Racing Hearts [NEW]

CHAPTER 5: HOT MESS EXPRESS

The next morning hit like a slap in the face—hard and unforgiving. My head pounded like a bass drum, the remnants of last night's decisions pulsing through my skull with each throb. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, harsh and relentless, making me wince. I slapped at my phone, silencing the alarm that had been blaring like a foghorn.

Great. Day two of Crestville and I'm already dying.

My mouth was dry as I forced myself out of bed, muscles stiff and protesting with every movement. The world felt off, like it was tilted slightly to one side. Stumbling to the mirror, I caught a glimpse of myself and winced. Puffy eyes, smudged mascara, and hair that looked like it had barely survived a hurricane. Fabulous, I thought bitterly. I looked as messed up as I felt.

Splashing cold water on my face, I welcomed the icy sting that jolted me back to reality. As the water dripped down, so did memories from yesterday, ones I wasn't keen on reliving.

Jake.

His stupid, smug face invaded my mind, that look he'd given me searing itself into my brain. It was the kind of smirk that made you want to either slap someone or... I don't know, something worse. The way he'd looked at me like I was just another girl he could toy with, irritated me more than I'd ever admit.

Why the hell am I even thinking about him?

I shook my head, hoping to knock him out of my thoughts, but his image only seemed to cling harder. Today was supposed to be a fresh start—a new day where I didn't let some cocky, rich boy hijack my brain.

Not today, Satan. Not today.

I groaned as I dug through my closet, the pounding in my head reminding me of every sip I shouldn't have taken at last night's party.

Note to self: parties are not my thing.

Just as I managed to find something semi-decent to wear, Brianna bounced into the room—looking far too energetic for someone who'd partied harder than me. A to-go coffee cup was clutched in her hand, and her bright eyes sparkled with far too much morning joy.

"Morning, sunshine!" she chirped, her voice way too cheerful for my current state.

I shot her a death glare, grabbing a bottle of water from the mini-fridge. "Why are you like this?"

"Because some of us love the life before 9 a.m., Mel." She laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a smug little grin. "Come on, admit it—yesterday was fun."

"Fun? You mean the hangover from hell I'm dealing with right now?" I muttered, rubbing my temples as I took a long sip of water.

Brianna's laugh was carefree, annoyingly so. "Pfft. You'll live. We're college girls now—gotta embrace the chaos!" She winked before turning her attention back to her phone, probably scrolling through social media with her usual pep. I envied her energy.

"Yeah, well, too much of that chaos is trying to kill me right now," I grumbled as I tossed the water bottle in the trash and headed toward the bathroom to attempt damage control on my appearance.

Just survive today, I told myself.

As I stared into the mirror, applying concealer to hide the dark circles under my eyes, Jake's face flashed in my mind again. Goddammit, Melissa. Stop. I needed to forget about him. It didn't matter. He didn't matter.

But no matter how many times I told myself that, there was still a part of me—a tiny, traitorous part—that couldn't quite let it go. And I hated that. The knot in my stomach tightened with frustration. Why does he get to take up space in my head? Ugh.

~

By the time we made it to our first lecture, my nerves had settled slightly, though the dull headache remained. The room buzzed with the low hum of students, most of them clearly battling their own hangovers. Others frantically typed on their laptops, trying to pretend they were ready to be good students after the madness of last night.

I slid into a seat next to Brianna, who was already tapping away on her phone, probably checking Instagram or texting her family.

Just as I was about to get comfortable, I felt it again—that strange pull. I didn't want to look up, but my body acted on its own. I knew before I even saw him.

Jake.

He was leaning against the back wall, arms crossed, his gaze casually scanning the room like a king surveying his kingdom. The way he stood there, so effortlessly confident, as if he owned the place, made my stomach flip in the most annoying way possible. His eyes swept over the crowd, landing on me for a second—just a second—just long enough to send a jolt through me, like static electricity zapping my skin.

No. No. Do not give him the satisfaction, Melissa. But it was too late. My heart was already racing, and I hated it.

He looked away, cool as ever, like he hadn't just thrown my world off balance. I tried to steady myself, willing my mind to calm down, but he was under my skin, and I didn't know how to dig him out.

I glanced at Brianna, hoping she hadn't noticed. Of course, she had.

"Well, well, looks like Prince Arrogant decided to grace us with his presence," she said, her lips curling into a mischievous grin as she nudged me with her elbow. "He's totally into you, by the way."

"Oh please, Bri," I muttered, fighting the heat creeping up my neck. "He's not into me. He's just... a jerk." I was trying to sound nonchalant, but my voice betrayed me, shaky and unconvincing.

Brianna raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Mmhmm, sure. And I'm Beyoncé." She leaned closer, her grin widening. "Come on, Mel. You can't pretend you don't feel that tension. It's like watching a rom-com in real life. You're the reluctant heroine, and he's the mysterious bad boy."

I rolled my eyes, trying to play it off. "Except, this isn't a movie, Bri."

"No, but it's way more fun to watch," she teased, winking before turning her attention back to her phone.

I stared down at my notebook, hoping to focus on anything but the lingering feeling of Jake's eyes on me. But the truth was, Brianna wasn't wrong. There was tension, something electric between us, even though I hated to admit it. And the worst part? A tiny part of me didn't want to run from it.

***