Relax, Pumpkin

By the time 8:30 rolled around, I was standing in front of my mirror, second-guessing my outfit for the hundredth time. I settled on a fitted black top and high-waisted jeans, something casual but cute. My hair was pulled into a loose ponytail, and I kept my makeup light—just enough to look presentable.

A knock at my door snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Julia, open up! It's cold out here," Abigail's voice called from the other side.

I opened the door to find her wrapped in an oversized hoodie, her blonde curls bouncing as she stepped inside. She gave me a once-over and smirked.

"Wow. You actually tried tonight," she teased, flopping onto my bed.

I rolled my eyes. "I always try."

"Sure you do." She sat up and clapped her hands together. "So, what’s the plan? Are we pre-gaming? Are we mentally preparing ourselves for Jamie’s nonsense? Or are we pretending this isn’t happening?"

I groaned. "I still don't know why I agreed to this."

"Because deep down, you like chaos," Abigail said dramatically. "Also, admit it, Jamie is kinda hot."

I shot her a look. "Not this again."

She laughed. "Okay, okay! Let's go before you change your mind."

The party was already in full swing when we arrived. Music pulsed through the house, the bass vibrating under our feet as we stepped inside. The air smelled of alcohol, cheap cologne, and something vaguely burnt—probably from a failed attempt at lighting a candle.

"Ah, the classic college party experience," Abigail muttered, eyeing the crowd.

"Remind me why I’m here?" I sighed, scanning the room.

"You’re here because Jamie guilt-tripped you into coming," she replied, nudging my arm.

As if on cue, Jamie appeared from the crowd, a confident smirk on his lips. He had a red solo cup in one hand, and his other hand was stuffed into his pocket.

"You made it," he said, looking pleased.

"Unfortunately," I muttered under my breath.

He chuckled. "Relax, Pumpkin. You might actually enjoy yourself."

Before I could respond, Jamie’s attention shifted behind me. His smirk faltered for a split second, and when I followed his gaze, my stomach tightened.

Olivia.

She stood near the entrance, wearing a dark red dress and looking completely different from the shy girl I usually saw in class. Her eyes locked onto mine for a brief moment before shifting to Jamie. And just like earlier today, I watched as her expression flickered—going from unreadable to overly cheerful in an instant.

"Jamie," she called, her voice honey-sweet. "I didn’t know you’d be here."

"You didn’t?" Jamie’s tone was laced with something I couldn’t quite place.

Something was off.

"Of course not," Olivia said with a small laugh, stepping closer. She barely acknowledged me. "I just came for some fun."

Abigail leaned in and whispered, "Okay… what’s going on here?"

I didn’t answer. I was too busy watching the silent exchange between Jamie and Olivia. There was something there—something unspoken. And that’s when it hit me—the person Olivia was obsessing over was none other than Jamie.

Then, Jamie did something unexpected.

He stepped closer to me, resting a hand on the small of my back. The touch was light, but the message was clear. Olivia’s smile twitched, her eyes darkening for just a second before she quickly masked it with another cheerful expression.

"Well, enjoy yourself," Jamie said to her before turning his full attention back to me.

I felt my pulse quicken. Not because of his touch—but because I was starting to realize that whatever was going on between Jamie and Olivia…

I was right in the middle of it.

I swallowed hard, suddenly very aware of Jamie’s hand resting on the small of my back. It wasn’t a heavy touch, but it was deliberate—like he was making a statement. A part of me wanted to push him away, but another part, the part I wasn’t ready to admit existed, didn’t mind it at all.

Olivia’s gaze flickered to where his hand was, and I swore I saw something sharp in her eyes before she plastered on another smile and turned away, disappearing into the crowd.

Abigail nudged me. “Okay, what the hell was that?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

Jamie leaned down, his breath tickling my ear. “You okay?”

I stiffened. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

He smirked. “No reason. Just… you look like you’re thinking too hard.”

I scoffed. “I always think too hard.”

Jamie chuckled. “Maybe you should take a break from that tonight.”

Before I could respond, he grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the kitchen. The warmth of his touch sent an unexpected jolt through me.

“Where are we going?” I asked, letting him pull me through the crowd.

“You’ll see.”

The kitchen was slightly quieter, though there were still a few people loitering around, sipping drinks and laughing. Jamie let go of my hand to pour himself a drink.

“Want one?” he asked, tilting the bottle toward me.

I shook my head. “I’m good.”

He shrugged and took a sip before leaning against the counter, watching me. His gaze was intense, playful, but something else lingered there too.

“You look nice tonight,” he said suddenly.

I blinked. “What?”

He smirked. “You heard me.”

Heat crept up my neck. “You say that like I don’t look nice any other time.”

Jamie tilted his head. “You do.” His voice was softer now. “But tonight… I don’t know. You just look different.”

I swallowed. He was doing it again—lowering his voice, looking at me like I was the only person in the room.

I cleared my throat. “Is this what you do? Flirt with girls at parties?”

He chuckled. “Only when they make it fun.”

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t fight the smile tugging at my lips.

Just then, someone turned up the music, and a group of people started dancing in the living room. Jamie nodded toward them.

“Dance with me.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

He smirked. “Scared?”

I scoffed. “Of you? Please.”

“Then prove it.”

Before I could argue, he took my hand again and pulled me toward the dance floor. The music was loud, the beat infectious, and before I knew it, I was moving with him.

Jamie was a good dancer, confident and smooth. He didn’t try anything crazy, but there was something about the way he moved—his hands resting on my waist, his eyes locked onto mine—that made my heart race.

“See? Not so bad, right?” he murmured close to my ear.

I exhaled shakily. “It’s… fine.”

“Just fine?” He smirked, pulling me a little closer.

I met his gaze, my heart pounding. “Okay, maybe a little fun.”

Jamie chuckled. “Knew you’d come around.”

At that moment, I forgot about Olivia, about the weird tension earlier. It was just me and Jamie, moving to the music, caught in whatever this was between us.

And for the first time in a long time… I didn’t hate it.