Torn between pages: A Rivalry turned into romance

Torn Between Pages: A Rivalry Turned Romance, chapter 1: the first year

Hello people, I am a new writter here in Wattpad. I'm not new to writing though please excuse my English, Enjoy!!(⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)⁠❤

As Jaezhrael held the book just beyond Clyde's reach, a mischievous smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Looking for this?" he asked, holding it above his head. Clyde sighed, irritation and mild annoyance written across his face. He hated how Jaez seemed to revel in riling him up.

Jaez smirked as he continued to hold the book just out of reach, enjoying the flicker of irritation flaring across Clyde's features. "What's the matter, nerd? Need your fix of fiction that badly, huh?" he taunted, relishing in the way Clyde's eyes narrowed in response.

Clyde clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to react to Jaez's taunts.

"You know I need that book for school," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Can you just give it back already?" Jaez chuckled softly, feigning innocence.

He loved seeing Clyde's attempts to remain composed. "Why the rush? We're just having fun here, aren't we?" he drawled, taking small steps backward, keeping the book out of reach.

Clyde let out a frustrated sigh, realizing Jaez was determined to drag this out as long as possible. "This isn't fun for me, Jaez. Just give me the damn book."

But Jaez's smile only widened, his eyes glinted with mischief. "Oh, come on, where's your sense of humor? I'm just messing with you." He turned and walked a few more steps away, flipping through the pages of the book in his hand.

Clyde felt the heat of his anger rising, but he also couldn't ignore the fluttering in his chest.

Why did Jaez always have this effect on him? "You're insufferable," Clyde muttered, taking a step toward Jaez, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Just give me back the book and quit your stupid games. I have better things to do than play your little pranks all day." Jaez glanced over his shoulder, a sly grin on his face.

"Oh, do you now? And here I thought you lived for my delightful company." He flipped another page in the book, feigning nonchalance.

Clyde growled, the irritation building within him. "Interesting? You call this interesting? Do you ever think about how annoying you're being?" He took another step closer, closing the distance between them. Jaez just grinned, clearly enjoying the effect he was having on Clyde.

"I prefer to think of it as adding a bit of spice to your otherwise boring routine." He finally stopped flipping pages and looked up, meeting Clyde's gaze with a smug expression.

Clyde's annoyance morphed into disbelief. "Boring routine? So now you're the expert on my life, huh?" He was now standing directly in front of Jaez, their faces mere inches apart.

Jaez raised an eyebrow, the cocky smirk never leaving his face. "Well, I do have a front-row seat to your daily nerd activities, don't I?"

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze flickering to Clyde's lips momentarily before meeting his eyes again.
As Jaez held the book inches from Clyde's face, his smile softened slightly.

"You know," he murmured, his voice a touch quieter now, "I like seeing you get riled up like this."

Clyde's heart skipped a beat at the sudden shift in Jaez's tone, but he quickly composed himself. "Don't think you're getting anywhere with that charming act of yours," he retorted, his voice slightly uneven.

Jaez chuckled, realizing he might have revealed a bit too much with that statement. He took a step back, finally handing the book back to Clyde. "Just a small taste of the chaos you're in for," he said, his smirk returning.