by Sherri Renee
I don’t know what I expected from Jace at that moment. Maybe for him to go back to his side of the table and act like my entire waterworks display had never happened. Or even more likely, pay the check and escape as fast as humanly possible.
What I didn’t expect was for him to keep his arm loosely around me while he gently lifted my chin with his other hand until I met his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he said softly, his dark eyes searching my green ones for answers.
I was about to say “nothing” when he said, “And don’t say nothing’s wrong. Something really upset you.”
When I looked down, he dipped his head to look at me with a sparkle in his eyes. “Come on now. I told you about my embarrassing writing habit. Doesn’t that pinky promise make us some kind of confidence buddies or something?”
I let out a watery laugh. I would never have dreamed I’d be confessing my troubles to a really cute boy I hardly knew but words started coming out of my mouth, and it was such a relief I found I didn’t want to hold them back.
“That was my boyfriend.” I tipped my head towards my purse where my phone was now hidden away. I blinked and looked up at the ceiling, noting a surprising number of ketchup stains. “He might be my ex-boyfriend.” My voice caught on the word “ex” and I felt my chin quiver. No more tears, I told myself.
Using my calming technique, I took a couple of slow deep breaths, holding them for a few seconds before blowing them out with all my stress attached. Okay, so it wasn’t one-hundred percent effective, but it did give me a chance to get my emotions under control.
Jace waited for me to collect myself. He didn’t try to push or rush me. His thumb occasionally brushed across my shoulder and it was nice, comforting.
“Yeah,” I finally said. “I’m not sure where our relationship stands. He said he needed to talk to me. When he came to my house this morning his car was packed, and he told me he was moving back to his old school.”
I decided that unless I wanted Jace to know how crazy I was I needed to leave out the part where I thought Danny planned to propose rather than tear out my heart. I still couldn’t believe how far off base I’d been about that.
Jace looked at me intently. “Did he ever say he was breaking up with you or just that he was moving?”
“No.” I stuck out my bottom lip and looked down at the muscular cartoon lumberjack on Jace’s Forest Ridge High t-shirt that was now a darker green where it was wet with my tears. “He said he thought we could make things work.”
Jace tipped his head to the side, looking utterly confused. “Maybe I’m missing something, but that’s good news right?”
Chapter 5
I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath before forcing the worst part of the conversation past my lips. “And then he said he liked me!” I sniffed and waited for Jace to comfort me.
When he didn’t say anything I peeked up at him through my lashes. He looked like he was fighting to hold back a smile.
Whipping my head to fully face him, my mouth dropped open. “Are you laughing at me?” I couldn’t believe I thought he was such a nice guy, and then he had the nerve to laugh in the face of my pain?
“No!” he said quickly, but his lips twitched. He rubbed his hand over his mouth, trying to hide it.
“You are too!” I scooted away from him until my back hit the wall so we were no longer touching.
“I . . . No,” he said again, but the lie was lost under his chuckle. “Okay, I am. I’m sorry,” he added, letting out a real laugh. “I’m just pretty sure you told me your boyfriend likes you and wants to work out a long distance relationship with you.” He chuckled again. “I’m having trouble finding the heartbreak in that.”
I stared at him wide-eyed. “I thought I could trust you. I didn’t laugh once when you told me about your laser equipped unicorn stories.”
His smile fell. He automatically shushed me and darted a nervous glance around the diner to make sure no one had heard me. He really was worried someone might find out about his writing.
Apparently satisfied his secret pastime was still safe, he moved back to his side of the table and rested his forearms on it. It was a weird thought considering we were talking about my supposed boyfriend, but I wished he hadn’t moved. I liked having him close.
Up close he smelled clean and fresh like soap and the outdoors. It was different than Danny. Danny always smelled like heavy cologne. Always. Which I loved, but in comparison to Jace’s light natural scent, Danny’s was almost too much.
“I am sorry,” Jace said again. “I shouldn’t have laughed. Of course, you’re upset your boyfriend’s moving. That’s got to be rough. But seriously, I know I’m just a guy so not totally qualified to give relationship advice,” he winked at me, “but I think everything you told me is very encouraging. If he didn’t like you he would have used the move as his easy exit.”
He lowered his voice and furrowed his brows. “He’d have given you the ‘things have been great but long distance relationships never work. It’s been nice knowing you’ speech, right?”
I frowned hard to fight the beginning of a smile. Jace saw it anyway and smiled in return.
“Right?” he said again, nudging my foot under the table with his.
“Maybe,” I admitted, looking down as a full smile curved my lips.
“There it is,” he said.
“What?”
“That gorgeous smile.”
His eyes rested on mine, and I couldn’t look away. I knew he was just trying to cheer me up. He was probably doing everything in his power to make sure I didn’t start blubbering again. But his look said something else. Something tender and sweet and full of longing.
I tore my eyes away. Confusion swirled inside me. Did Jace like me? And even more important, why did I hope he did?
I huffed out a breath that lifted the hair off my face. Maybe coming here with him had been a mistake. My feelings were all mucked up because of Danny. I didn’t like Jace as more than a friend, and I certainly didn’t want him liking me.
“I should go,” I said, shoving my arms in my coat. “Thank you so much for the hot chocolate and the very generous shoulder to cry on.” I gave him an embarrassed smile.
“It’s getting late and I want to do some more Christmas shopping before dinner. Mom and I are having pizza.” I don’t know why I added that. It wasn’t like he cared what my plans were for the rest of the day but words just kept bubbling through my lips as I tried to make a graceful-ish exit.
“I love pizza,” he said.
I paused beside the booth, slinging my purse over my arm. “Me too,” I grinned at him. “We know this awesome place that makes the best deep dish pizza around.”
He looked up at me. I looked down at him. I knew what I was saying as I said it, it wasn’t that the words slipped out, but when I heard, “You should join us,” I wished I could suck the words right back in.
He wouldn’t take me up on it. People said stuff like that in passing all the time and everyone knew they didn’t really mean it. Of course, I’d taken him up on his offer of hot chocolate. He raised up and tugged his phone out of his back pocket and handed it to me.
“What’s this? A parting gift?” I teased.
He smiled. “If you give me your number I’ll text you and you can send me your address.”
Oh. Wow. He was taking me up on dinner. I swallowed and typed in my number, handing his phone back. “We eat around six,” I said, walking towards the door.
“See you then,” he called after me without getting up.
I walked calmly through the light drizzle that floated around me like an earth-bound cloud. Unlocking my car, I climbed inside and started it up. I put both hands on the wheel and checked the rearview mirror. When I was sure Jace was nowhere in sight. I gently pounded my head against the steering wheel before letting it rest there.
What was I doing? I loved Danny. I was heartbroken about Danny. Danny and I really needed to talk tonight so we
could work out a game plan for this long distance relationship thing. And yet, I’d invited another, really hot, really nice guy over.
Huh.
I looked in the rearview mirror again this time catching sight of myself. My eyes were red and puffy, and I’d missed several blotches of black mascara dotting my cheeks. I stared at myself in horror before I sat back and laughed.
Jace wasn’t interested in me as anything other than a friend. He couldn’t be. Not after he’d seen me looking like this and I’d cried buckets on his shirt. He liked pizza and wanted to hang out.
And no way did I like him. He’d just been super sweet when I needed a friend. That did not equal romance. I pushed my hands against the steering wheel. I was way overthinking the whole thing.
“Friends,” I said out loud. I had lots of guy friends. Now that Kristen was going to be so wrapped up in her new relationship it would be nice to add another friend to my list.
Okay. Feeling better now that I had that all straightened out in my mind, I put the idling car in gear and headed towards the old warehouse downtown that had tons of individual shops inside.
They sold a little bit of everything there from handmade soaps to name brand jeans. I had an idea for a small gift for Jace, kind of a thank you present for listening to my troubles, and I thought I might find it there.
Chapter 6
I picked up two deep dish pizzas on my way home from shopping. One pepperoni and one the works. My mom and I usually made do with one, but I wasn’t sure how much Jace ate or what kind he liked so I was playing it safe.
My whole car smelled like delicious Italian spices and warm melty cheese by the time I got home, and my stomach wouldn’t stop growling, demanding at least a sample. I opened the top box and snuck a slice of pepperoni, popping it in my mouth before sliding both boxes in the empty oven and turning it on the “warm” setting.
I might not know how to bake, but I had warming down to a science. You couldn’t warm for too long or the food would get all dried out by the time you ate. Mom should be home any minute though, and Jace should be here soon too.
I licked a little bit of sauce off my finger. I still wasn’t entirely sure how I’d ended up inviting him for dinner, but I repeated my new mantra “friends” and felt a little better. I had lots of guy friends. This was no big deal.
Setting the table with real plates and glasses made dinner seem more important than I wanted it to. I stood with my hands on my hips and stared at it for a minute before putting everything away and pulling out the paper plates and napkins. Mom and I usually ate in front of the TV. That’s where we would eat tonight, and if Jace didn’t like it he could just . . .
I blew out a breath and shook out my hands. I was letting myself get all wound up. I needed to relax. I’d probably feel better if I’d been able to talk to Danny more today.
I tried calling him while I was shopping. He answered but was in a hurry and had to get off the phone. He did say he missed me. I was afraid to make any assumptions at all by this point since I was apparently the master of wrong assumptions, but I thought that was a good sign.
The doorbell rang, and my head jerked towards the sound. Jace was here, and Mom wasn’t yet. I twisted my hands together. I was suddenly nervous to be alone with him.
I took a deep breath and walked to the door. No problem. I’d invite him in. We’d visit. Maybe I’d offer to buy him another shirt if I’d ruined his today. Friends, I said for the millionth time.
I swung the door open and felt my jaw drop. Jace, cute scruffy Jace from this morning, stood in my doorway looking like he’d just stepped off the cover of a men’s fashion magazine.
He’d shaved and his wavy hair had been styled and held back off his face with some kind of product. He wore a dark, expensive looking overcoat. It was open, and a gray sweater with a repeating burgundy pattern peeked out from under it. Matching slacks and dress shoes completed the image. In his hand was a beautiful bouquet of pink roses.
I snapped my mouth shut and tried to catch my breath. His appearance had caught me off guard, but I tried to play it off. “Wow! You clean up nice.” I winked to let him know I was teasing, kind of, and stepped aside so he could come in.
“Let me take your coat.” I hung his coat in the hall closet surprised by the feel of it. It was soft and heavy and my guess was that it really was expensive.
“You look nice too,” he said.
I blushed and waved the compliment away. I’d redone my makeup and run a brush through my hair. I knew I didn’t look that great, and now I wished I’d fixed up at least a little more. “I guess anything’s an improvement over the tear-streaked look I tried to pull off at the diner, right?” I laughed, and he smiled.
I looked down at the roses he held. I hoped he didn’t think this was a date. “Um, are those for me?”
His smile widened. “Nope,” he said.
I raised my brows, surprised by his answer.
“They’re for your mother. Is she here yet?”
Aw, that was so sweet of him. “No,” I started to say as I heard the garage door opening. “Actually, I hear her now.”
He inhaled deeply. “Mmmm, I can smell the pizza from here.”
“I know! I had to ride home with it in my car. You’re lucky I didn’t eat it all before you got here. Come on. Let’s go to the kitchen.”
He followed me as we walked through the house. He didn’t say anything, but when I looked back I saw him taking everything in.
“I told Mom you were coming so she’s expecting you,” I said as the garage door opened.
Mom walked in wearing her pink hospital scrubs. Her face looked so haggard my heart jerked to a stop. “Mom?” I said worriedly.
She looked up and smiled and her entire demeanor shifted. I narrowed my eyes and searched carefully for the look I’d seen, but I’d either imagined it or she hid it well.
“You must be Jace.” She shook his hand, and he held the flowers out to her.
“These are for you, Mrs. Morris. Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman.”
Mom giggled and my eyes bugged a little at the sound. My mom did not giggle like a school girl. Only apparently she did.
“Oh, go on now,” Mom said as she took the flowers and lowered her head to them. “Mmm, they smell so nice. Thank you.” She looked at me. “Michelle, will you put these in a vase? I want to change before we eat.”
I took the flowers from her and set them on the counter while I stretched to reach our heavy crystal vase on the top shelf in the cupboard. Mom disappeared to go change, and Jace came over and grabbed the vase before I could get it down.
“Let me help you with that.”
His fingers brushed against mine, and I felt a surprising jolt shoot through me at the contact. I yanked my hand away and stuck it behind my back.
Friends. Friends. Friends. I repeated a little desperately, taking quick short breaths. He handed me the vase. He was so close I could smell his shower fresh scent and just a hint of warm cologne. I grasped the vase, staring into his eyes as he slowly released it and stepped back, just out of my personal space.
I fought to hide my shaking hands, busying myself with cutting the flower stems and putting them one by one in fresh water. I trimmed some of the greenery a little shorter than the roses and arranged everything quickly.
“You’re good at that,” Jace said, watching me work. He’d tucked his hands in his pants pockets and crossed one leg in front of the other, casually leaning a hip against the counter.
I kept my eyes on the flowers and repeated the word friends a couple more times for good measure.
“Thanks,” I said. “I love flowers. I’ve actually thought a time or two that I might want to open a flower shop one day. I want to own some kind of business.” I ran my finger over the velvety soft rose petal. “Can you imagine being surrounded by flowers all day long and getting paid for it?”
I glanced over my shoulder to see what he thought about that. Probably that it sounded l
ame. Most people were all about the money when it came to careers, and while I knew that some florist did quite well I figured quite a few others struggled to keep their doors open. You had to sell a lot of flowers to make the business a success.
Jace’s eyes simmered with something that again looked like longing. “I wish I’d brought them for you,” he said quietly, and my heart jumped in my chest. “I didn’t know you liked flowers that much.” He swallowed. “I also wasn’t sure if you’d accept them since you have a boyfriend.”
He didn’t ask, but I heard the question in his words. Would I have accepted flowers from him?
I turned back to the sink. My heart pounded treacherously, telling me that although it was shattered just hours ago it had already begun patching the pieces and was ready to take another chance.
But I wasn’t, was I? I loved Danny, even if he did only like me. I decided the safest thing to do would be to ignore Jace’s comment no matter how sweet it was.
“It was really nice of you to buy them for Mom. I know she loved them. Did you hear her giggle?” I laughed remembering the carefree sound.
I thought I heard Jace sigh but ignored it, fiddling with the flowers some more before carrying the vase to the living room since that’s where we would eat. Now that I saw how dressed up Jace was I wondered if maybe we shouldn’t sit at the table after all. Mom helped answer that.
“Bring the flowers in here,” she called from the dining room as she set the table with the very plates I’d put away not long ago. “That way we can enjoy them while we eat.”
I turned and carried the vase to the dining room, setting it in the middle of the table.
“Ah,” Mom said, “they’re so pretty. And you did such a nice job arranging them.” She looked back at Jace as she walked to the kitchen for glasses. “Did Michelle tell you she’d like to be a florist someday?”
“She has a nice touch with flowers,” Jace said. “That would probably be a good field. It’s nice to earn a living doing something you love.”
