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What’s wrong?
Everything.
Nothing.
He pinches my chin, causing my gaze to turn until it meets his eyes. “Talk to me.”
I open my mouth, but I feel entirely ridiculous. What can I say? That I’m jealous? Insecure? Depressed at the thought of hiding us? Scared that he’s not ready for this—for us—because he’s always been known for casual hook ups and nothing more, while I have zero experience in comparison?
Instead, I say, “I thought Penny was bad, but I want to rip Millie’s perfect hair out by the roots.”
Jace barks out a laugh and presses his forehead to mine. “You’re cute when you’re jealous, but you know you have nothing to worry about, right? This is just temporary. We talked about this. There’s only one girl at this party who’s caught my eye, and she’s right here.”
His words are a salve to my open wounds. “You sure?”
“Positive,” he whispers, then tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. “You’re the only one I want.” He pulls back as if reading something on my face I’m not willing to say. “Does it bother you? All the stuff the guys were saying about me and . . . well, you know . . .?”
I’d be lying if I said it didn’t, and I don’t want to lie to Jace.
“I mean, maybe a little?” I cling to him, gripping the soft material of his shirt in the dark. “What if you decide I’m not what you want? Or that you’d rather go back to something casual?”
“Never gonna happen.”
I sigh, sinking into his arms as I tip my head and accept the warm press of his lips before he jerks away, his gaze darting somewhere in the distance.
My ears perk up, and I turn, searching for what drew his attention when I hear it.
“. . . a little weird Jace hasn’t hooked up with a single chick?” The sound of a Teagan’s voice drifts to us on the breeze, and I feel Jace stiffen.
A few yards off, I zero in on Graham, who’s reaching into the bed of Jace’s pickup with Teagan at his side. “What are you saying?” he asks, handing Teagan a case of beer.
Tegan grunts and takes it. “You don’t think . . . I mean . . .”
Even from here, I can see the widening of Graham’s eyes in the moonlight. “Oh, shit, dude. You think Jace is hooking up with Brynn?”
Teagan shrugs. “It’s crossed my mind.”
Graham runs a hand down his face. “No, dude. No way. He wouldn’t.”
“I don’t know. They were both acting kind of weird yesterday at the house.”
“Would he do that, though?”
Teagan snorts. “I wouldn’t think so. Then again, we both know how Jace is.”
I risk a glance at Jace to see how he’s taking this, and note the hard set of his jaw.
“Okay. But if he is, then what?” Graham prods.
A moment of silence stretches between them while my heart hammers against Jace’s chest.
“I don’t know, man,” Teagan says after some time. “If he is, he sure as shit doesn’t care about me and our friendship, I can tell you that much.”
“Do you think you could move past it?”
Teagan shakes his head and leans against the truck. “I don’t know.”
“Dude, that would be so messed up. Could you imagine? What the hell would we do? It’d be like having two divorced parents.” He chuckles. “Would you have to share custody?”
