Chapter 1 : The Tangled Hearts
Chapter 1: The Tangled Hearts
For Jace, this was Junior prom but for the woman he loved, Lydia Remi, this was her final prom before she left their small town to chase her dreams. Jace stood at the edge of the crowded room nursing a red solo cup filled with virgin punch, his heart pounding against his ribcage as his gaze fixated on Lydia, his older sister Emily’s best friend.
He couldn't help but feel a rush of emotions every time she entered the room. Lydia possessed an ethereal beauty that captivated Jace's heart, leaving him helplessly infatuated.
It all began one summer afternoon, years ago, when Jace was just a scrawny boy with an unruly mop of brown hair, so kids were picking on him. Lydia, who had always been the most beautiful girl in the county, had stood up for him and given him a kiss on the cheek to show the kids that he was cool.
Lydia, several years his senior, had always been kind and friendly toward him, treating him as a younger brother. But as Jace grew older, the dynamics of their relationship began to change. Innocent admiration shifted into something deeper, an inexplicable connection that ignited within his heart.
Lydia had an enchanting smile that could light up the darkest of rooms. Her laughter, like tinkling bells on a summer breeze, brought warmth to Jace's soul. He found himself yearning for every moment they spent together, cherishing each word she spoke as if it were a secret message meant only for him.
He had flunked English on purpose just so he could convince Lydia to be his tutor just so he could spend time with her. But Jace was acutely aware of the complexities that lay before him. He understood that his feelings would take him nowhere. Lydia was older and far above his league and to make it worse she was head over heels for another.
As Jace watched Lydia move gracefully across the room, a surge of longing washed over him. She seemed so effortlessly perfect, her every movement imbued with grace and poise. The way her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief whenever she spoke, the way her raven-black curls cascaded down her shoulders and the way the coloured lights in the room bounced of her bark brown skin, it was all too much for Jace to bear.
In this moment jealousy bloomed in his heart towards the young man dancing with Lydia. Leroy Thomas, the captain of the football team and co captain of the basketball team, the man was a fucking giant and was rumoured to be eligible for drafting soon. Only a guy like Leroy could get a girl like Lydia. She was a princess and deserved a man who would treat her like one.
“Jace, let's dance.” Molly, his date to the dance asked but Jace shook his head as he swallowed his cup of punch. It tasted rubbish because the sight of Leroy kissing Lydia’s neck disgusted him to his stomach.
Emily, his sister, stood beside Lydia and Leroy with her boyfriend Emett. He was a quarterback with bones of steel. She whispered something into Lydia’s ears and Lydia turned around at that time and their eyes met. She smiled at him and gave him a small wave. It was the smile that girls gave cute puppies or the waves people directed at babies, it was fucking pitiful but he waved back happily.
He had tried, time and time again, to dismiss his infatuation as nothing more than a passing phase. He'd attempted to divert his attention elsewhere, to focus on other interests, but Lydia remained an unshakable presence in his heart. It was a secret he guarded fiercely, a flame that burned quietly within the depths of his soul.
The clock on the wall ticked away, the minutes slipping through Jace's fingers as he grappled with his emotions. He yearned for the courage to confess his feelings to Lydia, to lay bare his heart and hope for a miracle. But fear held him captive, whispering doubts and warning of the potential consequences.
“It's time to announce the prom Queen and King.” The Principal announced from the decorated stage. She held in her hand a purple envelope.
Everyone in the room was attentive ready to hear the names. Jace was still focused on Lydia mostly because he knew she would win, he had paid the chess club, robotics club and other nerd clubs to vote for Lydia in their masses. He had gone the extra mile to rig the votes, that was how down bad he was.
“And the prom King is Emette Rice.” Jace clapped he may have also made sure Leroy did not win. Plus if Emette won, Emily would be happy. “And our prom Queen is Lydia Remi”
Cheers erupted.
As the night drew to a close, the seniors all converged outside ready to head to the after party. Leroy and Lydia stood beside Leroy's blue mustang taking more pictures.
“You going tell her?” Miles Jaces best friend asked. Jace had decided that today would be the day he would tell Lydia that he liked her.
It felt like this was the last chance he was going to get. Lydia was going away to college in September. She had gotten into Yale to study sports Law. Leroy was going to NYU so there was a little distance that made him happy.
Jace made his way towards them but before he could get close enough Leroy was already closing the car door with Lydia safely locked inside the car while he rounded to enter the driver’s seat.
“Lydia.” Jace called but Leroy was already zooming off with the girl of Jace’s dreams in his car.
Jace realised that the journey he was embarking upon would not be an easy one. The path of love is often tangled, fraught with obstacles that threaten to tear souls apart. But despite the trepidation that gripped him, Jace couldn't deny the strength of his feelings. He knew that he had to find a way to navigate the labyrinth of emotions to make Lydia his one day.
And so, as Jace watched Leroy’s car drive away a flicker of determination ignited within him. The farther away the car drove, his resolve solidified. He would make Lydia his one day. There was no world where she would not be his woman, he was sure of it
