The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

AMBER POV:

The professor’s call was the best thing that had happened all day. I’d done it—I’d gotten the LBJ contract. Finally, something was going my way, and I could already picture my father’s reaction. Proud. Smug. Ready to parade me as the perfect daughter he always wanted.

Of course, Jason must’ve been the one who chose me. He was the CEO, after all. Maybe he still had feelings for me. Why else would he pick me over Ella? I mean, sure, Ella’s work was impressive, but apparently not that good if I managed to beat her.

Now all I had to do is create the biggest come back anyone has ever seen. All those who jeered at my down fall are going to pay. By tomorrow the whole school would have known I was the winner those rumors about the party would have been long forgotten and my prosperity will be the talk of the school. I’d spin the narrative in my favor. At my upcoming press conference, I’d casually drop a hint about the LBJ contract and Jason’s role in selecting me. Something subtle—just enough for the media to pick up on it.

"Jason and I have always worked well together. It’s no surprise that his company recognized my talent."

Perfect. It would stir up speculation, maybe even make people think we were still close. The rumors would do the rest, and I’d be the one people admired for keeping good relations with someone as influential as Jason King.

My father was going to love this. He’d been pushing me to reconnect with Jason ever since our falling out. He always said, "A man like Jason King is a rare opportunity. Don’t be foolish enough to let it slip."

I grabbed my phone and dialed him immediately.

"Dad?" I said, trying to keep the excitement from spilling out too much. "Guess what? I won the LBJ contract!"

There was a pause, then the sound of a satisfied chuckle. "Good. I knew you had it in you. Jason chose well."

I smiled, my confidence swelling. "Of course. He knows talent when he sees it."

"Make sure to leverage this, Amber. It’s not just a contract; it’s a stepping stone. Use it to your advantage. Remind everyone why you’re the best."

"Don’t worry, Dad. I’ve got it handled."

As I hung up, I couldn’t help but think about Jason again. This could be my chance to mend things with him, to remind him of what we used to have. Maybe even reignite something.

Ella was out of the picture now—at least professionally. Whatever obsession Jason had for has fade, right?. He was too smart to waste time on someone who couldn’t handle the pressure.

With my name on the LBJ contract and Jason indirectly tied to my success, I had all the pieces in place.

This was my moment, and I wasn’t about to let anyone—especially Ella—take it away.

DYLAN POV: 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

I woke up to a pounding headache. Great. This was exactly why I hated drinking. But honestly? After last night, maybe the alcohol was worth it. At least it knocked me out and let me sleep without overthinking... though now I was regretting every decision I made.

Squinting against the early morning light, I forced myself to sit up, only to see Max sprawled on the floor, snoring loudly. Judging by the way his leg was tangled in the blanket, he must’ve fallen off the sofa where he’d passed out. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

Looking around, I realized we were at Max’s place. Ugh. Why on earth did Jason bring me here? He knew I hated this place. Max was a slob, and the mess was driving my hungover brain insane. Clothes were everywhere, empty bottles littered the coffee table, and there was a suspiciously sticky spot on the floor I definitely wasn’t going to investigate.

I spotted a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin on the table—thankfully, Jason must’ve thought ahead. Swallowing the pill and washing it down with the water, I grabbed my stuff and headed out, leaving Max still dead to the world. It was 6 a.m.—way too early to bother waking him, especially since our first class wasn’t until 10. I’d call him later to make sure he didn’t sleep through it, but for now, I needed a hot shower and a stronger coffee than whatever instant junk Max had in his kitchen.

As I stepped out into the crisp morning air, I checked my phone. Among the string of notifications, one stood out—a message from Jason in the group chat.

Jason: "We need to talk. Meet me after class."

Seriously? I couldn’t help muttering, "Bastard," under my breath. First, he dumps me at Max’s disgusting apartment, and now he’s demanding a meeting? Whatever it was, it had to be about last night—Ella, the sugar daddy theory, the fact that we’d all made fools of ourselves.

Thinking about it made my headache worse. I hated that I even cared this much. It was just... weird. She wasn’t the type to get tangled up with someone shady, but what we saw last night sure didn’t help her case.

Shaking my head, I trudged home. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with Jason’s drama or Max’s mess. Right now, I just needed coffee, a shower, and some peace to sort through the chaos in my head.

MAX POV:

Okay, let me start by saying I just had the worst nightmare. Ella... laughing with some weird old dude. Wait. Oh, hell no—that wasn’t a dream. That really happened.

Groaning, I tried to sit up, only for a sharp, pounding headache to remind me just how much I drank last night. Big mistake. Huge. Dropping my head back onto the floor, I realized something else: Why am I on the floor instead of my bed?

Slowly, the memories of last night trickled back in. Drinking too much. Jason carrying my drunk self here. Dylan being just as wasted. Yeah, that explained the headache and why everything felt like a blur.

I turned my head and spotted aspirin and a glass of water sitting on the table. God bless Jason—he might be annoying, but at least he took care of us. I quickly grabbed the pills, popped them into my mouth, and chugged the water, praying the headache would ease up soon.

That’s when my phone rang, the obnoxious sound only making my headache worse. It was Dylan. What the heck does he want now?

"Hello," I muttered, my voice hoarse and full of regret.

"Good. You’re awake," Dylan said, way too chipper for someone who had been as drunk as I was last night. "Class in 30 minutes."

Fuck. I completely forgot about class. My head dropped back with a groan. "Why didn’t you remind me earlier, you idiot?"

"Because I already some made coffee for you. It’s on the kitchen counter," Dylan replied smugly, before hanging up without waiting for a response.

Stupid class. Stupid Dylan. And why the hell did I drink so much?

Dragging myself off the floor, I shuffled to the bathroom for a quick shower, hoping it would wake me up. The hot water helped clear my head a little, but my thoughts still circled back to Ella and that old guy.

I couldn’t stop replaying the scene in my mind—Ella, laughing, her eyes shining like they always did when she was comfortable around someone. But it wasn’t one of us. It was some random rich old man. What the hell was that about?

After throwing on some clothes, I grabbed a cup of coffee from the kitchen counter. Dylan might be annoying, but at least he wasn’t lying about the coffee. As I sipped it, I tried to shake off the nagging feeling in my chest.

It’s none of my business, I told myself. Ella’s life was hers to live, and if she wanted to hang out with some random old dude, so be it. But I couldn’t help the irritation bubbling up. Maybe it was the hangover talking. Or maybe it was the fact that, no matter how much I tried to deny it, seeing her with someone else—even an old man—felt like a punch to the gut.

"Damn it," I muttered, slamming the empty coffee mug onto the counter.

I grabbed my bag and headed out the door, trying to push all thoughts of Ella and last night out of my mind. I had 10 minutes to make it to class, and I wasn’t about to give Jason or Dylan another reason to rag on me today.

I was scrolling through my phone, trying to shake off the aftereffects of the hangover, when I saw Jason’s message in the group chat. "Guys, I’ve got something important to tell you."

I raised an eyebrow, half curious, half annoyed that he was dragging me into whatever shit he gotten himself in again it better be something serious. Well, whatever it was, I was ready for it. But first... I had a more pressing matter to deal with.

I remembered Ella, the girl who had gotten under my skin last night. She was trouble, sure, but there was something about her. I wasn’t giving up so easily. If she was going to let that old dude mess with her head, I’d need to step in.

Jason wasn’t the only one who could make an impression. Come on, I was way more charming and, let’s be honest, handsome than that guy. I was about to prove it.

I grinned to myself, already making my way to get ready. Ella wouldn’t know what hit her.