Page 76 of Set the Moment
Hot dad?!
My jaw drops as nervous laughter bubbles from my throat. She couldn’t befurtherfrom the truth. Georgia eyes me over Cleo’s head, her face scrutinizing as I laugh off my cousin.
“Hot dad? Did you bump your head on the Mind Eraser, CJ? It’s a bruise.” I chuckle as she tilts her head, confused by my deflection. My stomach sinks as Georgia sighs, pursing her lips, clearly unimpressed with my avoidance.
When we get into our apartment, we each take our rightful spots on the couch and loveseat. Denver and Cleo talk animatedly about what happened at Fall Fest while Georgia plays a fashion game on her phone.
I need to text Jace, see if our relation—situationship, whatever this is—is still salvageable. I mean, if I were him, I’d be pissed. The woman who ditched him on a rooftop two years ago ditched him again after getting her way with him.
What is the female equivalent to a fuckboy? If there is one, I’m pretty sure my name is mixed in the definition.
I can feel eyes on me as I chew on my bottom lip, my fingers itching to get in contact with Jace.
Fuck it.
Jumping from my spot on the loveseat, I practically run to the front door of our apartment, snatching up my keys as I do so. Ineedto talk to him, to get him to understand just how sorry I am for leaving him.
Cleo’s up in an instant, her worried brown eyes searching my face, but I don’t give her any signs of how I’m feeling. The only person who needs to be taken care of right now is a blond asshole that I’m pretty sure may be the spawn of Hades.
“What’s going on, Si Si? Why do you look like someone just threatened Oscar?” She chuckles warily as I crack a watery smile, my heart stuttering as I lie to my best friend.
“Nothing, I-I just need some air.”
I don’t give Cleo the chance to respond as I leave the apartment, racing to my car in the parking lot. The sight of my light purple AMG GT 63 comes into view, but I stumble in my tracks at the car parked next to it.
A dark green Aston Martin SUV.
Jace’s car.
He leans casually against the hood, watching me, the picture of utter perfection. I don’t know what to do with myself, my hands squeezing and pulling at my fingers as I try to psych myself up to approach coolly.
But all of my carefully crafted nonchalance bursts as I catch his eye, and I fuckingrunto him, crushing him in a bear hug.
Jace is taken aback from the force of the hug, stumbling slightly as he wraps his arms around my waist, squeezing.
“I’m so sorry. I should’ve given you more, or at leasttriedto stay with you a little longer. Instead, I just ran and—”
“It’s okay,” he says softly, gripping me a little tighter as I sigh.
Jace is the kind of guy who puts everyone’s emotions and well-being above himself. He always has been, hence him doing the list with me. He’s selfless and attentive, albeit a little crazy when he wants to be. He means well, and that's all that matters.
I know that my actions hurt him, that he won’t tell me they did in order to spare my feelings, and I feel like shit a little bit more because of that fact.
“We should probably get in the car, wouldn't want anyone to see, right?” he says quietly, and a pang of guilt hits my heart as I chew my bottom lip.
“Right.”
In the car, neither of us speak. Jace sits staring out the car's windshield blankly and I sit next to him, watching him.
The silence between us is deafening and something I’ve never experienced with the man to the left of me.
I don’t like it.
“Do you want to come up? We can all hang out and talk like old times,” I try, preparing myself for him to reject me but Jace just sends a sweet smile my way, nodding.
He’s like a kid in a candy store as I lead him up to the apartment, talking and joking like normal. My body releases its tension as Jace cracks jokes about the guys and fills me in on what's been happening at practice lately.
When we approach the hall for my apartment, his hand gripping my wrist has me pausing in my steps. When I turn to face him, I gasp as he pulls me by the waist and kisses me.
