Chapter 13 – Uninvited Thoughts

POV: Elena

The strange thing about Jace's reaction to Aiden was that he never mentioned it again.

Not during the drive home after lunch. Not during dinner. Not even later that evening when we accidentally crossed paths in the kitchen while looking for something to eat. He acted as though the conversation outside the library had never happened, which should have been a relief.

Instead, it irritated me.

The entire situation was ridiculous. Jace had no right to care who I spent time with. Our engagement wasn't real, our relationship wasn't real, and the ring on my finger existed because he had blackmailed me into wearing it. Yet somehow, his reaction kept replaying in my head. Every time I remembered the way his jaw had tightened when I mentioned Aiden, I found myself smiling.

I hated that.

The next morning, I arrived on campus determined to focus on normal things. I had classes to attend, assignments to finish, and a project presentation approaching faster than I would have liked. For once, I wanted an entire day that didn't revolve around Jace Calloway and the chaos he constantly dragged into my life.

Unfortunately, life seemed determined to ignore my wishes.

I had barely settled into one of the library's private study rooms when someone knocked softly against the open door. Looking up, I found Aiden standing there with a stack of books balanced against one hip and a coffee cup in each hand.

A smile appeared on his face the moment he saw me. "Good. You're here." I raised an eyebrow. "Should I be worried that you sound surprised?" "Not surprised," he corrected as he stepped inside. "Hopeful." I laughed despite myself.

Aiden placed one of the coffee cups in front of me before taking a seat across the table.

"What's this?" I asked. "A peace offering." "For what?" "For making you spend three hours discussing economic theory tomorrow." The reminder immediately made me groan. Our group project. I had almost managed to forget about it. Aiden grinned. "I figured caffeine might soften the blow. " I glanced down at the cup before looking back at him. "You're suspiciously nice." His expression turned thoughtful. "I get that a lot."

The conversation felt effortless after that. We spent the next hour reviewing notes, discussing project ideas, and occasionally drifting into completely unrelated topics. Unlike most people who had approached me since the engagement announcement, Aiden never seemed interested in gossip. He didn't ask questions about Jace. He didn't pry into my personal life. He simply treated me like a normal person.

It was surprisingly refreshing.

By the time my phone vibrated against the table, I had almost forgotten about everything else. Almost. I glanced at the screen and immediately frowned.

Jace: Where are you?

A second message appeared before I could respond.

Richard wants us home early tonight.

Then a third.

Why aren't you answering?

Aiden noticed the change in my expression. "Everything okay?" I quickly locked my phone. "Fine." His eyes narrowed slightly. "That didn't look fine." "It's nothing."

The lie sounded weak even to my ears, but thankfully Aiden didn't push. Instead, he steered the conversation back towards our project, and within a few minutes we were arguing over presentation slides and research sources. The distraction helped, but unfortunately, it didn't last.

When I finally left the library later that afternoon, a familiar black SUV was parked near the curb outside the building. My stomach immediately sank as recognition hit.

The driver's door opened, and Jace climbed out. He looked irritated. The sight made me stop walking. "What are you doing here?" Jace shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. "What does it look like?" "It looks like you're stalking me." "I came to pick you up.” I frowned. "You've never picked me up before." "Richard wants us home."

That answer might have sounded reasonable if I hadn't noticed the way his gaze immediately shifted towards the library entrance behind me.

His expression hardened slightly.

"Who were you with?" There was that strange edge in his voice again. It was the same voice I had heard outside the library the day before. I folded my arms.

"Aiden."

Something flashed across his face. It disappeared quickly, but not quickly enough. 

"Why?" I stared at him. "Because we have a project together." His jaw tightened. "You seem to spend a lot of time with him." The comment caught me completely off guard. For a second, I simply blinked at him. Then a realisation slowly settled over me.

Oh.

A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. Jace immediately noticed. His eyes narrowed. "What?” The smile widened.

The more I thought about it, the more obvious it seemed. He had shown up outside my class. He was asking questions. He looked annoyed every time Aiden's name came up. The conclusion practically drew itself.

"Oh my God." "What?" I couldn't stop myself. I started laughing. Jace looked deeply unimpressed. "Elena."

"You're jealous."

The words slipped out before I could reconsider them. For a brief moment, complete silence settled between us. Then Jace let out a short, disbelieving laugh.

"Of him?"

"You tracked me down after class." "I came to pick you up." "You asked who I was with before you even said hello." "Because we're supposed to be presenting a united front. I gave him a sceptical look. "Sure." "I'm serious." "Of course you are."

The annoyance growing in his expression only made my smile widen.

For years, Jace had been the one making other people uncomfortable. Seeing him on the receiving end for once was oddly satisfying.

He stared at me for several seconds before shaking his head. "Get in the car." The command lacked its usual confidence. That only made me feel more victorious.

I followed him towards the SUV, trying—and failing—to suppress my amusement. The drive home should have been awkward. Instead, it was entertaining. Every time I glanced in his direction, I found his hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter than necessary. Jace never admitted I was right. He never even acknowledged the possibility.

But as the silence stretched between us and the muscles in his jaw continued to tense every time Aiden's name crossed my mind, I became increasingly convinced that I had accidentally discovered something important.

And for the first time since this fake engagement began, I wasn't the only one struggling to stay in control.