Darkness (Alisa Rose #2)

-Six-

Bryce POV


I ducked into the library, grateful for a break from the whirlwind that had been the last few days. Nothing screamed "vampire drama" like nearly getting attacked outside of SM City and then having to deal with Chimon, the smug new guy who just happened to be a vampire.

I dropped into my usual corner spot, thumbing through a book I wasn't even interested in. Just needed something to pretend I was doing. Anything to keep my mind off the whole Chimon situation or how awkward things had been between me and Jordan. Things had felt...off lately. Like, we were both there, but never there, you know?

Before I could sink any further into that rabbit hole, I heard footsteps. Great. I didn't even have to look up to know who it was. Jordan.

He stood across from me, not saying anything at first, his expression a mix of frustration and something else I couldn't quite place. It was the same look he'd been giving me for days, the one that made my heart do weird flips and made me want to punch a wall at the same time.

"Bryce," he started, his voice low. "Can we talk?"

I glanced up from the book, giving him my best fake smile. "Sure. I've got nothing but time and overwhelming confusion in my life right now. What's up?"

He slid into the chair across from me, his usual confidence replaced with something softer. "It's about us."

I sighed, closing the book and leaning back. "Right. Us. You mean, the 'us' where you've been acting like you don't care about anything I say or do for the past week? That 'us?'"

Jordan winced, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's not that I don't care. You know I care. But... everything's just been too much lately. Vampires, threats, your new buddy Chimon—" He stopped himself, eyes flicking to the floor. "I just needed space."

"Space?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You mean the kind of space where you barely acknowledge my existence and give one-word responses when I ask if you're okay? That space?"

His fists clenched on the table, but he didn't snap at me. His voice stayed steady. "I didn't know what else to do. I didn't want to drag you into all my mess."

I rolled my eyes. "Jordan, we're literally in the middle of a vampire apocalypse. I'm already dragged into your mess."

He looked at me for a long moment, then before I could react, he was out of his chair, grabbing the front of my shirt and pulling me towards him. My eyes widened in surprise. "Uh, Jordan—?"

But my question was swallowed by his lips pressing against mine, the kiss unexpected and, at the same time, exactly what we both needed. It wasn't the sweet, soft kind of kiss you see in movies. No, this was raw, frustrated, and full of emotions we hadn't talked about. I felt like Spider-Man kissing MJ upside down in the rain—except, you know, we were in a library.

For a moment, everything else faded. The drama, the vampires, the weirdness between us—it all dissolved in that kiss. It was just me and him, caught in the middle of a mess but somehow finding something real between it all.

When we finally pulled apart, we were both breathless, and I couldn't help but smirk. "So... that's one way to clear the air."

Jordan shook his head, but there was a smile tugging at his lips. "I've been an idiot."

"Yep," I agreed, still grinning. "But hey, you're my idiot."

He laughed, a sound I hadn't heard from him in what felt like forever. The tension between us melted, and for the first time in days, things felt... good.

But, of course, good moments never last. Especially in my life.

A slow clap echoed through the library, and I froze. We both turned to see Jace standing by the bookshelf, his arms crossed, a smirk plastered across his face. "Well, well, well. Am I interrupting something?"