“And how important is that?” This time it was Logan who was asking the question, the first words he’d spoken since they’d cheers’ed their beers.
Jace looked down at his hands for a second, trying to come up with words that could adequately express how he felt about Adele. None were adequate, but he was going to have to try anyway. When he looked up a moment later it was to find Liam and Logan staring at him. Waiting.
“More important than I ever thought possible. For my most of my life, I’ve been trying to get through it without feeling too much. It was better that way. Easier. So I just coasted through, getting by with the bare minimum. After a few days spent with Adele, my eyes are opened up to so much more.”
“She made you feel something,” Liam said.
“No,” Jace shook his head. “She made me feel everything.”
“Then why isn’t she here?”
“Because when I told her I wanted more, she said she didn’t.”
“Wait, Adele was the one who walked?” Liam was clearly confused.
“Yeah.” Jace nodded looking down at his feet, unable to look at either man as he relived that moment in his head. “She didn’t believe me. Didn’t believe that I could commit to her. Didn’t believe that I could follow through with a relationship because I never have before.”
“And you think you can, Jace?” This question was from Logan.
“No.” He shook his head, as he looked back up. “I know I can. I’m in love with her.”
“You told her you loved her and she still said no?” Liam was getting more and more confused as the conversation went on.
“I was trying to tell her.” Jace stared at his feet as he rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. It was a second before he looked back up, his gaze moving between both men. “She was so damn adamant that it wouldn’t go anywhere. That it couldn’t. And I…I chickened out. I was too terrified to put more of myself on the line and have her reject that too.”
“I’ve been there,” Liam nodded.
“Yeah, but I should’ve done it anyway. I should’ve told her. I didn’t have anything left to lose, but I did have everything to gain. Her. I had her to gain.”
“Well. Shit.” Logan stared at Jace for a couple of seconds as acceptance took over his expression. “Okay. Sit down.” He pointed the neck of his beer bottle to the rocking chairs. “Let’s figure this out. Figure out where to go from here.”
Chapter Fifteen
Just to Have You
New Year’s Eve…still
The two ladies at Casa Carter were a bottle and a half into their evening and Adele was definitely feeling it. It helped that they’d had a pizza delivered about an hour ago and had steadily made their way through it.
Pizza on New Year’s Eve was a James family tradition, whether it was homemade or ordered in. There hadn’t been a single year where that hadn’t been the meal they’d eaten on the day. It was something that united them even when they weren’t together. There was more than a slight ache in her chest at the fact that all of her family was together without her.
But it was Adele’s doing that she wasn’t down there with them. She’d been the one who’d isolated herself yet again…but for good reason…that reason being Jace.
During all of their drinking and eating, Adele told Felicity everything that had gone down at the cabin. Well, maybe not everything. There’d been some things Adele hadn’t talked about, some of their more private moments, some of the things she hadn’t wanted to share.
Like what he’d said about his mom, and all of those Christmases from his childhood. Or how he’d figured out that sensitive spot on her neck that absolutely drove her wild when he kissed it…or bit it. Or how waking up in his arms had felt like home to her.
Yeah, she’d kept that stuff to herself.
Felicity had been a good listener, too, asking questions when need be or adding thoughts here and there. But it wasn’t until Adele got to the part where Jace left when Felicity got really vocal.
“Wait a minute. He told you he wanted more and you said no?”
“Yes.” Adele pushed her piece of crust around on her plate before she looked up.
“Why? You realized you were in love with him when you were up there. Why in the world would you say no?”
She set the plate down on the coffee table before looking over at her friend. “Because there’s no future with him.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, when did you become a psychic? Did you see this in your crystal ball?”
Adele grabbed the pillow next to her and threw it at Felicity’s head. “Be serious.”
She caught the pillow before it hit her. “I am! You don’t know that it wouldn’t have worked with him, Adele.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No. You. Don’t.” Felicity threw the pillow back at Adele’s head. “Are you going to be honest with me about why you ended things or not?”
They stared at each other for a few moments, but Adele was the first to look away, cracking under the pressure.
“I was scared, all right? I was scared of finally having everything I’d ever wanted with him, and then losing it.”
“And?”
“And I ended things on my terms because it was safer.”
“Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. There it is. You wanted to stay in control and not delve into the unknown, because you tried that with Troy and it didn’t work. That’s the real reason, Adele, because you didn’t know what was going to happen with Jace.”
“I just…” Adele looked away, feeling that stupid burn at the corners of her eyes again. God, it was so annoying.
They were both stretched out on the sofa, sitting back against their own armrest, and with their feet meeting in the middle. Felicity bumped her foot against Adele’s making her look up.
“You just what?” Felicity asked.
“I just couldn’t risk it. Risk giving him everything and then losing it all.”
“Look, I know you think I wear my heart on my sleeve, and maybe I do. But I’d rather do that than box myself off to the possibilities of something more. Because what are you losing by not trying? And what if risking everything means that you get everything? What then, Adele?”
What then?
Before Adele had a chance to answer, her phone started to vibrate against the top of the coffee table. She looked over to see her mother’s name on the screen.
“You should get that,” Felicity nodded to the phone before she got up from the sofa and grabbed both of their plates, heading for the kitchen.
Adele picked up the phone, knowing that if she didn’t answer, her mom was just going to call again…and again…and again. She slid her finger across the screen before putting it to her ear. “Hey, mom.”
But her mother skipped all greetings. “Adele, what are you doing?” Apparently, Edie James was all business and no-nonsense that evening.
Adele’s mind blanked for a second, completely taken aback. “I…I told you, I’m spending New Year’s Eve with Felicity.”
“Yes. I know that, but I still don’t understand it. What are you doing in Atlanta when your family is all down here? Why aren’t you with us? And what did you do to Jace?”
“W-what?” Adele stuttered over the word, her mind in a tailspin.
“You broke that boy’s heart. I’ve never seen him like this before. One look at his bruised and bloody face and I knew what was going on.”
“He’s heartbroken?” Adele repeated, her own heart kicking up. “And what do you mean his bruised and bloody face?”
“Jace and your brother decided to use each other’s heads as punching bags. They’re both a freaking mess.”
“Logan and Jace got into a fight?!? Why?!”
“Because of whatever happened at that cabin. Your overly protective brother quite literally took matters into his own hands.”
“Oh my God. Logan knows?”
“We all know, Adele. Even your father figured it out.”
“Da
d knows?” Adele was starting to feel hysterical now.
What the hell was even happening?
“How?” The question came out of her mouth all high-pitched and squeaky.
“I told you, honey, it’s written all over his face.” Edie’s voice had taken on a soft note. “Plain as day. All I had to do was mention you and it became beyond obvious he’s in love with you.”
“W-what? No. Mom, he’s not really in love with me.”
“Yes, he is. Hold on a second.” There was a muffled sound in the background before Adele heard Edie say, “She doesn’t believe me. You need to talk to her.”
There was slight interference through the speaker before a deep voice filled her ears. “Adele, what the hell are you doing?” Logan demanded through the line.
What was she doing? Trying not to get hysterical. That was what she was doing. “I…I have no idea anymore.”
“Jace is out of his ever-loving mind. I didn’t think it was possible for him to get like this, and yet here he is, barely holding it together. What did you do to him?”
What parallel universe had she just walked into? “What did I do to him? What did you do to him? I can’t believe you two got into a fight, and that you started it.”
“What did you expect? He slept with my baby sister.”
“Oh. My. God.” Adele was pretty sure her cheeks were on fire at the moment. “Can we not get into that right now? Or ever?”
“Fine. Do you love him?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree on that one. He’s in love with you, Adele.” Logan’s voice had dropped a few octaves, getting softer as he spoke. “So I’m going to ask you again. What are you doing, Adele?”
She had absolutely no idea.
It was after ten o’clock when Felicity’s driver turned the black SUV onto Logan’s street. Adele’s hands were shaking, and had been shaking since the plane had landed in Jacksonville. The last three hours had been the longest of her life. Packing, driving, flying, more driving.
Adele needed to get back to him. Get back to Jace.
About the same time Adele had finished up the phone call with her brother and mother, Felicity had been ending her own call. She’d looked up at Adele, dead serious. “The jet should be ready in an hour. Think you’ll be good to go back to Jacksonville by then?”
Adele didn’t think she’d ever be ready. But something had become crystal clear to her: if she didn’t see what was possible with Jace, she’d regret it for the rest of her life. What if they could have more? What if they could have everything? She had to see.
She had to fix things.
“It’s going to be okay.” Felicity reached over, her hand covering Adele’s shaking one and squeezing tight.
Adele looked at her friend. “How do you know?”
“I just have a feeling.” Felicity smiled as she squeezed Adele’s hand again.
“Who’s the psychic now?” Adele’s eyebrows rose high, a tiny smile playing on her own lips.
“It’s my superpower to see happily ever afters. One of the caveats is that I can’t see my own though.”
“Yeah? And why haven’t you told me about this superpower before? I could’ve saved myself a lot of time over the years. Especially this year.”
“Well, another caveat is I can’t say anything until right before the happily ever after. The information has to stay secret until then.”
“This power sure does have a lot of stipulations.” Adele shook her head. “It’s a bit lame if you ask me.”
“Don’t I know it.”
The SUV pulled up in front of Logan’s house. It was covered in Christmas lights, strands wrapped around the posts of the porch and outlining the eaves. Inside was all lit up too, lights shining out from the windows of the dining room and den at the front of the house.
The second the vehicle came to a stop, both Katie and Moses popped their heads up from where they’d been sleeping in the back row of seats.
“Call me tomorrow, okay.” Felicity reached up and cupped Adele’s jaw. “You got this, babe.”
Taking a deep breath, Adele let it out before the door next to her opened, the driver standing on the other side.
Adele slid off the seat, moving away from the SUV and out of the driver’s way. A second later, the seat she’d been sitting in was folded over and Katie was jumping down, landing on her feet at Adele’s side. Then the driver moved to the back of the SUV and grabbed the only bag she’d brought with her.
“Thank you, Jeremy,” Adele said as she took the duffle from him.
“My pleasure Ms. James.”
She took one last look into the open door of the SUV, catching Felicity’s eyes. “Go get your man.”
“That’s the plan.” Adele turned and headed for the front door, Katie at her side.
She had keys to Logan’s house and was just about to start fumbling around in her purse to find them when the front door swung open. Logan was standing on the other side. He’d known she was coming, and she’d asked him not to tell anyone else, one person in particular.
As Logan pulled her into a massive hug, Katie tore off into the house, running down the hallway in search of everyone else. Logan’s arms loosened and he grabbed onto her shoulders, pulling her back so he could look into her face.
“Good Lord.” Adele reached up and touched his jaw, gently pushing his head to the side so she could get a better look at the cut on his eyebrow and the bruising on his cheek.
“You should see the other guy.”
“I intend to.” She dropped her hand as she moved past him and headed down the hallway. “Also, you’re an idiot.”
“You aren’t the first person to tell me that,” Logan called after her.
She was just about to turn into the dining room when she walked straight into a solid wall of Jace. His hands grabbed onto her shoulders, steadying her. Except that the second he touched her, she felt like her legs were going to come out from under her.
He looked down into her face, his aquamarine eyes saying it all in just one look. How could she have been so blind to it before? It was so clearly there. Plain as day, just like her mother had said.
He loved her.
Another thing she wasn’t blind to was the state of his face. There was a cut at the side of his mouth and a bruise on his jaw.
“What did you—”
But that was all she was able to say before his mouth came down and covered hers. There was nothing else for her to do except wrap her arms around his waist. She held onto him, never wanting to let go, never wanting the kiss to end. But end it did as a loud throat clear had them pulling apart.
“Well, that’s settled. My job here is done.” Logan clapped Jace on the shoulder before he stepped around them and headed into the commotion of the living room. “I’ll leave you two to talk.”
Oh, yeah, they should probably do that. She needed to talk to him, tell him so much, tell him she loved him. She’d prefer to make her declaration in a space that was a bit more private than this hallway and not where anyone in her family could walk in on them.
“Come here,” she said as she grabbed Jace’s hand and pulled him into the study. The second the door was shut behind them he had her pushed up against it and he was kissing her again.
It wasn’t one of those soft and gentle kisses either. It was demanding. Desperate. Passionate. His tongue thrust past her lips, finding hers as they twisted together. Those big, strong hands of his were at her waist, his fingers pressing into her sides and holding her firmly to him like he’d never let go.
Jace wasn’t the only one holding on tight either. Her arms were wrapped around his shoulders, her fingers twisted in his hair. Five days apart and they’d just picked up where they’d left off as if nothing had happened.
But something had happened, and they needed to talk about it. She had to tell him, had to set things right with him.
“Jace,” she pulled back from the
kiss, her breathing heavy and unsteady.
“You’re here.” He rested his forehead against hers as his hands slid up from her waist, tracing her sides. “You came back to me.”
“I…I did.” It was hard for her to think, what with the lack of oxygen combined with the overwhelming tidal wave of relief that was still crashing into her. “You were right. I was wrong about you. Wrong about this. Wrong about us. I’m sorry, Jace. I really messed up. I doubted what we could be. I doubted you and I ran because it was easier. It’s just that falling in love with you is the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”
His hands stilled on her sides and he pulled back enough to look down into her face. “What was that last part?”
“I’m in love with you.”
Jace’s mouth split into the biggest damn grin, one she couldn’t help but reflect.
“Good, because I’m in love with you too, Adele James.”
Her heart kicked up at those words, beating erratically in her chest. Sure she’d seen that love the second she’d looked into his eyes when she got here, she’d felt it in the way he touched her and kissed her, but there was something unbelievably amazing about hearing those words from his lips.
“Yeah?” This time the tears that filled her eyes were not ones of sadness, or despair, or doubt. They were tears of happiness.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “For so long it was the very last thing that I wanted, but then you happened.” He reached up, cradling her face in both of his hands. “You’re it for me, I think you always were. I just was too blind to see it. Or maybe we needed the cabin to figure it out. Maybe we needed a little Christmas magic. I don’t know. What I do know is that I’m all in.”
Goosebumps broke out across her skin as his thumbs gently traced over her cheeks, wiping away the tears that were now falling. Oh, how she’d missed his touch.
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