The Bad Boy ✔

Chapter Twelve-Shit just got real

*Just a heads up that this chapter isn't as joyous or anything as the last and I apologise if you feel by any way offended by it (not that you would, but just in case)*

Chapter Twelve

I learnt the hard way that crying didn’t bring back anything.

Of course, that being said didn’t mean that I never cried anymore. I did cry and I did get hurt-I was still only human. I cried from the stupidest of things like not being able to find my cell phone when I desperately needed it to call Eliza and then I cried for things too complex for me to understand. But most of all, I cried when I was terrified. It wasn’t the unnecessary fear that you had when you were in a dark room on your own or the kind you had when you knew your parents would ground you for a year.

It was the kind that you could taste.

The fear would swirl onto your tongue like a poisonous chemical the dentist would give you to numb out your gums. It made your eyes water and your heart to start thudding. Your breathing grew faster. And your fingers began to shake. It turned you anxious and paranoid. It festered onto your skin and made you sweat, making every dark shape, every person who passed you into a villainous criminal ready to murder you.

Because of that fear, I was very close to tears.

I wasn’t sure how it all started, but I suppose I owe you all an explanation-after all-it’s the least I can do.

Jace Collins had for weeks, mystified me. He made my curiosity spike to levels I never knew existed. He also seemed to bring out a part of me that I thought had died in the accident-the person who had somehow vanished in the lake. Maybe it was because of the latter that I couldn’t bring myself to judge him harshly anymore or even force away the thoughts of the ‘almost-kisses’ that still had me doubtful.

But Jace was deep-down a sensitive kind of guy.

He cooed at Juno when he thought I wasn’t watching and there were moments when he’d slow down his step so he’d be able to walk with my very short legs at the same pace. There were also those days when I’d find him waiting at my locker after school, just so we could walk out together. Now, while I continued to remind myself that this was all because of our fake-dating, I found it harder each day to not see Jace as more than what he really was.

Girls-and even certain guys-were head over heels in love with the notorious bad boy.

I mean, who wouldn’t be in love with his obvious good looks? There was his dark, messy hair that fell over his forehead in that sexy ‘come-hither’ look. His eyes were light enough to be considered grey, yet at times-those angry times-they were grow dark reminding you of storm clouds on the verge of letting a downpour onto you. He had the body of Adonis and the smile of the century-all in all-he was the package deal of that dangerous guy your father warned you about.

But I was yet to find out just how dangerous Jace’s life really was.

We were sitting in Mo’s Diner. It was the rustic kind that kept on living strong from the dinosaur age-in other words, when Dad was still a kid. The place sold almost anything edible and covered in grease and cheap too so obviously it was a regular teenage hangout by the law of all things shallow and mainstream. Sitting at a booth near the back, Jace and I were hidden well away from prying eyes-gossip didn’t suddenly end out of school-discussing the dreaded ‘Best Couple’ competition.

“In all honesty,” Jace began, “I think we have a pretty good chance of winning.”

I gaped at him the only way you could gape-like a fish-and scoffed, “Are you insane? Beth has almost everyone voting for her and Brett and we have,” I frowned, “just Old Man Joe who now sends me these weird love notes in class.”