HOW TO MAKE DIAMONDS

SIX

Kyle leaned against the lockers, watching students drift by as Carter stood beside him. The school day had been uneventful, but his mind was elsewhere, circling back to the same thoughts that had been plaguing him since the barbecue. He tried to ignore it, but Carter wasn't going to let that happen.

"You can't deny it," Carter said, his voice low but direct. "You're intrigued by her."

Kyle scowled, knowing exactly who Carter was talking about. "Jade? You're reading too much into things."

Carter chuckled. "Right. Because you just happen to pay extra attention to people who 'frustrate' you. Look, man, it's obvious that you're letting her in, even if you won't admit it."

"I'm not letting her in," Kyle snapped, more harshly than he intended. "I don't even fully trust her."

Carter raised an eyebrow, unfazed by Kyle's defensiveness. "You sure about that? Because it seems like she's the only one who gets under your skin. And let's face it, after everything with Layla, I didn't think you'd ever let someone in again."

Kyle tensed, his jaw clenching. "I'm not," he bit out, his tone cold. "And it's not the same situation. Jade is protective over her sister, I don't need to worry about her hurting the people I love because it would also mean hurting the people her sister cares about. But that doesn't mean anything since you're seeing too much into something that's simply not there."

"Right," Carter said skeptically. "You keep telling yourself that. But anyone with eyes can see you're at least interested. You don't argue with someone that much unless there's something there."

Kyle looked away, irritation bubbling beneath the surface. He hated that Carter was poking at this, at something he wasn't ready to acknowledge, let alone confront. "She's complicated. That's all."

Carter didn't push further, just gave him a knowing look. "Maybe that's why you can't stop thinking about her."

Kyle shot him a glare, but Carter just shrugged and turned away, leaving Kyle standing there, more unsettled than he'd like to admit. It wasn't about interest or intrigue—or so he kept telling himself. It was just that Jade was... different, and that difference got under his skin in a way he couldn't shake.

Later that day, Kyle found himself wandering near Ricky's tattoo studio for his touch up. That's when he saw Jade. She was standing a little way off, just outside the studio, looking like she was getting ready to leave. She hadn't noticed him yet, so he took a moment to observe her. She seemed deep in thought, her usual guarded expression a bit softer in the dim light of the streetlamp.

As if sensing his gaze, she looked up, her eyes locking with his. For a second, neither of them spoke. Then, Jade sighed and walked toward him, her expression wary but not hostile.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice neutral.

"Could ask you the same thing," he replied, his tone matching hers.

She glanced at the studio door. "I was helping Ricky with some designs."

He nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets. They stood there in awkward silence for a moment, both seemingly unsure of what to say next. Then Jade's eyes flicked to his arm, where the edge of his snakelike dragon tattoo peeked out from under his sleeve.

"Is that new?" she asked, nodding toward the ink.

Kyle followed her gaze, pulling up his sleeve to reveal the full tattoo. "Not really. Got it done a while back. Why?"

Bringing his arm closer to her face, Jade's eyes were focused as she took in the intricate design. "Did Ricky do that for you?"

"Yeah," Kyle replied, glancing at her. "Why?"