Page 5 of You’re Mine

I come down from my high, collapsing on to Jace’s chest, exhausted. His hand meanders up my back to my neck, pushing my hair out of the way. His lips press against the tip of my shoulder as I catch my breath.

“You did so good, sweetheart,” he mutters. “And you’re all mine.”

2

Jace

Haley’s limp on my chest, her limbs thrown over my body. She’s not saying much which has me a little worried.

“You okay?” I ask. She nods.

“That was amazing,” she sighs. Her breath skirts across my skin, tickling it. The sweat on my body cools down, so I wrap the blanket around the two of us, making a warm cocoon.

“You made the magic happen, baby.”

“No seriously, you’re amazing, Jace.” My heart contracts upon hearing her words. I can’t help it because this woman means the world to me, and sometimes it feels like she’s the only one who believes in me. After all, I’m a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. I come from a poverty-stricken family, and I have no future. Everyone thinks I’m just going to be another screw-up.

But with Haley, it’s different. She believes. Her hand is on my chest, fingers splayed, and we sit like this for a few moments. My mind is racing. This woman means the world to me, and we went in a totally unexpected direction. I’m still having some trouble believing it even happened. Sex has never made me think so much. Not only are my thoughts zooming, but they’re full of worries.

Because I wish Haley and I could leave town right now. What to do after graduation has been our main topic of conversation lately. The only problem is, I don’t really have any real money. There’s enough saved away to survive for a few months, if we’re careful, but nothing significant. Plus, it doesn’t compare, doesn’t come anywhere close to what her family has. The Joneses are Lenville royalty. It’s practically an impossible situation.

“Jace?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Where are we gonna go?” We’ve already talked extensively about plans, but Haley really likes going through them over and over.

I smile in the darkness.

“I was thinking New York City. We could get a small studio, a couple of jobs, and make a name for ourselves.” I’ve already been looking at apartments, looking for what we can afford until we get on our feet. There are a few places that caught my eye even in that massively expensive city.

“A name for ourselves?” she giggles.

“Yeah, we have to show the city whose boss,” I rumble. She traces shapes on my torso which is a little distracting, but I manage to continue. “We’ll pack up the truck and drive and drive and drive.”

“Will you let me drive?” she lilts.

“You don’t even have a permit,” I tease. But it’s true. Her dad, Herb, wouldn’t let her take the test, so she’s always asking to drive my truck. I do have a few reservations.

“Well, what if I get one?” she counters. “Then, can I drive?” That’s a decent argument, I suppose. I haven’t let her get behind the wheel yet but who knows? Anything is possible.

“Maybe,” I respond hesitantly. Her head pops up, and she looks at me with hope in her eyes.

“Really?” I can’t help but laugh at her eagerness. Thinking about my baby behind the wheel of my baby – I might not be ready for that. Haley has never driven anything before. Maybe if we get somewhere where it’s very hard to crash, like a field with absolutely nothing in it, I’ll let her try her hand.

“We’ll see,” I promise. She smiles happily and puts her head back on my chest. It could be a nice surprise when we’re in the middle of nowhere. Hopefully, my nerves can handle it.

“What kind of jobs will we get in New York?” She brings the subject back to our future plans.

“We could work in food service, or I could do construction. There are hotels, libraries, and theatres. We can do whatever we want. The world is our oyster.” I’m sure at least one of us will be able to find something. A few friends out there have been feeding me some leads. If we keep our wits about us, everything will be fine.

“That sounds nice,” Haley mumbles. Her breathing slows down, and she’s on the precipice of sleep. I’d like to let her rest, but I might fall asleep right after her and who knows how long we’d end up sitting here. I gently shake her, and her head pops up.

“Huh?” She looks so cute when she’s confused. I tap her nose, and she scrunches it before giving me a funny look.

“I should probably get you home.” My girlfriend nods. She slides herself off me and winces. I’d forgotten we were still … connected. “Are you okay?”

I’ve asked so many times it could come off as annoying, but I’m kind of worried. Haley’s in pain because of me, and the thought twists my gut. I never want her to hurt at all, much less because I couldn’t control myself in bed. But it was Haley’s first time and she’s bound to be a little achy. After all, I’m not exactly a small guy.

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