The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Ella POV:

By the time my shift ended, Max and Dylan were still camped out at their table, chatting like they had all the time in the world. I glanced at the clock and then at them. Nope. Not my problem anymore.

Doing what any sensible girl in my position would do, I grabbed my bag, clocked out, and slipped out through the back door. Let someone else deal with those two idiots—they weren’t worth another second of my time.

Finally, a moment of freedom. The cold night air hit my face, and I let out a long sigh of relief. After a day of bratty customers, my boss breathing down my neck, and those two pestering me like it was their life’s mission, I deserved some quiet. No, I earned it.

With my earbuds in and music blasting, I walked briskly through the streets. The night was calm, and for the first time in hours, so was my mind. No Max, no Dylan, no Jason—it was just me, my playlist, and the promise of a peaceful evening ahead.

I mentally mapped out my plans for the night: a hot shower, some leftovers, and maybe curling up with a good book or a movie. I didn’t care what it was, as long as it didn’t involve them. Peaceful. Quiet. Just the way the day had started.

As I neared my apartment, a small smile crept onto my face. Finally, the chaos was behind me.

So much for a peaceful night. That sarcastic thought echoed in my head as my eyes landed on the person leaning against my door.

Jason.

Of course. Because why would my life allow me a single uninterrupted moment of serenity? Fate was either playing a cruel joke or trying to punish me for some karmic offense I didn’t remember committing.

There he stood, leaning casually against my door like he owned the place, eyes closed, looking... weirdly peaceful. For fuck’s sake. My luck, right? Just as I was thinking the day might end without this rich, spoiled brat messing it up further.

As I walked closer, his eyes flicked open, and he smiled—a genuine smile. And... wait, was that a dimple? Oh no. Nope. Don’t you dare, Ella. Peaceful night, peaceful night. Focus on the peaceful night.

Okay, maybe I’d never noticed the dimple before, but it didn’t matter. He was still Jason. Dressed down in a T-shirt and sweatpants, he didn’t look like his usual arrogant, obnoxious self, but that didn’t mean I was about to entertain whatever nonsense he had in mind.

"You’re here," he said, his smile widening.

I gave him a deadpan look, glancing around just to make sure I hadn’t accidentally ended up at someone else’s apartment. "Yes, I’m here because this is my place. That cannot be said for you."

"Right," he said, clearly unbothered by my tone. "Guess you didn’t read my message?"

My message? What message? I quickly pulled out my phone and scanned for the notification.

And there it was. A text from Jason.

The words stared back at me: Hey, Ella. Mind if I come over? Need to catch up on what I missed in class. Got some snacks. Let’s hang out and study.

Study?! What in the fresh hell? I looked up at him, my expression a mix of disbelief and irritation. This could not be real life.

He smiled sheepishly, his dimple making another infuriating appearance, as if that would somehow soften the ridiculousness of what he’d done.

"I brought snacks," he said, holding up a bag as if that was supposed to make it all okay.

THIS DID NOT just happen. Nope, no way. I had to be in a dream. Scratch that—this was a full-on nightmare. Any second now, I was going to wake up in my bed, roll over, and laugh at how absurd this all was.

I pinched my arm. Hard.

Nope. Still here. Still standing in front of my apartment door. Still staring at Jason, of all people, who somehow thought it was okay to drop by uninvited with snacks and some vague idea of "studying."

"This... this cannot be real life," I muttered, more to myself than him.

"You’re not dreaming," he said, grinning like he could read my mind. "Though if you are, I’d like to think I’m the highlight."

"Highlight? You’re more like the jump scare," I snapped, crossing my arms. "Jason, what the actual hell are you doing here?"

He shrugged, completely unfazed by my rising annoyance. "I told you in my message."

"Your message," I echoed, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, yes, the one where you invited yourself to my home without my consent. How silly of me not to prepare a red carpet for your arrival."

He laughed softly, and for a second, I could see how someone might find it charming. Someone who wasn’t me. "Relax, Ella. I thought we could study, hang out... you know, bond a little."

"Bond?" I gawked at him like he’d just sprouted another head. "Jason, we are not bonding. We’re not even friends. And even if we were, this is not how normal people behave!"

"Who wants to be normal?" he said with a wink, holding up the bag again like it was some kind of peace offering. "I’ve got chips, chocolate, and—" he paused for dramatic effect—"that biscuits you like."

That gave me a pause. How does he even know what biscuit I like? But no, I wasn’t going to let him distract me with snacks.

"Jason," I started, my voice slow and deliberate like I was talking to a child, "you cannot just show up at my door unannounced and expect me to roll out the welcome mat. I’ve had a long day, and I want nothing more than to—"

"Relax, have a snack, and unwind?" he finished for me, that stupid smile still plastered on his face. "Perfect, because that’s exactly what I had in mind."

I stared at him, dumbfounded. "You’re unbelievable."

"And yet, here I am," he said with a playful shrug.

I opened my mouth to tell him exactly where he could take his snacks and his dimples, but then he gave me this look—a mix of hopeful and boyishly stubborn—that made my words falter. Damn it.

"Plus, I needed to borrow your notes from class today. You could help me with the parts I don’t understand while you relax. I’ll handle the studying, promise," Jason pleaded.

"Why don’t I just give you the notes so you can study at your place?" I suggested.

Jason hesitated for a moment, looking almost sheepish before replying, "Come on, El. I’ve been waiting for you since 8:30. You can’t be that heartless. I’m freezing out here, and—"

"Not. My. Problem," I cut him off sharply, stepping forward to unlock my door with every intention of shutting it in his face.

Opening the door wider with the intention of stepping inside and slamming it in his face.

Jason, ever the persistent idiot, stuck his foot in the door. "El, wait. Please."

I paused, glaring down at his foot, then up at his annoyingly earnest face. "Jason, I swear if you don’t—"

"Look," he interrupted quickly, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I know I’m pushing my luck here, but I waited outside your door for almost an hour and a half. I brought snacks! I promise, I’ll stay out of your way. You won’t even know I’m here. Just let me borrow the notes, sit in a corner, and I’ll be out of your hair."

I raised an eyebrow, not buying it. "Why can’t you just take the notes and leave?"

He gave me that sheepish grin again, dimples on full display, and rubbed the back of his neck. "I’m not great at... deciphering notes. I thought maybe you could explain a thing or two? Plus, my place feels too... distracting right now."

I folded my arms and stared at him, unimpressed. "Distracting? What, your mansion too loud with all the butlers fluffing your pillows?"

He laughed lightly, as if amused by my sarcasm. "No, it’s just... too quiet."

I blinked. That was unexpected.

Jason’s expression softened as he added, "C’mon, El. Just one hour. I’ll even take the couch and promise not to talk unless I really need help. You can study, watch TV, do whatever. Just... don’t send me away, yeah?"

I sighed heavily, my fingers tightening around the door. Part of me wanted to throw him out, but another part—the stupid, traitorous part—couldn’t shake the sincerity in his voice. And damn it, he had waited outside for me in the cold. No I wont go that road.

Jason, however, had other ideas.

Before I could make my dramatic bang, he quickly stepped inside, his long legs moving faster than I anticipated. "Wait, wait!" he said, turning around to face me, holding up his hands like I was holding him at gunpoint. "Look, I know I’m being... persistent."

"Persistent? That’s what we’re calling this?" I deadpanned, folding my arms. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Yes, persistent," he said, grinning that stupid grin again. "But I’m just asking for a tiny bit of your time. I’ll even sit in the corner and not bother you. I’ll read the notes myself, I’ll be quiet, and you can pretend I’m not even here."

"Pretend you’re not here?" I echoed, narrowing my eyes. "You are literally the most impossible person to ignore."

"Thanks, I’ll take that as a compliment," he said with a wink, making himself comfortable by dropping his bag by the couch.

"No! Don’t make yourself comfortable! Jason, I—"

"El, c’mon," he interrupted, his voice softening. "I’m... I’m not great at this studying thing, okay? And you’re smart, and... maybe I just like being around you. You don’t have to help me, but... don’t kick me out, either."

That gave me pause. For the first time tonight, he wasn’t grinning or smirking or acting like the overly confident, obnoxious Jason I was used to. He looked... genuine.

I sighed heavily, closing the door with an exaggerated bang just to make my annoyance clear. "Fine," I muttered, pointing a warning finger at him. "You get one hour. One. And you better not touch anything or get on my nerves."

Jason’s face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Deal!"

I rolled my eyes and flopped onto the armchair, glaring at him as he pulled out his notebook and started flipping through it. "I don’t know why I’m even letting you stay," I muttered.

He was smiling like he’d just won the lottery, and I couldn’t help muttering again, "I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?"

Jason flopped onto the couch, already flipping through his notes. "Nah," he said with a grin. "You’ll love it. Promise."

Somehow, I doubted that. But for now, I settled into my chair, grabbing my laptop and trying to ignore the fact that Jason King, of all people, was in my apartment.