Jane's POV
The morning had been chaos. Watching Jay get teased reminded me of my own mess. Every time someone mentioned the gym kiss, I felt heat prick my skin—not from embarrassment, but because my mind went straight back to last night.
Yuri hadn't said much all morning, but he didn't need to. His glances across the room spoke louder than any words.
Now we sat in literature class, side by side. The teacher droned about metaphors while Yuri's knee brushed mine under the desk. Once. Twice. On purpose.
I shot him a warning glare, whispering, "You're distracting me."
He leaned close, voice hushed. "That's the idea."
I nudged him with my book. "You're impossible."
He tilted his head, eyes softening. "You didn't say stop."
Cue melting brain. I looked away, pretending to take notes, but couldn't stop smiling.
When the bell rang, he stood, gathering his papers. "Coffee after school?" he asked, tone casual but eyes bright.
"Are you asking or telling?"
He smirked. "A bit of both."
Yuri's POV
She tried so hard to look unfazed. I liked that about Jane—composed, kind, with just enough spark to challenge me.
But under that calm, I could tell she felt the same pull I did. When our hands brushed reaching for the same pen, she froze, then left her hand there for half a second. That was enough.
Her laugh had been haunting me since last night—sweet, surprised, a little breathless. I didn't know what this was yet, but I wanted more.
As class emptied, I whispered, "Meet me at the benches later." She gave the smallest nod.
Across the hall, Jay and Keifer were bickering again. Typical Section E morning. But there was something new in the air—like everyone's story was shifting, threads crossing lines that couldn't be uncrossed.
And somehow, I was fine with that.