Do I Have the Right to Be Loved?

Chapter 14 - Games of Seduction

Jeanne woke up with difficulty, her eyes still heavy with fatigue. Last night's conversation with Daniel had kept her awake longer than expected. Dragging herself out of bed, she quickly got ready to join her friends, who were already waiting in front of her house. When they saw her, Lynne burst out laughing.

“Well, did you spend the night watching TV or something? What’s with those bags under your eyes?”

Jeanne laughed but chose to stay vague. “Yeah, it was a movie that kept me hooked until late…”

She didn’t want to tell them the real reason for her restless night. They hated Daniel, and she wasn’t ready to reveal that she had spent the night talking with him. The walk to school was cheerful, filled with the usual jokes and playful banter, but Jeanne’s mind was elsewhere. Her thoughts revolved around Daniel. The idea of seeing him again gave her a strange feeling in her stomach—something between excitement and apprehension.

Once in class, she sat in her usual spot while Matthéo and Thomas resumed bickering over something trivial. Lynne, as usual, buried herself in her book. Jeanne, on the other hand, got lost in her thoughts, gazing out the window. A few seconds later, a vibration in her pocket snapped her back to reality. She took out her phone and read Daniel's message:

Daniel
-Turn your eyes, or I’ll start getting jealous of the ocean.

She stifled a laugh and discreetly glanced over at him. Sitting in his usual spot, he was staring at her with a mischievous smile that made her heart flutter. He winked, causing her to roll her eyes. To tease him, she ignored the message and placed her phone face down on the table, trying to focus on the lesson.

The next hour was filled with exchanged glances and smiles, but Jeanne did her best to stay focused on her friends. At one point, Thomas, noticing her distant expression, teased her.

“Hey, are you daydreaming? Everything okay?”

Jeanne smiled. “Yeah, don’t worry. Just a few thoughts…”

Thomas, always lighthearted, replied, “Since when do you think?”

She playfully shoved his shoulder before attempting to focus again. After two hours of class, they all headed to the courtyard to enjoy the break. They settled around a picnic table and started playing cards. A few minutes later, Jeanne stood up and asked “Anyone thirsty? I’m going to get some drinks.”

Her friends nodded, and Jeanne headed toward the vending machines. On her way, she spotted Daniel outside, smoking. She grabbed an extra bottle for him and, before returning to her friends, quietly made her way toward him. Without him noticing, she reached over his shoulder and took his cigarette, bringing it to her lips.

Surprised, Daniel turned around with a smile. “Well, well, cigarette thief.”

Jeanne smiled and sat next to him. She handed him the water bottle and took a drag from the cigarette before handing it back. Daniel gently took it from her.

“You know what you just did is very seductive?” he said with a charming grin.

Jeanne burst out laughing. “That wasn’t the point.” She averted her gaze, almost ignoring him, which seemed to amuse Daniel.

“What are you doing here with me?” he asked, staring at her. “You’re ditching your friends for me… Am I climbing up your scale from 1 to 10 or something?”

Jeanne looked at him and shook her head, laughing. “You’re such an idiot. No, I just felt sorry for you.” Then she looked back toward the horizon, her mind on the ocean.

Daniel then stood up and placed himself in front of her, his hands on either side of her on the wall, trapping her with intentional closeness. Jeanne looked up at him, a smirk on her face.

“I already told you to stop looking at the ocean like that. I swear I’m going to end up jealous.”

Jeanne laughed but stayed still. She liked the closeness more than she wanted to admit, but she preferred to play indifferent. Intrigued, Daniel leaned in closer, waiting for her to push him away. But she did nothing, letting the tension between them build. Slowly, he placed the cigarette between his lips without breaking eye contact. Jeanne took the cigarette from his lips with her fingers, lightly brushing his lips before taking another drag. Then, she placed a hand on his chest and gently pushed him away.

They remained just inches apart, a knowing smile on their faces. Jeanne took one last drag from the cigarette before sliding it back between Daniel’s lips, lingering her fingers on his lips before pulling away.

“Have a nice day,” she murmured before walking away with a smile, heading back to her friends.

Daniel watched her leave, an impressed smile on his face. She had surprised him yet again.

Jeanne returned to the table and handed out the water bottles to her friends. Matthéo, amused, said:

“Hey, you took your time. What were you doing? Filtering seawater or something?”

Jeanne smiled and shrugged. “No, I just talked with someone I know.”

Thomas, always curious, asked, “Someone you know? What kind of someone?”

“Just a guy I’ve seen around, nothing special,” she replied casually.

Thomas squinted but didn’t press further. The break continued in good spirits, but Jeanne couldn’t stop thinking about her moment with Daniel.