(JAKE'S POV)Aerith looked at me with those wide, uncertain eyes, and I almost felt bad—almost. She was so easy to read, so desperate for reassurance, for me to tell her that everything was fine. And I would, of course. It wasn't like I couldn't handle this. I'd done it plenty of times before, said the right things, smiled in the way she loved, and she'd melt back into my arms like nothing had ever happened.Too easy.I could see it in her face, the way her guard was already slipping. She wanted to believe me. She always did. And why wouldn't she? I'd been careful, very careful. I never gave her anything solid to hold onto, nothing that could make her doubt me for long. Just enough distance to keep things interesting, to keep her on her toes."Aerith, you've been worrying about nothing, haven't you?" I said, keeping my voice low, soft, like I was comforting a child.She looked up at me, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. She was still trying to hang on to her suspicions, but I could already tell I had her. One more push, and she'd crumble like she always did.Her voice was barely a whisper when she answered, "I—I don't know."Perfect. The doubt in her voice gave me all the leverage I needed. I stepped closer, gently tucking her hair behind her ear. The way she shivered under my touch, it was almost too easy. I had to suppress a smile. She wanted so badly to believe that everything was fine, that I still loved her the way I used to. And I'd give her that, just enough to keep her hooked."You're always overthinking, babe. There's nothing wrong. Hazel and I? We're just friends. You know that."I made sure to keep my tone light, dismissive, like the whole idea of me and Hazel was laughable. But inside, I was already calculating. If she pushed too hard on Hazel, it could get messy. Aerith was gullible, but she wasn't stupid. I had to make her feel like she was the one blowing things out of proportion.She blinked, clearly trying to process what I'd said, and I could almost see her doubts start to fade. Her face softened, and that tiny flicker of hope, the one I knew she always held onto, started to shine through again.Good. That was what I wanted."But you've been distant," she said, her voice shaking a little. "You don't text me as much anymore. You don't... seem the same."I let out a long, exasperated sigh, shaking my head. Of course, she'd notice that. She always noticed. "It's just school, Aerith," I said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Football practice, exams... You know how it is. I've been busy, but it doesn't mean I don't care about you. I'm still here, aren't I?"*Still here, standing in front of you, lying through my teeth*, I thought, but I kept my face sincere. That was key. Aerith was emotional, sure, but she'd forgive anything if she thought I was still invested.Her lips parted slightly, and I could see her hesitating, trying to decide whether to believe me. But I knew how to tip the scales. I'd done it before."Come on," I said, my voice softening as I stepped closer, lowering my gaze to hers. "You know I love you, right? You're the only one I want."There. That was the nail in the coffin. Every time I said those words, I knew it hit her right where I needed it to. She was always waiting for me to say it, to reaffirm that she was the one. The only one. I didn't have to mean it—I just had to say it.And as expected, her eyes lit up, just a little. "I... I love you too," she whispered, like those words alone were enough to fix everything.There it is. I smiled, wrapping my arms around her, pulling her close. She felt small against me, fragile. She always did. "There's my girl," I murmured, my voice soft and reassuring. "You're so good to me, Aerith. I don't know what I'd do without you."And I won't have to know, I thought to myself. Because I had her. Hooked , lined, and sinked.She relaxed into me, the tension leaving her body as she let herself believe everything was okay again. I knew that, deep down, there were still doubts eating away at her, but they didn't matter. Not now. I'd said what she needed to hear, and that was all that counted.She started to say something, something about Hazel again, but I cut her off before she could spiral back into that. I needed to keep her from dwelling on it too long."Hazel means nothing compared to you," I said firmly, my tone gentle but insistent. I brushed my fingers along her cheek, tilting her face up so I could look into her eyes. "You're my girl. Don't let anyone make you think otherwise, okay?"The relief on her face was almost laughable, but I kept my expression serious. She nodded, biting her lip like she always did when she was nervous. It was cute, in a way, how much she needed my approval, how much she relied on me to tell her everything was going to be alright."Okay," she whispered, and I could see her resolve weakening.I smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "That's my girl. You don't need to worry about anything. I've got you."And that was the truth, wasn't it? I did have her. I always had. Aerith was too trusting, too easy to manipulate. As long as I kept playing my cards right, I could have her wrapped around my finger for as long as I wanted. And if things ever got too complicated, I could always make her feel like it was her fault. She'd apologise for things I did if I spun it the right way.But for now, I was in control. And that was exactly how I liked it.