Lasting Stars (Stars Series #2)

5

Sorry this is a little bit of a short chapter but I have the next one set to post tonight or tomorrow so be on the look out! Also, tangent, but has anyone ever read From Blood and Ash??? I just finished the first book and wowww it's so good. Highly recommend.

buzz.

buzz.

buzz.

buzz.

"Oh my god, Jordan," I whisper sharply. "Would you turn the dang thing off." I huff

Jordan glares at me.

I glare right back. "What is so important that your phone is blowing up?"

He shrugs, picking up his phone and smirks. "Girls." Is all he says.

I roll my eyes. "Of course it is."

We are sitting at a table in the library, trying to finish up this project. Jordan seemed to have every excuse this week and we haven't been able to work. The quicker we get this done, the quicker I can be unattached from Jordan.

Jordan huffs. "What? You think I don't care about this project, Blondie?" He whispers.

I nod. "That's exactly what I think."

He gives a lopsided smile, clearly amused by my comment. "Well you're wrong again."

"I'm never wrong." I whisper back, roughly.

His eyes ignite when I say that, I'm clearly playing into his bickering personality. "Is that so?"

I look back at my computer, trying to force myself to ignore Jordan and his stupid smirk. We are almost done and I'm very excited to be done. The stress of finding time to do it with Jordan made me worry we'd never get it done. It's due Monday and it's currently Friday. Plus, Jordan and the team have events all weekend and we need to finish it today.

You're probably asking, why didn't I just finish it? The answer is that Jordan insisted on including himself and argued with me for twenty minutes the other day about making sure I don't finish it on my own. A part of me can tell that he does care, but the other part of me is sceptical that's he's just trying to prove a point.

buzz. buzz. BUZZ BUZZ.

"Jordan." I grunt.

He meets my squinted gaze. He picks up the phone and answers the call.

"Hey Jen." Oh Jen. "Working on something. No. I can't talk right now." He seems serious by the way his face scrunches in annoyance. He sighs. "Jen I can't. Bye."

He puts the phone down on the table and doesn't look at me. He picks up his pen and keeps working.

"She asked me to go to a party," he says, startling me but he doesn't look up. "I said no," he locks eyes with me. "Obviously. She's a bitch anyways."

I scoff and cross my arms over my chest. "Oh so that's how you refer to women?"

He rolls his eyes. "No, Blondie, I don't."

"Well I wouldn't put it past you." I say.

His blue eyes glare at me once again. There's this tension between us that never seems to let up. Everytime we see each other there is just another thing that angers both of us.

He looks back down at his notes. "Well you can just shut your mouth then."

My mouth drops open. I decide to not let it get to me anymore and focus. I can't.

"You know what?" Jordan doesn't look up. "I think I know what your problem is."

Jordan still doesn't look up when I say, "All you care about is yourself." I say a little loudly and I sense people staring at me so I lower my voice. "That's why you're here doing this with me, that's why you are so good at hockey, that's why you think any girl in school wants you just by looking at them."

He looks up at me, shocked that those words just came out of my mouth.

"And to answer your question on why I don't like you, it's simple, I'm tired of being around boys who think they can mess around with me and think they can get away with it."

Jordan sighs. "Daphne-"

Still fuming, I interrupt him. "No, because all you do is fight with me. Flirt with me. I'm my own person Jordan. I don't need validation or attention from you to feel better about myself. All boys do is flirt and leave. I-"

He stops me. "Daphne, I'm not him." He says.

I scrunch my face confused. "What?"

He stares at me. "I'm not Brooks. I know what he did to you and all you do is compare me to him."

"No I do not." I say. I have a feeling he's right but I can see it clear as day when I talk to him. I'm not just comparing him to Brooks because I hate Brooks. I- oh...

He looks at me like he never has before. There's no challenge in his eyes. Just... sympathy.

He seems to check the time on his phone and he closes his textbook, as well as gathering his stuff. "Come with me."

"What? No we can't we aren't-" I say and he cuts me off again.

"We are practically done. All I have to do is put my stuff on my slides. It's okay, come on." He says standing up beside the table.

I bite my lip, contemplating. I nod my head and gather my stuff, following him out of the library.