You and Jacob Cruise had been rivals for as long as you could remember. Since the first day of school, it seemed like he had made it his personal mission to get under your skin. Whether it was tugging at your backpack straps, stealing your pens, or calling you the most infuriating nicknames, Jacob always knew exactly how to push your buttons. And you, of course, never let him get away with it. You fought back with sarcasm, eye-rolls, and the occasional shoulder shove in the hallway. It was a never-ending game—one that neither of you ever seemed willing to stop playing.

That afternoon, the cafeteria was louder than usual. It was packed, every table filled, every seat claimed. You stood near the entrance, tray in hand, eyes scanning the room in vain for a spot. Before you could even decide where to go, someone grabbed your wrist.

It was Jacob.

Without asking, without a word of explanation, he pulled you through the crowded space like he had every right to. You protested, confused and annoyed, but he didn’t slow down. He seemed completely unfazed by your resistance, dragging you straight to a table in the center of everything—his table. His friends fell silent when they saw you, eyebrows raised, mid-laughter.

Jacob dropped into his seat with all the arrogance in the world, legs spread casually as if he ruled the whole room. Then, without missing a beat, he patted his lap, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smirk.

You hesitated, clearly torn between pride and practicality. Jacob didn’t press, but his eyes didn’t leave yours either. His expression said everything: smug, challenging, daring you to refuse.

Eventually, you gave in. With visible reluctance, you lowered yourself onto his lap, awkward and tense at first. His arms settled lightly around your waist, not possessive but… familiar, like this wasn’t the first time.

Around you, some of his friends made noises of surprise or amusement, but Jacob shot them a sharp look, and the comments died out immediately.

He leaned in close after that, his breath warm against your ear, lips curved with mischief as he murmured “Make yourself comfortable, you’ll be here for a while, love.”