Page 69 of A Heart Worth Finding
Although, perhaps not as upset as he should’ve been. Did it sting his pride that Sofia dumped him because she was in love with someone else? Yes. Did it hurt even worse knowing the guy in question happened to be dating the girl that got away? An even bigger yes.
How was it that Jack kept losing to Silas fucking Jeffers?
“Suck it up, buttercup,” Asher said from across the room, where he was taping a festive banner over the archway that separated the kitchen from the dining room.
“You’re an asshole,” Jack muttered. “What time is everyone coming over?”
“Whenever they want,” Luke said. “But we told the boys no earlier than ten.”
Jack checked his watch. That was four hours from now, which meant he could go upstairs and take a nap before he inevitably pulled an all-nighter celebrating in one way or another.
An hour later, his phone buzzing loudly on his nightstand pulled him from a dead sleep. Groaning, Jack rolled over and swiped it into his hand, squinting to find a text from Asher, sent to the roommate group chat.
Attached was a link to an Instagram post, and Jack clicked on it, sitting up in bed.
At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, and he rubbed at them vigorously, hoping to wipe the sleep away. But when he blinked them clear and refocused on the screen, his heart plummeted.
Perfectly curated in a tiny Instagram square on Sofia’s feed was a picture of her…and Silas. Kissing in front of Beaumont Tower.
Got me a new boo for the new year, the caption read.
Jack’s heart dropped further, and not even for himself. No, in that moment, he realized exactly how well and truly over Sofia Kinsey he was. This pain he experienced now was all for Jessica.
Without thinking, he texted her.
Long moments passed before Jessica’s response, in which Jack hopped from his bed and paced his room, prowling like a caged animal begging to be let free.
Finally, his phone buzzed.
Jack’s heart beat faster in his chest. Could those two words mean what he thought they did? Ever since Jessica had walked back into his life, he knew their old spark was still there. He felt it every time he looked at her, like an ember in the ashes of a nearly-dead fire. All it needed was a little tending to ignite once again.
And now that they were both unattached…the terms of their deal that final night in Mexico rang in Jack’s head.
Now was his chance. Right here. Either he took his shot, or he didn’t. But he could feel it deep in his bones: it was now or never.
Jack didn’t even wait for Jessica’s response, simply dressed in dark jeans and a white button down, throwing a change of clothes, gym shorts, and any toiletries he may need for the night into his backpack. In five minutes, he was bounding down the stairs and sliding into the living room. Luke paused mid-sip of his beer and squinted at him.
“Going somewhere?” he asked.
“I’m going to get my girl back.”
“Bro, Sofia is with someone else now. Get over it,” Asher said.
Jack ignored him, rushing toward the door and the tiny “foyer” that consisted of a miniscule coat closet, some racks they’d hung when they moved in, and a cube organizer where they stowed their shoes to keep them out of the way. Jack grabbed his puffy MSU hockey jacket out of the closet and pulled his Timberlands out of one of his cubes, stuffing his feet and arms into both as he moved back into the living room.
“I don’t think he means Sofia,” Luke said in response to Asher’s comment.
“Then what—oh, holy shit. You’re going to get Jessica, aren’t you?”
Jack nodded. “She’s in Traverse City. I’ll be home tomorrow.”
“Good luck!” Luke yelled as Jack swiped his keys off the hook by the door.
“Use protection!” Asher shouted after him as he pulled the door open and stepped outside.
The dead of winter was a bleak time in Michigan. The sun set way too fucking early, so even though it was barely half past seven p.m., Jack drove to Traverse City in complete and total darkness, with not even the moon to guide his way. Thankfully, it wasn’t snowing and hadn’t in a few days, so he wasn’t stressing about his little Chevy Colorado sliding all over slippery roads.
However, the farther north he traveled, the more snow covered the ground, and when he got off the interstate to travel smaller state highways into Traverse City, he was surprised by the mountains piled high along the sides of the roads.
