Chapter 4 The First Spark

The party was in full swing, music thumping low and heavy through the speakers, pulsing beneath the floorboards like a second heartbeat. The air was thick with heat, laughter, and the scent of something sweet and smoky-probably the mango-flavoured hookah lingering in the far corner of the living room. Bodies moved around her, some dancing, others sprawled out on couches, clutching red cups and talking too loudly over the music.

Jade leaned against the kitchen island, her fingers wrapped around a drink she hadn't taken more than a sip of. It was too sweet, the kind of thing that stuck to your teeth and made your tongue feel heavy. She set it down, letting her eyes skim the room, pretending to look for her friends but really looking for one person-Cole.

She didn't know what exactly she was expecting after last night. A conversation? A smirk? Indifference? Maybe the same charged silence they'd shared on the balcony, when his eyes had dipped to her lips and hers had lingered on the tattoo snaking up his forearm.

But she hadn't seen him yet. He was late. Or maybe he wasn't coming.

"Jade."

She turned, startled, heart skipping before settling again. But it wasn't him. Just Tess, her hair pulled up in a messy bun, cheeks flushed with excitement or alcohol-or both.

"There you are," Tess said, grabbing her wrist and tugging her out of the kitchen. "Come on. You're just standing there like a statue. What's the point of being hot if no one gets to enjoy it?"

Jade laughed, allowing herself to be dragged toward the hallway. "I'm not in the mood."

"You're never in the mood unless you're in control," Tess said, glancing over her shoulder with a smirk. "Just relax. Tonight isn't about thinking."

That was the thing. Jade always thought. Even now, her mind was racing-calculating glances, dissecting words, overanalyzing silences.

But then she saw him.

He emerged from the backyard door, a bottle of beer in his hand, his shoulders tense beneath a simple black t-shirt that clung just enough to hint at muscle without looking like he tried. His hair was messy in that way that looked natural but probably wasn't, and his eyes-dark, unreadable, patient-scanned the room like he was cataloguing every face and already bored by them.

Until he saw her.

Their gazes locked.

It wasn't dramatic. No dramatic music cue. No slow motion. Just a slight narrowing of his eyes, and a twitch of his lips-almost a smile, but not quite. As if he saw something interesting.

As if he saw her.

Jade's stomach fluttered.

"Jesus," Tess whispered beside her, following her gaze. "Is that the guy from last night?"

"Yeah."

"He looks like trouble."

"He is."

"I thought you liked trouble."

Jade smiled, slow and deliberate. "No. I like to tame it."

Cole had moved. He was walking toward them now, easy strides that made it seem like he owned the air around him. Jade's pulse quickened, but she held her ground, squared her shoulders.

He stopped just in front of her, nodding once in greeting, that same cool exterior barely cracked.

"You clean up nice," he said, voice low and slightly hoarse.

Jade arched a brow, eyes flicking over him without shame. "You don't."

He chuckled. "Disappointed?"

"Just observant."

Their banter clicked into place like a match being struck. A flicker of something ignited in the air between them-hot, restless, waiting.

"You looked like you were trying to disappear back there," he said.

"Maybe I was."

"Not doing a great job of it. Everyone here notices you."

"Except the only one I was hoping would."

His smile deepened, slow and lazy like molasses. "You mean me?"

"I mean someone who doesn't waste time."

"I don't. I take it when it's worth it."

"And am I?"

He stepped closer, voice even softer now, his eyes sharp and searching. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

They stared at each other. The background noise faded. She was aware of the sound of her own breath, the heat crawling up her neck, the way her fingers tingled at her sides. It was stupid how electric this felt. He hadn't even touched her.

"You're very sure of yourself," she said.

"I've learned to trust my instincts."

"Even when they lead you to girls who like to play with fire?"

"I like fire," he said. "I just don't like getting burned."

"And what if I told you I don't do soft endings?"

"I don't do endings. I do exits."

Jade tilted her head. "Cryptic. That's cute."

He smiled again, but this time there was a flicker of something else-darkness, maybe. Or caution. "You talk like you've got walls built three feet thick."

"I do. Keeps the wrong people out."

"Then why are you talking to me?"

She paused, then said slowly, "Because sometimes, I like letting the wrong people in... just for a little while."

His gaze didn't waver. "I'm not a good choice for 'a little while.' I tend to leave a mark."

Jade's throat tightened. She didn't know what it was-his voice, the way he looked at her like he was dissecting every word, or the restraint in his body, like he was holding back something that could drown them both.

"I don't do marks," she whispered.

"Then you're in the wrong room."

Their standoff was interrupted by someone calling Cole's name across the room-probably one of his boys, waving him over for a shot or some game being played in the other room.

He didn't move.

"I should go," she said, suddenly. Her voice came out quieter than she intended, like the moment had startled her.

"You could stay."

She shook her head. "I don't think I should."

He didn't ask why. Didn't try to convince her. Just stepped back slightly, creating space but not enough to breathe easy.

"Okay," he said. "But next time..."

"There won't be a next time."

He smiled like he didn't believe her. "That's what they all say."

She turned, pushing through the crowd, ignoring the way her body hummed like a live wire. She could feel his eyes on her back, not possessive or begging, just watching.

Judging.

Waiting.

Outside, the night air hit her like a slap-cool, sharp, grounding. She sucked in a breath, steadying herself on the porch railing.

What the hell was that?

She didn't know what unnerved her more-his confidence, or the way her heart had tripped at his words. She didn't do tension. She didn't do people who looked at her like they *knew* something about her she hadn't figured out yet.

Jade was always the one in control. Always. But tonight, something had shifted.

A spark.

Small, dangerous, and too bright to ignore.

She walked down the driveway, heels clicking, arms wrapped around herself-not because she was cold, but because her skin still buzzed from the nearness of him. She didn't look back.

But she knew.

He was still standing there, watching her disappear into the night.