Val's P.O.V

After sometime, it felt like I got better.

I lay on the bed, a bowl of popcorn sitting on my stomach, eyes glued to the computer screen. No, I was not watching a movie, I was studying an online course just like any straight-A student would do at 3 a.m., even though I had struggled to fill the first five series of the class.

When I was finally done, I got up and stretched to shut the window. The night air was cold, and I shivered as I went to open the latch. Habit made me glance over to my neighbor's window and this time I froze.

There he was. Jax. Standing there half-naked, his eyes wide open, the slightest blush creeping up his cheeks as he stared at me. My heart bounded and then I realized that he wasn't staring at my face. His eyes seemed to be looking lustfully at my thighs and suddenly I remembered what I was wearing.

A bra top and bum shorts which had left nothing to his imagination. I'd been asleep in a robe when I woke up, but it had slipped off when I exited the bed, and I hadn't bothered to put it back on. Why would I? I wasn't seeking out my brother's best friend. The man who just so happened to be hotter than the hottest boys I have met was standing across the other side of my window and giving me that sexy look.

His surprised expression shifted at once to a smirk, and my cheeks were burning as his eyes raked over me once again. His tongue slid over his lips, and I panicked and closed the curtains as fast as I was able.

The weekend was over and it was Monday, and I hadn't seen Jax since the party last week. So much had happened in two days, and now I had to confront him. The very idea made my stomach churn.

I grabbed my bag in my left hand, enduring the jolt of sharp pain that rippled through my wrist. I'd sprained it, but I hadn't uttered a word, not to Reynolds, not to Jax, not even to my friends. I'd wrapped it up the best way I could and stuffed it under the sloppy sleeve of my sweatshirt.

"OH MY GOD, VAL! WHY DO YOU TAKE SO LONG TO GET READY?!" Reynolds screamed from downstairs.

I didn't answer. I wasn't in the mood for it.

"I'm here," I said, tossing my bag onto my shoulder. "Let's go."

"You need to eat," Reynolds said, frowning. "You haven't eaten all day."

"I ate popcorn," I replied grumpily.

"An actual meal," he went on.

"I don't want anything," I muttered.

He sighed defeatedly. "Fine. Let's go. Jax is outside waiting in the car."

My stomach dropped when he said it. "O-okay," I stammered.

I pulled the hood of my sweatshirt down over my head, not glancing at Jax as I got into the backseat. I could feel his gaze on me, but he was silent. He acted as if nothing had happened between us, like that kiss never existed in my mind.

Reynolds and Jax conversed senselessly on the ride home, but I tuned them out until one topic of discussion came up that commanded my attention.

"So, there is this girl at school," Jax said casually. "I slept with her last night, and I'm considering asking her out."

My heart hit the floor. I thought we had something or at least, I thought I had felt something. But maybe it was all in my head. Why would a person like Jax like a person like me?

I looked out the window, trying to ignore the lump in my throat. When we drove past the house where there was a party last weekend, everything came flooding back. The man who tried to attack me, the fear, the panic; it was all so real, like it was happening all over again.

When I got to school, I was near tears. I sprinted to the bathroom, slamming myself into a stall and locking it behind me as I tried to quiet my racing heart. The walls seemed to be coming down on me, and I couldn't breathe. I bit my fist to stop myself from sobbing but my body was shaking uncontrollably.

Stop it, stop it, stop it. Please!

I scratched my arms, desperately hoping something, anything, would make me remember that I was alive. When finally the tears dried up, I washed my face in the sink, refusing to look at myself in the mirror. My eyes were red and puffy, but I couldn't afford to fix them. I took off my hood and went to class.

As I walked into class, I had my hand on my wrist, and I cried out in pain.

"Are you okay?" a deep voice asked. I didn't need to look up to know that it was Jax.

I shook my wrist loose, cringing. "I'm fine," I muttered, not looking up.

"Did you get a nurse?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"I have to get to class," I said, my voice shaking as I hurried inside.

I sat in the middle, since Jax always sat in the back. When I sat down, a boy who seemed unfamiliar approached.

"Hey, can I sit there?" he asked, gesturing towards the chair next to me.

I nodded, and he sat down, explaining that his name was Jack. He was adorable, with a smiling face and dimples, but I didn't want to talk to him.

"You look upset," he said after a while. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said, attempting to smile.

It hadn't even been a full second before he was interrupted by Jax's arrival. His eyes flicked to me sitting with Jack, and he eyed us jealously. His face was pale and broken before sitting down at an edge close to us. I ignored him but could feel his gaze burning into the back of my head.

I had a plan; one that would either make me feel better or bite me in the back.

"Can I ask you for a favor?" I whispered to Jack.

"Sure," he replied, leaning in.

"This is going to sound so stupid," I cautioned him. "But there's this guy I have feelings for, and I have to know if he likes me too or if he's just messing around."

Jack grinned. "You want me to make him jealous?"

I nodded, feeling a relief wash over me that he got it.

"I'm in," he answered, his eyes sparkling with devilry.

After class, Jack and I snuck into an empty classroom. The plan was simple: Jax would follow behind, watch us together, and perhaps at last demonstrate how he really felt.

"He's outside," Jack whispered. "Kiss me now."

I hesitated for a second before leaning forward. Jack's lips were on mine, and I tried to release myself in the moment, feeling my fingers weave through his hair. He was a good kisser, but it wasn't like kissing Jax.

And then, as if right on cue, the door slammed open.

Jax hung in the doorway, his eyes blazing with anger. "What in the devil's name is going on here?" he grumbled, his tone low but angry.

His act was jealous and curious. He had passed the test.

I pulled away from Jack, my heart racing. The plan had worked, but I wasn't sure if I was ready for what was next.

“Let’s go,” I told Jack as I was about walking out on Jax.