The hoverbike humd softly as it descended, slicing through the cool night air before settling against the pavent. The neon veins of the city pulsed in the distance, alive with color and motion, but here... high above the noise, it was still. The kind of stillness that made the heart beat louder in one's chest.
Jessica swung her legs over the side before Jayden could even dismount. But instead of hopping onto the balcony as expected, she leapt gracefully upward, landing on the flat edge of the roof with the lightness of a cat. Her dress shimred beneath the pale silver wash of the moon, her hair falling in loose waves as she straightened with a mischievous grin.
"Jessica...?" Jayden blinked, half in disbelief, half in amusent.
She twirled on the rooftop, arms out like a carefree child, the moonlight catching the edges of her dress. Her laughter carried into the air like a silver bell. "Look at , Jayden. I'm the Queen of the world!"
Jayden couldn't help it; laughter rumbled out of him. "Jesus, you're high." He shook his head, leaning against the rail of the balcony.
"High on adrenaline." Jessica placed her hands on her hips like she'd just conquered sothing monuntal. "And maybe on one margarita. Who's to say?"
Jayden tilted his head, arms crossed, his silver hair catching in the breeze. "Jess, get down before you slip. That roof isn't exactly designed for—"
"Nope." She plopped herself onto the tiles, swinging her legs carelessly over the side. "Not coming down. If you want ..." she shot him a sly grin, "...You'll have to co get ."
Jayden sighed dramatically, the way only a boy reluctantly indulging his girl could. "Why do you do this to ?"
"Because you love ," she teased, rocking side to side like a stubborn child refusing vegetables.
Jayden rubbed his temples. "Jessica... please co down."
Jessica shook her head stubbornly, her curls bouncing. "Nuh-uh. I like it here. The stars are brighter up here."
Jayden let out a long breath, but his lips twitched into a smile. "Fine. You leave no choice."
And before Jessica could blink, he bent his knees and launched. The world blurred around him as he sailed upward, landing with the grace of a predator. The roof barely made a sound under his feet.
Jessica's eyes widened, a sharp gasp flying from her lips. She scrambled up in a half-panic, laughing breathlessly. "You didn't even give a head-start! That's cheating!"
She darted back, trying to put space between them, but Jayden was faster. He caught her wrist in one swift movent and pulled her in.
Their bodies collided softly, montum carrying her chest against his. For a heartbeat, everything froze. Her palms braced against his chest, his arm firm around her waist, the heat of his body searing through the cool night.
Jessica tilted her chin up, her brown eyes locking onto his golden ones. For a mont, the world fell away. The city, the night, the stars... none of it mattered. Only the sharp hitch of her breath. Only the way her pupils caught and reflected the faint moonlight.
"Sotis..." Jayden's voice was low, almost a whisper, his breath brushing across her lips, "...I wish I could stare at your face all day."
Jessica's lips parted in a small smile. "Really?"
Jayden nodded, brushing a loose strand of hair from her cheek, his fingers lingering. "Yes."
Jessica's smile flickered into sothing sharper, almost playful but not entirely. "That's hard to believe. Considering back at the club..." she tilted her head, eyes narrowing ever so slightly, "...You couldn't seem to take your eyes off Cassie."
The words hit him like a splash of cold water. Jayden stiffened. He hadn't thought she noticed. Or worse.. that she'd taken it to heart.
He shuddered. "Jessica, I—"
"So tell , Jayden," she cut in, her tone laced with mockery, but her eyes betraying a glint of hurt. "How exactly do you plan on staring at my face all day if you're too busy staring at hers?"
Jayden swallowed hard. He didn't know what to say or do in a situation like this. One wrong word, and that could be the end of everything. "Um.." he began. "I–"
But Jessica broke first, a laugh spilling from her lips as she shook her head. "Hahaha! Relax, babe. I'm just ssing with you."
Jayden's exhale was shaky, relief and guilt mingling. He dropped his gaze to the tiles, half-smiling.
Jessica slipped out of his hold and sat back down on the roof, tilting her head toward the stars. The playful glow on her face dimd into sothing more thoughtful. "You like her, don't you?"
Jayden blinked. "Huh?"
"Cassie." She turned, fixing him with eyes sharp enough to pin him in place. "You like her."
Jayden exhaled slowly, running a hand through his silver hair as he lowered himself beside her. The tiles were cool beneath him, the night wind carrying faint sounds from the city far below. "I... don't know."
The stars above stretched like shards of silver dust across the velvet sky. He stared up at them as he spoke, as though the truth could only be dragged out by sothing infinite.
"Cassandra is beautiful. Smart. Playful. Sweet." His voice softened. "But I don't know if what we have is pure friendship... or sothing else. It all just happened so fast. One mont I was there to see her mom, and the next... we beca close. Closer than I expected."
Jessica chuckled gently. "Isn't that what true connection feels like? You et soone for the first ti, and it's like you've known them your whole life."
"Yeah," Jayden admitted, "But it just felt... too fast."
"That's how it should be," Jessica replied, her smile turning wistful. She hugged her knees loosely, resting her chin on them. "Do you know why I like romantic movies?"
Jayden tilted his head. "Why?"
"Because of that easy chemistry. The instant connection between lovers. Sure, there are always obstacles... distance, misunderstandings, pride, rivalry. But the bond itself? It's instant. So instant it feels unreal." Her gaze lifted skyward again. "But that's the point, right? Real connection isn't supposed to follow rules. Sotis it just... is."
Jayden looked at her deeply. The way her profile glowed in the moonlight, the way her words seed wiser than her years. "When did you beco a love sage?" he asked with a chuckle.
Jessica laughed, shrugging. "I have my monts. Just... make sure you figure out how you feel about Cassie before it's too late. The world doesn't wait forever, Jayden. Sotis it rips people apart before they ever say what's in their hearts."
Jayden's throat tightened. "And if I do have feelings for her... would you be okay with it?"
Jessica sighed, her expression soft but honest. "At first, I didn't like it. Your friendship with her. I didn't approve of how close you two got so quickly. But... it's not my place to control your feelings. Or hers." She smiled faintly, her tone gentler now.
"And after she reconciled with Tasha," Jessica added, "I realized she wasn't a threat. She was my friend. And she was just... trying to connect with soone special. And I'd be a pretty terrible friend if I punished her for that."
She looked down, fingers brushing her dress. "So yeah. I'd be okay with it."
Jayden studied her. "And Tasha?"
Jessica chuckled. "She's cool with it too. You should know by now that we agree on literally everything."
Jayden grinned softly. "Yeah. Figures."
A silence passed between them, filled only by the hum of the city and the whisper of night air.
"Y'know..." Jayden murmured, "You and Cassie are a lot alike. Sa humor. Sa energy. It's almost like you're the sa person."
Jessica giggled. "Yeah, I know. Why do you think we bonded so fast? We're basically twins."
Jayden shuddered dramatically. "One of you is already enough. Two? That's a nightmare."
Jessica shoved his shoulder playfully. "Oh, you love us."
Jayden smiled. "Guess I do."
The silence this ti was warr. Comfortable. They both tilted their heads back, watching the stars burn faintly across the horizon.
Then Jayden reached into his jacket. "Oh. Almost forgot."
Jessica blinked as he pulled out a sleek black box.
"I have one more gift for you." He handed it over, his lips quirking in anticipation.
Jessica arched a brow. "What's inside?"
"Open it and see." Jayden smirked knowingly.
Jessica laughed, lifting the lid. And then she froze.
Moonlight hit the contents, igniting a silver glimr that danced in her wide eyes. Slowly, reverently, she lifted it out... a delicate necklace, silver chain catching the light, with a diamond pendant shaped like a lozenge. The crystal shone like a frozen star, throwing shards of light across her cheeks.
Her breath caught. "Jayden... please tell this isn't what I think it is."
Jayden smiled knowingly, golden eyes steady on her as he confessed. "Yes. It's a diamond necklace."
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