The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Ella POV:

Finally, the clock struck the end of my shift, and I let out a sigh of relief. It had been a long day, filled with the usual chaos of serving, side-eyeing gossip, and of course, dealing with the Three Musketeers. They’d been relentless as usual, pestering me about going on another date. Honestly, I was starting to wonder if they had some sort of bet going on behind my back.

Max, with his never-ending flirting, had the most to say. Dylan backed him up with his goofy charm, and Jason—well, Jason just sat there with that intense, unreadable look he always gave me, which irritated me even more. I managed to fend them off without snapping or agreeing to anything, but it took everything I had to stay cool.

They weren’t awful on our previous date—far from it. We actually had some fun, and they did make me laugh a few times, which is rare for me. But dating? Men? Romance? That wasn’t in the cards for me. I had enough baggage as it was. There was no room for their nonsense in my already complicated life. Amber, with her spoiled tantrums and vendettas, was a headache all on her own. Jason and his big, inflated ego? That was a whole other can of worms. And when it came to the both of them... drama wasn’t something I needed more of.

As I clocked out and grabbed my things, I thought back to how Jason had been today. He was different. He seemed more desperate, more... attentive. His eyes followed me more than usual, and even though I tried to ignore it, the tension between us was impossible to shake. It’s like we were playing this unspoken game of cat and mouse, and I wasn’t sure what the end goal was. Did he want me to acknowledge him? Was he trying to make some point?

Whatever it was, I wasn’t interested. I liked my life quiet. I liked staying under the radar. Getting mixed up with someone like Jason—and by extension, Amber—was a complication I didn’t need.

Shaking my head, I headed out of the diner, finally feeling the cool night air hit my face as I stepped outside. I zipped up my hoodie and put in my earbuds, hoping the music would drown out all the thoughts swirling in my head. The night was dark, peaceful, and for a moment, I could breathe again.

Now, if only the rest of my life could be this simple.

I didn’t realize how far gone my mind was until I felt the shift in the air around me. The beat of the music had been drowning everything out, but now I could feel eyes on me. A cold shiver crept down my spine as I pulled out my earbuds, taking in the scene around me. Three guys had circled me—bums, hooligans, whatever you wanted to call them. And no offense, but they reeked. One was inching closer, his lips moving as he spoke.

"Hey pretty lady, give us what you got," he said, flashing a nasty grin.

I didn’t flinch. Instead, I raised an eyebrow and tilted my head, giving him a once-over. "Bad breath, yeah? Allow me to call you that, ’cause your breath really smells. If I were you, I’d let the pretty girl walk away." My voice was as sweet as honey, but the words were laced with sarcasm. I wasn’t scared. Not even a little bit.

See, my dad had made sure I’d never be a damsel in distress. He was paranoid about the whole "rich girl might get kidnapped" scenario, so since I was a kid, I’d been in martial arts training. Add a pepper spray and a taser in my bag to the mix, and let’s just say I was more than prepared for situations like this.

The guy on my left—let’s call him *Long Jacket* since he was wearing some filthy, oversized coat—chuckled, raising his hands like he was corralling a chicken. "Now, why would we do that?" Bad Breath asked, amused.

"Because I’m pretty," I answered casually, as if this was just another Tuesday. No fear, no hesitation. The guy on my right—*Rotten Teeth*, based on the state of his smile—laughed, and honestly, it made me want to gag. They stepped closer, forming a semi-circle around me.

Okay, maybe it was evil of me, but I could have just pepper-sprayed them, maybe pulled out the taser and ended it right there. But the truth was, I wanted this fight. I needed it. There was so much pent-up frustration inside me—Amber’s stupid schemes, Jason’s maddening behavior, and everything else that had piled up in my life. These guys? They were just convenient targets. They had no idea what they’d gotten themselves into.

Without warning, I went full commando on them. Every punch, every kick, was deliberate, and I let out all the rage I’d been holding back. In my mind, they were Amber and Jason—arrogant, annoying, and in my way. Before they even knew what hit them, I had them on the ground, groaning and trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.

I dusted off my hands, feeling a rush of satisfaction. "I did warn you," I said over my shoulder as I continued on my way, not even looking back.

Sometimes, life really did hand you the perfect outlets for all your built-up anger. And right now? I felt a hell of a lot better.

Of course, the moment I felt the rush of satisfaction from taking down those idiots, it had to be shattered by the sound of clapping. Slow, deliberate, and coming from the dark corner of the alley. My head snapped toward the noise, and out stepped none other than Jason. Just great.

"Wow, you really are something," he said, smirking. "And here I was, all ready to swoop in and save you as soon as you shouted for help. Guess I’ll save the ’I told you so’ for later."

I rolled my eyes, trying to keep the irritation off my face. "Sorry to disappoint, but I’m no Cinderella. And I definitely hate mice."

Jason chuckled, glancing past me at the groaning figures still writhing on the ground. Then, his eyes locked back onto mine, and something about his gaze was different. Darker. "Allow me to say this: that was some real sexy shit you just pulled off. Never thought I’d witness a pretty lady going full commando like that. Thought that kind of stuff only happened in movies."

"Well, glad to make your fantasy come true," I shot back dryly. "Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got places to be."

I sidestepped him, fully intending to leave him standing there in the alley with those idiots still licking their wounds. But, of course, Jason wasn’t the type to just let things go. Before I could even take a few steps, he reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me back toward him. The suddenness of it threw me off balance, and I stumbled, landing right against his chest.

Immediately, his arm wrapped around me, holding me in place. "I do have other fantasies," he said, his voice lower, rougher than usual, "ones I’d love for you to fulfill."

My breath caught for a second, and I could feel my heart pound in my chest—not out of fear, but something else entirely. I could feel the heat of his body, the way his eyes bore into mine. There was a tension between us, one that had been building for way too long. But I wasn’t about to let him think he had any kind of upper hand here.

"Oh really?" I said, raising an eyebrow as I forced myself to stay calm, despite the fact that my skin was buzzing with how close we were. "Well, fantasies are free, Jason. You can keep dreaming."

With that, I placed both hands on his chest and shoved hard, making him stumble back just enough to give me space to slip out of his grasp. His eyes widened for a split second, but then that infuriating smirk of his returned.

"Touché, Ella," he said, recovering quickly.

I could hear the footsteps following me, steady and annoyingly persistent. With a sigh, I stopped and turned around, and there he was—Jason, just a few steps behind, looking all too pleased with himself. He paused when I turned, flashing me an innocent smile, which only made me more suspicious.

"What do you think you’re doing?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

He shrugged, still grinning like a kid caught sneaking cookies. "Just walking you home," he murmured, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Raising my eyebrows, I gave him a look that clearly said, Are you serious? "And why, in God’s name, would you do that?" I asked.

He let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. "I told you, you shouldn’t be walking through alleys alone. See what almost happened to you back there?" His voice was laced with frustration, like he couldn’t believe I didn’t see the life-threatening danger I’d supposedly been in.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I saw what happened. And if my memory serves me right, I handled it just fine. I think I can take care of myself, Jason." I emphasized his name, making it clear I wasn’t amused by his over-the-top concern. "Now, go home."

I turned back around, fully expecting him to take the hint and leave me in peace. But no, of course not. I could still hear his footsteps trailing behind me, and even without turning, I knew he was following.

Looks like I’m stuck with him for a while. Wonderful.

I picked up my pace, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he’d get tired and turn around. But Jason wasn’t the type to give up easily—especially when he’d decided something.

"Seriously," I said, not bothering to stop this time. "You don’t have to do this. I’m not some damsel in distress."

"No, you’re not," he agreed, keeping up with my pace. "But that doesn’t mean I’m just going to let you walk home alone after what happened. You might not need saving, but I’m not taking any chances."

I let out an exasperated breath. This guy... stubborn as a mule. But despite how annoying he was being, there was something almost... sweet about it. He wasn’t being his usual cocky self. He was actually trying to look out for me. Not that I’d ever admit that out loud.

"Fine," I muttered, feeling too tired to argue any longer. "But keep your distance. And no more of that protective bullshit, okay?"

Jason chuckled behind me. "Deal. But I’m still walking you home."

I couldn’t see his face, but I could hear the smile in his voice. And even though it drove me crazy, I let him follow me, because deep down, a small part of me found his persistence... oddly comforting.

But there was no way I was ever telling him that.