𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙎𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙉
—𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸—

     𝙅𝘼𝙓 𝙁𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘿 𝙃𝙄𝙈𝙎𝙀𝙇𝙁 standing at Emma Alonso's doorstep, facing the girl herself. She was confused as to why he was back so soon, seeing as how he had only dropped her off around an hour ago from their day together. Jax toys with the zipper on his jacket, his eyebrows furrowed as he focuses on trying to comprehend what he'd say to her. But really— what was there to say?

"Jax, what are you doing here?" Emma questions, leaning against the doorframe. "Did you leave something here?"

"Um, no," he says, a little too quickly. His face grows hot as he rubs the back of his neck, a slight tinge of pink rising to his cheeks. "I need to talk to you about today, actually."

It was silent for a moment, the only thing that could be heard was the rain that softly tapped Jax's umbrella. He knew that the upcoming things he'd say might ruin every chance he ever had with Emma, even as being just a friend. But it was important that she knew the truth, because he didn't want to be with her. Bailey deserved to know that too, but he decided he'd wait a bit longer to tell the brunette. After all, she still had fresh wounds made by his words.

"Oh . . . " Emma trails off, biting her lip. She looks exhausted, as if she had run her fingers through her hair too many times to count— and Jax could've swore that her eyes were puffy. "Do you want to come in and talk about it?"

Now that he was standing here, staring into her marvelous eyes, he didn't want to tell her what he came here for. He wanted to make an excuse, and lie about his true feelings. His heart told him one thing, yet his mind told him another— was this what Emma had felt like when she had to choose between Jax and Daniel? He felt pity for her, as he now understood what it felt to be in her shoes.

"Are you okay, Emma?" Jax asks, averting the conversation that he never wanted to have. "Have you been crying or something?"

"Daniel and I got into a fight after you left," the girl explains, her eyes finding the ground. "He was upset about me leaving him earlier, and then I realized how hard that must have been for him. I could only imagine how I would feel if he ditched me for . . . "

"For Bailey," Jax finishes, reading her mind. His expression is solemn, his mind wondering to the same thing. "I'd react the same way if she left with Daniel."

"So you have feelings for her?" Emma asks, suspicious of his previous comment. She seemed to narrow her eyes a bit— was that jealousy? "But I . . . I didn't know the two of you had been acquainted enough for that. She moved here, what? Two or three days ago?"

Jax had thought the same thing— but what did that matter? He knew how his heart pounded when he was around her, and how his skin ached to touch hers. So why deny it when he was already falling?

"You told me yourself that you fell in love with Daniel on the first day he met you; one glance and you were head over heels. How would that be any different for me?"

"So you love her?" A chuckle leave's Emma's lips as she stares up at the Novoa boy. "Maybe your magic has been toying with your head— do you honestly believe the council would allow more than one of us to fall for a human? It would start a trend that would lead back to us, and its forbidden."

"You have no right to judge my decision," Jax's jaw tightens, his accent seeping through his teeth. "So don't be a hypocrite, and try to see things from my perspective. I'll deal with the council if they come for us, so that's none of your concern."

"I'm the chosen one, and I was almost exiled of my powers for being with Danny— how do you think it'll look if the council gets the idea that I've influenced you to be with her? They'll take my magic, and yours too. Unless, of course, they force us to break it off with them. Would you be able to do either of those?"

Although he felt sympathy for Emma because of her fight with Daniel, he wanted to throw something, or punch a hole through a wall. She was being too overly dramatic about the situation, especially when she had been through the same situation. Emma looked angry beyond compare, and he had the urge to walk away. But he didn't, only staying put in his spot so that he could finish what he started.

"You may not be able to live without your powers, because you're the almighty and powerful 'chosen one', but I've survived without mine before." Jax growls, his grip on his umbrella tightening. "But if they come here and tell me to choose between the love of my life and magic, then so be it. I'd choose her every time."

"Are you hearing yourself right now?" The Alonso girl asks incredulously, throwing her hands in the air. "Jax, she's not the love of your life. She's the new girl at school, and maybe you have some criminal thoughts of turning her bad— but do you think it'll be anything more than a two-week fling?"

The rain was letting up now, and barely drizzling from the sky. He almost put his umbrella down. But he knew that if he did, he'd do something drastic with his magic, and Emma would be furious if her neighbors realized Jax was a wizard. She didn't want to erase their memory, as it would be difficult and she no longer had time for things like that. She had a boyfriend to worry about, and an angry Jax Novoa who wouldn't seem to be rational and listen to what she was saying.

She grew frustrated, and wanted to tell him to leave her alone like he had before. But this was her friend; Emma needed to calm down, and try to explain everything to him in ways that he would consider.

"I don't think you understand how my actions change when I'm around her," the boy says, his tone sharp. "I don't feel the need to be bad, or break rules, or challenge the council's approval. I feel normal, and happy, and all I want is her. It's like my magic has come alive, and my heart beats out of my chest, and I get so warm that I don't know what to do with myself. When I'm not around her, I have to find a distraction because my mind begs me to find her and never let her go.

"You don't realize what I've been going through for the past few days because you haven't found it yet. Everything has fallen in place for me, and I'm finally noticing the small aspects of things I've never seen before. It's like I'm living in a world where everything is better— you'll know when you find it. I came here not because I left something, or I wanted to spend time with you; but to tell you that I can't lie to you anymore. I can't lie to myself anymore."

He stopped for a second, gaging Emma's sullen reaction— but then he continued.

"Since she walked into the school on her first day, I haven't been able to keep Bailey out of my head. Her eyes, her smile, her laugh, it all haunts me when she's not around, and I hate it. I wanted to tell you that I can't be with you, no matter how hard I've tried to convince myself that I'd be better off if I did. I want someone I can't have. I want a life with her. I want to see her every single day, and make sure that no one ever hurts her because she deserves the absolute world.

"I want Bailey."

There was a lone tear that fell from Emma's eye, although she wasn't sure what it was from. Maybe it was because he had officially chosen someone else over her. Or maybe it was because, after he had pointed out everything he had felt for Bailey, she realized that she had never felt any of that for Daniel.

Jax's eyes were sincere as he looked at her, his heart breaking. He didn't want to hurt her, but he couldn't bare to hurt Bailey even more.

"You will find someone someday, Emma. Someone you'll fall so deeply in love with that you can't stand to hide the truth from. Someone that, when the council eventually comes to ask you for your final decision, you'll gladly give up your powers for. There's so much more to our lives than our magic, and I know one day, when you find that someone, you'll open your eyes and finally see that."

And without a last glance, a sympathetic smile, or a final word, he turned around and left her standing in the doorway, crying and in a complete state of denial.

It took only minutes for Jax to arrive to Bailey's house, and when he exited his car, he noticed that it had stopped raining. The sun was shining brightly as it was dipping beyond the horizon, ready to set in the sky. He knocked on the door, not bothering to use the doorbell. He felt free now, and relaxed like he never had before.

There were footsteps, and he knew she was near— so, with the snap of his fingers, a bouquet of pink carnations wrapped in brown paper appeared in his right hand. He licked his lips as the door was opened, revealing the girl he had been aching to see. But of course, she wasn't surprised— his visits were almost expected by now.

"Jax, what are you doing here?" Bailey asks, stepping out of the house and closing the door behind her. "My parents are home, and we're in the middle of dinner—"

Here he was, prepared to share a secret with the girl of his dreams. He couldn't believe that only a while ago, he had assumed that girl would be Emma Alonso.

"I'm a wizard, Bailey."

_______

❝ oof, cliffhanger, but now we're
getting to the good parts! :) stay tuned,
the book only has around three
chapters left, since it's just a short
story. i'm sooooo excited for this! ❞