Love's Beat

Chapter 15

Dragging her granite-like feet, Ember slowly made her way to her locker, uncaring that her English lesson started in less than ten minutes. People around her breezed past her, barely sparing a glance in her direction.

She rubbed at her chest with a scowl. It felt like someone shocked her with a thousand watts of electricity and her heart was going numb before completely shutting down. Even her legs were moving in the smallest of inches. She's never had these kinds of feelings before, not over a guy.

The sight of Jaden's arm linked with another girl's affected her more than she'd let on. Even if her mind refused to acknowledge the fact that Jaden meant more to her than a liability to her peaceful life, her heart knew better. So much better.

Jaden was a taboo. He was rich, handsome, kind-hearted, good-looking and all those attributes girls dreamt of when thinking of their Prince Charming except Ember never wanted Prince Charming in her life. She wanted someone she didn't have to dream and hope for. Someone she could find in life and not only in mushy romance novels.

Jaden had his imperfections but she believed it's what made him so much more special. Because he was real. She didn't need to dream him up and pray that she wouldn't get tired of him later on. He could be all she ever wanted and was searching for.

But it was so much more difficult than impossible. With so many secrets and scars she's been keeping from him, she doubted she could ever make it with him. Or anyone else for that matter. The only reason she's ever tried out relationships in the past was because she knew they were meaningless and would never have last.

Ember was nothing special besides her looks and she was never the superficial type. She wasn't vain and fumbled at compliments of her looks most of the times. Don't get it wrong, she was proud of who she was but looks weren't all that. She'd rather have buck-teeth than be a narcissist who puts her appearance above her values.

Truth of the matter, she had nothing to offer Jaden when he's already had everything.

While trying to grasp at that fact, Ember finally arrived at her destination. With Jesse leaning against the locker next to hers, sipping on a cup of coffee while holding onto another.

     She could have wept tears of joy. "Thank you, I needed this." She reached out to take the cup when Jesse quickly pulled it back to his chest, cradling it protectively like it was his baby.

     An eyebrow arched, he said, "Who said this was for you?"

     "You are standing at my locker when you could be at class. And you're already drinking from that one," she pointed at the other cup near his mouth.

     "So you assume it's for you?" He tsked. "That's not a good attitude, Ember. It's arrogant to think that something was reserved especially for you." The infamous smirk made its reappearance.

     "Oh, wipe that smirk off already," she muttered while putting in the combination in her locker. "So who's it for anyway? And what are you doing here if it isn't for me?"

Her locker door clicked open and before she could trade her books, she was stopped by a packet of Skittles Sours she was positive hadn't been in there the day before.

      "A little detour," he shrugged. "I was on my way to History and thought I'd drop by."

      She put two and two together. Taking out the neon green packet, she showed it to Jesse. "To give me this instead?"

      Another shrug. "Thought you could use them. Might help you wake up a bit. Those dark circles are not very flattering on your snow-white skin," he gestured with the coffee cup he wasn't drinking from and she itched to snatch it from his hand.