The Jay Effect

It was Sissel. Why was she even here?

Sissel's POV:

I stood there frozen, eyes locked on Jay as he fought getting hit and hitting back. Honestly, it wasn't a scene I ever thought I'd witness. Violence wasn't my thing, and this felt like something straight out of a movie. But despite it all, he looked… so good. I hated to admit it, but the sight of him in the ring, focused and determined, was making my heart race for all the wrong reasons. I needed to pull myself together. Seriously.

As the match ended and he raised his fist in victory, something strange happened he turned directly toward me. His eyes found mine instantly, locking me in place.

For a second, everything stopped. The crowd, the noise nothing else existed. Is this what fainting feels like? The eye contact lingered too long, sending waves of anxiety through me. Why is he staring like that?

Aidan's POV:

Watching these two from the sidelines felt like watching a private movie no one else was invited to. Their world, we just live in it. But someone had to break the awkwardness, so I did what I do best ruin the moment. I nudged Sissel forward and made my way to Jay.

"Congrats, bro! You were insane out there!" I grinned, slapping his back. His face lit up with that bright, boyish smile god, it's been a while since I've seen him this alive. "Thanks, man. And thanks for showing up… both of you," he added smoothly. I shot him a knowing look, then glanced over at Sissel. She was a blushing mess, mumbling out a barely audible "You're welcome."

Jay really had that effect on her, huh?

Then it hit me my boy was standing there, shirtless, muscles out like a damn movie scene. Yeah, no. "Alright, we'll wait outside while you get dressed," I added quickly. He caught my drift, nodding before jogging off to change. Sissel and I stepped outside.

I couldn't help but tease, "You know you were a blushing mess, right? Lucky for you, Jay's too dense to notice. Anyone else would've clocked it immediately." She glared, cheeks flaring up even more. I swear, this girl usually full of sass was a puddle now. "It's not my fault… he was shirtless, and it's… hard to speak under those conditions. Now shut up, I'm still recovering."

I laughed. Hard. "Well, you better recover fast, 'cause he'll be here any minute."

Jay's POV:

I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Sissel came. Honestly, it felt like a dream I didn't want to wake up from. After a quick chat with the coach and changing, I headed out to where they waited.

We all started walking home well, Aidan talked the entire way while Sissel and I mostly listened. As we approached our neighborhood, a comfortable silence fell. I stole a glance at Sissel… only to find her already looking at me. We both looked away fast, like guilty kids caught red-handed.

Then Aidan's obnoxious laugh echoed. "You two are hilarious. You don't even know how funny this is," he said, still laughing. I stared at him, confused. Sissel turned redder, and now I was really lost. Did he catch us? What's going on?

We finally reached home, waving Sissel goodbye. The moment I stepped inside, I rushed to the shower I needed it. Badly. I think I stayed there for over two hours. When I got out, Aidan was sitting there, staring like I'd committed a crime.

"What?" I asked, grabbing a towel.

"You dead or what? Who the hell takes two hours in the shower?" he snapped.

I smirked. "If you just minded your own business, your life would be way easier, brat." He rolled his eyes and stormed off to his room, mumbling. I knew he was cursing me under his breath, but honestly? I was too drained to care.

Before bed, I called Jacob to check on him. Thankfully, he was doing better recovering fast. The call ended, and I crashed onto my bed, replaying everything that happened today.

The Next Morning:

Aidan's POV:

I was peacefully asleep until the doorbell rang like the world was ending. Who the hell visits this early?

Before I could even move, Jay barged into my room looking pale. "Aidan it's Friday. She's here. She's here!"

Who? Sissel? Why the hell was he panicking? They were fine yesterday.

I blinked. "Who's here…?"

His face turned grim. "Dianna. She's at the door."

It took me a full minute to process that name. The second it hit me, my soul left my body. Dianna. Oh god. I'd been so caught up in Jay and Sissel's rom-com that I forgot about my own horror movie. Dianna's visit. Today.

I jumped out of bed, not caring about the mess or my hair or anything else. I stormed to the door, swung it open… and there she was. Standing there with that same smug look. As ugly as ever.