11. Ride back to reality

Jake stood up, stretching after hours of work. The project with Emily was finally done, and while she was excited about the completion, Jake seemed distant, already mentally moving on to something else. Emily glanced at him, still feeling the lingering attraction, wondering if she should say something. But before she could muster the courage, Jake beat her to it.

"I'll give you a ride back to your dorm," he said casually, not giving her time to react.

Emily blinked in surprise. Jake Reynolds offering her a ride? The same Jake who never went out of his way for anyone?

"That's, uh… thanks," she stammered, gathering her things quickly.

The ride was quiet at first. Emily sat in Jake's sleek, car, the smooth hum of the engine filling the silence. She kept sneaking glances at him, wondering what was going on in his mind. He looked as relaxed as ever, one hand on the steering wheel, the other casually drumming on his thigh.

She cleared her throat, trying to break the silence. "Thanks again for the ride. I wasn't expecting it."

Jake shrugged, smirking. "It's no big deal. Just figured I'd save you the walk."

Emily couldn't help but feel like there was more to it, but she didn't push. She knew by now that trying to understand Jake was like chasing the wind—impossible.

When they pulled up to the dorm, a few girls who were hanging out by the entrance immediately froze, their eyes widening in disbelief. Jake Reynolds, the infamous heartbreaker, was dropping someone off? Not just anyone, but **Emily Parker**, the quiet transfer student?

As Emily stepped out of the car, she could feel the weight of their stares. Whispers spread like wildfire as more girls peeked out from windows, some even coming outside to get a better look.

"He's actually dropping her off?"

"No way… since when does Jake do that?"

"Is she the one who finally got to him?"

Emily felt her cheeks flush, but Jake seemed completely unfazed. He leaned against the side of the car, his signature smirk still in place, as if he didn't care what anyone thought. He glanced at Emily.

"You good?" he asked casually, as if the entire dorm wasn't gawking at them.

"Yeah… I'm good," Emily replied, trying to keep her voice steady despite the attention.

Jake opened the door for her to step into the dorm, earning more gasps from the girls nearby. Emily hesitated for a moment, then smiled up at him. "Thanks again, Jake. Really."

Jake gave her a lazy grin, his eyes flickering with that same carefree charm. "Don't mention it." He winked before turning to get back in his car.

As he drove off, Emily watched him go, feeling a strange mixture of excitement and confusion. She knew better than to read too much into it, but for a moment, it felt like maybe—just maybe—there was something more to Jake than his bad-boy exterior.

As soon as Jake's car disappeared down the street, the girls in the dorm swarmed Emily, bombarding her with questions.

"What's going on between you two?"

"Are you guys dating?"

"I didn't think he cared about anyone!"

Emily blushed, unsure how to explain what had just happened. She barely understood it herself. "It's nothing like that," she insisted. "We were just working on a project together."

The dorm was buzzing with whispers the morning after Jake had dropped off Emily. As Emily walked down the hallway, she could feel eyes on her, catching snippets of conversations.

"Do you think they're together?"

"I've never seen him with a girl twice… maybe she's special."

"He must really like her if he's actually dropping her off. I mean, *Jake Reynolds* doesn't do *anything* for anyone."

Emily kept her head down, feeling the weight of their speculation. She had barely spoken to Jake after the project, and yet, now she was at the center of attention. She could feel a mix of jealousy and curiosity emanating from the other girls. They all wanted to know more, but Emily herself didn't have any answers.

The whispers weren't the worst of it. It was the looks. The sidelong glances, the whispered conversations that died the moment she entered a room, the subtle exclusion from group chats and plans. Emily had never been one for attention, and now that she had it—albeit unwanted—she wasn't sure how to handle it.

At lunch, a few girls she usually sat with had already filled the table by the time she arrived, leaving her without a seat. She spotted a spot in the corner, feeling the sting of being pushed aside.

"They're just jealous," she told herself. But deep down, the isolation was getting to her.

Meanwhile, Jake was entirely oblivious to the ripple effect he had caused. For him, life moved at its usual rhythm: football practice, parties, and a constant stream of flirty texts from various women. The ride with Emily was nothing more than a fleeting moment in his day.

He liked Emily—sure—but it wasn't anything serious. She was sweet, unassuming, and didn't seem to expect anything from him, which suited Jake perfectly. He wasn't looking for commitment or anything too emotional. He was a free spirit, a man who enjoyed life's pleasures without being tied down. That was who he had always been.

But something about Emily's quiet demeanor had stuck with him. The way she didn't fawn over him like the other girls. She didn't throw herself at him. And that, in some weird way, intrigued him.

As the days passed, Emily found herself thinking about Jake more often than she'd like. Despite his aloofness, there was something undeniably captivating about him. She found herself noticing him in small ways—the way he carried himself with casual confidence, the way everyone seemed to gravitate toward him, and the fleeting moments when he seemed almost… human, vulnerable, as if there was something beneath the surface.

She started paying attention to the rumors, listening more carefully when people talked about Jake. And she began to notice things—small details that didn't add up. People mentioned how he would disappear for days at a time, always with some vague excuse. Or how he had this air of mystery that no one could quite put their finger on.

Emily wasn't the type to chase after mysteries, but Jake was becoming one she couldn't ignore.

Late one evening, Emily was walking across campus when she saw Jake. He was standing near the edge of the campus, talking to a man she had never seen before. Their conversation seemed intense, and Emily, curious, hid behind a nearby tree to listen in.

The man was older, rough around the edges, and there was something unsettling about the way he spoke to Jake.

"You can't keep running from this, Jake. The curse is catching up to you," the man said, his voice low and gravelly.

Jake crossed his arms, his face hard. "I'm not running. I just don't care."

"You should care. Your mother's bloodline is ancient. You can't escape it forever."

Emily's heart raced as she heard those words. Bloodline? Curse? What was this man talking about? She knew Jake had secrets, but this was something entirely different.

She watched as Jake turned away, his expression a mix of frustration and anger. And as the man left, Jake stood there for a moment, looking out into the distance, a storm brewing in his eyes.

Emily knew she should walk away, forget what she had overheard. But she couldn't. There was something about Jake—something dark and dangerous—that she couldn't resist. And now, with this new piece of the puzzle, she was more intrigued than ever.

As Jake turned to leave, his gaze swept across the trees—and for a split second, his eyes locked onto Emily's hiding place. He paused, his expression unreadable, before continuing on his way.

Emily's heart raced as Jake moved toward her, his silhouette dark against the night sky. His strides were casual, but there was something in the way he carried himself—a confidence that made the air around him feel charged.

He stopped just a few feet from her, the faint light of the campus street lamp casting shadows across his sharp features. His eyes glinted as he leaned slightly closer, his voice low and smooth.

"What are you doing here, love?" he asked, his lips curling into a mischievous smile. "Spying on me?"

Emily blinked, caught off guard, fumbling for an excuse. "I—uh, I was just... getting some air," she stammered, trying to sound casual but feeling her nerves betray her. "You know... it's nice out tonight."

Jake's smile deepened, his eyes trailing over her face, catching the faint blush on her cheeks. He stepped closer, closing the gap between them. Emily's breath hitched in her throat. She could feel the heat radiating off him, his proximity sending shivers down her spine.

"Is that so?" he whispered, his voice just above a murmur, "Or were you hoping for something else out here in the dark?"

The words were laced with a teasing edge, but there was an underlying seriousness that made Emily's heart pound even harder. She wanted to say something, to push back, but the way he said love —the way he recited that line like it was meant only for her—made her weak. She could barely think straight.

Her mind screamed to pull away, but her body betrayed her, leaning ever so slightly toward him. Every fiber of her being wanted to close the distance and kiss him. She had never felt so drawn to someone in such an intense, unexplainable way.

But before she could act, before she could even process the heat rising between them, Jake smirked, stepping back just a bit, breaking the spell.

"Don't get lost in the shadows, Emily," he whispered, his voice soft but heavy with meaning, before turning away.

Emily stood there, her heart still racing, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment—and something else, something deeper. She watched as Jake walked away, her mind spinning. He left her standing in the dark, a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. She couldn't help but feel like she had just tasted a glimpse of a world she wasn't ready for—a world that Jake lived in effortlessly.

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