Jayden's POV
I don't even remember how I got home.
One moment I was still sitting with Jake and Dylan...
The next...
I was already unlocking my front door.
The house was unusually quiet.
Not that I minded.
Right now...
Silence was probably better.
I dropped my bag onto the couch and headed straight for my room.
Without changing my clothes...
Without even turning on the lights...
I just laid there.
Staring at the ceiling.
...
Does she really like Dylan?
I shut my eyes.
No.
Maybe Dylan was just overthinking.
He literally said so himself.
But then again...
What if he wasn't?
I turned onto my side and buried my face into my pillow.
Why am I even thinking this much?
It's not like she's mine.
She never was.
She probably never will be.
So why does it hurt?
My phone buzzed.
I ignored it.
A few seconds later...
It buzzed again.
Then again.
With a sigh, I reached over to my bedside table.
Jake.
Three messages.
Jake:
"You okay?"
"Don't overthink what Dylan said."
"He's probably wrong lol."
I stared at the screen for a while before typing back.
Me:
"I'm good."
A lie.
But it was easier than explaining everything.
I tossed my phone back onto the bed.
Not even a minute later...
It buzzed again.
This time it was a different name.
Olivia.
...
Why is she texting me?
I opened the chat.
"Hey."
"I forgot one of my notebooks at your house today."
"Did you happen to see it?"
I sat up and went downstairs
I looked over at the dining table
There it was.
Her notebook.
Still lying exactly where she'd left it.
I picked it up.
A tiny smile almost escaped my lips.
Until.... I remembered what Dylan had said.
The smile disappeared just as quickly.
I typed back.
"Yeah."
"You left it here."
A few seconds later...
"Can I come get it tomorrow?"
Tomorrow.
Which meant i'd have to see her again.
I stared at the message for what felt like forever.
Then finally replied.
"Sure."
She sent a smiling emoji.
"Thank you."
That was all.
The conversation ended there.
I placed the phone beside me and looked down at the notebook in my hands.
Should I...
No.
I shouldn't.
It's hers.
I shouldn't be snooping through someone else's things.
...
Right?
I quietly placed it back on the desk.
Then stepped away.
Good.
At least I still had some self-control.
...
Five minutes later...
I was standing in front of the desk again.
"..."
No.
Don't do it, Jayden.
...
I slowly reached for the notebook.
"Just making sure there's no homework sheet inside..."
Yeah.
Totally.
That's definitely the reason.
I opened the first page.
The neat handwriting I'd gotten used to filled the paper.
Nothing unusual.
Just notes.
I let out a quiet breath.
Guess I really was overthinking.
Just as I was about to close it...
A small folded piece of paper slipped out from between the pages.
...
"Hm?"
I bent down and picked it up.
It wasn't addressed to anyone.
There wasn't even a name on it.
Just a folded piece of paper.
I stared at it for a few seconds.
Should I open it?
Or should I leave it alone?
...