Page 33 of Heartstruck

Jared

The bar vibrates with the catchy bass of ROXANNE by Arizona Zervas.

The energy is still alive even hours after the game.

My friends sit crammed into booths, and drinks flow freely from the waiters.

Troy and Chase are cracking up about something I wasn’t paying attention to, and Kevin’s still holding court next to Alli, arguing about candy.

I should care about what Troy’s saying about his family’s new puppy, Gus. But instead, I’ve spent the last hour stealing glances at Alli. I catch myself mid-look and force my eyes somewhere else, pretending to be invested in the rest of the group’s bullshit and not as Alli’s bodyguard.

Yeah. It’s not working. We should have stayed home.

“You can’t tell me that Mazapán De La Rosa is nasty,” Kevin says abruptly, his voice rising like he just announced the moon landing. “It’s literally the best Mexican candy in the world.”

Alli crosses her arms, her expression unimpressed. She looks so smug, and for some reason, it’s ridiculously hot.

“It’s not,” she fires back without hesitation. “It’s overhyped. Vero Mango chili lollipops are the best. No contest.”

I raise an eyebrow. I never realized how hot she looks when she argues—eyes flashing, lips parted, chin lifted like she’s ready to take on the world. She tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear, and damn, I don’t think she even knows what she’s doing to me.

“You’re so wrong. Anyone would disagree,” Kevin counters, his voice getting louder like volume is going to make him right.

“I’m with Alli on this,” Chase cuts in with that laid-back tone of his, all grins as he sips his drink. “Those lollipops slap. If you don’t get it, that’s on you.”

Kevin glares at him. “Seriously, dude? You’re supposed to have my back.”

Chase smirks. “Not when your taste in candy sucks.”

Kevin opens his mouth to fire back, but Alli steamrolls over him. “Just admit defeat.”

His jaw works like he’s trying to find a good comeback. “No! You just have the wrong opinion.”

She laughs, tipping her head back, and the sound does something stupid to me. I don’t even realize my fist is tightening around my glass until Troy nudges me with his elbow repeatedly.

Kevin slams his hand on the table. “I won’t accept this slander against De La Rosa! ”

“ Alguien tiene mal gusto para los dulces ,” Alli looks far too pleased with herself.

“ ?Y qué? ” Kevin flails his hands, half annoyed, half bewildered.

“ Tienes mal gusto para los dulces ,” she repeats slowly, dragging it out like she’s savoring it. “Translation: you have bad taste in candy.”

Kevin groans like a toddler whose favorite toy got taken away. “I feel attacked.”

I snort and take a long drink from my beer, barely stopping myself from shooting Kevin a dry look. Is it irrational to be annoyed by how close he’s sitting to her?

Probably. Does it stop me from watching him like a hawk?

Absolutely not.

But I try to keep it cool. Keep it light.

“Maybe it’s just your taste buds, Kev,” I joke, leaning back in my seat. “They probably got fried by all the terrible takes you’ve been throwing since we sat down.”

Alli’s laugh slips out again, this time quieter, but I catch the way her lips curl up before she hides it behind her drink.

Kevin doesn’t stand a chance against that smirk. “Wow,” he mutters, throwing his hands up dramatically. “Guess it’s official, I’m in my villain era.”

“Better than being flavor blind,” Chase adds smoothly, handing a new drink across to Haley, who just walked in.

“Hey, sorry I’m late, babe.” Haley leans in to give Chase a quick peck before sliding into the booth beside him. “What’s going on here?”

“Civil war,” Chase says, grinning. “Battle over the best Mexican candy. Spoiler: Kevin’s losing.”

Kevin looks skyward. “Are none of you on my side? Is this betrayal? Is this what it feels like?”

Haley shakes her head, her laugh easy as she leans back.

“Definitely not fighting over candy tonight.” She turns her attention to Alli, her smile inviting, like they’ve been friends forever.

“So,” she says, leaning in conspiratorially, “how do you even put up with Jared? He’s so uptight around girls. ”

I stiffen automatically. “Hey, I’m not uptight .”

Haley smirks, ignoring my gaze completely. “Chase says otherwise.”

Alli bursts out laughing, startling me. It’s genuine, lighting up her face in a way she rarely lets people see. “We’ve known each other for years, maybe that’s how?” she says with a shrug.

“Oooh, friends to lovers? We love that.” Haley’s eyes glint with mischief.

Alli freezes, her smile faltering. “I’m sorry, what?”

Haley waves her hand dramatically. “Oh, come on. The years of slow-burn buildup, the moment one of you finally realizes the other’s been ‘the one’ all along. It’s classic.” She sighs dreamily, leaning back against the booth.

“She likes to read,” I explain, catching the confusion flying rampant in Alli’s face. “She thinks everyone’s love story should be like a fairy tale.”

Haley’s smile only grows wider. “Should be. Just look at Chase and me. Our parents set us up to be each other’s prom dates, and it was love at first sight.”

“Who fell first?” Alli asks, genuinely curious.

Haley grins, nudging her drink toward herself. “Oh, Chase, without a doubt. I wasn’t interested at first, but then we became friends, and… something just clicked, you know?”

Right on cue, Chase reappears with a fresh drink, sliding it in front of Haley like he’s been summoned by the story. “What’d I miss?”

“You trying to get me drunk?” she frowns.

“Frisky,” Chase retorts, winking at her.

“Oh, God, come on!” We chorus.

“What?” Haley rolls her eyes as she chuckles. “I’m telling them how we met and speculating on Jared and Alli’s epic love story,” she says breezily, throwing it out like it’s no big deal.

Alli’s eyes go wide, and she looks like she’s debating crawling under the table. “It’s not—there’s no epic story. It’s like any other romantic story.”

Haley shoots Alli a wink that practically oozes with knowing confidence. “Every love story is unique and beautiful. I just know yours is as special as any other.”

“So poetic,” Chase throws out teasingly. Kevin smirks, shaking his head, and Troy claps me on the shoulder before they disappear into the crowd, likely heading for another round or the dance floor, leaving Alli and me at the booth. The moment they’re gone, the space between us shifts.”

I glance at Alli, who’s twisting her straw in her drink, her eyes fixed anywhere but on me.

“You okay?” I ask, leaning in just enough to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.

She shifts slightly, her knee brushing against mine before she pulls back, glancing at me briefly before returning her focus to her drink. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just… Haley’s comment caught me off guard.”

I smirk, not entirely able to help myself. “Which one? The ‘friends to lovers’ thing or the ‘epic story’ bit?”

“All of it, probably. I never considered how grand our love story could be.” She bites her lip like it’s a bad habit. Hell, it’s the most dangerous thing I’ve seen tonight, and I quickly look away, trying to mask whatever just flickered between us.

“Stop biting your lip like that.”

“I wasn’t aware you were watching so closely.”

Desire crawls up my neck as her image suffocates me and the temperature rises. I catch what I’ve come to know too well in her eyes: the quiet want, that energy sparking when she leans in a fraction closer.

Her breath brushes against my skin, even from across the table, sending a wave of sensation through me.

“Why don’t you tell me what you think?” I ask, my voice sounding a touch rougher than usual.

She doesn’t flinch, doesn’t pull away. Instead, she locks eyes with me, that quiet confidence never wavering.

“I think you want to take me back to your place,” she says, her words deliberate, like she’s daring me to make a move.

“You think that’s what I want?” I reply in a whisper.

“I think you already know the answer.”

I tell myself to back off. To be smart about this. But then she looks at me, eyes wide and unguarded, and yeah—I’m officially fucked.