25

Would Adam ever see her as a potential partner? Would Alek?

Alice sighed, frustrated with herself. I need to get myself some more viable options, she thought. Surely there are decent guys my age who would have me?

Her mind, however, kept circling back to Adam. It wasn’t as if he treated her like a princess—or even remotely well—but she couldn’t stop obsessing over him. There was something magnetic about him, something she couldn’t put into words but felt in every fiber of her being. Yet, the magnetism was paired with doubt.

Alice stared down at her phone, refreshing her messages for the hundredth time that day. No new texts. Not even a single “hey.” It felt pathetic to admit, but she lived for his texts—the demands, the teasing, the fleeting moments of attention he offered. It was like being on a rollercoaster: exhilarating highs and devastating lows.

“Why hasn’t he bothered with me today?” she wondered aloud, her voice tinged with hurt. “Was I really that bad?”

The thought stung. If Adam never messaged her again, it should have been a blessing. It would mean freedom from the emotional tangle she’d trapped herself in. But no matter how much she tried to convince herself, the truth lingered like a bruise: she didn’t want to be free. She wanted him.

The idea that he might be with someone else gnawed at her insides. He could be with another girl—a prettier, more confident girl. Someone he actually liked. Someone he wouldn’t treat like a disposable fling. The image of Adam laughing with someone else, his hand on her waist, made Alice’s stomach churn with a mix of jealousy and despair.

After leaving the bar, Alice deliberately took the long way home, the route that led through the park. It was late, and the streetlights cast pools of dim light on the cracked pavement. Shadows danced in the breeze, making the trees look alive. She pulled her jacket tighter around herself, but the cold wasn’t what made her shiver.

She told herself the detour was just for the scenery, but deep down, she knew better. This particular park wasn’t just any park. It was his park—the one where Adam and his mates usually hung out. Sometimes they loitered, drinking cheap booze; other times, Adam would be helping his brother deal drugs. The thought of him with a bag of pills or weed tucked in his jacket pocket should have repulsed her, but instead, it made him seem even more thrilling. Dangerous.

Alice slowed her pace as she neared the usual gathering spot, her heart pounding in her chest. She scanned the area, her eyes darting left and right, searching for a familiar figure among the shadows. Was this behavior bordering on stalking? Well… yes. But she couldn’t help herself. She needed to know where he was and, more importantly, who he was with.

After what felt like forever, she finally spotted a group of teens clustered under a lamppost, the glow illuminating their faces. Alice’s breath hitched as she recognized Jamie’s bright pink hair standing out like a beacon. Where Jamie was, Adam couldn’t be far behind.

Keeping her headphones in as a prop, Alice pretended to be absorbed in her music as she approached. She kept her eyes down but stole quick, sideways glances at the group, her heart racing.

There were girls with them, but none were particularly pretty—at least not by Alice’s standards. One of them was Zoe, the sister of a notorious drama queen at school. Zoe had always struck Alice as smug and overrated. The other girl was overweight but seemed sweet, if a little desperate. Alice had overheard Jamie mention that she often had a thing for Adam, though she usually ended up making out with Gary instead. The knowledge didn’t comfort Alice; it only made her more aware of the competition.

“Alice!” Jamie’s voice cut through her thoughts, and she froze. He was waving her over, grinning like an idiot. This hadn’t been part of her plan.

“Hey,” she said, trying to sound casual as she removed her headphones. Her voice came out strained, betraying her nerves.

“What are you doing here?” Jamie asked, squinting at her suspiciously. Adam stood a few steps behind him, his dark eyes locked on hers. The intensity of his gaze made her stomach flip.

“Just walking home,” Alice replied, shrugging. Her tone was light, but her pulse was hammering in her ears.

Jamie frowned. “I thought you were going to that bar—the one across town? You told Mum you’d be back late.”

“Yeah, I, uh, had to nip to the shops,” Alice said, scrambling for an excuse. She cursed herself the moment the words left her mouth. It was a flimsy lie, and Jamie wasn’t buying it. He scanned her for shopping bags, his eyebrow arching in question.

Alice’s mind raced. Think, think, think. She could say they were out of what she needed, but then Jamie would probably ask what she’d been looking for. She felt like a deer caught in headlights.

Thankfully, Jamie didn’t press the issue. The others in the group seemed too stoned to care, the scent of weed thick in the air. “Alright, whatever,” Jamie muttered, clearly losing interest.

“Later,” Alice said quickly, forcing herself to meet Adam’s eyes for the briefest moment before walking away. His expression was unreadable, but she couldn’t help but feel like he saw right through her.

She’d only taken a few steps when her phone buzzed. Glancing down, she saw Adam’s name on the screen. Her stomach twisted as she opened the message.

“Where are your bags?” it read, followed by a laughing emoji.

“Damn it,” she muttered under her breath. Of course, Adam had noticed. He wasn’t as oblivious as everyone made him out to be.

“They were all out,” she typed back, hoping the excuse would suffice.

“Of?” he replied almost instantly.

Alice sighed, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She wasn’t in the mood to keep up the charade. “Everything,” she typed simply, throwing in a shrugging emoji for good measure.

This time, there was a longer pause. She stared at the screen, her heart sinking with every second that passed without a reply. By the time she got home, she’d convinced herself he was done with her for good.

But just as she was climbing into bed, her phone buzzed again. The message was simple, but it sent her heart soaring.

“You’re too cute.”

Alice stared at the screen, her cheeks burning. She knew she should feel insulted—it was such a patronizing thing to say—but instead, she felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t a disposable thrill after all.