she's addicted

Joseph's POV

Michael had been staring, watching us all damn day.

Not just a casual glance.

No, He Was 'Staring.'

I swear, the entire day, His eyes never left us,  from the moment they fall on Jolene.

Every damn time I looked over, there he was—watching, his eyes were like glued to us, It was starting to feel intense, and it was starting to get ridiculous, It was almost pathetic. The way his gaze would soften slightly, only to harden again when he caught himself. Like he was fighting whatever the hell was going on in his head. almost suffocating.

And honestly?

I was living for this.

Because Michael flipping Chloer, the senior heartbreaker, the walking red flag, was looking at my girl like he’d burn down the world for her.

And she didn’t even know.

I didn’t want to give her something else to stress about.  I didn’t want to pile on more stress. Jolene had enough on her plate, though. I could tell from the moment I saw her this morning—pale, exhausted, a little too quiet. I knew last night must’ve been rough. Cause she was still holding onto last night like a ghost, She didn’t need this added to her stress.and I knew her well enough to guess what happened—her mother. Again.

Her mother wasn’t exactly the warmest person, and I knew it, they fought again. So, instead of letting her spiral, I focused on lifting her spirits.

So I did what I always did when Jolene needed a distraction, talked about nonsense, like some important shit. And she started it asking about Ires...

Whoa! my heart flattered just by hearing her name. Will, I need to work on that.

And we keep on talking, but the it was time for class. And before I went I cornered the senior heartbreaker, who couldn't stop staring.

I needed to give her another direction.

That’s why I dragged her straight to Mr. Fried’s class. The math class knowing full well it would fry her brain by the time she was done. Because if there was one thing that could distract her, It was math.

And math was a good distraction—it made your head swim, it was math. Nothing forces your brain to focus like the pure hell that is algebra. forcing you to focus on numbers instead of problems in your life, you couldn’t solve. You would try to sell the equations instead.

So that why, I dragged her to math class.

Mr. Fried’s class was like walking straight into a warzone—numbers flying, brains frying, students questioning every life decision that led them there. It was perfect. Math always forced her to focus on something else, and I needed that for her today.

Besides, as a junior, she still had time to catch on studies. And It was a good startup for the day today.

And while she was in there, getting mentally destroyed, obliterated by algebra.

I had to get to my own classes. But I had business to take care of.

Michael.

His eyes was on her, until She entered the classroom

The “I don’t do relationships” guy. The so-called bad boy. The one whose eyes had been tracking Jolene like a predator all day.

who was currently looking like a lost puppy watching her disappear into the classroom. And the second she stepped inside, his eyes darted away so fast you’d think he got caught.