CHAPTER TWELVE

HADES

I couldn't shake the feeling that the world had spun off its axis today. In the span of just a few hours, everything had shifted. And I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not.

I leaned against the old stone wall outside the school, staring out at the parking lot, my hands shoved in my pockets. The sounds of students drifting out of the building faded into the background. It was the end of the day, and I should’ve felt relieved, like I could finally breathe again. But there was something gnawing at me. Something that had started this morning with that look Lara had given me and had only intensified as the day went on.

I could still feel the heat of her kiss on my lips, the way her eyes had looked at me when I’d tried to walk away, like she was seeing right through my carefully constructed walls. She had challenged me today—called me out in a way no one ever had before—and for some goddamn reason, I hadn’t pushed her away.

Now, as I stood there in the fading light, the thoughts kept swirling. I’d barely spoken to anyone at this damn school before today, yet here I was, tangled up in some mess with her. I was supposed to be the guy who didn’t get involved, who kept his distance. Yet there I was, on the edge of something I didn’t even know how to name.

Lara approached, her footsteps soft on the gravel. I turned just as she reached me, her expression unreadable, but I could feel the energy between us crackling.

“Hey,” she said casually, though there was a hint of something in her tone—something that made me think she was just as uncertain as I was.

"Hey," I replied, my voice a little rougher than I intended. I pushed myself off the wall, trying to act casual. I wasn’t great at this whole talking-to-people thing, but somehow with Lara, it felt a little easier. A little less like I was pretending.

She raised an eyebrow, as if she could tell something was bothering me. "You okay?"

I exhaled slowly. “Yeah. Just… this day. It feels like it’s been a week. I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”

She laughed softly, the sound catching me off guard. It was genuine—like she actually understood what I meant.

“I get that. Feels like everything's moving so fast around here,” she said, her eyes scanning the school grounds as though trying to make sense of it all. “It’s all so… new.”

I nodded. I’d been trying to tell myself it was just another day, just another school. But it was anything but. It was more like I’d been thrown into a whirlwind I didn’t even know how to navigate, and yet I kept finding myself tangled up with her.

“I don’t get how you can handle this place,” I said, my voice a little too blunt, but it was the truth. The pretentious attitudes, the constant performance—it all felt fake to me.

Lara shrugged, but there was a glint in her eyes. “You get used to it. It’s like pretending to be someone else until you can’t anymore. I think some people get lost in it.”

I couldn’t help but study her, the way she said it with such ease, like it was just a part of her life now. As if she had been here long enough to know the game, to know how to play. But I still wasn’t convinced I could—should—play along. And I wasn’t sure what kind of game I was even playing with her.

“I think I’m still figuring that part out,” I muttered, looking at the ground for a second.

She didn’t answer immediately, and the quiet between us settled in, comfortable and awkward at the same time. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but I was pretty sure she wasn’t entirely sure about me either.

And then I remembered something. Something that had been lingering at the back of my mind all day.

“Well, as much as I’d love to hang out and analyze my life choices,” I started, half-smirking, “I should probably head home. School’s over, and my hell of a home’s waiting for me.”

Lara frowned slightly, and for a second, I thought I saw a flicker of concern cross her face. But it was gone just as quickly.

“You don’t like your home?” she asked, her tone careful, like she didn’t want to press too hard.

I scoffed, trying to mask the discomfort creeping into my chest. “It’s not so much that I don’t like it. It’s just… not the kind of place you’d want to spend any more time than you have to.” I paused, feeling a little more vulnerable than I liked. “Let’s just say it’s not exactly a home.”

Lara’s gaze softened, and for a moment, I thought she might say something. But instead, she just nodded. “Yeah, I get that. I think everyone’s got their own version of hell.”

I swallowed, caught off guard by her words. There was something in her voice, something real, that made me want to tell her more. Tell her everything. But I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.

“Yeah,” I muttered, pushing the thoughts back down. “Maybe.”

There was a brief silence before she spoke again. “Well, good luck with that. You need a ride, or are you good?”

I hesitated. I hadn’t really thought about how I was going to get home. Public transportation wasn’t exactly on my list of preferred methods of getting around, and the thought of asking anyone for a ride made my stomach twist.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, trying to brush it off. “I’ll figure it out.”

She studied me for a second, clearly not convinced, but she didn’t push it.

“Alright,” she said, offering me a small smile. “Take care, Hades.”

“You too,” I replied, watching her walk away.

As I stood there, watching her go, the weight of the day settled back in. All these things I didn’t understand, all these thoughts that I didn’t know how to process. The kiss, the way she had looked at me, the way I kept finding myself thinking about her.

I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but I knew one thing for sure.

It wasn’t going to be easy.

And yet, for the first time in a long time, I didn’t mind the chaos.