Sophie's Life

Chapter 9 : The Kiss

We're still trying to recover from the pyramid collapse when the news hits us: Blue team wins. The announcement rings in the air, and I glance over, watching their group erupt into cheers. Jace is laughing with Jules, and Alan hoists the flag like it's some sort of trophy. Meanwhile, our team's lying in the dirt, literally and figuratively defeated.

"Great," Riley mutters, brushing off her jeans. "All that, and we didn't even come close."

"Maybe if we hadn't spent half the time arguing," Sasha says quietly, her voice tight with frustration.

I stand up, my knees aching from the fall. "This is a joke," I mutter. The whole pyramid idea was ridiculous, and with Aaron gone and Riley too stubborn to listen, we were doomed from the start. But the frustration building inside me is less about the challenge and more about one person in particular.

James.

"Could've gone better," he says, wiping dirt from his hands, like he's the one who had everything under control. Typical. He's standing there all calm and collected like nothing fazes him.

I shoot him a glare. "Yeah, maybe if someone hadn't tried to play hero the entire time."

He raises an eyebrow, that smug grin appearing on his face. "Really, Sophie? You're going to blame this on me?"

"I'm blaming it on the fact that you always think you know best," I snap back. "You're not the leader of this group, James. You act like you are, but guess what? No one asked you to."

James crosses his arms, the grin never leaving his face. "Funny. You had no problem following my lead when it got us through the first couple of clues."

"You just love being the center of attention, don't you?" I bite out, feeling the anger rise. "It's not about the team with you—it's about you showing off."

"Showing off?" He laughs, but it's cold, cutting. "You think I enjoy carrying everyone because half of you can't focus long enough to finish a task?"

"Wow, you're just full of compliments, aren't you?"

He takes a step closer, eyes narrowing. "Maybe if you spent less time complaining and more time actually contributing, we wouldn't have lost."

I feel the heat rising in my chest. "Oh, please. You think you're better than everyone else because you're good at puzzles and throwing out orders. Newsflash, James: nobody's impressed."

Riley, sensing the tension, tries to step in. "Guys, let's just—"

But I'm not done. I've had enough of James acting like he's untouchable. "You know what? I don't even know why I bother talking to you."

"Maybe because you can't stand being wrong," he shoots back.

"Wrong?" I scoff, stepping forward. "I'm not wrong, James. You're just unbearable."

And then, before I can stop myself, I push him. It's not hard, just enough to shove him back a step. His eyes widen in surprise, but he doesn't back down. Instead, he grabs my arm and pulls me toward him.

"Unbearable, huh?" he says, his voice low, close enough that I can feel his breath.

"Yeah," I breathe, but my voice comes out weaker than I intended.

For a second, the air between us shifts, the anger swirling into something else, something I don't understand. His grip loosens, and his gaze drops to my lips for a split second, but it's enough. Without thinking, I lean in, and so does he, and before I know it, our lips meet.

It's not soft or gentle—it's heated, fueled by all the frustration that's been building for who knows how long. The kiss is rough, almost like a battle neither of us wants to lose. When we finally pull back, we're both breathing heavily, his eyes still locked on mine.

"What the hell was that?" I whisper, completely thrown off balance.

"I don't know," James mutters, looking as confused as I feel. "But don't think this changes anything."

I step back, wiping my lips like I'm trying to erase what just happened. "Trust me, it doesn't."

But even as I say it, the taste of his kiss lingers, and I hate that a part of me doesn't want it to go away.

James looks at me one more time, his expression unreadable, before turning and walking away. I stand there, heart pounding, wondering what in the world just happened and why, despite everything, it feels like we're just getting started.