"A Fragile Facade"

The morning sunlight streaming through the window highlighted the sharp angles of Jace's face, making him look even more intimidating than he had the night before. I lay beside him, trying to process the events that had transpired, my mind still reeling from the intensity of our passion. As I turned to face him, I attempted a casual tone, hoping to diffuse the tension that seemed to be building between us. "Hey, we can just be friends, right?" I said, trying to sound nonchalant. Jace's expression turned incredulous, his eyes narrowing as he raised an eyebrow. "Friends?" he repeated, his voice laced with sarcasm. "You think that's all this is? You think you can just use me for sex and then walk away like we're buddies?" His tone was biting, and I could sense the anger simmering beneath the surface. I felt a flush rise to my cheeks as I realized my mistake. "I, uh, I didn't mean it like that," I stammered, trying to backpedal. Jace snorted, rolling onto his side to face me. "No, you meant it exactly like that. You meant to use me to get what you wanted, and now that you've got it, you're done. Well, let me tell you something, Lila. I'm not that easy. I'm not some hornball who's just going to take whatever you throw at him." His words stung, and I felt a pang of guilt. I had been so caught up in my own desires that I hadn't considered the consequences of my actions. "That's not what I meant," I said, trying to defend myself. Jace cut me off, his voice rising. "Don't lie to me, Lila. You wanted me, and you got me. Now you're trying to walk away like nothing happened. Well, I'm not letting you do that. You're not going to use me and then discard me like I'm trash." I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realized the depth of Jace's anger. I had never seen him like this before, and it scared me. "Jace, please," I said, trying to placate him. But he wasn't having it. "No, Lila. You're going to have to deal with the consequences of your actions. You're going to have to face the fact that you're not as in control as you think you are." With that, he turned onto his back, his chest rising and falling with each angry breath, leaving me to wonder what I had just gotten myself into.