Chapter 48: Rumor Has It

[JASMINE – POV]

By the next morning, everyone at Kingston High had a new favorite topic:

"Did you hear Jasmine and Lucas got caught making out in the library?"

"No way! I heard they got detention together. And then… y'know."

"Oh, it's real. My cousin saw them leaving late. She said they looked messy."

I nearly choked on my water when I walked into school and heard it all firsthand.

What the hell?

We barely held hands. Okay, maybe leaned into each other a little too close—but kissing? No.

Not that the truth mattered anymore.

By lunch, the story had taken on a life of its own, complete with edited photos and meme-worthy captions like "From chemistry class to chemistry in detention."

Lucas, of course, thought it was hilarious.

"Let them talk," he said, casually swinging an arm around me as we walked through the hallway. "They're just jealous."

I narrowed my eyes. "Of what? Our imaginary library make-out session?"

He grinned. "Of the fact that I get to do this." He leaned in and kissed my cheek, loud and obnoxious.

Cue the gasps. Cue the stares.

Cue me wishing the ground would swallow me whole.

But part of me... liked it.

[LUCAS – POV]

People could say whatever they wanted.

Let them.

Because when Jasmine smiled—flushed and flustered but still holding my hand—I didn't care what the world thought.

She was mine.

And I wasn't hiding it anymore.