HOW TO MAKE DIAMONDS

SEVEN

Grabbing his keys, wallet, and phone, Carter headed outside to find Chase already parked in front of his house, texting someone inside the car.

"Sup," Chase greeted without looking up, his fingers moving quickly over the screen.

"Hey, who are you texting?" Carter asked, sliding into the passenger seat and buckling his seatbelt. He was eager to leave and grab good seats for the game.

"Jade," He replied, frowning at something on his phone. "Trying to convince her to drive with us instead of going by herself."

At that, his cousin raised an eyebrow. "Thought she was going with Maya. Is she ready?"

"Nope," Chase sighed, locking his phone and tossing it into the cup holder. "She's adamant about going alone."

Carter shook his head. "Then just go to her place and convince her in person. Unless she's driving herself, in which case, let her take the car. There's a party later, and I want her to give me a ride back."

The older one snorted, glancing at Carter. "So you want me to corner her for your own benefit? That's not gonna work. Maya already called me earlier—asked us to keep a close eye on her. I don't know what's up, but I'm pretty sure Jade'll cut me off if I push too hard."

Carter gave him a curious look. "I didn't know you two were close enough that Maya's calling you about her."

"We're not that close," Chase shrugged, focusing on the road. "We just go to the same gym. And since it's too cold for her to ride her bike, I give her rides sometimes. We talk about random stuff, nothing deep. She's got trust issues, so she keeps people at arm's length. It's her defense mechanism. But she's actually pretty cool. Talented too. You know, sometimes I finish early and watch her dance while I wait for her."

He blinked, surprised. "Dance? She dances?"

"Yeah. She's good. You can tell that's where she lets everything out. I've even seen her cry afterward, like she's pouring all her emotions into it. It's... intense." Chase shook his head, the memory still vivid. "She's a special girl, man. You're trying too hard. Just let things happen naturally with her."

Carter was wide-eyed, processing everything Chase had just shared. He hadn't expected that, and if he was honest, he felt a pang of jealousy. "How do you even know all this?"

Chase smirked. "Ricky, Amber, and Maya. They don't give me all the details, but they've shared the bigger picture. You know, Jade's been Ubering to school whenever Maya can't pick her up. Maybe you could offer to take her instead."

Jade was finishing her dinner—a chocolate and cheese sfiha—when the obnoxious sound of her intercom echoed through the loft. She frowned, wiping her hands and standing to answer.

"Who is it?" she yelled, her tone laced with annoyance.

"The love of your life," Chase's voice responded through the speaker.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jade's anger faded slightly, replaced by confusion and mild irritation.

"Wow, someone's going to stay single forever," Carter joked in the background before Chase added, "Come on, just buzz us in."

With a sigh, Jade pressed the button, letting them in. She was in no mood for surprises, but she knew Carter and Chase weren't going to leave her alone.

The door flew open a moment later, and Chase practically collapsed into the armchair near her floor-length mirror. "Weren't you supposed to be ready by now? You posted a story like 40 minutes ago, all dressed up."

The girl rolled her eyes as she continued rummaging through her makeup bag. "I was at my aunt's place helping her make pizzas for a staff get-together. I wore those colors to tease her. Had to take a shower to get all the blue glitter off—takes time, you know?"