by Laura Pavlov
“I’m not going to be another person in your life who tells you what to do. Or what I want. I want you to do what’s best for you.”
Her gaze narrowed. She looked wounded. “You don’t want me to go with you to TU?”
“Fuck yeah. If it’s what you want. But I’d never pressure you to go where I’m going. You’ve already got my heart, Ace. And you can take it with you wherever you go. I’m yours. Where you go to school doesn’t change that.”
Hell, I wanted to tell her right there to go to TU. I wanted to be together. But I wasn’t about to make that decision for her. She’d had people doing that her entire life.
She nodded. “I love you.”
“I love you. But don’t ever bring your little musketeers to a street fight again. Deal?”
Her head fell back, and I fucking loved the sound of her laugh as it filled the space around us. “The Magic Willows, not the little musketeers.”
“Same difference. But I’m glad they always have your back.”
“And I’ll always have yours.”
“Same. All right, I better get you home. The last thing I need is your mother thinking I’m breaking you out of your house now and getting you in back alley fights.”
She leaned forward and kissed me. Her lips meeting mine, and I swore to fucking Christ this girl owned me in every way. Her fingers tangled in my hair, and I shifted her on my lap, so she was straddling me. Grinding up against me. I nearly came undone right there on the seat of my bike. I wanted to carry her over to the hammock, drop her down, and strip her bare. Show her how good I could make her feel. But I knew she’d been through a lot tonight, and it wasn’t the right time. My hands slipped beneath her sweater and I fucking loved the feel of her soft skin against my fingers. I teased her hard peaks through the lace of her bra with my thumbs and she gasped. Her head fell back as little pants escaped.
“Jett, I want you.”
My lips moved to her neck, kissing my way back up to her face. I kissed her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids, and stopped at her sweet mouth.
“You already have me.”
“You know what I mean,” she said, her voice raspy and full of need.
“Not tonight. Not after what you’ve been through. When I have you, it won’t be after pulling you into the middle of a shitshow, or after you went at it with your mom. But I will have you, Adelaide Edington. And I promise to rock your fucking world.”
She laughed and ran her fingers through my hair. “Oh, I have no doubt.”
“There’s no rush.”
She nodded. “Okay. I’m going to hold you to it.”
“I’m a man of my word.” I placed a chaste kiss on her lips before lifting her up and dropping her back down on the seat. I grabbed her helmet and placed it on her head, buckling it beneath her chin. Her dark eyes never left mine.
“I know you are.”
I climbed on in front of her, and my dick raged against my zipper just like it always did. I laughed. Chivalry had never been something I’d thought about. But when it came to this girl—I wanted to do everything right.
The next day at school Alec Taulson looked surprised to see me when I passed him in the hall. Walking hand in hand with my girl.
“Didn’t expect to see you here, Jett,” he said as he stood with Hayden and Karina. I noticed he and Ty weren’t hanging out much these days, and I wondered if his best friend had finally figured out what an asshole he was.
“Yeah. You took your shot, and you missed. That’s kind of your thing, right?” I smirked. He’d had a shit basketball season, and I normally wouldn’t stoop that low. But fuck, this kid made it difficult to be decent.
“I can’t even believe you’d do that,” Adelaide said, shaking her head.
“Well, remember, you don’t really know me anymore, right, Addy?”
She rolled her eyes. “It sure doesn’t seem like it.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve always known who Alec is,” Karina said.
He shrugged her off when she placed a hand on his shoulder. “Would have sucked for you to get busted and lose your scholarship. Hope you don’t do anything to fuck that up.”
I flipped him the bird. He wasn’t worth my time. Adelaide and I walked away. He was one person I couldn’t wait to put in my rearview.
“I can’t believe how low he’s stooping these days. I don’t know what happened to him,” she said. I glanced down, and I saw the pain on her face. Like it or not, she considered the kid to be family. They’d grown up together, and she tried to find the good in him. I couldn’t fault her, I loved that about her. She didn’t see the worst in people the way I tended to do. I admired it.
“I think people show you who they are, Ace. At some point you’ve got to believe them.”
She nodded. “I get that. But Alec isn’t all bad. He’s a good son and a good brother and he can be a good friend. He just seems to be teetering toward the bad lately.”
“I love that you see the good in people.” I pressed her up against the wall next to the library and kissed her. Hard. Because I fucking loved her.
When I pulled away, her cheeks were flush, and she was breathless. My dick strained. He was getting angrier with each passing day, though I took care of business in the shower this morning. I adjusted myself as conspicuously as I could, and she laughed.
“A little uncomfortable?” she teased. “Come on. Let’s get to class before we get carried away.”
“I’ve been carried away since the first time I tasted that sweet mouth of yours.”
She tugged at my hand to lead me down the hall. She left for her class and I met Shaw outside of creative writing. We walked into the classroom and dropped in our seats.
“Dude, have you thought about how you’re going to ask Addy to prom? Coco expects some fucking creativity. But I don’t have a clue on how to ask her.”
I’d been planning it for a while, but I wouldn’t tell him that.
“Yeah, I have an idea of what I’ll do. What does Coco like?”
“Coco likes me and her friends.” He looked up at the ceiling as if deep in thought. “She likes shopping and Starbucks and cupcakes and going to the lake.”
“Okay.” I laughed. “How can you tie it all in?”
“I don’t have a fucking clue. Maybe a scavenger hunt?”
“That’s an idea. You willing to put in all that work?” I raised a brow.
“Fuck yeah. I think she’ll string me up by my balls if I don’t make her senior prom ask a good one.”
“Spoken like a pussy-whipped motherfucker.”
“Takes one to know one.”
I shrugged and laughed. Because he was fucking right.
I told Adelaide I had some shit to do for Gram and I couldn’t hang out after school. I was going to ask her to prom tomorrow, and I needed to get everything together. I got home and placed the flowers in water and went into the room to check on my grandmother. She was sleeping. She was doing a lot of that lately. Ma was at The Rusty Pelican. I flipped on the TV.
There was a knock at the door and my jaw dropped when I saw Mayor Edington standing on the other side.
“Hey,” I said, unsure of what to say. “Uh, do you want to come in?”
“Sure. Thank you.”
He stepped inside and I offered him a bottle of water, and we both dropped to sit at the kitchen table. He didn’t look around my house like he was surprised at the size or appalled by anything about it.
“So, I was hoping we could chat. Ladybug came home today, so I figured you weren’t with her. Hard to find a time when I can catch you alone these days.” He leaned back in his seat and smiled to let me know he was just giving me shit.
I nodded. “Sure. What’s up?”
“Well, I’ve wanted to come by and tell you that what my wife said to you a while ago, is not how our
family feels about you. Hell, I don’t even think Savannah feels that way. She’s just finding it difficult to see Adelaide make choices for herself. But she’ll figure it out.”
“Okay. Glad to hear you don’t all feel that way.”
“Listen, Jett. My wife isn’t a monster. She loves our girls. She gets a little lost sometimes, stuck in her ways. Caught up with her best friend in ways that bring out the worst in both of them. We’ve been talking about it a lot and I think she realizes that she’s actually pushing our girl away by behaving like this.”
“I don’t think she’s a monster. Hell, I get it. On paper, I probably don’t look like the best option for your daughter. But I can promise you this… I love her. And I’m determined to get a good education and make something of myself.” I hated the way my voice shook. I hated the way I felt like I had to prove myself to some of the people in this town.
“You’ve already made something of yourself, son. You don’t owe us an explanation about who you are. My daughter loves you and that’s enough for me. I don’t know if you know this, but I was raised by a single mother. My father left when I was young. I didn’t grow up with much, but there was always love. And I worked hard to make something of myself. So, I understand what you’re saying, but trust me when I tell you a lot of that comes from your own need to do so. Not others.” He paused to take a sip of water and took his time screwing the lid back on as he appeared to be deep in thought. “What I’ve learned is that none of that matters. What matters is the people in your life. Family. That’s what it comes down to. And from where I’m sitting, you have all of that. And I feel quite proud that my daughter is dating such a fine young man. Before you, Ladybug never talked about her own dreams. About this desire to be a journalist and attend a more challenging college. You’ve helped Adelaide figure out who she is, and what she wants. And I’m thankful for that.”
My stomach dipped and my chest tightened at his words. Jesus. Is this what it felt like to get a father’s approval? And damn if it didn’t feel good.
I cleared my throat. “Thank you, sir. That means a lot to me.”
“We’d like to have you to dinner tonight, if you’re free. Maybe give us a second chance? I know you two spend a lot of time together, and it’s about damn time we got to know you better too.”
I leaned back in my chair. “Is your wife okay with that?”
“It was her idea. She didn’t feel like you’d receive it as well if she came with me today, but she’s the one who asked me to extend the invitation. She’s desperate to patch things up with our daughter, and she knows getting to know you is a part of that.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. It wasn’t the most genuine of reasons to get to know me, but for Adelaide, I’d do it. Because she needed to patch things up with her mother.
“Okay. I’ll be there.”
He smiled. “Great. So now that that’s behind us, tell me about the football program at TU. I can’t wait to see you play for them.”
I spent the next hour and a half chatting with Ellis Edington about football, and school, and his time growing up in Willow Springs and becoming the mayor. Turns out his journey wasn’t all that different from mine. He didn’t come from much, but he went after what he wanted.
And I’d go to dinner tonight because I loved my girl, adored her crazy baby sister, and admired the hell out of her father. Was I guarded when it came to her mother? Sure. But I was all about putting this shit behind us and moving forward.
And what better time to start than now.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Adelaide
Dinner was going better than I’d ever imagined it would. I was shocked when Mama told me Jett was joining us. This was her version of an olive branch. She’d also had a heart to heart with me about why she’d hidden those college acceptance letters from me. Turns out part of her obsession with me and Alec being together and attending the same college—with me living at home—was all a way for her to keep me close. My mother was even more controlling than I’d ever realized. I guess the idea of me spreading my wings terrified the hell out of her. I didn’t think what she did was right, but I understood her fear. And we were working on mending our relationship.
Mama T had even come over after school today and she’d asked me all about the colleges that I was considering. I knew my mother must have talked to her because she’d barely acknowledged me for months. And it felt good to put it all behind me and focus on the future. I loved Alec’s family, and I didn’t want to lose them just because we weren’t together anymore. I’d known them my entire life. And I still held out hope that Alec and I would be friends again someday. But with him trying to hurt Jett right now, I didn’t see a way for that to happen. Maybe time would heal all of these hurts.
Mama asked Jett dozens of questions about what he planned to major in and when he’d leave for school. She wanted to know what his long-term goals were and how long he planned to play football. I held his hand beneath the table as he fielded the grueling interrogation with ease and confidence.
Jett Stone had nothing to hide. He knew what he wanted, and he made no apologies for it. And I loved that about him. He never wavered when it came to his hopes and dreams, as he’d been planning them his entire life.
My sister made googly eyes at my boyfriend the entire dinner, and I couldn’t help but laugh. And Daddy and Jett had somehow formed a friendship and shared an easy comfort with one another now.
“Thanks for having me, Mrs. Edington.” Jett helped clear the dessert plates and said he needed to get home.
Mama dropped the dishtowel on the counter and my father, sister, and I all followed her movements. We were on the mend, but we had a long way to go and I didn’t totally trust her just yet. And I’d be dammed if I’d let her do anything to hurt Jett again.
“I’m going to say this in front of my family, as I think pulling you out on the front porch for another chat might put everyone on edge.” She chuckled, but I could see how nervous she was. “I owe you an apology, Jett. I was wrong and I’m embarrassed about how I behaved. And the things I said about your mother were unfair and cruel.”
He nodded. “I appreciate that.”
“I know I can’t fix things over the course of one dinner, but I’m hoping you’ll give me a chance to earn your forgiveness over time.”
His hand tightened around mine, and I knew he was uncomfortable with the whole exchange. I’m sure he wondered how genuine she was. I wondered the same thing and I’d known her my entire life.
“I’m good with that.”
“Good, because we sure enjoy having you around,” Clem said, wriggling her brows and breaking the ice the way only my sister could. We all broke out laughing and I walked Jett outside and down the driveway to his bike.
“Thanks for doing this tonight,” I said, wrapping my arms around his middle and breathing in all his goodness.
“Of course. Your dad’s a cool dude.”
“No one has ever called him cool. He’d be so excited right now to hear you say that.” I laughed, because my dad was the sweetest guy, but his cool factor was not high.
“And Clem’s pretty awesome.”
“You’re only saying that because she has a mad crush on you.”
“And I have a mad crush on you, Ace.” He kissed me.
Soft.
Slow.
Perfect.
“Yeah? And my mom is at least trying, right?”
He nodded. He didn’t trust her. I saw it in his eyes, but he wouldn’t say it aloud. “She is. And I want you to get to a good place with her because I know it hurts you to not have that.”
“We’re getting there. And Mama T was actually friendly to me today for the first time in months. Maybe everyone is coming around.”
“Maybe.” He ran the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip, and chill bumps spread down my arms. I wante
d to climb on his bike and kiss him. Touch him. All the things that had been consuming my every thought. But I knew there was a good chance my mother was watching us from inside. “So, tomorrow, I’m leaving school a few minutes early. Can you meet me out at our spot on the lake? I have something for you.”
“Oh, you do, do you? Does this have something to do with prom?” I teased. Everyone was starting to ask their dates to the dance. Each one more creative than the next. But I didn’t care how he asked me. As long as I was going with Jett, I’d be happy. He wasn’t a showy guy, but he was the most thoughtful boy I’d ever known. I knew he’d do something that actually meant something to me. Because that’s who he was.
“All right.” He grinned, ignoring my question. “See you tomorrow. I love you.”
“Love you more,” I said. Because saying I love you, too, didn’t feel right with him. I wasn’t just copying the sentiment or going through the motions like I’d done for so long with Alec. I truly loved Jett in a way I’d never experienced. And there were no words to express how deep my feelings ran.
I watched his bike drive down the street and I walked back inside. I helped Mama clean up the kitchen and thanked her for inviting Jett and making the effort. Our home felt a little less fractured today, and I was happy about it.
Clem came into my room and dropped to sit on my bed.
“Have you ever heard Mama apologize before? That was a first.”
I laughed. “Definitely a first. But she owed him an apology.”
“Absolutely. Damn, that boy is so fine.” She fell back on the bed and giggled.
“You sure don’t hide your crush on him.”
She smiled. “I doubt any girl does. But he’s crazy about you. Even a blind person could see that. Do you think you’ll go to TU with him?”
“I’d like to go there. And not just because Jett is going there, but that’s certainly icing on the cake. But they have such a good journalism program, and I wouldn’t be too far from home, but far enough, you know?”
“So why not just hit accept and be done?” she asked, pushing to sit up.
