I keep my eyes glued to my tray, pretending like this is totally normal. Like I always sit with Jaxon and his band of overconfident athletes in the middle of the cafeteria. Like half the school isn't currently staring at me, whispering, speculating.
Jaxon, of course, is completely unbothered.
He nudges my tray with his elbow. "You're awfully quiet, Carter. Already regretting this?"
I glare at him. "Oh, I regretted it the second I sat down."
He grins, taking an obnoxiously large bite of his sandwich. "Then why'd you do it?"
"Because I figured if I didn't, you'd just keep yelling across the cafeteria and making my life miserable."
Jaxon leans in slightly, lowering his voice just enough so only I can hear. "You sure that's the only reason?"
My pulse jumps.
No. I am not doing this. Not here. Not now. I grab my water bottle and take a long sip to distract myself, but Jaxon is still watching me with that look. The one that makes me feel like he sees through every single one of my defenses.
The conversation around us shifts as his teammates joke and talk about practice, but Jaxon's attention stays firmly on me.
I take a deep breath, shifting in my seat. "Shouldn't you be talking plays and strategies with your team?"
He shrugs. "I'd rather talk to you."
I swallow hard. "Why?"
His smirk softens, but before he can answer, a tray slams onto the table next to me.
"Lena, we need to talk."
I look up to find Ethan standing there, arms crossed, looking beyond pissed.
Jaxon sighs dramatically. "Here we go."
Ethan glares at him before turning back to me. "Come on."
I hesitate. The last thing I want is to cause an even bigger scene. But there's no way Ethan is backing down, not when he looks this upset. With a sigh, I push my chair back and stand.
Jaxon doesn't argue. Doesn't smirk. Just watches me go with an expression I can't quite read. I tell myself it doesn't matter. But I still feel his eyes on me long after I've left.
But as I follow Ethan out of the cafeteria, I can feel Jaxon's eyes on me the whole time.
---
We step outside into the hallway, where it's quieter. Ethan wastes no time turning to me. "What the hell was that?"
I cross my arms. "Lunch?"
"Lena."
I let out a sigh, rubbing my temple. "Ethan, I sat with him for five minutes. Why are you acting like I committed a crime?"
Ethan shakes his head, looking frustrated. "Because this is exactly what I was talking about. Jaxon doesn't just do things for no reason. He'sâ"
"A flirt? An attention seeker? Yeah, I got it," I snap. "You don't trust him. Noted. But I can handle myself."
"Can you?" His voice softens slightly. "Because I see the way he looks at you. And I see the way you're starting to look back."
My stomach tightens. "That's ridiculous."
"Is it?" Ethan studies me carefully. "Just... be careful, okay? Jaxon is all fun and gamesâuntil he isn't."