Page 16 of Heartstruck

“Uh, yeah, sure.” I step aside, still trying to wrap my head around why he’s here. He walks in, taking in the cluttered living room before turning back to me.

I close the door behind me, walking slowly behind him with crossed arms over my chest.

Jared hesitates before speaking, his hand tugging at the sleeve of his jacket. “I know it’s late,” he says, his voice a little quieter. “Thought I could keep you company.”

There’s something in his tone that throws me off. I raise an eyebrow, following him as he moves towards the dining table. “What makes you think I need company?”

He sets the pizza and lava cakes down on the table, then turns to face me. “You seemed off this morning. I don’t know, I just had a feeling you might need something to take your mind off things.”

I pause, caught between surprise and… gratitude, maybe? It’s not like we’re best friends, and yet here he is, standing in my apartment with dinner and dessert, just because he thought I might need it.

I bite my lip, struggling to put the words together. “I… thanks. I guess I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”

He nods, like he understands, like he’s been there too. “Wanna talk about it over trash reality?”

We set up the food at my coffee table while I tune into a replay of You’re The One .

The cheesy, over-the-top drama of the show feels oddly comforting right now.

Jared grabs a couple slices of pizza and sinks into the couch, clearly settling in for a long night of junk food and bad TV while I’m trying to put my schoolwork away. I really need to build that desk.

“What’s with all the books? Don’t you have a desk for this kind of chaos?” he asks right before taking a bite.

I glance at the pile of textbooks and notes stacked haphazardly on the dining table. “Yeah, I do,” I admit, “but I haven’t had the chance to put it together yet. It’s been one of those things that keeps getting pushed down the to-do list.”

“What happened to it?”

“Shitty desk that broke on me.”

“Yikes.”

“Yeah, it’s okay. I’ll get to it eventually.”

We watch as Lara gets whisked away for her getaway date, the seconds dragging by during the commercial break. I’m getting antsy, just wishing Hulu would cut the ads already. Just when I’m about to snap, Jared finally breaks the silence.

“So, what’s going on in that head of yours?”

I start picking off the toppings on my slice. “I have to drive home this weekend.”

Jared chews slowly, his brow furrowing slightly as he looks at me. “I don’t see the problem. Aren’t you close with your family? I’d figure you’d be over the moon.”

“Yeah, but I have to go to a quince , and I hate spending time with that side of the family. They’re horrible.”

“Can’t be that bad.”

“Ever heard of aunt issues? My aunt is cold-blooded, bien tóxica. She loves judging me any time she sees the opportunity. So, yeah, I’m not looking forward to being home this weekend.”

“What about that cousin of yours? The one you idolize so much.”

I let out a dry laugh at that. “She won’t be there. She doesn’t want to be around her mom either.”

Jared raises an eyebrow. “Ouch, is she really that bad?”

I take another frustrated bite of my pizza, not even trying to hide my irritation. “Yes, very much so,” I mutter. “I’ll just suck it up when I get there.”

Jared pauses, contemplating my words. Then he looks up, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “What if I join you?”

“Join what?”

“Go with you?”

“ ?Qué? ” I say, genuinely confused.

He smirks at my frown. “I’m saying I’ll go with you to the party.”

“It’s a family party… You don’t have to do that.”

Jared stretches out across the couch, his arms folded behind his head, looking ridiculously laid-back. “You’re missing the point.”

I narrow my eyes at him, confusion swirling in my head. Then the gears in my brain click into place. And when it does, it hits me like a brick to the face. “Serena,” I mumble, my voice dropping.

Jared snaps his fingers. “Bingo.”

Realization dawns on me. Knowing Serena, she probably told her aunt we’re dating, her aunt passed the news to my mom, and my mom likely broadcasted it to the whole family on Facebook.

Classic chisme .

I groan, covering my face with my hands. “Oh my god. The whole family probably thinks we’re together.”

Jared chuckles, clearly entertained by my realization. “Well, if they already think we’re dating, wouldn’t it make sense for me to be there?”

I peek at him through my fingers. “You don’t have to do that. It’s going to be a lot, loud music, people dancing, and my family asking a million questions.”

“I’m your fake boyfriend, it’s a part of the job.”

My heart drops an inch at the word fake . I know it’s fake, but for a heartbeat’s time, I’d forgotten. The way he’s so casually stepping into this role, offering to shield me from my family’s endless probing, it almost feels real. But of course, it isn’t. We’re just playing a part, nothing more.

“Right, right. Well, I guess it makes sense for you to come. We’ll leave early Saturday.”

“Fine with me.” Jared takes another bite of pizza, and we sit in companionable silence, the cheesy drama of You’re The One playing in the background.

I keep stealing glances at him, trying to wrap my head around the fact that he’s here, in my apartment, about to willingly walk into the mess that is my family.

“So, do you have any big family events like this? Quinceaneras , weddings, awkward family reunions?”

“Nothing that big growing up, just birthdays and reunions. But ever since Dad married Lina, it feels like there’s a wedding every other weekend.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “I remember their wedding. It was gorgeous.”

“Yeah, it was… until someone lost the ring.”

My jaw drops, and I clap a hand over my mouth. “Serena lost the ring? Wait, so it’s true?”

Jared nods, a grin spreading across his face. “Hand to God.”

“She told me it was just left behind at the hotel.”

“Nah. She dropped it in their bridal suite and used her own ring as a decoy for the ceremony.”

“Clever girl,” I say, grinning as I shake my head in mock disbelief.

“Yeah, she’s quick on her feet,” Jared agrees, his tone changing slightly, as if the memory carries more thought than he lets on.

I glance at him and find his usual confidence is replaced by hesitance.

“Can I tell you something?” he asks, his voice low. I nod. “When she lost the ring, it should’ve been a moment of panic for me. It’s the biggest day of my dad’s life, right? But I was so fucking happy when she did.”

I frown for an instant, and he sits straight immediately to clarify, “It’s not what you’re thinking.

It’s just… Serena’s so perfect, you know?

From the moment I met her, my dad couldn’t stop raving about how amazing she is and how lucky he is to have her as a daughter.

And don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for him; I really am.

But it was hard at first. Going from an only child to suddenly being an older brother to someone who’s practically the poster child for perfect… it messed with my head for a while.”

I nod and give him a tight-lipped smile.

“I struggled a lot at first,” he admits, shrugging it off before looking back at me.

“I kept comparing myself to her, wondering if my dad was just relieved to finally have a kid he didn’t have to worry about, you know?

I know it sounds messed up, but when she lost the ring, I felt…

I don’t know, less alone. Like maybe she wasn’t as perfect as everyone said she was. ”

I’m speechless. I always thought things were perfect between them.

Serena seemed genuinely happy to have him, even from the start.

She didn’t care that they weren’t close right away—she was just excited to finally have an older brother.

But it’s not about excitement, is it? It’s that comparison—the one I know all too well.

I nod slowly, letting his words sink in, like water soaking into paper.

Jared breathes in, rubbing his hands on his thighs. “It’s fine now, though. We’ve settled into our roles, and I get along with Serena. But I guess that moment stuck with me.”

I shift a bit, fidgeting with the edge of my shirt. “I used to feel the same way too, you know?”

“You? About your best friend since you were seven years old? I find that hard to believe.”

“She’s always been the smart one between us. When I bring her to family parties, everyone adores her. Sometimes, it feels like they like her more than me.”

“That’s not possible.”

“It’s just how I feel. Like this one time,” I turn slightly to face him, “we were at a family dinner, and my aunt wouldn’t stop praising her.

My aunt… she disapproves a lot about my life and how my mom raised me, and sometimes, I feel like those judgments seep into my mom too.

It makes me wonder if, deep down, she wishes she had a daughter like Serena and that way, her own sister would get off her back. ”

The words just keep flowing out at this point like the Niagara Falls: “She’s smarter than me, so it makes sense why maybe deep down, I feel insecure being compared to her. That’s why I loved cheer and did it for so long.”

He hums comprehensively. “Then why did you quit? The real reason.”

“My anxiety attacks got worse during the season. At first, they would come while I sat in my dorm after practice, but then they started happening at random times that I couldn’t control. So, I quit before the playoffs. Told everyone that I needed to focus on exams or something.”

Jared’s gaze relaxes as he listens, his expression reflecting the seriousness of my words. “It must have been hard to walk away from something you loved so much.”

I nod, feeling a wave of vulnerability wash over me, and my voice trembles just a bit.

“It was. Cheerleading was my thing. It was the one thing I thought I could be good at, the one way to prove to my judgmental family that I’m not a failure.

But the truth is, I never knew when my anxiety attacks would hit.

They just… happened. I never had control over it. ”

Somewhere between fighting to be seen and disappearing under the pressure, I lost myself. I thought I could outrun it all, but control doesn’t work that way.

Jared leans in slightly. “It’s okay to step back when you need to. It’s not a failure. You were just taking care of yourself. No one expects you to have it all figured out.” His eyes change, a hint of protectiveness flickering in them. “You’re doing your best, Alli. That’s enough.”

I force a grateful smile. “Thanks. I forget sometimes that it’s okay to put my mental health first.”

He gives a supportive nod, eyes serious but with a hint of mischief. “Taking care of yourself also means eating pizza with me and watching terrible TV. I’m your guy.”

I laugh, feeling the hostility in my shoulders ease. “ You’re The One is not terrible. They’re finding love!”

“While dating three girls at once? This Dennis guy sounds like a tool.” Jared laughs, grabbing another slice of pizza.

“You’re telling me”—he points to the TV where Meredith is giving a speech that she’s looking for something real and not fake—“she doesn’t recognize that he’s not in it for the real thing. ”

“Love can be hard to find in the spotlight! It can be confusing, so it makes sense to re-establish what you want.”

Jared nods and bites off a piece of the slice. He gives me a coy grin. “So, if you were on a show like that, what would you look for?”

I smirk, pretending to think hard. “Definitely someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously. And someone who’d bring me pizza without asking… and maybe do puzzles with me.”

He laughs, nudging my shoulder. “Oh? Maybe I should sign up.”

“Oh, you’d be a hit,” I tease, leaning back on the couch. “All the girls would be fighting over you.”

Jared’s smile fades, and he looks at me with something unreadable in his eyes. “Nah, I’d probably just stick around for the company.”

I raise an eyebrow, trying to ignore the way my heart stutters. “You’d probably make it to the Commitment Cabana.”

“As long as I’m not the guy who’s only in it for the spotlight.”

A small laugh escapes me. “Oh, totally. You’d be bringing pizza and doing puzzles in the corner, way too humble for the spotlight.”

“Noted. Maybe I’ll bring my A-game then.”

I offer a light smile, lightening the mood. “I think you’ll make it through the first round, at least.”

He holds my gaze in suspense before finally breaking into a full smile. “Good to know.”