Chapter One - The Only Way He Knew
Jake had been in love with you for so long that he couldn't remember when it started.
Maybe it was the first time you quietly pushed a pencil across the desk when he forgot his.
Maybe it was the time you stayed behind after class to help him understand a topic he'd pretended not to understand just so you'd keep talking to him.
Or maybe it was simply the way you smiled at everyone-even people who didn't deserve it.
You were kind.
Sweet.
Quiet.
And, unfortunately for Jake, completely oblivious to the fact that his heart practically stopped whenever you walked into the room.
So naturally, he had developed a terrible strategy.
He was mean to you.
Not cruel. Never cruel.
Just annoying enough to make you look at him.
"Move."
You looked up from your book.
Jake stood beside your desk, staring down at you.
You blinked. "You're blocking the light."
He paused.
That wasn't what he'd expected.
"...Move your book."
You glanced at the perfectly reasonable position of your book before looking back at him.
"Why?"
"Because I said so."
You quietly moved it.
Jake immediately felt guilty.
Great. Now she thinks i'm a jerk.
But then you looked up at him again.
And there it was.
Your attention.
His stupid heart did a little flip.
Worth it.
He pulled out the chair beside you and sat down.
You frowned slightly. "That's my friend's seat."
"She's not here."
"She'll be back."
"So?"
You sighed softly and returned to your book.
Jake watched you for a moment.
He liked the way you concentrated, the tiny crease between your eyebrows whenever you were thinking.
He liked your quiet little hums when you were reading.
He liked practically everything about you.
Which made his next words feel even more ridiculous.
"You're boring."
Your eyes lifted.
"What?"
"You're always reading."
You smiled faintly. "I like reading."
"I know."
You tilted your head.
Jake immediately realized he'd said that too quickly.
"I mean..." He cleared his throat. "I've seen you do it."
"Oh."
You looked back down.
Jake stared at you.
He wanted to tell you that he noticed everything.
That he knew your favorite seat in the classroom.
That he noticed when you tied your hair differently.
That he'd memorized the way you smiled when you were genuinely happy.
Instead, he reached over and stole your pencil.
"Hey."
You looked at him.
He grinned.
"Say please."
You held out your hand patiently.
"Jake."
"That's not please."
"Please."
His grin widened.
He handed it back immediately.
You took it and whispered, "Thank you."
Jake's expression softened.
There you were again.
Being nice to him.
Even when he didn't deserve it.
He looked away before you could notice the faint smile on his face.
Because there was something you didn't know.
Every time Jake bothered you, every time he stole your things, every time he made some stupid comment just to make you look at him...
He wasn't trying to make you angry.
He was trying to make you notice him.
Because Jake could tolerate you thinking he was annoying.
What he couldn't tolerate was you not thinking about him at all.
