Page 63 of Set the Moment
I scowl immediately. I don’thateDerek, but I don’t like him, either. He’s never given me a reason to like him, especially with him not being active in Delilah’s life.
Jace continues speaking, clearly unaware of my thoughts as he turns back to the stove. “He’s one of the kindest people I know. Without Derek, a lot of us on the team would be lost. He helped Blake last year with his issues and always gave me a shoulder to yap on. His daughter’s like my niece now, too. You taught her dance class…Delilah Perez.”
I can hear the fondness and smile in his tone even though he’s not facing me.
“I would’ve thought that you’d be interested in him since he’s someone you’d go for.”
At this, my nose crinkles, disgust flaring in my gut.
“Annoying and an asshole?”
“Nah, kind and nurturing. Your personalities are very similar, and I think you’d probably be friends. Derek’s been raising Deli solo since he was seventeen, and has been raising us hockey heads for three years now. If anything ever happens to me, I want you to know that you can trust him to be a good friend.”
I allow his words to resonate with me for a minute. Did I have it all wrong about the douchebag? Or is Jace only saying this because they’re friends? Iknowwhat I sawandheard, but what if I was wrong to immediately assume Derek is a bad parent?
Jace twists around, a bright smile decorating his handsome face as he holds out a fork with a fluffy, fried dough on it to my face.
“Taste,” he says, eyes dancing with intrigue as he holds the food to my mouth.
My eyes remain locked with his as I lean forward. I’ve never been fed by a man before, and as my lips coat the fork, Jace’s eyes darken. I decide to play with my meal, slowly pulling the dough away with my teeth. I watch as he gulps, watching me intently.
As the flavors of the dough begin to settle in my mouth, my chewing falters. Rather than being the sweet pancake that Ithoughtit would be, it’s salty. I grimace as I swallow the piece of food.
“So?”
“Stick to painting.” I grin, curling my lips to not burst out in laughter as Jace’s smile drops and he flicks my forehead.
After deciding that we’d be better off ordering breakfast, Jace places an order for delivery from Doug’s Diner. We sit in the living room eating our breakfast and watching movies.
My leg rests casually across Jace’s lap as I eat my chocolate chip pancakes and scroll aimlessly on my phone. The silence between us is comfortable, almost like we both know that as soon as we talk, our comfortability will be broken, but that doesn’t stop the blabbermouth beside me from speaking.
“We need a game plan,” he tells me without preamble, sliding in closer to me so now my thighs are over his lap as I shove another pancake into my mouth, nodding for him to continue.
“Your list—I mean, today, we’re doing nothing. But if we want to get everything on that list done, we need a schedule, especially with the hockey season starting back up next month.”
The thought of winter sports quickly approaching leads my mind back to the Winter Showcase. I haven’t seen or heard from Daisy all weekend, but I know that I can’t afford to miss any more practices.
“I thought we had a plan? You and I meet weekly to get the list done, I don’t work at the studio until we finish?” My words come out more like a question as I lean to put my plate down on the coffee table. I'm about to move my legs from their spot on Jace's lap, but his tightening grip on my thigh halts me in my tracks.
“We do, but what about my hockey games?” his voice is a bit softer as he asks this, a small pout to his lips as his gaze remains locked on the forgotten movie playing on the TV.
So that’s what this is about…He wants me to be there for him. A small smile dusts my lips as I lean forward, grabbing his chin and tilting his gaze to me.
“I’ll be there for you, Jace. I promise.”
His eyes roam over my face, softening as his shoulders slacken a bit. All of my feelings over the past ten years crash over me like a tidal wave as he looks at me likethat. I gulp as he licks his lips, leaning forward to rest his forehead on mine, our breaths syncing up with one another like we weremadefor each other.
“That’s all I wanted to hear, angel…” His words are soft, tugging at my heartstrings. I allow myself to fall down the rabbit hole of them, closing my eyes as he places a gentle kiss to my forehead, his warmth remaining stamped against my skin.
Jace Heart, what are you doing to me?
“Now! Let’s talk about Fall Fest.”
That snaps me out of my softened mood. He immediately gives me a rundown of the three day fall centered event here on campus. Since we’re keeping whateverthisis between us a secret, we have to be extra careful with how we go about doing the event. There’s no need for us to get caught with our pants down if we can help it.
After deciding on a meet up spot, a few activities to do, and my list, we start a new TV series together about a hidden queen in a school for assassins.
We’re just about to start the third episode when both of our phones go off simultaneously, his ringing with a call, and mine a text.
