It had started as a distraction, something to amuse herself with while she figured out what exactly she wanted from life. But Ciara found herself drawn back to thoughts of Jacob more than she expected, and lately, her flirtations had become less of a game. He had this calm, no-nonsense attitude that contrasted so sharply with her own fiery personality that she couldn’t help but be intrigued.
One afternoon, she spotted him at lunch, sitting with his friends. She took a deep breath, brushing her hair back and slipping on her most confident smile before sauntering over.
“Hey, boys,” she greeted, sliding into a seat beside Jacob. She propped her chin on her hand, giving him an exaggeratedly sweet look. “What’s up?”
Jacob raised an eyebrow, barely hiding his amusement. “What’s up is that you’re crashing our table. Again.”
“Oh, please,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Like you guys don’t love having me around.”
Jacob’s friend Tony snorted, giving her a knowing smirk. “I think you’re here for someone in particular.”
“Maybe I am,” she replied, keeping her gaze fixed on Jacob. His friends exchanged glances, barely containing their grins, and she could feel a blush creeping up her cheeks, despite her best effort to play it cool.
Later that week, she found herself hanging around his locker, waiting for him between classes. When he arrived, she gave him her best disinterested look and said, “Oh, fancy meeting you here.”
He shot her a bemused glance, trying to hide a smirk. “You’re a terrible liar.”
“Am I, though?” she challenged, leaning against the locker beside him. “Maybe I just want to be here, see what you’re up to.”
He looked at her, his gaze steady and unruffled, but there was something in his eyes that held her attention. “Ciara, why do you keep doing this?”
For once, she found herself at a loss for words, the usual banter stuck in her throat. He wasn’t making it easy for her, wasn’t falling for the usual tricks, and that only made her want him more. “Because I think you’re worth it. You’re worth changing for,” she finally replied, surprising herself with the honesty in her voice.
He gave her a small smile, his gaze softening just slightly. “Maybe you should prove it.”
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving her to wonder just how she would.