Burning.
Haunted.
The hallway emptied around me, voices fading into the distance, lockers slamming shut one by one. I clutched my books tighter to my chest, forcing my legs to move, desperate to escape the echo of his touch.
But every step I took down that hall, I felt him.
The brush of his fingers against mine. The warmth of his palm at my waist. The stolen kisses on my skin. They weren't just memories- they clung, alive, fresh, burning like he'd marked me in ways I couldn't erase.
I turned the corner toward the exit-
And stopped dead.
He was there.
I thought he left. I don't know if I should tremble or run away. My heart was unable to take it any more but weirdly to say that I kinda liked it.
He was leaning against the wall near the door like he'd known exactly where I'd end up, one hand tucked in his pocket, the other holding his bag loosely at his side. The sunlight from the windows cut across his face, lighting the sharp smirk already waiting for me.
My stomach dropped.
" I noticed that your mom doesn't come pick you up. Using the school bus?" he asked softly, pushing off the wall.
I couldn't answer. My throat locked as he closed the space between us, step by step, slow and certain. I backed up without meaning to until my shoulders brushed the lockers, the metal cold against my back.
Jade stopped right in front of me, close enough that the air shifted with his breath. His hand came up, sliding deliberately along my waist, curling around it like it belonged to him. The books in my arms trembled.
"J-Jade…" My voice cracked. "Please-"
"Please what?" His eyes burned down into mine, daring me to finish. His fingers tightened on my waist, drawing me closer until I could feel the heat of his body pressed against mine. My books nearly slipped from my hands.
"You think you can hide from me after last night, in the library, in class." His words were low, sharp, cutting straight through me. "After this morning."
My knees shook. I couldn't look away.
Then his lips brushed the side of my head again. A kiss, feather-light, almost tender. My breath hitched. Before I could recover, another followed- on my forehead, firmer this time, making my eyes flutter shut despite myself.
"Jade…"
"Shh." His nose skimmed down the edge of my scarf, his voice a whisper against my ear. "You talk too much."
And then- my world tilted.
His lips pressed against my cheek, lingering there, warm and deliberate. His hand at my waist pulled me closer, tighter, until there was no space left between us. I could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against mine, or maybe it was my own, hammering out of control.
"Do you feel that?" he murmured. His lips ghosted along the edge of my scarf, so close to forbidden territory. "That's mine."
I trembled, caught between pushing him away and holding on. My fingers clutched the books tighter, useless shields.
His free hand rose, brushing along the back of mine, tracing each finger with deliberate care before sliding away. Then, with one swift motion, he trapped my hand against the locker, his palm covering mine, pinning me.
"Stop running," he whispered. His lips grazed my temple again, softer this time. "You belong to me."
The last word carried weight, dangerous and possessive, like a brand.
And then, as quickly as he had trapped me, he pulled back.
His smirk curved as his hand fell from my waist, slow, like he was letting go of something precious only because he chose to.
He leaned down one last time, stealing another kiss to the crown of my head, firmer, longer.
"Tomorrow," he murmured, almost like a promise. "Don't forget."
Then he was gone.
The sound of the door clicking shut behind him echoed louder than the silence he left me in.
I slid down against the lockers, scarf crooked, hands shaking so hard I could barely hold my books. My lips burned even though he hadn't kissed them this time. My waist throbbed where his hand had held me too close.
Burning.
Possessed.
And tomorrow was already waiting.