyes landed on Jaxon standing on the porch, he froze completely.

His jaw dropped, a look of pure confusion and instant anger crossing his face. He walked faster, stopping right at the edge of the lawn.

"Her Maya?" Tristan called out, his eyes darting between me and Jaxon. "You busy… like can I talk to you for a bit?"

Jaxon smirked, glancing down at me, clearly waiting to see how I’d handle it.

I looked at Tristan. From his messy hair, his worried expression, and his cheap clothes. He was Maya's friend, not mine. And right now, he was standing in the way of the perfect life I was rebuilding with Jaxon.

I pushed Maya's glasses up my nose, looked straight at Tristan, and didn't say a single word. I turned my back on him, grabbed Jaxon’s arm, and laughed at something Jaxon hadn't even said, completely shutting Tristan out.

Tristan stood on the sidewalk, utterly speechless, staring at the girl he thought was his best friend like she was a total stranger.