Elena’s POV

Jack's question hung in the air. For a second, it felt like everywhere was frozen...

“What?”

“W…what?”

Noah and I echoed each other... My voice trembling a little.

Did... Jack just said that? He was challenging Noah, and he wasn't even trying to be discreet about it.

Was Jack joking right now?

I turned to look at him, my neck stiff, like even my muscles were afraid of Noah’s reaction. Jack didn’t look intimidated, though... he stood tall, jaw tight, eyes blazing with a kind of bravery I’d only ever seen in him once... when he wanted to take me to jail over seven years ago after I...