I hesitated, not out of fear, but out of principle. After last night, he had some nerve.
Still, I cracked the door just enough for my voice to slip out.
“What?”
Jay stood in dark jeans, white T-shirt moulded to the muscles of his chest and his leather jacket, looking like he hadn’t slept. Coffee from the cafe next door, in one hand, helmet in the other. His eyes were bloodshot, like he’d spent the whole night thinking, and I couldn’t stop noticing the way the morning light caught the sharp planes of his face, the faint scar near his jaw,the curve of his shoulders. My chest thudded, and I forced my gaze away.
I cracked the door wider, the chain still hooked, and his eyes dipped, from the bare skin my pyjama shorts didn’t cover to the thin straps of the vest I’d slept in. They didn’t linger, not exactly, but the flicker of heat in his gaze was there. My pulse jumped, traitorous, as I unlocked the chain.
I snapped, “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”
Jay’s jaw tensed, no apology in his stare. “Don’t tempt me.”
The words hit low, hot, sparking something I shoved down hard. My pulse raced.
“Get dressed,” he said flatly, holding the helmet out.
I blinked at him. “You realise it’s six a.m., right?”
He offered me the coffee. “You said you wanted in.”
I didn’t take the cup. “I also said I wasn’t your soldier.”
Jay didn’t flinch. “You don’t get to choose your hours in this world, princess. You just try to survive them.”
The words grated, but I felt a flicker of something in my stomach that had nothing to do with anger.
“Oh, so I’m ‘princess’ now?” I snapped. “Funny, I don’t remember pledging to your kingdom.”
Jay sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and for a brief second, his fingers lingered along the side of his face, almost brushing the stubble. My throat went dry.
“Look, I didn’t come here to fight. Not again. There’s something you need to see, but I’m not going to drag you. You want to stay angry, stay angry, but don’t say I didn’t give you a choice.” He turned, like he might actually leave.
That should’ve been the end of it. Let him go. Let him stew in the mess he made. But my curiosity and something deeper rolled in my gut.
“Wait.”
He stopped, and I opened the door a little more, still guarded, my pulse quickening for reasons I didn’t want to admit. “Is this about Caleb?”
“Yeah.”
“Tell me.”
“Once you’ve gotten dressed.”
I snatched the helmet from his hand. “Then wait outside.”
He didn’t leave. Instead, Jay stepped past me like he owned the place, setting the coffee on the table. He leaned against the dresser, arms crossed, shoulders filling the room. His gaze tracked me, slow and deliberate, lingering too long on my bare skin. Not casual—possessive.
“Seriously?” I snapped. “What part ofoutsidedidn’t you understand?”
His jaw ticked, but his gaze never left mine. “Not leaving.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why? Afraid I’ll run?”
“You won’t,” he said. “You want answers too much. But I’m not giving you the chance to slam that door in my face again.”
Something dark flickered in his expression, almost like hewantedme to test him.
