POV: Jay
Aries drove me home like he was handling fragile cargo. Every bump earned a dramatic sigh from him, like my leg would suddenly fall off and roll into traffic.
"I'm fine," I muttered.
"That's what injured people always say," he replied.
When we reached the house, I barely had time to step out before something slammed into me.
Hex.
He wrapped his arms around me like I was about to disappear again. His grip was tight, stubborn, familiar.
"You're finally back," he said, his voice low.
"I went to the hospital, not another country," I teased, rubbing his back anyway.
Aunty Gemma appeared next, pulling me into a hug that smelled like home and fabric softener. "Look at you," she said softly. "Still standing."
"Barely," I joked.
I glanced around. "Where's Angelo?"
"At the company," she answered. "He said he'll come later."
Of course he did.
After greeting everyone properly, I escaped to my room. Shower first. Hospital air sticks to you in ways that feel illegal.
When I came back, hair damp and hoodie oversized, I collapsed on my bed.
Knock.
"Don't enter," I called.
The door opened anyway.
Hex walked in like the rule didn't exist.
I stared at him. "Why do I even bother talking?"
He grinned. "You missed me."
"I missed silence."
He dragged the chair closer and sat, spinning it once before stopping. "Okay, listen. Since you've been gone, my school has officially lost its mind."
"Your school," I reminded him.
"Exactly. Different schools, different disasters."
He launched straight into it.
"My class president spent ten minutes explaining a question and still solved it wrong," he said. "Then blamed the board."
I snorted. "The board?"
"Yes. The board. Apparently it 'confused' him."
He told me about his classmates, how one guy tried copying homework and still failed, how the canteen ran out of rice and almost caused a rebellion, how a teacher called him by the wrong name for three days and just decided that was his new identity.
I laughed harder than I meant to.
"Your school sounds unhinged," I said.
"It is," Hex nodded seriously. "Also, everyone kept asking why I looked tired."
"Why did you?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."
I raised an eyebrow. "Because?"
He looked away.
Suspicious.
He kept talking though. About group projects, noisy classmates, how annoying it was when people whispered during tests like the teacher couldn't hear.
Then suddenly… silence.
He stared at the floor. No jokes. No complaints. No sarcasm.
My inner alarm went off immediately.
"You're hiding something," I said.
"No, I'm not."
"You are," I repeated.
He stood up. "I need to go prepare."
"For what?" I asked.
He paused, clearly debating something. "For later."
I narrowed my eyes. "Hex."
"Also," he added quickly, "Keifer's family is coming over."
I shot upright. "What?"
"For your recovery," he said casually, already halfway to the door.
My brain tripped. Keifer's family. Over. Here.
"You could've warned me!" I yelled.
He smiled like a villain. "Surprise helps healing."
The door closed.
I lay back down, staring at the ceiling.
This boy. Absolutely dangerous.
Later that evening, Hex came back in, holding something behind his back like he was five years old.
I crossed my arms. "What did you do?"
He sighed. "Okay. Before you get mad—"
Too late.
He revealed a new headset and a phone case.
My eyes widened. "You bought those?"
"Yes."
"Without telling me?"
"Yes."
"For yourself?"
"…Yes."
I stared at him.
"I knew you'd get annoyed," he said quickly. "That's why I didn't say anything earlier."
My inner thoughts were screaming. This boy really tested my patience daily.
"You're unbelievable," I said.
"But cool, right?" he asked hopefully.
I tried not to smile.
Tried.
"Go prepare," I said, waving him out. "Before I change my mind."
He grinned and left.
I leaned back on my bed, shaking my head.
Different schools. Same Hex. Same chaos.
And apparently… company coming