Unsaid Until Now

Ava's POV

The air around campus buzzed with something close to excitement—and chaos.

Banners were being painted on every surface that would stand still, pom-poms littered the gym hallway, and someone had attempted to choreograph a cheer routine that ended with a sprained ankle and three parent phone calls.

Inter-house sports week had officially begun.

I wasn't a fan of competitive anything, but even I had to admit the atmosphere was different in a good way. There was laughter, movement, and the smell of fried snacks drifting in from the field. Students from three nearby schools had come to participate, which meant new faces, new drama, and—according to Layla—new people to crush on.

"It's basically a high school version of the Olympics," she whispered during lunch, adjusting her purple House Phoenix jersey. "With hotter guys."

I rolled my eyes, but she wasn't wrong. Half the field looked like a casting call for a teen sports drama.

Not that I was looking.

Okay—maybe I glanced. A little.

Jace was across the quad, talking to Coach Barret and some of the other house leaders. His House Griffin shirt was slightly wrinkled, and he hadn't even tried to hide the fact that he'd eaten two churros before noon. But he looked… comfortable. Happy.

We hadn't fought once since our truce. Not once.

I wasn't sure what that meant yet, but I liked the peace. It was easier to breathe when I wasn't constantly preparing for verbal warfare.

"Hey," someone said beside me, drawing my attention back to the present.

He wasn't from our school. That much was obvious.

Sun-kissed skin, wavy brown hair, a flawless smile, and the kind of smooth confidence that made every girl within a ten-foot radius sit up straighter.

"I'm Kian. Kian Rhodes." He offered a hand, as if we were in a business meeting instead of a high school courtyard.

I blinked. "Ava Carter."

"Nice name," he said, holding my gaze a little too long. "You running track? You've got the vibe."

I almost laughed. "I barely run for the bus."

Kian grinned. "Shame. Someone like you would look great crossing a finish line."

Layla coughed loudly beside me. I shot her a quick glare.

"Anyway," Kian continued, "just thought I'd say hi. Maybe see you around later?"

I nodded, polite but distant. "Sure."

As he walked off, Layla wiggled her eyebrows. "He's hot."

I sighed. "He's also clearly used to being told that every five minutes."

"And yet you didn't hate it."

I didn't reply.

But I noticed Jace looking over. Staring, actually. His jaw was tight. His hands clenched.

Weird.

Jace's POV

What. Was. That.

I wasn't eavesdropping. Not exactly. But it was impossible not to notice when some out-of-town flirt with a toothpaste,commercial smile decided to zero in on Ava like she was the only girl at this event.

And the worst part? She didn't even seem annoyed.

She laughed.

Ava Carter laughed at his joke.

I didn't even know I was walking toward them until Sam grabbed my arm.

"Bro. Chill."

"I am chilled."

"You're the human embodiment of a rage volcano right now. Your eye is twitching."

I yanked my arm free. "Just checking in on something."

Sam raised both brows. "Or someone?"

I ignored that.

By the time I reached them, Kian Rhodes had thankfully walked off probably to go flash his dazzling smile at someone else. Ava was talking to Layla, her arms crossed in that defensive-but-not-really way she used when she was thinking hard.

"Everything okay here?" I asked casually, stepping into their space.

Layla immediately excused herself, muttering something about checking schedules. Coward.

Ava glanced at me. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know. Just thought that guy was getting a little… close."

She raised an eyebrow. "You mean Kian?"

I said his name like it tasted bad. "Yeah. Him."

She shrugged. "He was being nice."

"Too nice."

She tilted her head. "Are you seriously jealous right now?"

"No," I said way too quickly. "Why would I be jealous?"

"I don't know," she said slowly. "You tell me."

I opened my mouth. Closed it again.

There was a pause.

A long one.

Then Ava stepped around me. "You've got nothing to worry about, Collins. It was just a hello."

But that was the problem.

It didn't feel like just a hello.

Ava's POV

By the time afternoon rolled around, I'd watched Jace pick unnecessary arguments with three people, almost trip Kian on the field, and somehow end up with a warning from Coach Barret.

All because of a stupid conversation.

I didn't know whether to be flattered or furious.

After the day's events wrapped up, I lingered near the locker rooms, waiting for Layla. Instead, Jace found me first.

"You heading out?" he asked, wiping sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Waiting for Layla."

He nodded, then leaned against the wall beside me, silent.

I didn't speak either.

Not until he finally said, "I wasn't trying to be a jerk earlier."

I looked at him. "Then what were you trying to be?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know. I just didn't like the way he was looking at you."

"Why?"

He didn't answer right away.

Then: "Because I like the way I look at you better."

My stomach dropped.

Everything froze. The shouts from the field, the squeak of sneakers in the hallway, the sound of Layla's laugh from around the corner.

"What?" I breathed.

Jace shrugged, trying to play it off—but he couldn't meet my eyes.

"I know we're not there yet. But I also know I've spent months pretending I didn't care when you annoyed me… and then pretending I didn't notice when you stopped being annoying."

I blinked. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

He gave me a half-smile. "It's supposed to be honest."

I stared at him, heart thudding like it had no idea what it was supposed to do anymore.

"You like me?" I asked quietly.

"I'm not asking you to like me back. I just wanted you to know."

We stood there, two people who used to hate each other, now stuck in the space between rivalry and something softer.

Layla called my name.

I didn't move.

Then Jace stepped back, the moment slipping between us like sand.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said.

And just like that, he was gone.

Jace's POV

I hadn't meant to say it.

But it felt good to stop pretending.

Even if it made everything more complicated.

Especially now that someone else had noticed her too.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

Whether I liked it or not