Boy vs. Girl ✔️

•XVII•

I walked into the library, with Asher following me, trying to suppress the sense of dread climbing up my throat. I looked around for Jace, and I found him in the science section, pushing books back into the bookshelf.

"Hey," I croaked hoarsely, before clearing my throat and calling out again, "Jace?"

He looked up in the direction of my voice, and glanced at me, before shoving another book on the shelf. Then, he wiped his hands on his jeans, and walked towards me, standing on the edge of the shelves.

"Hey," he whispered softly, his voice holding a tint of nervousness. He took my hand in between his, and led me to a room that was behind the wooden counter he usually sat at. The room was lined in wooden bookshelves, filled with binders that had various labels on them. Jace pulled out a bright blue one, as he sat behind a wooden desk that matched the shelves. He buried his face in his hands, worry lines forming on his face. He looked up at my concerned face after a while, and sighed deeply.

"Kara," he started, hesitating as if he was attempting to choose his words, "do you like Asher?"

I stared at him, sitting there, his face buried in his hands again, his eyes not reaching mine. Blush rose up my face, and I tried to form words, but my mind seemed to be consumed by my racing thoughts.

"I..." I trailed off, before regaining my ability to form sentences, "why would you think that?"

"Kara, I've seen the way you act around him. I've seen the way he acts around you. Don't worry about me," he spoke softly, but deftly, his voice cracking at the end, as if he was trying not to cry. "All I want is for you to be happy. Don't worry about me."

I gaped at him, his words ringing through my brain, as it registered what he was saying.

"I don't know," I shrugged softly, my voice low and my eyes unable to meet his. A tear streamed down my face, and a few more followed suit, spilling onto the floor. I felt a shift of weight, and the wood creaked, before I felt Jace's warm arms envelope me into the hug.

"It's okay," he soothed me, patting my back slowly. I hid my face in his chest, and let my body fall limp as he held me up.

"I don't want to hurt you-" I started, but Jace quickly cut me off.

"Put yourself first. Don't worry about my feelings. It'll hurt worse if you give me hope now, and then crush it later," he told me slowly, still rubbing soothing circles on my back.

"I don't know if I can trust Asher," I explained, "I don't know if I can trust myself. What if he's just playing with me? I don't think I can handle that."

"He isn't," Jace confirmed, "and if he was, I would beat him up."

We both laughed, tears staining our lips as a dry chuckle erupted throughout the room. A silence quickly followed, as I decided what to say to Jace.

"You're right. This isn't fair to you," I nodded into his chest, and looked up into his eyes, which were unusually dull. I pressed my lips against his rough cheek, and drew away quickly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he assured me, placing his hands on my shoulders. He offered me a small smile, which I returned gratefully.

I turned slowly, walking to the door hesitantly, before turning back to glance at him. He had turned away from me, his shoulders sagging slightly.

"Hey," I called out cautiously, "I'm still here if you need me."

"Yeah," he replied, turning back to face me. I looked at him once more, concerned, before walking out. I wiped my tears with the sleeve of my jacket, probably smudging whatever makeup I had on.

"Kara," I heard Asher call out from a table, as I crossed the library to reach the main entrance.

"Yeah?" I turned to face him, trying to keep my voice from wavering.

"Do you need a ride home?" he asked, concern coloring his tone.

"Yeah," I confessed, "that would be great."

•••

Boy: 12 Girl: 10