Chapter 13 — Acting the Part
Jay didn't speak to Keifer the entire morning.
She passed him in the hallway without so much as a glance, sat at the farthest desk from him in class, and answered any question from Section E with the politest possible version of "leave me alone."
Alys, unfortunately, was no help. She'd been smiling to herself all morning, probably because of Drake.
Library Detour
During break, Jay headed for the library just to get some space. She'd barely reached the doorway when she noticed something unusual — Drake. Sitting at a table. And Alys was across from him.
Drake wasn't reading. He was leaning forward slightly, listening to Alys talk, that unreadable expression softening in a way Jay had never seen before. His hand rested on the table, close enough that if Alys moved an inch, their fingers would touch.
"Wow," Jay muttered, stepping inside.
Alys glanced up. "Oh, hey. We're just—"
"Studying?" Jay teased. "Sure."
Drake didn't react, but his gaze lingered on Alys a fraction too long before he looked back at his notes.
Unwanted Escort
Jay didn't get far before Keifer appeared outside the library.
"You walking alone again?" he asked.
"Yes," she said shortly.
"Not anymore." He fell into step beside her, ignoring her glare. "After yesterday, you think I'm just letting you wander around?"
"I'm fine, Keifer."
"Not the point."
They walked in silence, but his presence was impossible to ignore. He casually reached over and took the strap of her bag when it started slipping off her shoulder, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Thanks, Dad," she muttered.
He smirked. "Anytime, Mom."
She shoved him with her elbow, but didn't tell him to leave.
Lunch with Section E
At lunch, Alys sat down next to Drake without hesitation. He slid his drink toward her without a word; she accepted it like this was normal.
Jay narrowed her eyes. "You two are dangerously close to becoming cute."
Alys rolled her eyes. "We're not a real thing."
"Uh-huh."
Across the table, Keifer leaned back in his chair. "Funny. Sounds like something we'd say."
Jay turned to him, deadpan. "We're not a thing either."
He raised a brow. "Could've fooled me."
The rest of Section E erupted in laughter, which only made Jay glare harder.
After School
Keifer was at the gate again.
Jay stopped a few feet away. "Seriously? This is starting to feel like stalking."
"Stalking is hiding in the bushes. This is walking you home."
She sighed. "You're exhausting."
"And yet here you are," he said, holding out his hand for her bag again.
Jay hesitated, then handed it over. "Still mad at you," she reminded him.
"Noted," he said with a grin that suggested he wasn't the least bit worried.
Meanwhile
Across town, Drake walked Alys to the bus stop.
They didn't talk much, but the quiet wasn't awkward. At one point, a gust of wind sent her hair into her face, and without thinking, he reached over and tucked it behind her ear.
Alys blinked. "You… okay there?"
He looked away, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah."
She didn't push, but her own smile lingered all the way home.