Badum! Badum!
Was the only sound my chest could make when Hayden leaned closer to me.
He was trying to explain the same equation I'd failed for the tenth time!
Even I was disappointed at myself, but every time his voice reached me, it was drowned out by my own heartbeat.
A loud snap of fingers jolted me back.
"Are you even paying attention?" His brows pulled together.
I blinked, then nodded quickly. "Mm-hmm."
He tilted his head. "What's zero divided by two?"
"Five," I said without thinking.
The corner of his lips curved; mocking, not amused. "Sure."
My eyes widened. "I was right?"
"Yeah." He flipped the page without hesitation. "You'll do great on the exam."
That made me smile like an idiot. I wasn't even putting in my all, but hey, if he thought I'd do great, then I'd trust him. Once I got into Class Elite, everything else would fall into place.
At least… that's what I told myself.
The exam was tomorrow. Principal Brown had announced it so suddenly that my stomach twisted every time I thought about it. He hadn't given me enough time. He never gave me enough time.
Did Hayden know? Of course he did. Principal Brown must've told him, and yet he didn't bother to warn me. Maybe he still hated me. Maybe this was his way of making me stumble.
"Question eleven," Hayden said, dragging his pen across the paper. "You've gotten it wrong again."
I groaned, dropping my head against the desk dramatically. "I give up. Numbers are not my thing."
He leaned forward, tugging my notebook closer. That's when I noticed the chain slipping out from under his shirt. Not a necklace; more like a thin black cord with a ring threaded through it. My breath caught.
I knew that ring.
My eyes lingered on it as memories replayed in my head. In my past life, Hayden avoided anything about his mother like it was poison.
The ring had belonged to her. And the way his jaw tightened whenever his father's name was mentioned… it all made sense. I never got to know what happened, but I knew there was something.
My eyes stayed locked on the ring until, as if he could feel it, Hayden glanced up. Our gazes collided, and for one tense second, he didn't look away. Then he shoved the ring back into his shirt like it had never been there.
"That's a pretty necklace you've got there," I said softly, trying to sound casual. "Not sure guys are supposed to wear jewelry, though."
"Focus," he muttered, snapping his fingers in front of my eyes again. "Stop staring at me like you're lost in a daydream."
I bit my bottom lip. "Fine. Do you… want me to ask you something?"
"Do you have a question?" His voice was sharp.
"Yes."
He leaned back in his chair, arms folded. "Then ask."
"I don't want to anymore." I smiled to myself.
He groaned, dragging a hand across his forehead. "Then why bring it up at all?"
"Because I wanted to tell you," I teased, "but I don't want to just give it away on the first try."
His head snapped toward me. "That makes zero sense, Porter."
"It's fun," I shrugged.