Page 94 of Stolen Fate

“Do you think I’m cold for saying that?”

“It’s not up to me to say.”

Though I was pissed at what her presence did to Elliot, I wondered if Jace ever loved Camila at all, or if he had any sympathy for the mother of his child.

“Camila is… well, there are a lot of things Camila is, but good isn’t one of them. Me agreeing not to press charges is being generous, as long as she agrees to rehab and stays as far away from Elliot as possible.”

I nodded. I wanted her far away from Elliot, too. But I didn’t think she would agree to rehab, which meant Jace would be pressing charges against her eventually.

“Let’s not talk about her anymore,” Jace said, standing up. “I’ll make some breakfast. Can you bring him down when he wakes up?” I nodded and peeked up at Jace, watching as he made his way over to my bed. He leaned down and placed a kiss on Elliot’s head, then, only after a moment of hesitation, he moved forward and cupped my cheek with his big hand, angling my head so that I was looking at him.

I didn’t push him away nor did I move away.

I didn’t even think I was breathing then.

He moved his thumb over my bottom lip, and I knew I should have pushed him away, but my hands stayed limply at my sides. Having him touch me like that felt too good, and I didn’t have the willpower to move away.

He leaned down slowly, as if giving me the chance to tell him no, to deny him.

I closed my eyes instead, and when Jace covered my lips with his, everything ceased to matter.

He kissed slowly, gently… softly.

I couldn’t get enough of him.

And I kissed him back.

I let him kiss me, and I kissed him back.

And when he pulled away, I kept my eyes closed and stayed where I was. Jace moved his hands to my wrist and pulled gently until I let go of the fabric of his shirt. I didn’t even realize I was holding onto it until then.

I let go and he moved my hands, but he didn’t let go.

He pressed another soft, swift kiss to my lips, as if he couldn’t help himself, and then he walked away.

By the time I opened my eyes, he was already out of the room. I laid back down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

Yep.

I was in trouble.

* * *

Elliot endedup staying home from school that day. And Jace never went to work.

It was a bit unnerving to know I was going to spend the whole day with Jace and Elliot. That, if I closed my eyes, I could almost pretend we were a little family, spending the day together. It sounded like the perfect fantasy.

In this fantasy, there was no Camila.

In this fantasy, Elliot wasn’t sad, Jace didn’t feel guilty, and I was free.

I was free from all the past heartbreak, from all these restrictions I told myself to place between Jace and me. I was free to explore my attraction to Jace wholly, to touch him whenever I wanted, to kiss him… love him.

In this fantasy, Jace was mine.

But he wasn’t mine, and neither was Elliot, and I would do well to remember that.

Though, admittedly, it had been fun to daydream.

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