Jae shook his head. The day seemed more of a dream than reality. Things paced a bit too fast for his liking. His father didn’t even say anything. He accepted this adventure and sold out his son to help out.

Did he also feel like he had no say in the matter?

Alex had dragged Jae out instantly when her aunt finally agreed. She obviously didn’t want to hear another word of protest. They had two towns to go through before they’d enter one of the big cities. He probably should count it lucky that Freccia Prep was near the edge of it and the second town…

… because he did NOT look forward to city traffic.

“And so you didn’t tell Logan about this? Why is that? Doesn’t he already know about your knowledge of the breakup?” Jae glanced at Alex briefly. His heart hammered in his chest as he turned the steering wheel. The plan seemed to have a lot of holes—from what he knew about it, at least.

For some reason, Alex refused to expose everything.

“He’d totally reject the idea” she snorted.

Once he found out about her past with Skye, he wouldn’t let them be near each other. She knew this from his reaction to her idea of helping Jae in his Cinderella Hunt. Anything that would place her in a compromised position would be in Logan’s trash bin immediately.

“Damn right he would.”

“Also,” Alex continued, “Even if he didn’t, he’d insist on coming with us. His presence would disrupt it. Skye would want to look ‘good’ if she spots him—unlike with me.”

“What makes you sure that she’d confess?”

“I’m not” she chuckled humorlessly, “Getting a confession was the only reason I could convince the adult about this. I really don’t want to sit around doing nothing—especially after what happened at your place. Success or not, I have to do something.”

Silence filled the car. Both parties hung out with their own thoughts. Alex didn’t know how to explain it. It was like an itch she wanted to scratch badly until it faded away. She’d even blank out while doing schoolwork because of it.

She didn’t like how Skye had that control over her.

Alex stared out the window, whispering, “You and I know that this whole thing might involve Logan. He might feel guilty if he found out that he’s the reason Skye wanted to expose me.”

Her hands clenched into fists. She narrowed her eyes on the buildings they passed by. Every time she thought about the situation, it made her blood boil. It was one thing to mess with her life but to also drag others?

She wouldn’t tolerate it.

Jae shook his head. In all the time since the folder happened, he’d never heard or seen Alex act in this way. She didn’t seem to know it but he could tell that her protective instincts had been activated. She’d accept the risks if it meant those close to her would be safe.

At the moment, the person on top of that list would be Logan. She sounded more worried about him than herself. From the moment she created plans, she kept him in mind. She’d do what it takes even if it meant driving all the way to Freccia Prep just to corner her prey.

The plan was reckless but it could result in something good.

“Hope it works” he muttered under his breath.

Alex felt her phone vibrate. An ominous feeling washed over her. The inevitable had happened. She fished it out and saw a new message alert. Staring at the lock screen, she read the contents through the notification bar.

‘Where are you? I thought you said that your aunt will drive you to school? Are you at the Principal’s Office with her?’ - Logan

She shut her eyes for a second and cursed.

“What is it?” Jae glanced over at her, stopping at a red light.

“It’s Logan,” Alex answered. She had anticipated this but a part of her wished it wouldn’t happen. They just had an open talk. Now, she was about to lie to him.

While she figured out a reply, her phone began to ring. She hissed a series of profanities. The guy didn’t even give her a chance to respond. Why did he send a message first if he’d call anyway?

Alex bit her bottom lip, letting it ring, “You think he’d make a connection when he finds out we’re both missing?”

She had told Logan that her aunt needed to visit the Principal so they’d go to Woodlands together. There wasn’t a need for him to pick her up. Then, she was supposed to lie about being sick at home. When she was about to type it out, she realized it might not be good for Logan not to know that she was with Jae.

But what kind of reason could she use without being suspicious?

“Just tell him we’re driving to Freccia Prep” Jae shrugged. His head snapped back towards the road. He put the car in drive and rolled over the intersection.

“Excuse me?” Alex scoffed, raising her eyebrows.

“Tell him that one of Emily’s stalkers decided to be extra creepy,” he explained further, “Since I’m posing as her fake boyfriend, she decided to call me so I can prove that I’m real. Then, I heard some assault happening on the other line. I got really mad and wanted to go there immediately so I dragged you with me since I didn’t want to get lost.”

…

…

...

“Is this why I saw the two of you together the other day?” Alex breathed out, blinking.

She almost forgot about it amidst the course of events. When this was over, she needed to berate her cousin. Alex could almost imagine the expressions on Emily’s face. She looked forward to them a lot. It served her cousin right for teasing her about Logan.

“No” Jae snorted, “But it was one of the things we talked about that time.”

“Worming your way to my cousin’s heart by pretending to be her boyfriend” Alex smirked as she shook her head. Then, her tone dropped to a serious one, “Hurt her and I’ll skewer you.”

“Yes, ma’am” Jae chuckled, “Although, I think she’ll get to me first before you could. Did you reply to Logan yet?”

“No, I’m waiting for 5 minutes to pass so it would seem like I wasn’t near my phone when he called” Alex replied, checking the time. She still had about 3 minutes left. She was surprised Logan didn’t call a second time.

Then again, he was probably in class.

When the time passed, she sent a concise message. She apologized for the delay and narrated the situation. She made sure to sound like it was urgent. She read it over one last time, adding a reminder for him to concentrate in class and not to worry.

“What about you, Alex? Have you thought about getting into a relationship?” Jae suddenly asked. He turned on the radio to fill in the air. Since it would take a while before they arrived, he figured to make use of this opportunity.

After all, when would he have another chance to ask her about his brother?

Alex snorted, gazing out the window again, “No, that’s not in my list of priorities. I just want to do well in school, graduate, enter college, take up an internship and inherit the company.”

She responded so smoothly that Jae fell into a slump. Logan really had it hard. At least, he knew Emily had interest in dating. He also had been open about his attraction to her. He wouldn’t need to think about finding the perfect time to confess.

He decided to push on the subject, “Never thought about settling down?”

“I think it’s a bit too early for me to think about settling down,” she frowned, making a face. She was only turning 17 in January. That kind of question wasn’t relevant yet.

“So you won’t have a boyfriend until you’re ready for marriage?”

“Mom would love it if I had a boyfriend but…” Alex took a sip from a water bottle in her bag, “Since I was a kid, I already placed that in the back of my head. I guess it was from my grandfather’s influence. He is very traditional and always told me not to get one.”

So it was from upbringing, Jae thought. The GPS told him to make a turn and he did. If it started out young, it would be hard to crack. Judging by their closeness before, it seemed to have some progress. Did she feel anything from that?

She could still like someone, right?

“That’s his opinion” Jae pointed out, “What is yours?”

Alex shrugged, recapping the bottle, “If it happens, it happens. If not then, no. I’m just not thinking about it.”

“So you have no one in mind?”

“Should I?” She questioned back. Alex leaned back on the chair and crossed her arms over her chest. She eyed Jae suspiciously. He seemed to have an ulterior motive and she didn’t appreciate how he acted about it.

Why couldn’t he just say it straight?

Oh, for the love of—Jae prayed to any higher power for assistance.

Logan needed it badly.