Page 79 of Face Off
He nudges me with his elbow. “Don’t let him get under your skin. It’s not worth it.”
I swallow hard, tasting carrot and cinnamon and the weight of loyalty. “Feels like he already has.”
Jacko shrugs. “Then shake him off. You’ve got bigger things to carry.” His tone softens. “And you’re not carrying them alone, yeah?”
The lump in my throat makes it impossible to answer, but I nod, gripping the muffin like it’s a lifeline.
After everyone’s gone, I tug on a hoodie and sling my bag over my shoulder. Jacko walks out with me, casual as anything,like we didn’t just survive a battlefield. “Maya’s making dinner tomorrow. You and Chloe should come.”
I blink. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. She wants to meet her properly. And Lila’s been asking who Chloe is.” His mouth quirks. “Figured we’d kill two birds, feed you both, and prove to Chloe she’s not out here on an island.”
Warmth floods through me despite the exhaustion. “You’re sure about that? Lila interrogates harder than Murphy.”
“Good,” Jacko deadpans. “Maybe she’ll do a better job of knocking sense into you.”
The thought of Chloe facing down a three-year-old judge makes me laugh all the way home.
Dinner the next night is chaos from the second we step inside Jacko’s place. Maya’s at the stove, apron on, greeting us like family. The kitchen smells like garlic and butter, something grounding after a week that’s been anything but.
And then Lila comes charging down the hall in unicorn pyjamas, curls bouncing, eyes bright. She skids to a stop in front of Chloe, hands on her hips.
“So,” she says in the kind of serious voice only toddlers can pull off. “You’re her.”
Chloe crouches, smiling nervously. “Her who?”
“Ollie’s girlfriend.” Lila narrows her eyes. “Are you nice?”
Chloe glances at me, cheeks red, then back at Lila. “I try to be.”
“Do you like pancakes?”
“Love them.”
“Do you make him sad?”
Her throat works as she answers softly. “I hope not.”
Lila studies her, thoughtful in a way that makes the room go still, then finally nods. “Okay. You can stay.”
Then she turns to me and holds her arms up high for me to pick her up. Which I do instantly. Her little arms wrap around my neck and she plants a wet kiss on my cheek. With a sly look at Chloe, Lila whispers in my ear. “I’m still your best girl though, right?”
I can’t stop the chuckle from escaping before I answer. “Always, my most favourite lady.”
“We still getting married?” Lila gives Chloe the sickliest grin she can muster up, and Chloe has to bite her lip to keep from smiling.
“Obviously, but you have to be a grown up first. You’re my girl.”
Maya snorts, Jacko bursts out laughing, and I nearly choke on my own grin. Chloe’s giggling too, but her eyes shimmer, the edges of her composure cracked wide open by a child’s fearless honesty.
I slip my hand into hers under the table as we sit down to dinner, squeeze gently. She squeezes back, eyes meeting mine like she’s just been handed a lifeline.
And in that moment, with garlic bread being passed around, Maya humming over the sauce, Jacko pouring wine, and Lila demanding someone cut her food into stars, I realise something bone-deep.
Murphy can spit venom. Management can glare. My hip can scream. But Chloe sitting here, flushed and laughing with my best friend’s family, is worth every bruise, every battle, every fight still to come.
Because she’s not a distraction. She’s the reason I’m still standing.
