10. The project

It was a quiet afternoon in the library, sunlight streaming through the large windows as students buried themselves in books. Jake Reynolds sat at a table near the back, tapping idly on his phone, half-listening to Emily Parker as she discussed their project.

Emily, the new transfer student, had been trying to focus on their work, but it was hard when Jake sat across from her. His presence was magnetic. His tousled hair, piercing blue eyes, and that effortless confidence—he was everything girls fawned over. And yet, here he was, acting as if nothing and no one could faze him.

Emily was from a small Midwestern town where life moved slowly, and people were genuine. She'd heard all about Jake's reputation, but working with him now for this project, she found herself unexpectedly drawn to him.

"So, I was thinking we could present this section with a visual aid," Emily suggested, hoping for some sort of enthusiasm from Jake.

Jake looked up briefly, smirked, then glanced back down at his phone. "Yeah, sure. Whatever works."

Emily tried not to show her disappointment. She had never been this interested in a guy before, and yet, here he was, so unattainable and distant. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help feeling a pull toward him.

As the project continued, Emily made small efforts to connect with Jake. She asked him about his interests, his background, anything to get him to open up. But Jake's responses were always the same—short, vague, and uninterested.

One day, they were sitting together, and Emily felt a moment of courage. She smiled at him and asked, "Do you ever get tired of being the center of attention?"

Jake's eyes flickered with amusement. He leaned back in his chair, his grin making her heart skip a beat. "Why would I get tired of it? I like attention. Life's more fun that way."

Emily chuckled nervously, realizing that this was just who Jake was—a free spirit, unwilling to be tied down by anything or anyone. She admired that about him, but it also stung to know he probably didn't even notice her beyond the project.

That evening, as Emily headed home, Jake sat in his car, scrolling through his messages. One stood out—a text from Naina. He hesitated for a moment before opening it.

Naina: "Jake, I can't do this anymore. I've waited for you, hoped that maybe you'd come back to me, but it's clear you've moved on. I'm leaving the city, going back to Europe. I hope you find what you're looking for, but I can't wait for someone who doesn't want me. Goodbye."

Jake stared at the screen, a faint flicker of emotion crossing his face. He had known this was coming—Naina had always been the emotional one, clinging to the past. They had a history, but to Jake, that was all it was—history. He didn't have room in his life for someone who wanted him to settle down, especially not Naina, who couldn't accept that he was never going to be the man she wanted.

With a sigh, Jake typed out a simple reply: "Take care, Naina."

He set his phone down and turned the radio on, pushing away any lingering thoughts of her. There were too many things going on in his life to worry about someone who couldn't understand him.

The next day, Emily and Jake met at his place to finish the project. Jake's house, with its sleek modern design and luxury furnishings, left Emily a little speechless. It was just another reminder of how different their worlds were.

They worked for hours, but Emily's mind kept drifting to Jake. She couldn't stop the way her heart fluttered every time he leaned in close to look at something or how her mind wandered to thoughts she tried to push away.

As they wrapped up, Emily mustered the courage to say something. "Jake, maybe after we finish this, we could grab dinner or something? Just…you know, to celebrate."

Jake looked at her, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Dinner sounds great, but I've already got plans tonight." He winked and stood up, signaling the end of their work session. "Thanks for the help with this project, though."

Emily felt a pang of disappointment. She had hoped for something more, but as always, Jake was unreachable. He didn't even seem to notice the way she looked at him, the way she hoped he would take her seriously, even just for a moment.

Later that evening, after Emily left, Jake sat alone in his house. His mind wandered briefly to Naina. She had left him a voice message earlier in the day—her voice was filled with sadness and longing.

"I know you don't care, Jake. I know you'll just go on living your life like I never existed. But I loved you. I really did. I thought we had something…but I was wrong. I need to move on."

Jake listened, emotionless. He knew Naina was right. He could never give her what she wanted, and maybe that's why he didn't feel bad about it. People always expected more from him, but Jake was a wild spirit, a man bound by no rules.

Just as Jake was about to relax, a text popped up on his phone. It was a number he didn't recognize, but the message was clear.

Stranger: "We need to meet. There's more to the curse than you know."

Jake's heart skipped a beat. The curse—the thing he had been trying to push out of his mind. He stared at the message for a moment before smirking.

"Looks like things just got interesting," he muttered to himself.