CHAPTER 5 - TOO CLOSE

The rest of the school day passed without disaster, which, in Ezra’s experience, usually meant disaster was simply waiting for a better opportunity.

By lunchtime, he was already regretting coming to school.

Not because of his classes.

Not because of his classmates.

Because of Jace.

Again.

Ezra sat beneath a large oak tree at the edge of campus, a place most students ignored because it was too far from the cafeteria. That was exactly why he liked it. It was quiet. Peaceful. Safe.

At least it usually was.

He was halfway through a chapter of his book when a shadow fell across the page.

His stomach immediately sank.

There was only one person in the world capable of ruining his mood that quickly.

Slowly, Ezra looked up.

Jace Ryland stood over him.

Looking annoyingly attractive.

As usual.

“What do you want?”

Jace frowned.

“Why do you always assume I want something?”

Ezra stared at him.

The question was so ridiculous he almost laughed.

“Are you serious?”

Jace seemed to realize how stupid the question sounded and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Fair point.”

That caught Ezra off guard.

Jace never admitted when he was wrong.

Ever.

The silence stretched between them.

Finally, Jace sat down beside him.

Not across from him.

Not standing over him.

Beside him.

Ezra nearly dropped his book.

“What are you doing?”

“Sitting.”

“I can see that.”

Jace glanced sideways.

“Then why ask?”

Ezra hated him.

He really did.

At least that was what he told himself whenever Jace smiled.

The problem was that Jace wasn’t smiling now.

For once, he looked almost… normal.

No audience.

No teammates.

No laughter.

Just Jace.

And somehow that version was infinitely more dangerous.

Because it was easier to like.

“What do you want?” Ezra repeated.

“The project.”

There it was.

The actual reason.

Of course.

Jace leaned back against the tree trunk.

“We need to choose a topic.”

“We can do that in class.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because it’s true.”

Jace sighed dramatically.

“You’re difficult.”

Ezra nearly choked.

“I’m difficult?”

The look he gave Jace made him laugh.

Actually laugh.

Not the mocking laugh Ezra heard at school.

A genuine one.

For a brief moment, Ezra forgot how to breathe.

The sound hit him harder than it should have.

Because it was real.

And because he realized he’d never actually heard Jace laugh like that before.

Most of the time, Jace performed for people.

This felt different.

Which made it dangerous.

Very dangerous.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

Ezra blinked.

“What?”

“Like you want to throw the book at my head.”

A smile tugged at the corner of Jace’s mouth.

“I haven’t even done anything yet.”

Ezra closed his book.

“Yet being the important word.”

Jace’s smile faded slightly.

For a second, neither spoke.

The atmosphere shifted.

The easy teasing disappeared.

Something heavier settled between them.

Something spicy

“You really hate me.”

The words were quiet.

Unexpected.

Ezra stared.

Had Jace seriously never figured that out?

Years of humiliation.

Years of jokes.

Years of embarrassment.

And somehow he was surprised?

A bitter laugh escaped him.

“Hate you?”

Jace held his gaze.

“Yeah.”

Ezra looked away first.

Because the truth was complicated.

Because hate would be easier.

Because hating Jace Ryland would have saved him years of heartache.

Unfortunately, hate wasn’t what he felt.

Not even close.

“I should.”

The answer came out softer than intended.

Jace went still.

The breeze stirred the leaves overhead.

Students laughed somewhere in the distance.

Neither boy moved.

Neither looked away.

For reasons Ezra couldn’t explain, the moment suddenly felt too intimate.

Too personal.

Too close.

Jace’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“What does that mean?”

Ezra immediately regretted speaking.

“Nothing.”

“Monroe.”

“Drop it.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Ezra stood abruptly.

His pulse was racing.

This conversation had gone somewhere dangerous.

Somewhere he didn’t want it to go.

“Class starts in ten minutes.”

Jace remained seated beneath the tree.

Watching him.

Always watching him.

The realization made Ezra uneasy.

Because lately, Jace seemed to be paying attention more often.

And Ezra wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or a terrible one.

Probably terrible.

Definitely terrible.

Yet as he walked away, he could still feel Jace’s gaze following him.

And despite everything, part of him wished he’d looked back.

Just once.

Only once.

To see whether Jace was still watching.