**Chapter 11: The Morning After**

The sunlight streaming through my window was like a slap in the face, jolting me awake with a start. I groggily opened my eyes, trying to remember how I got home. The frat party. Jace. Alex. My mind was a jumbled mess, and my head was pounding. I reached over to my nightstand and grabbed my phone, checking the time. 10:00 AM. I was going to be late for class. As I swung my legs over the side of the bed, a wave of dizziness washed over me. I must have had more to drink than I thought. I stood up, making my way to the bathroom to splash some water on my face. The cool water helped to clear my head, but my mind kept wandering back to Jace. What had happened between us? Had I really flirted with him like that? And what had he meant by that gentle touch on my cheek? I couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between us, but I had no idea what it meant or where it would lead. I spent the next hour getting ready for class, trying to push thoughts of Jace to the back of my mind. But as I walked to my first class, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if I saw him again. As I walked into my psychology lecture, I scanned the room for familiar faces. Jace was sitting in the back row, his eyes fixed on me as I entered. My heart skipped a beat as our eyes met, and for a moment, I felt like I was frozen in time. The rest of the lecture was a blur as I tried to focus on the professor's words, but my eyes kept drifting back to Jace. He seemed to be studying me, his expression unreadable. After class, I gathered my things and made my way out of the lecture hall, hoping to avoid Jace. But as I turned a corner, I heard my name being called. "Lila, wait up." I turned to see Jace jogging towards me, a small smile on his face. "Hey," he said, falling into step beside me. "How are you feeling today?" I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "I'm fine. Just a little hungover." Jace chuckled. "You were pretty out of it last night. Are you sure you're okay?" I nodded, feeling a flush rise to my cheeks. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for looking out for me." Jace's eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw something there, something that looked almost like... attraction. But then his expression hardened, and he looked away. "I should get going," he said, his voice neutral. "I have a meeting with my advisor." I nodded, feeling a pang of disappointment. "Yeah, me too. I have a paper due soon." As we parted ways, I couldn't help but wonder what was going on between us. Was Jace interested in me, or was I just reading too much into it? And what did it mean for my relationship with Alex? The questions swirled in my mind as I walked to my next class, leaving me with more questions than answers.