تسجيل الدخولAARON'S POVJack's thumb brushed lightly across the back of my hand as he turned it over again, his brows pulled together in a frown."Where?" he repeated, looking from my fingers to my palm. "Show me."I couldn't answer. It wasn't because the tea had burned me.It was because my brain had completely stopped working.His fingers were warm, and his touch was gentle, almost like he didn't want to hurt me.My stomach flipped."I..." My voice came out embarrassingly soft. "It didn't..."Jack looked up immediately. "What?""It..." I swallowed. "It didn't touch me."For a second, he simply stared at me. Then his eyes dropped back to my hand as though he needed to confirm it himself.He checked my fingers one more time before finally letting out a quiet breath. "It didn't?"I slowly shook my head.Silence.Jack didn't release my wrist immediately. His shoulders visibly relaxed, as if someone had taken a weight off them.Only then did he loosen his grip."Okay.” It was just a word but it cam
AARON'S POVI stared at him, completely speechless.The jacket still rested over my shoulders, warm from his body, and for a second I forgot the rain, the cold, and everything else around us."You'll get cold." The words slipped out before I could stop them.Jack looked at me for a brief moment, rainwater dripping from the ends of his hair. "I'm fine."His answer was flat like it wasn't even something worth discussing.Before I could argue again, he leaned back against one of the metal support beams beneath the shelter, shoved both hands into the pockets of his jeans, and looked out at the rain.That was it. He wasn't taking it back.I lowered my eyes to the jacket wrapped around me.It smelled like leather mixed with a clean scent.My cheeks warmed despite the cold.The rain continued crashing onto the roof above us, filling the silence with a steady rhythm.Neither of us spoke.A couple stood near the opposite end of the shelter, laughing as they watched cars splash through puddles.
AARON'S POVJack didn't look away and neither did I.The silence stretched between us, growing heavier with every passing second until it became unbearable. My heart pounded so loudly that I was convinced he could hear it.Please, say something.Anything.Jack blinked once, then twice.Slowly, he pushed himself upright and rubbed a hand over his face, his movements sluggish like someone who had only just woken up. His hair was even messier now, and for a brief second, he looked nothing like the Jack everyone on campus feared.Then, his gaze wandered around the classroom. Every seat was empty.His drowsy eyes narrowed slightly. "Did class end already?"His voice came out deep and rough with sleep.The sound slid straight through me, sending an unexpected shiver down my spine.I swallowed. "Y.. yeah."He looked back at me.My brain stopped working."I..." My voice cracked.Great."I mean..." I cleared my throat, trying again. "Yeah. It ended a few minutes ago."For another second, he si
AARON'S POVThe professor walked into the classroom a few seconds later, instantly silencing the remaining whispers."Good afternoon, class.""Good afternoon, sir," the class answered in unison.He placed his books on the table, adjusted his glasses, then began writing on the board without wasting another second.I forced myself to look away from the back of the classroom and opened my notebook.Focus.Just focus.The lecture had just started when my eyes drifted back again.Jack was resting his head on the table. His headphones were over his ears, completely shutting out the rest of the classroom. From where I was sitting, he looked like he wasn't paying attention to anything the professor was saying.Was he... sleeping?Kyle nudged my elbow. "Why do you keep staring at the back?"I blinked and immediately looked away. "I wasn't."He gave me a look that clearly said ‘liar’ before lowering his voice. "Focus."I nodded, but my mind refused.Just yesterday, he had almost made a girl lic
AARON'S POVJack's eyes remained locked on the boy, whose face had gone completely pale.The entire hallway had fallen silent.Even the students recording with their phones seemed too stunned to make a sound.The guy swallowed nervously before taking another step backward. "I... I wasn't serious."Jack laughed once. It wasn't amused. It sounded cold."You should've thought about that before opening your mouth."Claire tightened her grip on his arm. "Jack."This time, he finally looked at her. For a brief second, neither of them said anything. Then he looked back at the frightened boy one last time."You're lucky."Nobody knew whether he was talking about today... or about Claire stopping him.Actually, during lunch, I overheard some people gossiping about the new girl. They said Jack's girlfriend's name was Claire. That's how I found out her name, and that's why I asked Jack if his girlfriend wouldn't mind seeing us having lunch together.Just then, two boys hurried over and quickly h
AARON'S POVWhere had she heard it?Please don't remember.Please don't.Chloe frowned to herself, her fingers lightly tapping against the desk as she searched her memory. “I'm sure I've heard that name before..." she murmured.I could barely breathe. Beside me, Kyle casually leaned back in his chair, though I noticed the quick glance he threw my way.Then, Chloe's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh."My heart stopped. "The morning after Vanessa's party."I froze.She snapped her fingers softly. "That's it."I stared at her."You were asleep in my room." She tilted her head, thinking. "You kept mumbling that name."I felt every drop of blood drain from my face."Oh..." Chloe said slowly. "Now I remember."Before I could even think of something to say, Kyle laughed."Seriously?" he said.Chloe nodded. "Yeah."Kyle shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. "I think I know who he was referring to."I shot Kyle a quick look. He didn't even look at me.She blinked. "You know him?""Yeah.""My cousin's p
JACK’S POVSecret lover?I almost scoffed out loud at Professor Robin’s question.The laughter around the classroom slowly died down after a while, but Aaron still looked like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him.His face was slightly red as he stared down at his test paper. I looked do
AARON'S POVFencing practice was the only thing that had felt normal all day. The moment I stepped onto the strip and tightened my grip around the foil, my head finally started clearing a little. Coach blew the whistle lightly from the side as my opponent lunged first.I stepped aside quickly and
AARON'S POVI held the folded paper tightly in my hand as I walked toward the cafeteria. My thumb rubbed slowly against the edge of it while the words inside kept replaying in my head.“Keep your eyes open, Aaron. You’re missing something obvious.”Missing what exactly?Then the signature beneath i
AARON'S POVMy dad once said, if something is worth having, you don’t let it slip away without a fight. I used to think it was just one of those things parents say to sound wise. But now I understand it differently because nothing about this scholarship has been easy. And I’m not about to lose it w







