The next morning, school felt heavier than usual. Every hallway, every glance, every whisper seemed amplified. I tried to focus on classes, on the lectures, but my mind kept drifting to last evening — the kiss, Jace's touch, the way my heart had leapt and twisted all at once.
By the time lunch rolled around, I was desperate for fresh air. I slipped out of the cafeteria and wandered toward the courtyard, hoping the quiet would give me a moment to think.
But it wasn't quiet.
Jace was already there, leaning casually against the fountain, his eyes tracking me the moment I stepped outside. My chest tightened. He was always there at the wrong time and the right time all at once.
"Morning," he said, his voice low, teasing, and entirely magnetic.
"Morning," I whispered, my words barely audible. I tried to keep my composure, but the flutter in my stomach betrayed me.
He stepped closer, and the air seemed to vibrate between us. "You've been avoiding me again," he said, though his smile was soft, almost knowing. "Not that I mind. I just… like knowing I have this effect on you."
I wanted to tell him to stop, that the way he made me feel was unfair, dangerous even. But my lips only curved into a small, guilty smile.
Before I could say anything else, a shadow fell across us. Carter. His arms were crossed, eyes narrowed slightly, though he didn't step away. Instead, he stood there, quiet but steady, like a silent warning.
"Hey," he said simply, voice calm but carrying a subtle weight. "Sienna."
My stomach twisted painfully. Both of them here, at the same time, my heart caught between fire and safety.
Jace noticed Carter immediately, his smirk fading just a little, though the glint in his eyes remained. "Morning, Carter," he said smoothly, almost tauntingly.
Carter's gaze flicked to me. "You okay?" he asked, and I could hear the concern threading through his words.
I nodded, though my voice faltered. "I… I'm fine," I whispered.
"Good," he said softly, though the slight tension in his shoulders betrayed him. "I just… don't want you getting hurt. Not by him, not by anything."
Jace stepped a little closer, closing the gap between us, his voice low, almost intimate. "Sienna doesn't get hurt. Not if I can help it."
Carter's eyes flashed briefly, a mix of warning and protectiveness, and I felt the pull in my chest even stronger. I wanted both of them, in different ways, but the reality of the triangle pressed down on me like a weight I couldn't escape.
I took a shaky breath. "I… I need some air," I whispered and stepped away, hoping to give myself space to breathe without saying anything more.
They both watched me, silent, and the tension between the two of them was almost tangible. My heart raced as I walked past, knowing that this was just the beginning. The triangle wasn't going to be easy. Not ever.
And as I wandered into the quiet of the courtyard, I realized the truth — I couldn't avoid either of them. Jace's fire, Carter's calm, and my own racing heart were all tangled together, and I had to figure out how to survive the storm without breaking apart.
The next few days promised challenges, confessions, and moments that would push me to the edge. And deep down, I knew the hardest part wasn't choosing between them. The hardest part was facing my own heart.