His Mission

Lies, lies and more lies.

"Fuck. What should I do?" I question before pacing the girl's bathroom. I pause when I'm standing in front of the mirror, and my eyes zone in on the bruise. I'm left with no choice. I grab my stuff before heading to my first lesson. I'm already late, and I need to minimize the amount of attention I receive today. I push open the classroom door to find thirty sets of eyes staring straight at me. Several sniggers break out around the room, and I drop my gaze to the floor with embarrassment.

"Take a seat, Emily. You're late. I want you to stay behind to catch up on what you missed." Mrs Wilkins says to me. She gestures at the only seat left, which happens to be the chair next to Trish. I breathe a sigh of relief before scurrying toward it. Trish smirks at me as I approach, and her eyes linger on the clothes I'm wearing.

"Cute outfit," she whispers under her breath. I glare at her before sliding into the chair.

"They belong to Jake Melvin." I mutter under my breath. Surprise flashes across her face, and she raises a curious brow at me. Mrs Wilkins continues teaching the lesson, and Trish takes the opportunity to question me.

"What is going on between you two?" Trish asks me. I shrug my shoulders, acting like it's no big deal. I open my mouth to respond when Mrs Wilkins shoots a deathly glare in my direction. I sink lower into my seat before shooting an apologetic look at Trish. I'll have to fill her in on the details after class. Halfway through the lesson, I feel Jake's eyes lingering on me.

He's leaning back in his chair with his usual chilled out posture. As soon as our eyes connect, his lips tug upward into a smile. Immediate butterflies fill my stomach at the sight of him smiling at me. His eyes linger on my mouth before trailing down to my body. Approval flashes through his eyes, almost as if he's enjoying the sight of me wearing his clothes. I'm embarrassed to admit how flustered and warm I react to his approval. I feel the heat ignite between my legs, and my breathing instantly labors. The look we share only lasts a couple of seconds, but I feel it etched into my mind for the remainder of the lesson.

Is it normal to think about him this much?

I breathe a sigh of relief when I hear the bell ring to signal a period break. I have to stay behind to play catch up, but I'll be alone so I won't have to worry about blushing every time Jake Melvin glances in my direction.

"I want to see you at lunch." Trish says to me firmly while standing up from her seat. I nod my head in agreement while continuing to work. I notice Jake standing from the corner of my eye before heading for the exit. He's one of the last students to leave. I hold my breath until he reaches the doorway. He glances up and down the corridor before walking back into the room and shutting the door behind him. He turns around to set his attention on me.

"What are you doing?" I question him. He leans back against the door before folding his arms across his chest. He's wearing a plain white shirt, and I can't help but notice the way the material clings to his arm when his muscles contract with every movement. Jake smirks at me from across the room, and his gaze drops to my clothes.

"I'm admiring the view. You look good in my stuff, Wentworth." Jake tells me. If I wasn't blushing earlier on, I'm blushing hardcore right now. I feel the heat travel up my neck, invade my cheeks before painting the tips of my ears. I try to remind myself I have no idea if he's single or not. What if he's dating Ivory? I can't flirt with him without knowing if he's dating one of my classmates. I clear my throat before sitting up straighter in my seat.

"I was surprised when Ivory offered them to me. Do all girls at school own parts of your clothing?" I question him, trying to come across like I'm simply making conversation. My attempt fails miserably. His lips tug upward into a knowing smirk, and I feel the blush deepening on my cheeks. "Are you jealous?" Jake asks me with amusement in his voice. I roll my eyes at him before dropping my pencil to the table.

"No, I'm not jealous."

"You seem jealous."

"I'm not jealous." I repeat, wondering how long we're going to play this game until one of us changes our answer. It should be me because I'm most definitely jealous. Jake pushes himself off the door before taking slow steps toward me. My confidence immediately crumbles to the ground, and I drop my arms to my side with nerves. My throat is stripped of all moisture as he continues to get closer and closer to my desk. He places both of his large hands on it before leaning down to look at me.

"I can practically feel the gears ticking away in that pretty little head of yours," Jake flirts with me. My eyes grow round like two saucers when he compliments me. I remain silent because I'm unsure of whether I should be flirting back with him. He senses my hesitancy before offering me an explanation —

"Ivory asked me for a spare set of clothes because we're cousins. She knows I keep extra clothes in my locker."

Instant relief washes through me. "You're cousins?" I whisper, feeling like the air has returned to my lungs. He nods his head before smiling down at me. He's been smiling at me more often, and I like it. He has the most perfect set of white teeth I've ever seen in my life. "That's... good to know." I whisper while struggling to hold eye contact with him. Even though we're most definitely acquainted, it doesn't stop the tsunami of nerves I feel whenever he's close to me.

"Why are your hands trembling? Do I make you nervous?" Jake asks me with a sparkle in his ocean blue eyes. I clasp my hands in my lap before shaking my head in protest.

"No, you don't make me nervous." I lie to him. I'm hit with a wave of his scent, and I suck in a sharp breath to keep my composure. How does he always manage to smell so good? Jake suddenly tilts his head with curiosity, and his expression turns serious. My heart leaps into the back of my throat when he slowly extends his hand toward my face. His fingers gently wrap around my chin, and he tilts my head back to get a better look at me. I can't hear anything besides the ferocious thumping of my heart.

I stare up into his blue eyes, hoping he's going to close the distance between us and kiss me. Knowing he isn't dating anybody makes the hesitancy disappear completely. I know I shouldn't want to kiss Jake Melvin, but I can't help wondering how his lips would feel against mine. Jake gently tilts my head back further, and his eyes narrow down at me. I can't help staring up at him in awe. Despite often appearing cold and emotionless, I can't deny the beauty in his eyes. His eyes remind me of the deepest parts of the ocean, filled with mystery and secrets.

The moment is brutally yanked away from me when he asks me a question I don't feel prepared for.

"Where did you get that bruise?" His voice is low and filled with suspicion. Disappointment settles deep in the pit of my stomach, and I gently pry my face out of his hands. I drop my gaze to my desk before reciting the line I'd practiced in the bathroom earlier.

"I dropped my phone on my face when I was in bed. Don't you hate when that happens?" I force a laugh to fake my composure. Jake narrows his eyes at me, and I can sense he knows I'm lying. He reaches out to touch me for a second time, but I abruptly turn my face away from him.

"Emily," Jake says my name firmly. I clench my teeth together before shaking my head in protest. I keep my face turned away from him so he can't continue scrutinizing my injuries.

"Don't lie to me, Emily. Where did you get that bruise?"

"I already told you, I dropped my phone on my face," I say bluntly. A look of hurt flashes through Jake's eyes, and he takes a step away from me. He shakes his head in disappointment before turning around. He begins pacing the classroom, and I silently watch him while feeling a wave of guilt hit me. Why does it feel so wrong to lie to him?

"Can you please just drop it?" I ask him. He stops pacing before setting his intense stare on me. His jaw turns razor sharp, and he reaches up to squeeze the tension out of it. He opens his mouth to speak before reconsidering at the last second. A sound of frustration leaves him instead, and he begins storming toward the door. I'm hit with a desperate desire to defend myself so he isn't left with more burning questions about me.

"I'm not lying," I call out to him. Before he leaves the classroom, he pulls his hood over his head and turns to give me one last look. His piercing blue eyes penetrate straight through me, and I feel like he's looking past all of my lies.

"Bullshit," Jake responds before swinging open the door. Realization dawns on me as soon as I'm alone... He's the first person to know I'm lying.