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He runs his fingers through his hair as he tries to calm down. "You shouldn't be around guys like that."
I place a hand on my hip and hold my ground. "Why not? You talk to him."
"That's different."
"How?"
He gets up in my face, so close that I'm breathing him in, and it reminds me of the altercation we had when I showed up at his dorm-room unannounced and wouldn't leave. "Because it is."
I shake my head. "That's not an answer. Why is me talking to
him any different than you talking to him?"
"Leave it alone, Paige," he says as he steps away and goes to head back inside.
"No. Not until you tell me."
"You'll be waiting a long time then."
I stand there, watching as he goes back into the party and leaves me in the cold.
Note to self: getting something out of Jace is harder than it used to be.
THE NEXT FEW DAYS, something is off with Jace that I just can't seem to figure out. A part of me wonders if he's still mad about the stunt I pulled at the party. When I went back in that night, I completely ignored him, but he wasn't trying to talk to me either. He just kept himself in my orbit—I'm guessing to make sure I didn't go anywhere near Rinaldo.
I'm sitting with my dad one night, pretending to watch something on TV, when my phone rings and Carter's name appears on the screen. It's not like him to call me this late, at least not when he isn't begging me to try talking to Jace.
"Hello?"
"Paige," he says on a sigh of relief. "Is Jace with you?"
I look around the mostly empty room, even though I don't need to. "No. I think he's been avoiding me since Friday night. Why?"
"Fuck!" he shouts, and I can faintly hear someone that sounds like Zayn tell him to chill out.
"What's wrong? Is Jace okay?" I'd be lying if I said Carter's tone isn't making me worry.
He takes a deep breath. "I don't know. Can you come here?"
I look at the time. 12:15 a.m. It must be serious. "Yeah. Give me half an hour."
As I get up from the couch, my dad watches me and looks concerned. "Jace okay?"
"I'm sure he's fine. Carter is just a little paranoid lately."
Thankfully, he buys it, and I get into my car and head to campus.
THE SECOND I WALK in the door, half of me is expecting Jace to be sitting on the couch and telling Carter he’s an idiot, but instead, all I see is Zayn and Carter. Carter is pacing across the kitchen with his phone held to his ear, whispering, “Pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up.”
"What the hell is going on?" I question.
Carter hangs up and focuses all his attention on me. "When's the last time you talked to Jace?"
"Uh, yesterday? I asked him if he was mad that I talked to that Rinaldo guy, and he said no, but I'm pretty sure he was lying."
"Can you try calling him?"
A part of me wants an explanation, but he doesn't look like he's in the mood to reason with anyone, so I take out my phone and dial Jace's number. It rings for a little while and then goes to voicemail. I hang up and shake my head.
