The morning air felt unusually heavy, almost thick with anticipation. My hands trembled slightly as I gripped the strap of my bag, though I told myself it was just nerves, nothing more. But deep down, I knew it was more than that. Jace. Carter. Both of them. The storm that had begun with the rain and the park scene wasn't over. It had only shifted inside me, building pressure until it felt unbearable.
By the time I reached school, my chest felt tight, my heart skipping beats with every step. I tried to focus on mundane things the chatter in the hall, the locker doors slamming, the sound of my own breathing anything to distract myself from the memory of Jace's hands, his lips, the way he had looked at me.
And then I saw him. Carter.
He was leaning against the wall near my locker, arms crossed, eyes following me as I approached. His gaze was calm, steady, but it carried something else, too concern. And maybe a hint of jealousy. My stomach twisted.
"Hey," he said softly as I reached him. There was nothing accusatory in his tone, but I knew he noticed the subtle shift in me — how I had been distracted, distant, lost in thought.
"Hi," I whispered, my voice barely above a breath.
"You okay?" His eyes searched mine, piercing yet gentle. "You've been… different lately."
I hesitated, unsure how to answer. I wanted to say yes, I'm fine. I wanted to lie, brush it off. But the truth? The truth was messy. And I wasn't even sure I understood it myself.
"I… I've just had a lot on my mind," I admitted finally, hoping the vagueness would suffice.
He studied me, and I could feel the unspoken questions lingering in the air. He tilted his head slightly, a soft frown creasing his brow. "About him?"
My heart skipped, and my cheeks heated. "Maybe," I murmured.
Carter sighed, a mixture of resignation and quiet frustration, though he didn't push further. Instead, he gave me a small, understanding nod. "Alright. Just… don't shut me out, okay?"
I nodded, grateful for his patience, but my thoughts immediately shifted. Jace. Where was he? What was he doing right now? The pull in my chest grew stronger, a magnetic tug I couldn't resist.
By the time classes ended, I had barely managed to focus. Every glance toward the hallway, every shadow in the corner of my eye, I half expected to see Jace. And then, as if summoned, he appeared.
Leaning casually against the stairwell railing, hair slightly tousled, a smirk playing on his lips, he looked like he belonged in a painting effortless, magnetic, infuriating.
"Sienna," he said softly as I approached, his voice low and smooth. "There you are."
I froze. "Jace…" My words faltered. My pulse raced, and I felt a heat rising to my cheeks.
He stepped closer, a subtle, confident movement that made my knees weaken slightly. "I've been looking for you," he admitted, eyes locking onto mine. "You've been… distracted."
I swallowed hard, unsure how to respond. The truth was impossible to ignore. "I… I've just had a lot going on," I whispered, echoing my earlier words to Carter.
He tilted his head, a teasing glint in his eyes. "And yet, here I find you. Distracted or not, I knew I'd catch up to you eventually."
My chest ached with the intensity of it all. Jace had a way of pulling me in, of making everything else fade into the background, and I hated how powerless I felt.
Just then, Carter appeared in the hallway. My stomach twisted painfully. He had been following me? Watching me? His eyes met mine, a subtle frown forming as he took in the scene Jace standing close, that smirk, the way his body leaned subtly toward me.
I wanted to tell Carter it wasn't what it looked like. I wanted to explain that Jace's presence made my heart race in a way I couldn't control. But words failed me.
Jace noticed the shift immediately. His smirk softened, though his eyes held a flash of awareness a flicker of recognition that he knew Carter's feelings, that he understood the stakes.
Carter didn't say anything, just lingered a few steps back, watching. His silence was heavier than words, and I felt the weight of it. My chest felt tight, my heart torn between two worlds.
"Sienna," Carter finally spoke, voice quiet but firm. "Talk to me. Please."
I took a shaky breath, torn. "I… I don't know what to say."
Jace stepped even closer, a subtle brush of his hand near mine, enough to make me shiver. "You don't have to say anything," he murmured. "I know."
The tension was electric. Both men stood before me, each representing a path I couldn't yet choose. Carter's steady, unwavering care the safe harbor I knew I could depend on. Jace's fire, his intensity, his ability to make my heart feel like it could burst at any moment.
"I… I need a moment," I whispered, stepping back, though my body still ached to move closer to Jace.
Both men watched me, understanding, waiting. And in that moment, I realized something terrifying and thrilling all at once: I couldn't ignore what I felt for either of them. My heart was divided, but my feelings were undeniable.
The hallway felt smaller, charged with the storm of emotions between us. I knew that every choice I made from this moment forward would matter for my heart, for theirs, for everything I couldn't yet see.
And as I walked away, leaving both of them standing there, I felt the pull in my chest stronger than ever. The storm wasn't over. It was only just beginning.