The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine Chapter 41: Desk Mate

Jason’s POV:

Okay, I get it. I’m officially hopeless and borderline crazy, but I can’t help it. The mont I thought she might be expelled, sothing inside snapped. All my usual calm and logic went out the window, and suddenly nothing mattered but her.

I could tell people were shocked when they saw sit down next to her. I’m sure it was the last thing anyone expected, especially after all the tension between us. But I didn’t give a damn. Let them stare. Let them whisper. Anyone who had any plans of taunting her, of throwing snide comnts her way because of the rumor Amber spread, quickly changed their minds when they saw sitting there, throwing glares sharp enough to cut through steel.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that power cos with its perks. People don’t ss with you. They don’t dare cross lines they’d usually toe if you weren’t around. And right now, I was using every ounce of that power to shield Ella, whether she wanted it or not.

But... God, she was so frustrating. Every glance, every word, every little movent she made pulled deeper into whatever twisted hold she had over . I could see it in her eyes—the mix of anger and sothing darker, sothing I couldn’t quite put my finger on. She was a force, a storm I couldn’t control, and sohow, that drew in even more.

And then there was her reaction when I sat beside her. She didn’t say much at first, but her body language scread it all. The way she clenched her jaw, the way her fingers gripped her pen like she wanted to stab with it. I could almost feel the heat radiating off her in waves. But what could I say? She might’ve been annoyed, but I found it... entertaining. Hell, more than that. I lived for it.

Every ti she whispered sothing snarky, every ti she tried to push away, it just made want to lean closer, to see how far I could go before she broke. There was sothing about her fire, her raw defiance, that had hooked. And maybe—just maybe—she felt the sa way. Not that she’d ever admit it, of course.

But then she said that line. That damn line.

"Keep that girlfriend of yours on a leash."

Girlfriend? Amber? As if. I wanted to laugh out loud. If only she knew how far from the truth that was. The thought of Amber, of what she did, made my blood boil all over again, but Ella thinking I was sohow involved in Amber’s ss made it even worse. Did she really think I’d pull sothing like that? Did she really think I’d hurt her like that?

I had to fix this. Sohow. I didn’t know how, but I had to.

And then there was the way she reacted to in class. Yeah, she smacked my hand away, cursed under her breath, called a creep, and glared like she wanted to murder in my seat. But still, I couldn’t stop ssing with her. I couldn’t stop wanting her attention, needing to see her squirm. It was insane. She drove insane.

And, of course, she thought I was just so jerk trying to annoy her for fun. But it was more than that. I wanted her to notice , to really see , the way I saw her. The way her presence made everything else in the world blur out of focus. And maybe, deep down, part of her knew that too. She had to. Because, God help , I was already hers.

Body, mind, and soul.

If only she’d stop fighting it.

Ella’s POV:

Oh. My. God. I think I’m about to commit murder. Jason is seriously pushing to the edge, and I swear, if I end up in jail, it’s going to be his fault. Completely his fault. I an, is it even possible for a human being to be this infuriating?

First off, why is he even sitting next to ? He never sits here. I don’t care what power he thinks he has, he doesn’t get to just ss up my day like this. I had a whole strategy—keep my head down, listen to music, survive the day without setting anyone on fire. But no. Jason, in all his cocky, infuriating glory, decided to sit next to , play with my hair, and just exist in a way that made my skin crawl... and not in the way you’re probably thinking.

I can feel his eyes on , like he’s trying to figure out or so shit. His stupid smirk only makes it worse. Why does he have to be so... ugh. He’s literally sitting there, looking at every tiny thing I do, like he’s trying to decode so kind of puzzle. Spoiler alert, Jason: I’m not so mystery for you to solve.

"Stop creeping at ," I whisper-shouted at him, trying to focus on literally anything but his hand casually on my thigh. Seriously?! My brain practically short-circuits. Stupid creep. Doesn’t he know personal space? He’s been doing this all class—touching my hair, my leg, smirking when I smack his hand away with my pen. Which, by the way, hurt him. And he had the nerve to laugh about it when I told the professor I was swatting at a fly. A fly, Jason. That’s what you are—an annoying, persistent fly.

And now he’s sitting there, smirking to himself, acting like he’s entitled to touch , to invade my space.

The worst part? Everyone else has suddenly stopped their usual jeering. No comnts, no whispers, no snickers from the peanut gallery. It’s like the mont Jason sat next to , the whole damn class decided to pretend I didn’t exist. I’m not used to that. People always have sothing to say about , especially after Amber’s bullshit rumor spread like wildfire. But today? Silence. All thanks to Jason and whatever twisted power trip he’s on.

And the kicker? It works. As much as I hate to admit it, sitting next to him is like having so sort of invisible shield. No one dares to talk shit while Jason’s around.

But damn, why does he have to be my shield? He’s not a hero, he’s an arrogant jerk who plays with people’s lives like it’s a ga. And I’m not here to be part of whatever ga he’s playing, even if his hand on my thigh makes freeze in a way that I absolutely refuse to acknowledge.

Jason thinks he can get under my skin. Well, newsflash, I’m not so girl who’s going to lt at his touch. I’m Ella-freaking-Kingsley. I don’t lt, and I sure as hell don’t let arrogant, insufferable guys like Jason get the better of .

But God, if he doesn’t stop smirking at like that, I might just throw my pen at his face.

No. Focus, Ella. Just focus on getting through this class, getting through this day, and then I can figure out how to deal with Amber’s ss and Jason’s ridiculous behavior. One thing at a ti.

First: survive this class without strangling Jason.

Second: survive whatever cos next.

And then? Then we’ll see who’s really in control. Because it sure as hell won’t be Jason... even if part of —deep, deep down—can’t stop wondering what the hell is going on behind those stupid, cocky eyes of his.

Damn it, focus!

The mont the class ended, I sprang up, ready to escape this ridiculous situation. But of course, Jason—the human roadblock—wasn’t going to make it that easy for . He blocked my way like he was so kind of sentry, giving that cocky smirk again. It was like he enjoyed pushing my buttons, like he thought it was a ga.

Well, guess what, Jason? I’m done playing.

Fed up, I didn’t even hesitate. I raised my leg and slamd it down on his foot—*hard*. Thank God for my combat boots. They weren’t just for show. The look of surprise and pain that flashed across his face was priceless, and for a split second, I felt a surge of satisfaction. That’ll teach him.

While he was distracted, I took my chance and slipped past him. As I breezed by, I couldn’t help but throw a parting shot over my shoulder, "Next ti, do rember that people have lives to live."

No one was around to witness the exchange, thankfully. The class had already emptied, so at least he’d been spared the humiliation of a public scene. But that didn’t an my heart wasn’t still racing with a mix of anger and—God, I hated to admit it—adrenaline. Being around Jason always felt like walking a tightrope between frustration and... sothing else. Sothing I didn’t want to think about.

I just needed to get away. Away from Jason, away from the stares, away from the chaos of the day.