Page 94 of Beautifully Broken
Jax grins and throws a fist in the air as he heads to the sideline. I catch the way he glances toward the stands, like he’s looking for someone, for me.
He winks.
Just one quick wink. Casual, like it’s no big deal.
But it sends heat rushing to my face.
Cali whistles. “I swear, if he smiles at you like that again, the cheer squad might actually implode.”
“Let them,” I say, smiling to myself.
For a second, just one small second, I forget about the weirdness at home. About William. About the feeling that something’s off. All I can think about is Jax, out there on the field, looking like some kind of teenage superhero.
And the fact that—somehow—he picked me.
***
Six Months Later
This year has been... weird. Not bad exactly. Just a mix of crazy, unexpected, and kind of amazing in ways I didn’t think it would be. I mean, I actuallylikeschool? Who saw that coming? My favorite class is Crime and Forensics. It’sintense but super cool. All my classes are challenging, but I’ve kept straight A’s so far. So yeah, maybe coming here wasn’t the total disaster I thought it would be. If you ignore the cheerleaders, that is. They hate my guts just because Jax,theirgolden boy, chose to dateme. Total Mean Girl energy. But whatever. Let them choke on their lip gloss.
Honestly, I still can’t believe Jax is dating me either. He’s kind of perfect-quarterback, hot, confident in a way that’sactuallyattractive, not obnoxious. And he’s sweet. He walks me to class, always holding my hand or with his arm around my waist or shoulders, and after football practice, he drives me home. I go to all his football games, which are basically a whole thing, crowds, lights, noise, but I love watching him take control on the field. Still, my favorite part? The drive home. When it’s just us, the world is quiet, and he kisses me like I’m the only girl that exists. He still calls me “little demon,” an inside joke from that first class, but treats me like I’m his princess. And I think I’m falling for him. Like, really falling.
Cali’s been my ride-or-die since day one. She warned me she was clumsy, but I didn’t expectthisclumsy. She’s always got some kind of bruise or cut, usually on her arms or legs. I’ve told her maybe she should take a step back from helping the headmaster so much. Whatever she’s doing seems rough. But she brushes it off like it’s nothing. Says it’s her fault, not the work. I don’t buy it. I know helping him helps her mom pay tuition, so she’s kind of stuck, but still something about it doesn’t sit right with me.
Then there’s Van. Total surprise. I didn’t plan on becoming friends with him, but now I can’t imagine school without him lurking around quietly and noticing everything. He’s cute in that overlooked genius way- dirty blond hair, glasses, sharp amber eyes. Definitely the ‘silent but hot’ type. I’m pretty sure Cali has a thing for him too. She turns into a flustered mess whenever he talks to her or brushes against her. It’s kind of adorable, honestly. But she neveractuallytalks to him unless he starts it.
So yeah, six months in, and somehow I’ve got a hot boyfriend, an awesome best friend, and more questions than answers when it comes to what goes on behind the scenes at this school. But for now? I’m surviving—and maybe even kind of thriving.
Walking into school, I spot Jax and Van hanging out by the entrance. As soon as Jax sees me, his face lights up.
"Good morning, my little demon," Jax calls out, stepping forward and pulling me into his arms. His lips meet mine in a soft, warm kiss that makes my heart race just a little faster.
"Good morning, QB." I smile up at him, and he tucks me comfortably under his arm as we all head inside.
"Nova, you know he's just trying to keep you distracted so you don't realize how bad his pitching has been lately," Van teases, giving Jax a playful shove.
"Shut up, man," Jax shoots back, laughing. "Just because you couldn’t hit a ball to save your life doesn’t mean I’m losing my touch."
"Please, I’d be a star if I tried," Van grins, walking backward so he can face us. "But I leave the glory to you, Mr. Quarterback-slash-Pitcher-slash-Ego-with-legs."
I giggle, leaning more into Jax. "Don’t worry, Van, your charm is your real talent."
"Finally, someone gets it," Van says with a dramatic sigh, hand over his heart. "Jax, you better keep her around. If not I am going to make her mine. She’s the only one who understands me."
Jax laughs, squeezing me a bit tighter. "Don’t worry. I’m not letting her go."
When we reach the hallway, Jax gives me one last quick kiss before breaking off. "See you at lunch, my little demon."
"Yep, and Van will meet Cali and me between classes, right?" I confirm, glancing at Van.
"Absolutely," Van nods. "Since His Highness here has to do his baseball meeting thing. Because, you know, being a football god wasn’t enough—now he’s gotta conquer the baseball field too."
"Get out of here, Van," Jax says, shaking his head, but he's smiling.
Chapter 4
After school, Jax, Cali, Van, and I all hang out at Jax’s place. It feels like the last normal thing I’m going to have in forever, I finally tell them about the move. As soon as I do, Cali wraps me in this tight hug, and I can feel the tears starting to sting my eyes.
