Chapter 42 Chapter 42
Jace woke up with the same dull pressure in his chest he’d been carrying around for days. He wasn’t sure if it was the way yesterday’s cafeteria fight spun everything out of control or the new girl, Zayelle, suddenly turning the school ecosystem on its head… or Cass.
Especially Cass.
He rubbed his face, trying to push the thought away, but it clung to him like humidity.
At school the atmosphere was still buzzing. Drama spreads fast at Westbridge. Rumors faster.
By third period, the hallways felt tight with noise. People kept stopping Marvin for details which he exaggerated for maximum effect.
Someone even put Jacinta’s meltdown on TikTok, slowed down, with edits like she was in a tragic movie trailer.
Jace didn’t laugh. He couldn’t. Marvin wasn’t just a clown; he was a ticking bomb today. His jaw was set too tight, his eyes too sharp, like he had something to prove before the upcoming tournament.
“Yo, bro,” a voice slid beside him. Ethan Sykes: star winger, certified menace, and today’s drama magnet. “Did you see the video? Jacinta as a Pixar villain? Iconic.”
Jace gave him a warning look. “Don’t get involved.”
Ethan smirked. “Relax. I’m innocent… today.” Then he leaned closer. “By the way, that new girl? Zayelle? She’s already sitting with the Queens of Westbridge. That didn’t take long.”
Of course she was.
Jace glanced toward the cafeteria. Zayelle sat among the popular girls glossy hair, immaculate posture but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. If anything, she looked like she was studying the room, absorbing every detail.
Lena grinned at her from another table like she knew something no one else did. Cass watched warily but didn’t step away. Not intimidated just… assessing.
Jace’s chest tightened again. Cass was good at that. Observing. Thinking. Feeling deeper than she let people see.
Ethan nudged him. “You’re staring, man.”
“Focus on practice,” Jace muttered.
Ethan snickered. “Oh yeah, the tournament this weekend. And mister perfect goalie is stressed.”
Jace didn’t answer. Because he was stressed. Not about the game he could handle pressure on the ice. But about everything outside it.
His brother.
He spotted him across the hallway Jason, leaning against a locker, flirting with two girls at once, acting like the world was a toy meant for him to break. Their eyes met for a second. Jason smirked, that same arrogant tilt of his mouth that always made Jace feel like they weren’t related at all.
Jace looked away first.
“Yo,” Ethan murmured, voice suddenly serious. “Everything cool with him?”
“No.”
“…Anything I can do?”
“No.”
Ethan nodded. He knew the boundary. Jace liked that about him.
Just as he turned toward his locker, a sharp gasp cut across the hallway.
Everyone froze.
Jacinta stormed past, mascara smudged, tears streaking down her cheeks. Behind her, Marvin stood rigid jaw clenched, eyes dark the perfect storm of guilt, pride, and stubbornness.
“What now?” Ethan whispered.
Cass came rushing after Jacinta, Lena at her heels, whispering something frantic.
Zayelle watched from the popular girls’ table… not amused, not dismissive. Just quietly aware.
Jace stepped forward before he could stop himself.
“Cass,” he called gently.
She turned, breath uneven. “I’ll talk to you later, Jace. Please.”
He nodded. She hurried off, Lena trailing behind, arm around Jacinta who was unraveling fast.
And something in Jace twisted.
He hated seeing Cass get pulled into other people’s storms. She was too soft-hearted for her own good. Too loyal. Too patient.
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply.
Then something unexpected happened.
Zayelle walked toward him.
Calm. Smooth. Almost regal.
“So you’re Jace,” she stated. “The quiet one who sees everything.”
He stiffened. “…Yeah.”
“She’s strong, you know,” Zayelle said, glancing in Cass’s direction. “But people expect her to carry more than she should.”
Jace’s throat tightened. “I know.”
Zayelle nodded, satisfied with his answer, and turned away.
What the hell was that?
Before he could process it, Coach stormed down the hallway.
“Team! Locker room now! We’ve got a problem to fix before this weekend.”
“See?” Ethan laughed. “Drama follows you, man.”
Jace shook his head.
But as he walked, he caught Lena’s eye from across the hallway she winked at him, an amused glitter in her gaze. Like she saw right through him.
Cass didn’t look back. She was too busy holding Jacinta together.
And Jace?
He realised, painfully, that he wasn’t just thinking about her anymore.
He was feeling.
Hard.