Everleigh Carter was slipping.

She could feel it.

Like sand slipping through her fingers, like a game she was no longer playing but being played in.

And the worst part?

It was him.

Jace Donovan.

He was pushing. Testing. Closing the distance.

And no matter how many walls she threw up, he kept finding a way through.

Everleigh didn’t know when things changed.

When the bullying turned into teasing.
When the teasing turned into tension.
And when the tension turned into something she couldn’t ignore.

But she hated it.

She hated him.

Or at least… she wanted to.

But then came today.

And suddenly, hating him wasn’t as easy as it used to be.

That Evening – Study Group Gone Wrong

Everleigh should have known something was up when her best friend, Riley, dragged her to the library.

"Group study," Riley had said. "Midterms are coming up."

Fine. Whatever. She could handle that.

Until she saw him.

Sitting at the table. Smirking. Waiting.

Jace.

Everleigh stopped in her tracks. "No."

Riley frowned. "No what?"

"No way in hell I’m studying with him."

Jace leaned back in his chair, stretching lazily. "Oh, come on, Carter. You scared I’ll outsmart you?"

Everleigh scoffed. "You can barely spell your own name, Donovan."

Jace grinned. "Touché."

Riley rolled her eyes. "Okay, children. Can we just study?"

Everleigh exhaled sharply, fine. She could ignore him. She could pretend he wasn’t there.

Spoiler alert: She couldn’t.

Because Jace wouldn’t let her.

The entire study session was a nightmare.

Every time she reached for her notes? Jace would nudge them just out of reach.
Every time she tried to focus? He’d lean in and whisper something just low enough that only she could hear.
And the final straw?

The chair stunt.

Halfway through, Jace casually pulled his chair closer.

Not a little.

Not subtly.

All the way until their legs brushed under the table.

Everleigh went rigid.

And Jace?

Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing.

She could feel his smirk.

"Problem, Carter?" he murmured, voice low, teasing.

She turned to glare at him, big mistake.

Because Jace was already watching her.

And this time… there was something else in his gaze.

Something darker.

Something dangerous.

Something that made her breath catch in her throat.

This wasn’t just a game anymore.

She could feel it in the air, thick and electric.

Jace wasn’t just playing.

He was waiting.

For her to crack.

For her to slip first.

And the worst part?

She didn’t know if she already had.