"You may be his world, but you're the only thing that ever felt like home to me."
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Some people never get second chances. Lilah never thought she'd get one with her brother's best friend.
She's quiet...
Apologies for the longer wait for an update! Life has been hectic and I've honestly been working hard on rewriting these chapters on top of writing the new ones. I can't believe we're already almost at 3.5k views! I appreciate all of the support, it keeps me motivated to keep going! 😭
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The weight of Jackson's stare settles over me like a heavy storm cloud. I refuse to look back, but I don't need to—I can feel it. His piercing blue eyes are locked onto me from across the room, his expression unreadable but unmistakably sharp and focused. I force myself to keep my gaze forward, to act like his presence doesn't affect me, but every time I steal a quick glance, he's still watching.
And he's not even trying to be subtle about it.
The first time I catch him staring, I nearly jump in my seat. His expression is eerily similar to Friday night—annoyed, like this is somehow my fault. Like I wanted to be paired with him.
Heat rises in my chest, tightening around my ribs like an iron grip. I tear my gaze away, gripping my pen so tight that my knuckles turn white. If anyone should be annoyed, it should be me. I spent years trying to push him out of my mind, convincing myself he didn't matter anymore. And now, in a single moment, the universe is shoving him back into my life, making sure I can't avoid him, making sure I have to face him, like some sort of twisted joke. Like I never even had a choice.
I swallow hard, Mr. Grey's voice barely registering as he continues calling out names and finishes pairing people up. The sound of murmured agreements fills the air as students nod at their partners.
"For the rest of the semester, you will be sitting beside your partner," Mr. Grey continues, scanning the room. "Whether I give you a free period to work on your project, or I'm teaching, I want to make sure you can communicate effectively. This project is worth fifty percent of your final grade, so if you don't want to fail, I suggest you take this seriously."
My stomach sinks. I don't just need to pass this class—I need to do well in it. Which means I'm not only stuck with Jackson, but I'm actually going to have to work with him. I can't just ignore him and do all the work myself, no matter how much I wish I could.
As soon as Mr. Grey dismisses us to find our partners and switch seats, students immediately start shifting around, grabbing their things and moving to sit beside their assigned partners. The noise in the classroom grows as people settle into their new seats, chatting about the project, already getting to know each other.
But I stay frozen in my seat. I could wait him out, make him be the one to move first, but I already know him too well. He's not going to make this easy for me.
Slowly, I glance back in his direction.
But I already know Jackson too well. He's not going to make this easy for me.
