The days following her encounter with Jax had passed in a blur, each one dragging just a little longer than the last. Chloe couldn't help it—she was consumed by thoughts of him, the way his presence seemed to fill every room he walked into, the way he had looked at her, the calm yet intense way he spoke. Every time she closed her eyes, his face lingered in her mind, like a shadow that she couldn't escape.

The routine of her life—teaching, grading, planning—felt... off. She had always prided herself on being composed, on staying focused on the things that mattered. But with every passing day, Jax became harder to ignore. And despite her best efforts, a part of her wondered what it would be like to truly get to know him, to see beyond the dangerous façade he wore so well.

It was Thursday afternoon when the familiar roar of a motorcycle broke through the quiet of her classroom, the sound so close that Chloe felt it vibrate in her chest. She stiffened, her hands frozen mid-grip on the papers she was sorting. She knew who it was without even having to look out the window. The sound of Jax's bike was unmistakable by now.

For a moment, Chloe hesitated. She told herself it was just a coincidence, just him passing by the school on his way to wherever he needed to go. But deep down, she knew that wasn't true. She knew there was something more at play here. He had been making his presence felt too frequently in her life, popping in and out of her peripheral vision like a puzzle piece she couldn't quite fit.

Chloe's breath quickened as the motorcycle roared to a stop outside the school. She had only a few minutes before the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. There was no time to avoid him now. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stood up from her desk, smoothing out her skirt as if it would calm the storm of emotions churning inside her.

She had to face it. She had to confront what was happening between them, even if it scared her.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of the day, Chloe walked out of the classroom, feeling the weight of her decision pressing down on her. She kept her head down, her eyes trained on the hallway floor as she walked toward the exit. She wasn't sure what to expect when she stepped outside, but she wasn't ready for the sight that greeted her.

Jax stood near the school's main doors, his motorcycle parked beside him. He was leaning casually against the brick wall, his arms crossed over his chest, watching her with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. His eyes were focused on her in a way that made her feel like she was the only person in the world. The world seemed to quiet around her, and suddenly, it was just the two of them, caught in a moment where neither of them could look away.

Chloe felt the blood rush to her cheeks as she approached him, her steps faltering as she tried to keep her composure. She had never been this unsure of herself, but Jax had a way of making her feel both like she was being examined and like she was the one doing the looking. It made her feel... vulnerable in a way she didn't know how to handle.

"Ms. Hale," Jax said, his voice smooth and low, like a velvet chord being struck. His lips curled into a half-smile, the kind that was more of a knowing smirk than anything else. "I didn't expect to see you out here so soon."

Chloe stopped a few feet away, her arms instinctively crossing over her chest, as if protecting herself from something she couldn't name. "I wasn't planning on being outside. Just... going to my car," she replied, trying to sound casual, but the words came out breathless.

Jax tilted his head, his gaze never leaving hers. "I bet you were planning on escaping before I had a chance to corner you."

"Corner me?" Chloe repeated, a nervous laugh escaping her lips. She hated how she sounded—flustered and unsure. She hated how he made her feel like she was the one being hunted.

Jax's eyes darkened slightly, the playful smirk never leaving his face. "I didn't mean it like that," he said, his voice softening, but there was an underlying tension in his words. "But you've been avoiding me."

"I'm not avoiding you," Chloe said quickly, though she could hear the lie in her own voice. "I just... I've been busy."

"Busy?" Jax repeated, his eyebrows rising in a teasing gesture. "Or is it that you're scared of what happens when you get too close?"

The question hit her harder than she anticipated. Chloe opened her mouth to respond, but the words got caught in her throat. What did she even think of him? How could she explain the pull she felt, the conflicting emotions swirling inside her? She had been raised to avoid trouble, to steer clear of the dangerous people in her life. But Jax wasn't just anyone. And she couldn't deny that a part of her was drawn to him in ways she didn't understand.

"I'm not scared," Chloe finally said, her voice quieter now, more reflective. "I just don't know what you want from me."

Jax pushed himself off the wall, taking a step closer to her. "I told you yesterday, Chloe," he said, his tone low and deliberate. "I'm not looking for anything. But maybe you are." He paused, letting the words hang in the air between them. "I think you like the idea of getting close to the wrong guy. And deep down, you know it'll mess with your perfect little world."

Chloe's heart hammered in her chest. His words stung, but at the same time, they felt too close to the truth. She had spent so much of her life trying to be perfect, trying to make everyone happy, to avoid confrontation and complication. But Jax... he was the complication she had been avoiding, and yet, he was the one thing she couldn't stop thinking about.

"You don't know anything about me," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "You don't know what my world's like."

"Maybe not," Jax replied, his eyes searching hers as if trying to figure her out. "But I can tell you're not as perfect as you make yourself out to be. None of us are."

Chloe looked away, her gaze drifting to the ground as she tried to collect herself. Jax was right—he didn't know everything, but he knew enough. More than she was comfortable with.

Before she could say anything more, a motorcycle roared in the distance, the sound of it breaking the charged silence between them. Jax turned his head, his expression softening for just a moment as if acknowledging something she couldn't quite place.

"I have to go," he said quietly, his voice unexpectedly gentle. "But you should think about what I said, Chloe. You can only keep running from the truth for so long."

And with that, he turned and walked back to his bike, leaving Chloe standing there, her chest tight, her mind spinning. He didn't wait for her response. He didn't need to.

As he drove away, Chloe stood frozen in place, the weight of his words settling over her like a storm she didn't know how to weather. She didn't know what to think, what to feel, but one thing was certain: her life was no longer simple. She was tangled in something much deeper, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to get out.