The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Jason POV:

I walked her all the way up to her door. She was still shivering a little from the earlier rain. "Oh well, this is me," she said, turning around to face me.

"Wow, okay, this is a first," I replied, genuinely surprised. She never, ever gave me a proper farewell. Normally, she’d just slam the door in my face, no hesitation. So, this was weird. Awfully weird.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," she shot back with her usual sass before turning to open the door. As she stepped inside and was about to close the door, I quickly stuck my leg in to stop it from shutting completely.

"What are you doing?" she asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"I—I want to take you shopping," I blurted out before she could gouge my eyes out with that death stare. "For the dress," I added quickly, hoping to soften the blow.

She looked at me like I had just sprouted a second head. "Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered," she said flatly before slamming the door shut—*this* time, on my face.

Great. So, she’s still the same Ella.

Ella POV:

Yeah, well, he meant well, but I did have it covered. People really need to stop treating me like some kind of charity case. Sure, by agreeing to go to the party with Jason, I was setting myself up to be in the spotlight even more than if I’d gone with Dylan or Max. But hey, he offered a solution to half my problem. With a mask on, I could attend without revealing my face, even if I was on Jason’s arm. I’d be the mysterious girl.

God, thank heavens I had brought a few gowns with me. The ones I rarely wore, except when my father dragged me to his stupid, formal events. They were once-in-a-blue-moon affairs, but those dresses? They’d do the job. So, yeah, I had the dress part covered, and if Jason thought I was going to embarrass him with my fashion sense so he offered to take me shopping, please. I’d embarrass him by showing up in something killer from my own wardrobe.. I was absolutely going to embarrass the hell out of Jason for even suggesting I go shopping with him. Please. He needs to know that I’m only agreeing to be his plus-one because he can change the party to meet my conditions, not because I’m out here looking for fashion advice.

I glanced at the wall where Jason had pinned me the other time—when I pissed him off by going on a date with Dylan. That damn wall seemed to be mocking me, like it knew something I didn’t.

Stupid wall, I muttered to myself, feeling my face heat up at the memory. Damn it. Why was I even thinking about that?

Great. Now I’m blushing over walls. I needed to focus on the party and the project, not...that. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

AMBER POV:

The team of experts I hired had finally wrapped everything up. Now all I had to do was memorize the stupid project. Ugh, this was the part I hated the most. But I wasn’t dumb—I knew the board might ask me questions, and I wasn’t about to stand there looking clueless. So, I had to learn the entire procedure, at least enough to sound convincing when I talked about it. Make people believe I did it myself. And if that didn’t work? Well, that’s when money would speak for me.

That’s why I had my father’s secretary digging up information on the board members—just in case a little persuasion was needed. Genius, right? I always had a backup plan.

But the last thing on my list was just as important—the gown. Not just any gown. I needed the gown. Something that would draw every eye in the room, because if I couldn’t impress them with the project, I’d damn well dazzle them with my presence. This party wasn’t just about winning the competition. It was about reminding everyone, especially her, that Amber always rises to the top.

I smirked to myself. Yeah, this was going to be my moment.

Since the press would be there, the grand finale was already playing out in my head—Jason. The thought of him standing next to me, holding me, and—if I could work my magic—kissing me in front of everyone, sent a surge of satisfaction through me. The image of us together would be all over the tabloids by morning.

But why stop there? I could create a perfect scene. One perfectly timed kiss, and a strategically placed whisper about an engagement around the corner... It wouldn’t take much to set the rumor mill ablaze. Once the paparazzi got their hands on it, the rest would fall into place.

"Hello, Mrs. King." I could practically hear it now. All I had to do was pull the right strings, and this whole thing would be mine. The competition? Sure, whatever. But landing Jason—getting him to propose—that would be my real win. All eyes on us, all cameras flashing, and soon enough, everyone would know.

I smiled to myself, already imagining the headlines. Time to bring in the bigger guns and make my move. Jason wouldn’t know what hit him.

Jason POV:

Okay, time to put an end to that stupid bet once and for all. Taking out my phone, I sent a quick text to Dylan and Max. "The bet’s over, I won. Stop your fruitless attempts." Within seconds, my phone buzzed with a flood of responses, all calling me a liar. Typical.

Prove it, they said. Of course, they didn’t believe me.

"I told you, she’s going to be my plus one at the party," I texted back, leaning into the smirk that was forming.

More name-calling. You’re lying, they said. No way she’d agree to go with you, they insisted. They were relentless.

You guys don’t know how to ask, I bragged, feeling a little too proud of myself. Still, they wouldn’t let it go. They said the bet wasn’t just about getting her to the party; it was about making her mine.

Well, challenge accepted. By the end of the party, Ella would definitely be mine, and I’d make sure Dylan and Max ate their words.