The Push and Pull

The following day started like every other—except it didn't.

Elena lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Her mind replayed yesterday's events in fragments—the smirk on Jace's face, the warmth of Liam's smile, and the unsettling realization that she might be in over her head. It wasn't like her to get caught up in boy drama. In fact, she prided herself on steering clear of it. But now? Now she felt like she was standing at the edge of something dangerous and thrilling, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to take a step back or dive in.

"Elena, if you don't get out of bed right now, you're going to be late!" her mom's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Coming!" she called back, throwing the covers off and forcing herself to move.

As she got ready, she tried to shake the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach whenever she thought about Jace—or Liam. It was ridiculous. She barely knew either of them.

By the time she arrived at school, she had convinced herself that she was overthinking everything. They were just two guys, nothing more. But the moment she stepped into the hallway, reality hit her like a freight train.

"Elena!" Sophie's voice rang out, pulling her attention to the lockers ahead. Her best friend was practically bouncing on her toes, her face lit up with excitement.

"You'll never guess what I heard," Sophie said, grabbing Elena's arm.

"Sophie, I don't have the energy for—"

"Jace Carter asked about you," Sophie interrupted, her grin wide and mischievous.

Elena froze. "What? No, he didn't. You're making that up."

"Why would I make that up? Bella told me she overheard him asking one of the guys at his table if he knew your name."

Elena felt her cheeks flush. "That doesn't mean anything. Maybe he was just curious."

"Curious about you," Sophie emphasized, wiggling her eyebrows. "Come on, Elena, this is huge. You've officially caught the attention of the hottest bad boy to ever walk these halls."

"Stop," Elena groaned, slamming her locker shut. "It's not a big deal. And besides, he's not my type."

"Liam's more your type, right?" Sophie teased.

Elena sighed. "Can we not do this right now?"

But of course, fate had other plans. As they rounded the corner toward their homeroom, there he was—Jace, leaning against the wall like he owned the place. His dark eyes locked onto hers the moment she appeared, and her heart did a stupid little flip.

"Elena," he said, his voice smooth and almost lazy.

She swallowed hard. "Jace."

"Nice to see you again," he said, pushing off the wall and taking a step closer. "You never answered my question yesterday."

"What question?" she asked, trying to sound calm even though her pulse was racing.

"What's your deal?" he said, tilting his head slightly. "You don't seem like the kind of girl who'd give a guy like me a second glance."

Elena blinked. "Maybe I'm not."

He smirked. "We'll see about that."

Before she could respond, Sophie tugged on her arm, practically dragging her into the classroom.

"Oh. My. God," Sophie whispered as they slid into their seats. "You have no idea how lucky you are. Do you know how many girls would kill to have Jace Carter talk to them like that?"

"Too bad I'm not one of them," Elena muttered, though the fluttering in her chest told a different story.

The rest of the day was a blur of classes and whispered conversations. By the time lunch rolled around, Elena was more than ready to decompress. She found Liam waiting for her at their usual table, his warm smile instantly making her feel more grounded.

"Hey," he said, pulling out a chair for her.

"Hey," she replied, grateful for his steadiness.

"How's your day going?" he asked, his tone genuine.

"It's... fine," she said, hesitating. Should she tell him about Jace? No, that would only complicate things.

"You sure?" Liam pressed, his brow furrowing. "You seem a little distracted."

"I'm fine, really," she said, forcing a smile.

Liam didn't look convinced, but he let it go. Instead, he started talking about their upcoming Chemistry project, and for a moment, Elena felt normal again.

That moment didn't last long.

As she was leaving the cafeteria, she spotted Jace leaning against the lockers near the exit. He caught her eye and nodded toward the door, as if to say, Come here.

Elena hesitated. She knew she should keep walking, pretend she didn't see him. But something about the way he looked at her made her feet move against her better judgment.

"What do you want?" she asked, crossing her arms as she stopped in front of him.

"Relax," he said, holding up his hands. "I just wanted to talk."

"About what?"

"You," he said simply. "You're... different."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Depends," he said with a smirk. "Do you want it to be?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."

"And you're interesting," he countered.

Elena didn't know what to say to that. For a moment, they just stood there, the noise of the hallway fading into the background.

"Look," Jace said finally, his tone softer than she expected. "I get it. I'm not the guy girls like you usually go for. But maybe that's a good thing."

Before she could respond, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there with her heart racing and her mind spinning