The Ex & The Next

During a video call with my boyfriend, his roommates started shouting, wanting to get a look at me.
I was giving them a shy, polite smile when suddenly, the phone was snatched away.
A magnetic voice, laced with a laugh, cut through the noise.
C'mon, don't be selfish. Let the guys get a look at the lucky lady.
In the next second, I was staring at the face of my ex-boyfriend—the one whose breakup with me had been a spectacular train wreck.
The smile slowly vanished from his face. After a long moment, his lips twisted into a smirk.
"Fuck."

1
The moment he leaned over, the star on the silver chain at his collarbone flashed past the camera. My breath caught the instant I recognized his face.
A bead of sweat trickled down Jace Crawford's sharp jawline, disappearing into the open collar of his basketball jersey. He stared at the screen, his pupils dilating in shock.
"...Fuck."
The phone was thrown, the screen going black for a second before being hastily picked up again. My boyfriend, Liam, held it, his voice laced with annoyance.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Jace paused, then let out a short, sharp laugh. "Your taste isn't that great."
Liam, who was usually the gentlest person I knew, actually got angry. "My girlfriend is wonderful," he said coldly. "Don't talk nonsense."
"Yeah, man, what's wrong with your eyes? She's gorgeous!" one of his roommates chimed in. "Way hotter than the campus queen of the language department."
"I'd eat ramen for three years for a girlfriend like that!"
"Get lost, I'd eat it for ten—"
As his roommates erupted in boisterous chatter, Jace fell silent.
Liam brought the phone closer. "Sorry about that, Stella. He probably just lost his basketball game and is in a bad mood."
A voice ground out from the background, laced with frustration. "I won! By twenty points!"
Liam’s expression didn't change. "Then he's just having a brain fart. Stella, I'll pick you up for dinner tonight."
...
After the call ended, I lay back on my bed, the bright summer sun piercing my eyelids. I threw an arm over my eyes.
It had been three years since I’d last seen Jace.
I couldn’t believe he was still wearing that star necklace I gave him. It was so cheap. I remember the price tag: $20 for the matching set. My own was long gone, tossed away somewhere I couldn't even remember.
He looked the same, yet completely different. It was the same face, but maturity had sharpened its edges, like a gemstone cut and polished, revealing an untamable arrogance in his eyes that he couldn't hide.
My mind drifted back three years, before we'd even graduated high school.
Jace, dressed in that same basketball jersey, had stood beneath my window, his eyes red as he begged me.
"I'll listen to whatever you say from now on. You don't like me hanging out with her? I'll never see her again. We were supposed to go to the same college—"
His voice grew hoarse, a glint of moisture in his eyes under the night sky. "Just don't break up with me. I'll agree to anything, okay?"
He looked so pathetic, on the verge of dropping to his knees.
But I just stared at him, my face a mask, and said softly, "Jace, I changed my application. I'm not going to Tristan University anymore."

2
My relationship with Jace began like a classic story: the new girl winning out over the childhood friend. It ended with the new girl losing to her.
I transferred to his high school in my junior year and immediately shot to the top of the class rankings. The teachers had a habit of pairing a high-achieving girl with a slacking boy, hoping for some academic osmosis. So, I was seated next to Jace.
He had zero interest in school, but he had a huge interest in me. He’d pull my hair or snatch my pen and hold it just out of my reach, a wicked grin on his face. "You're so short, Stella."
He passed me a note in class. I opened it to find a little stick-figure drawing of me. I was about to curse him for being so childish when the teacher spotted it, held it up for the entire class to see, and sent us both out into the hallway.
I was a model student. I'd never been punished for anything. Humiliated, I shoved him, my eyes burning with tears. "Jace, are you insane?!"
He knew it was his fault and said nothing. A few moments later, the note with the drawing, now folded into a tiny paper star, was secretly pressed into my hand.
I looked at the star, and a laugh escaped through my tears.
Our relationship slowly thawed. I would force him to listen as I explained homework problems until he understood, and I checked his assignments to make sure he wasn't just copying the answers. In return, he’d wait for me every day to walk to and from school together. We'd browse the little trinket shop near the school gates, and on a whim, I bought a pair of star necklaces and gave one to him.
...
Jace was a big deal at school—handsome, rich, the star of the basketball team. The number of girls who had crushes on him was endless.
One of them cornered me and asked if I liked him.
A mix of teenage pride and an inexplicable annoyance made me blurt out, "I would never like someone with worse grades than me."
The girl’s eyes shifted to a point behind me.
I whipped my head around and saw Jace standing there. I had no idea how long he’d been listening.
He walked past me without a word.
After that, he stopped talking to me. He didn't wait for me after school. We sat at the same desk every day in perfect, suffocating silence. I wanted to explain, but he never gave me the chance.
A year later, he stunned everyone by matching my score on the finals, tying for first place in our class.
That evening, he stopped me after school. "Stella," he said, his voice serious, "my grades aren't worse than yours anymore. Can you like me now?"
The memories from that time are hazy now. I only remember that the jacaranda trees on campus were in full bloom, a sea of purple. As the wind lifted the petals into the air, the light in the boy’s eyes was brighter than a supernova, a radiance that traveled across light-years and landed squarely in my heart.
In that moment, I heard myself say, "Okay."
And just like that, we were together.
Young love is a wildfire, impossible to contain. We were inseparable. Jace introduced me to all his friends, even got my name tattooed on his body. I said I wanted to go to Tristan University, and he swore he would go with me. His mother was ecstatic about his newfound ambition. Since my grades didn't drop, our parents and teachers decided to turn a blind eye. We became the only openly dating couple in school.
Back then, I truly believed we would be together forever.
Until I discovered there was another girl in his heart, one who would always be more important than me.

3
Jace had a childhood friend, Ava, who he’d grown up with.
Ava’s father had been a driver for Jace’s dad. Years ago, during a sailing accident, her father had saved Jace’s dad’s life but drowned before he could be pulled from the water. Jace’s father, a man of principle, took Ava and her mother in, promising to raise Ava as his own daughter and support them for the rest of their lives.
Ava was always with Jace. Even after we started dating, she was a constant presence, tagging along on our walks to and from school. I fought with Jace about it constantly. For a while, she backed off, but then, just a few days later, she reappeared, leaning heavily on Jace.
"I'm so sorry, Stella," she said, her voice deceptively sweet. "I know you don't want me walking with you, but I sprained my ankle, and Jace insisted on taking me home."
Jace’s attention was entirely on her. He frowned, scolding her gently. "Why didn't you tell me you hurt your ankle? Were you just going to hop all the way home if I hadn't found you? Get on!"
I still remember that day. Jace carried Ava on his back, walking ahead of me. She chattered on about their childhood memories, and I couldn't get a word in.
"Jace," she whined, "my ankle hurts so much!"
I had never heard Jace's voice so tender. "It hurts, huh? What can we do about that?"
"I want a cake from that bakery on the corner. The most expensive one!"
"Okay. I'll take you home, then go get it for you."
"Jace... can I walk with you again from now on? When I walk alone, these creeps from outside of school stare at me. I'm scared."
Jace’s brow furrowed. "Why didn't you say so sooner? I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. From now on, you don't walk alone."
Ava smiled and glanced back at me over his shoulder. "Okay."
...
The setting sun stretched their shadows long, making them look inseparable. I fell further and further behind, but Jace never once looked back.
It was only when he dropped Ava off at her house that he turned to me. "I have to go get Ava her cake, so I can't walk you home today. Stella, you can get home by yourself, right?"
I looked at him for a long moment, then turned and walked away.

4
After that, Jace and I didn't speak for a whole week.
At first, he didn't think he'd done anything wrong. "I've always seen Ava as a little sister. How could I ignore her when her ankle was hurt?"
"She has a mother who could have picked her up," I said, my face blank. "Your family has drivers. Why did she have to wait for you? You see her as a sister, but does she see you as a brother? Are you going to tell me you don't know she's in love with you?"
His gaze faltered. He sighed and pulled me into a hug. "Stella, I only love you. I'll make things clear with her, I'll keep my distance, okay?"
I closed my eyes. "Okay."
Jace did talk to Ava. I don't know what he said, but I saw her run out of the classroom crying, and she stopped seeking him out.
I thought that was the end of it.
But then, one day, Jace came to me, looking conflicted. "Ava says this guy from another school won't leave her alone," he mumbled. "She's rejected him a bunch of times, but he's persistent. He's invited her out tonight with some friends, and she wants me to go and pretend to be her boyfriend to get him to back off."
He watched my expression and quickly added, "Just for one night. Just to make the guy give up."
"First it was a sprained ankle that needed you to carry her home. Now it's a creep who needs you to play her boyfriend. What's next?!"
Jace had a short fuse, but with me, he was always patient. "If it wasn't for her dad saving my dad, she'd still have a father to protect her. I can't just ignore her. It's just this once. If you're worried, you can come with me, okay?"
I knew arguing was pointless. I finally relented. "One night. And I'm coming with you."
A smile broke across his face. He cupped my face and kissed me. "You're the most understanding girlfriend in the world. I love you so much!"

5
That night was my first time in a bar. As promised, there was a tall, burly guy hovering around Ava, constantly trying to sling an arm over her shoulder. He wasn't ugly, just sleazy.
Jace stepped forward, pushed the guy's hand away, and pulled Ava into his arms. He glared at the guy, his voice low and dangerous. "Keep your hands to yourself. She's my girlfriend."
Jace had taken martial arts since he was a kid. When he was serious, his presence was intimidating enough to silence the other guy, whose name was Zane.
Others quickly tried to diffuse the tension. "Hey, let's play Truth or Dare! Zane's buying tonight, so order up!"
Zane, the guy who was harassing Ava, apparently came from a family with mob ties. His father ran a protection racket on this whole street. He was a vocational school student who had met Ava through mutual friends and had been pursuing her ever since. Despite her rejections, he hadn't given up. This gathering was his way of confirming if she really had a boyfriend.
Jace scoffed and tossed an Amex Black Card onto the table. "No need. Everything tonight is on me."
All eyes were drawn to the card.
"Is that a real Black Card?" one of the girls breathed. "Ava, you sly fox! You never told us your boyfriend was this hot and rich!"
Ava smiled and leaned against Jace.
My fingers curled into a fist. Jace glanced at me, but I turned my head, refusing to meet his eyes.
Zane’s face darkened. The girl next to him, probably afraid a fight was about to break out, grabbed a bottle. "Let's play Truth or Dare! Whoever the bottle points to is it!"
The first few rounds were tame. Everyone chose truth, and the questions were harmless. Just as I started to relax, thinking the night might pass without incident, the bottle stopped, pointing directly at Ava.
She smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I choose dare."
My heart sank. A terrible feeling washed over me.
Sure enough, the girl next to her squealed with excitement. "Okay, pick a guy here and give him a real kiss. Tongue and all!"
Ava blushed and her eyes landed on Jace.
He stiffened, his brow furrowed.
"I choose—" As Zane’s expression grew uglier, Ava pointed without hesitation at Jace.
Jace’s face was grim. "Pick another dare."
"C'mon, you're boyfriend and girlfriend, what's the big deal?" the girl teased. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"
Everyone started chanting. Zane's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Are you really her boyfriend?"
Ava smiled sweetly. "Of course we are." Her beautiful eyes pleaded with Jace as she draped herself over his arm, her red lips slightly parted. "Jace..."
My blood ran cold.
Jace stood rigid as Ava leaned in. The second before their lips touched, I shot to my feet.
He turned his head at the last moment, and her kiss landed on the corner of his mouth.
He reached for me in a panic, but I violently shook his hand off. Ignoring the stunned faces of everyone in the room, I stormed out.

6
I ducked into a small alley, but Jace caught up to me, grabbing my arm.
"I didn't let her kiss me, I swear," he explained frantically. "I didn't want to. Stella, please don't be mad—"
I couldn't take it anymore. "I'm done, Jace! We're together! Don't you know how to keep a respectful distance from other women?! If you can't let her go, then don't be with me!"
"It's not like that! I only see her as a sister—"
Ava had followed us out. Behind her, Zane and a group of his friends cornered us, holding steel pipes and switchblades.
Zane's face was a dark cloud. He sneered, "So he's not your boyfriend after all. You playing me for a fool, Ava?"
Ava hid behind Jace, her voice choked with tears. "Jace..."
Jace shielded her. He was tall, but Zane was built like a truck. Still, Jace looked down on him. "Whether I'm her boyfriend or not, she already rejected you. Are you deaf?"
"Rejected?" Zane sneered. "Then why does she come out every time I ask her? Stringing me along while she's chasing someone else. You're a real piece of work, Ava."
I whipped my head around to look at her. She just sobbed, "I didn't! Jace, he's lying!"
Zane laughed coldly. "Jace, you've got guts. I know your family's rich, but your money's no good here." He waved his hand, and his friends closed in. "You're a real charmer, aren't you? So many girls wrapped around your finger." He smirked and pointed between me and Ava. "Tell you what. You can pick one girl to take with you tonight. The other one stays and plays with me. I'll take good care of her for you, don't worry."
The blood drained from my face.
I was his girlfriend, yes. But could a few months of our relationship compare to a lifetime of history between him and Ava?
Would he choose me?
Ava’s eyes widened, and she clutched Jace’s shirt. "Jace, you can't leave me! If my dad were here—"
"Shut up!" Jace finally snapped. He turned to Zane, his face an emotionless mask. "You're not taking either of them today. If you've got a problem, you deal with me."
Zane’s expression hardened. "Let's see if your bones are as tough as your mouth!" He swung a steel pipe at Jace's head.
The night wind whipped Jace's black hoodie back. The pipe whistled past his ear as he caught Zane's wrist, twisted it back, and a sickening crack echoed in the alley along with a scream of pain.
The others swarmed him. Jace was a good fighter, but he was alone. After taking down two guys, he took his first hit. A switchblade sliced through the back of his hoodie. The pipes formed a cage around him, but he was a cornered animal, spitting blood and glaring at them with a feral intensity.
As the standoff continued, Zane suddenly changed his target. He lunged at me with the switchblade.
Jace’s face contorted in horror. He tried to move in front of me, but Ava, behind him, suddenly threw her arms around him, holding him tight.
"Jace, I'm scared!" she shrieked.
In the next second, the world went silent.

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