Jayden held Jessica's gaze for a long moment before shaking his head, his expression carefully neutral. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just as surprised as you are about the level ups."
Jessica's eyes narrowed. "Don't give me that," she retorted. "There's something different. I can feel it."
"Feel what?" Jayden chuckled.
"I don't know!" She threw her hands up in frustration. "It's like… there's this strange feeling toward you. Something I didn't have before dinner."
Jayden's lips curved into a small smile. He took a step closer, closing the distance between them until he was mere inches away. His voice dropped to a low, intimate murmur. "Love is a strange feeling, Jessica. I feel the same way about you."
For a moment, Jessica's breath caught. Her eyes widened, pupils dilating as she stared up at him. The intensity of his gaze, the proximity, the warmth radiating from his body… it was overwhelming. She felt herself leaning in, drawn by some invisible force…
