The Friday evening sky glowed a soft pink as Sienna adjusted her jacket and looked at herself in the mirror for what felt like the tenth time. Her hands trembled slightly as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
Maya's voice came from the doorway. "You're stalling."
"I'm not," Sienna said, though she definitely was.
"You are," Maya grinned. "You've been staring at your reflection for fifteen minutes. It's just the art showcase, not a royal ball."
Sienna turned, pretending to roll her eyes. "I just don't want to look… too much."
Maya laughed. "Honey, you could wear a trash bag and Jace would still look at you like you hung the stars."
Sienna's cheeks flushed. She didn't deny it.
The art showcase was something the school hosted every year a mix of music, photography, and design displays. Jace had submitted one of his photos for the first time, and Maya had dragged Sienna into helping with the setup.
Except tonight, it wasn't just about helping. It felt… different. Ever since that night — the kiss, the confession, the unspoken promises that followed everything between her and Jace had been balancing on a fragile thread between comfort and chaos.
And now, she was about to see him again in public, around people, pretending nothing had changed.
The school auditorium buzzed with soft chatter and low music when Sienna arrived. The air smelled faintly of paint, coffee, and paper a mix that always reminded her of beginnings.
Jace was there, near one of the photo displays, dressed in black jeans and a simple gray shirt that somehow made him look effortlessly perfect.
He saw her instantly. His smile was small but genuine the kind that didn't reach his lips, only his eyes.
"You came," he said when she reached him.
"You didn't think I would?"
"I hoped you would," he admitted quietly.
His photo was stunning a shot of a rainy street, a single girl holding an umbrella, walking alone under a flickering light. It was hauntingly beautiful, and painfully familiar.
"It's you, isn't it?" she asked softly.
He smiled faintly. "Maybe."
Sienna's heart raced. She could still feel the echo of his touch, the warmth of his lips from that night. But before she could say anything, Maya appeared beside her, holding two cups of iced tea.
"I brought you both drinks," she said cheerfully, completely oblivious to the storm brewing between them. "Also, Jace, people love your photo. The judges were just talking about it."
"Thanks, Maya," he said with a grin.
Sienna tried to relax, sipping her drink and focusing on the art around her. But the more she tried to ignore Jace's gaze, the more she felt it that heavy, magnetic pull that made it impossible to think straight.
And then her phone buzzed.
Carter: I'm here.
Her breath caught.
Here?
She turned slowly toward the entrance, and there he was Carter West. The boy who had once made her world brighter, and darker, all at once.
He looked the same charming smile, calm confidence but there was something softer in his eyes this time. Something almost apologetic.
"Sienna," he said as he walked up. His voice was gentle, almost cautious. "You look… amazing."
Maya blinked in surprise. "Wait, Carter? As in"
"Yes," Sienna said quickly. "Carter."
The silence that followed was thick enough to choke on.
Jace's jaw tightened. His hands slid into his pockets, but his eyes they didn't leave Carter once.
Carter noticed him too, of course. "Hey, man," he said easily, extending a hand. "I'm Carter."
"Jace," came the curt reply. He shook Carter's hand but didn't smile.
The tension between them was electric unspoken, sharp, and pulsing.
Maya, sensing the atmosphere, mumbled something about checking on the drinks and slipped away.
"So," Carter started, glancing around. "This is… impressive. I didn't know you were still into these things."
Sienna forced a smile. "I never stopped."
He looked at her with that familiar warmth the one that used to make her heart flutter. "I missed this side of you."
Jace shifted slightly, his jaw working. "You two go way back?"
Carter smiled faintly. "You could say that. We were… close."
"Were?" Jace repeated, his tone even but edged.
Carter's eyes flickered to Sienna, then back to him. "Guess that depends on who you ask."
Sienna felt her pulse pounding in her ears. "Carter, don't"
He raised his hands. "Relax, I'm not here to cause problems. I just wanted to see you. Talk. Maybe start over."
Jace's expression darkened. "Start over?"
Carter's smirk was small but deliberate. "Yeah. You know how it is sometimes, you realize you let go of something you shouldn't have."
That was it. The words hung in the air like sparks.
Sienna's chest tightened. She didn't know what to say, who to look at. Jace's eyes were on her, not Carter like he was waiting for her to say something, anything, that would prove she was his.
"Carter," she finally said quietly. "You can't just come back and expect everything to be the same."
"I don't," he said. "I just thought maybe… we could start as friends again."
Jace's voice was soft but dangerous. "Friends."
Carter shrugged. "Unless that's a problem?"
The way Jace looked at him steady, unreadable made the air feel thick. "It's not my problem," he said, "as long as Sienna's okay with it."
Her heart skipped. There was an edge in his voice she'd never heard before jealousy, raw and barely contained.
"I'm fine," she said quickly, though her tone betrayed her uncertainty.
The rest of the night passed in a blur.
Jace barely said a word after that, though his eyes followed her every move. Carter stayed near too near helping her pack up some things after the showcase ended. He was warm, familiar, but it didn't feel the same anymore.
Not after Jace.
Still, when Carter brushed a stray hair from her face, her heart betrayed her with a quiet flutter.
"You still get nervous when people look at you," he said softly. "You used to hide behind your sketchbook."
She smiled weakly. "Maybe some things never change."
"Some things do," he murmured, his voice low. "Like how you look at him."
Her heart stilled.
"You noticed," she whispered.
"Hard not to." His expression softened. "He's lucky. Just… be careful, okay?"
She blinked. "Why?"
"Because I know you," he said simply. "And I know you fall with your whole heart. I just hope he knows how to catch it."
Her throat tightened. "Goodnight, Carter."
He smiled sadly. "Goodnight, Sienna."
Outside, the air was cool and quiet. Sienna walked toward the parking lot, her heels clicking softly against the pavement and froze when she saw Jace leaning against his car, arms crossed.
"You left without saying goodbye," he said.
"I thought you were busy."
"I wasn't."
His voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed him. There was something stormy in them jealousy, pain, something he didn't know how to name.
"So that was Carter," he said after a moment.
"Yes."
"He seems… charming."
She gave a small laugh. "You sound jealous."
He looked at her then, really looked. "Maybe I am."
Her heart skipped. "You don't have to be."
"Don't I?" he stepped closer. "Because watching him talk to you tonight it felt like every word was a reminder that he got to know you first."
Sienna's breath hitched. "Jace…"
"I know I shouldn't care," he continued, voice low and trembling slightly. "We haven't even defined what this is. But seeing him look at you like that like you still belonged to him it made me realize I don't ever want to lose you. Not to him. Not to anyone."
The world seemed to narrow down to just the two of them.
Sienna swallowed hard. "You won't lose me," she whispered.
"Promise me that," he said, stepping closer until his breath brushed her skin. "Promise me you'll give me a chance a real one."
Her heart raced. "I promise."
For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Jace reached up, brushing his thumb along her jaw, his touch soft but certain.
"Good," he murmured. "Because I'm not planning to let go."
The night hummed around them distant music, laughter fading, streetlights flickering softly.
When Jace kissed her, it wasn't like before desperate and rushed. It was slower this time, deeper, filled with everything he couldn't say out loud.
Sienna's fingers found his jacket, holding on like she didn't want to let go either.
And for the first time that night, everything else Carter, confusion, fear melted away.
Only them.
Only this.
But what neither of them saw was Carter standing by his car across the lot watching.
His expression unreadable. His hands clenched at his sides.
He had come to say goodbye, maybe even to let her go. But as he saw Jace's lips against hers, something in his chest cracked open.
It wasn't over. Not yet.