CHAPTER 390: CHAPTER 390 HICKEY

Bella pointed at Jay’s closed door miserably, her shoulders slumping as if the disappointment had physically weighed her down.

"I don’t know! We were talking normally, and Jay told me he knows my secret that I’m a hacker and suddenly he ran away like he saw a ghost. He never did that before." Her voice sounded helpless, the confusion wrapped around every word.

Jace blinked at her, quietly processing her panic. "Your secret...?"

As he stepped closer, his gaze slid gently over her face, taking in her flushed cheeks, the nervous bite of her lower lip... and then it landed on her neck. His breath caught. His eyes widened just a fraction. The corners of his lips twitched as if he were fighting an unstoppable urge.

And then it happened.

Jace burst into laughter, a full and uncontrollable laugh that made him bend slightly at the waist. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand, shoulders trembling, the sound echoing through the hall with pure mischief.

"Hahaha—oh no—wait—okay—okay—Bella I know why!"

Bella frowned deeply, her brows knitting into the softest little knot. "Really? Tell me too!!" she demanded, stepping closer as if the answer might physically escape if she didn’t catch it in time. Her eyes were big and glossy with worry, her fingers twisting nervously at the hem of her sleeve.

Jace lifted one finger dramatically. "Promise me you won’t mind my... open-mindedness?"

Bella nodded so quickly her hair bounced. "I promise!"

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice, amusement flowing through every syllable. "You have hickeys on your neck."

Bella froze.

Her expression went blank for one full, silent second.

Then—

Her hand snapped to her neck so quickly it made a soft slap.

"Huh? Wha—how—no—that can’t—" she stammered, her voice cracking like glass. Her eyes grew so wide they almost glittered with shock, and heat rushed up her neck, blooming across her face with breathtaking speed.

"That’s not... no... must be mosquito," she whispered desperately, her chin trembling. "Because we had date at lakeside... maybe big mosquito?"

Jace’s smile softened into a slow, dangerously teasing curve. "Oh? Romantic date?" he murmured, raising a brow with the ease of someone who knew exactly what he was doing. His tone was light, amused, and unbearably knowing.

Bella gasped and clapped both hands over her flaming face. "I—I’m going!!" she squeaked, turning so sharply her hair whipped behind her like a startled cat’s tail. She practically ran away, steps fast and uneven, her whole body glowing with mortification.

Jace chuckled softly as he watched her flee, his amusement warm rather than mocking. "Mosquito, hm..." he murmured to himself, still smiling.

He didn’t get a chance to enjoy the moment longer because Jay suddenly grabbed his wrist from the side like a panicked child, dragging him into the bedroom and slamming the door shut with a dramatic thud. Jay’s face was bright red...not anger red, but the red of sheer emotional damage.

"You—are NOT supposed to tell her that!" Jay hissed, gripping his hair as if trying to physically pull the memory out of his skull. "How am I ever going to look her in the eyes again???"

Jace stared at him for a long moment, unimpressed. Then he flicked Jay’s forehead sharply.

"Ow!" Jay yelped, clutching his head like he had been stabbed.

"Why are you behaving like this?" Jace crossed his arms calmly. "It’s normal, Jay. Bella is your sister-in-law. And it’s normal for a married couple to—" he made a vague gesture with his hand, "—do married couple things."

"That’s exactly the problem!" Jay cried, pacing so fast he nearly tripped over his own feet. "It’s normal, but I feel grossed out! I’ve always seen Bella as my little sister, not sister-in-law. Little. Sister."

Jace raised a brow. "And?"

"And—!" Jay flung his arm toward the hallway. "And when I saw that on her neck, my brain exploded! My soul left my body! My innocence shattered! It’s like—when you realize your sibling is... you know..." he made a gagging motion. "Actually doing things—OH GOD."

He shivered violently. "It’s traumatizing."

Jace stared at him for exactly one second.

Then he laughed so hard he had to hold the wall for balance.

Jay looked betrayed. "WHY are you laughing!?"

"Because," Jace managed between breaths, wiping a tear, "you’re acting like your brother committed a felony instead of kissing his own wife."

Jay slapped his hands over his ears. "Don’t say that word! Don’t! I’m already mentally injured!"

"Oh please," Jace said, flopping onto a chair. "You’re twenty-four. Not eight."

Jay collapsed onto the bed like a man fainting in a historical drama, burying his face into a pillow. "My innocence... gone forever..."

Jace snorted. "You don’t have innocence."

From inside the pillow Jay wailed, "I DO!! I JUST DON’T WANT BELLA TO KNOW I KNOW THAT SHE KNOWS—ARGHHHH!"

Jace sighed and tossed a cushion at his head. "You’re hopeless."

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

Upstairs, Bella practically pressed her forehead against the vanity mirror, her breath fogging the glass as she leaned so close her nose almost touched the reflection. "Oh my goodness... I am so embarrassed," she whispered, her voice becoming a tiny squeak by the end. Her fingertips brushed the faint red mark on her neck. Under soft light, it had been invisible. Under bright bulbs, it glowed like a crime scene.

She buried her face in both hands. "I didn’t see it in the morning... and Jace saw... and Jay saw... I’m going to hide forever."

When she finally looked up again, her face was the shade of a ripe pomegranate. "It’s all Leo’s fault," she muttered, poking the mark with increasing betrayal. "He didn’t even warn me..."

Her lips formed an adorable pout. "I look like I wrestled a vampire," she sulked.

She pressed her face into her palms again, wishing for instant invisibility.

And then her thoughts shifted.

"But wait..." she whispered softly, blinking. "How did Jay even know I’m a hacker? Jace must have told him... right? Or... did he guess??" Her cheeks puffed out in indignation. "Ugh! I’ll scold him later."

Determined to regain dignity, Bella marched into the next room and opened her laptop. The glowing screen greeted her like an old friend. She sank into the chair, her fingers finally settling into their familiar rhythm. Lines of code appeared in neat sequences, settling her mind like warm tea on a cold evening. Slowly, her embarrassment melted into focus.

But comfort brought sleepiness along with it.

The keys blurred softly. Her head dipped. Her eyes grew heavier.

"With just a little nap..." she mumbled, barely finishing the sentence.

Her tired body drifted toward her favorite spot—the middle hollow inside the tree. She curled into it gently, hugging her knees, her hair falling like silk over her shoulder.

Within moments, Bella slipped into sleep.

Curled up in the hollow like a tiny woodland creature, her breaths slow and warm, her lashes resting softly against her cheeks...

She looked peaceful.