Tiffany read his response and released a sigh of relief.

For some reason, despite everything he had done, she believed him when he said he didn’t read her diary.

This was the same guy who had stolen her diary, who was blackmailing her into going to prom with him. And yet…

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. It was just a text conversation, nothing more. She couldn’t let herself get swept up in his charm.

She sighed and put the phone down, wondering what she would say to him in school tomorrow.

She pictured him standing by his locker with that smug grin, probably thinking he’d already won. She needed to figure out how to get through this without letting him get the upper hand again.

Her phone buzzed again, and she looked at it one last time before going to sleep.

“Goodnight, Princess.”

Tiffany smiled despite herself and immediately scolded herself for letting him flirt with her again.

In the morning, her nerves buzzed under the surface, but she kept her face calm as she walked down the hallway.

This was just another day, she told herself. Nothing had changed between her and Jacob.

She saw Jacob leaning casually against his locker, his signature smirk plastered across his face. He was surrounded by a group of friends, all of them laughing at something he’d just said. The sight sent a wave of irritation through her, but she forced herself to breathe. Stay calm, she reminded herself.

“Hey, princess!” Jacob called out as she drew nearer, his voice playful and mocking. The laughter from his friends faded into silence, and their eyes turned toward her, waiting for her reaction.

Tiffany narrowed her eyes at him, refusing to let him see how much his words affected her. “Cut it out, Jacob,” she replied coolly, trying to maintain her composure. “I’m not your princess.”

He shrugged, that infuriating grin still in place. “Suit yourself, but it fits you, you know? Just like that dress I can’t wait to see you in at prom.”

A flush crept up Tiffany’s cheeks despite her best efforts to keep her expression neutral. “You’re delusional if you think I’m excited about it,” she shot back, pretending to rummage through her locker to avoid his gaze. “I didn’t even buy a dress yet.”

Jacob stepped closer, his confidence unwavering. “Oh, come on! You can’t go to prom without a dress.”

Tiffany rolled her eyes. “I know that.”

“Then what’s the hold-up?” he asked, leaning against her locker, his arms crossed as if he had all the time in the world. “You should start shopping. I can even help you pick something out. You know, if you let me.”

“Help me? Like you helped yourself to my diary?” she shot back, her irritation flaring. “No thanks.”

His grin faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered. “Alright, I deserve that one. But seriously, I can help. I’ve got a good eye for fashion, you know.”

“Fashion? Since when?” Tiffany raised an eyebrow, a small smirk threatening to break her serious facade. “Last time I checked, you were wearing that awful graphic tee with the cartoon character on it.”

“Hey! It’s retro!” He pointed at his shirt, defensively. “And just because I have a laid-back style doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good dress when I see one.”

She smiled. “Did you help all of your girlfriends shop?”

Jacob’s smirk faded for a moment, and he scratched the back of his neck, looking slightly embarrassed. “Uh…I don’t have girlfriends.”

Tiffany raised an eyebrow. “Right…is that why Amber threatened me the other day?”

His eyes darkened. “What did Amber say to you?”

Tiffany crossed her arms. “She just warned me to stay away from you, that I wasn’t worth your time. You know, typical jealous-girl nonsense.”

“She doesn’t know shit,” Jacob growled. He suddenly grabbed her hand, startling her. “I didn’t even date her that long, Tiff. She wasn’t really my girlfriend.”

“Yeah, well, whatever. Who you date is none of my business. We should get to class,” she said and tried to tug her hand free but Jacob had a tight grip on her. His grey eyes were intense as he stared at her intently.

“Forget the class. Let’s go somewhere else today,” he said gloomily.

Tiffany’s heart raced as she felt the warmth of his hand wrapped around hers. This was not how she had imagined her day starting. She pulled against his grip, her mind a flurry of thoughts. “What are you talking about? I can’t just skip class.”

“Why not?” Jacob challenged, his expression serious. “Just for today. I want to spend time with you without all these eyes on us.”

Tiffany glanced around, noticing the curious stares from Jacob’s friends and a few other students nearby. She bit her lip, weighing her options. “Spe-spend time with me? You are already taking me to the prom.”

Jacob lowered his voice as he leaned closer. “Come on, Tiff. Where’s your sense of adventure?”

Tiffany bit her lower lip. Maybe she was slowly going crazy because she was actually considering skipping class with him.

Tiffany’s mind raced as she battled her inner turmoil. Was this really happening? One moment, she was determined to keep her distance from Jacob, and the next, she found herself contemplating an impromptu adventure with him.

She hesitated, glancing at his hopeful expression. “You really think I’m going to just ditch school because you asked me to?”

“Why not? It’s just one day,” Jacob replied, his tone light. “I promise I won’t make you do this all the time and corrupt your squeaky clean reputation.”

Tiffany felt her heart skip a beat. Part of her was screaming to say no, to maintain her boundaries and not let him manipulate her again. But another part—a part that had been quietly intrigued by him—was tempted by the idea of breaking free from her routine, if only for a little while.

“Fine,” she said. “But just for a bit.”

Jacob’s grin widened, and he seemed to exhale a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Deal.”

Tiffany tried to appear indifferent, but inside, her stomach fluttered. What the hell did she just agree to?