HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS

Chapter 11 : A moment of courage.

Emma's POV:

I didn't know what came over me in that moment. Maybe it was the way he had opened up, the vulnerability in his eyes that mirrored my own feelings of loneliness. Maybe it was the warmth of his jacket around my shoulders, or the way he made me feel safe enough to share my own struggles. Whatever it was, it gave me a burst of courage.

As we stood there, the air between us thick with unspoken words, I felt an urge to show him just how much I appreciated him. The way he'd defended me earlier, how he'd opened up about his own pain—it was more than I could have asked for. I wanted to acknowledge it, to let him know how much that meant to me.

Before I could think it through, I turned to him, and before I even realized what I was doing, I leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. It was quick, almost fleeting, but the moment felt electric.

I pulled back, my heart racing, a wave of embarrassment crashing over me. What had I just done? My cheeks flushed, and I immediately felt the heat rise in my face.

"Uh... I'm sorry!" I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to—"

I turned to leave, needing to escape the awkwardness that had suddenly enveloped us. But before I could take a step, I felt his hand close around my wrist, gentle yet firm, stopping me in my tracks.

"Wait," Jax said, his voice low, almost hesitant.

I turned back to face him, my heart pounding in my chest. His eyes were intense, searching mine as if trying to read my thoughts. There was a moment of silence, thick with tension, and I could feel the weight of everything unsaid hanging in the air.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, his tone a mix of surprise and curiosity.

"I don't know," I admitted, my voice trembling slightly. "I just... I felt like I needed to. Like it was the right thing to do."

He stepped closer, and my breath caught in my throat. "And how do you feel about me, Emma?"

His question hung between us, and I felt the urge to flee again. But I couldn't deny the truth any longer, not when I was standing so close to him. The way he made me feel, the connection we shared—it was real, and I didn't want to hide from it.

"I think you're amazing, Jax," I confessed, my heart racing. "You've been so... kind to me. I just didn't expect that from someone like you."

He tilted his head slightly, a smile ghosting across his lips, and I felt my heart skip. "Someone like me? You mean the rich bad boy?"

I nodded, unable to help the small smile that crept onto my face. "Yeah. You've got this whole reputation, and yet, you're... different. You're not what I thought you'd be."

He moved even closer, and I could feel the heat radiating off him. "I could say the same about you. You're not just the quiet girl hiding in the background. There's so much more to you."

The way he looked at me made my insides twist with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. And then, as if we were both caught in the same moment, he took another step forward, closing the distance between us , he cupped my face softly between his warm hands as he stared at my eyes and then down at my lips.

"Emma," he said softly, his voice low, "can I ?"

My heart raced at the question, the anticipation making everything feel electric. I nodded, barely able to find my voice.

And then, slowly, he leaned in, brushing his lips against mine. The kiss was soft at first, tentative, but then deepened as if we were both giving in to the feelings we had been dancing around for too long. It felt like everything I had been holding back—my fears, my loneliness—washed away in that one moment.

When we finally pulled apart, I was breathless, staring up at him, my heart racing.

"Wow," I breathed, my cheeks still flushed.

He grinned, that charming smile of his lighting up his face. "Yeah, wow."

For a moment, we just stood there, lost in each other, the world around us fading away. It was a moment I knew I would never forget—one that had changed everything between us.

"Well well what do we have here?" ?????