“Same for me, and if I have my way,” he whispered against her mouth, “I'll be your last.” He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her and holding on like she might disappear if he let go. “That's all I want, Rach. You're all I want.”
They kissed again, deeper this time, and Jack poured everything he couldn't say into it. All the regret, all the longing, all the determination to never let her go again.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, he rested his forehead against hers. “I'm sorry,” he said quietly. “For all of it. For leaving, for hurting you, for being an idiot who didn't realize what he had until it was gone.”
“We're here now. That's what matters.”
Jack nodded, his chest still tight but lighter somehow. They were together now. Again. And he was going to spend every day proving that he deserved the chance she was giving him.
They continued to kiss, but Jack still wanted to take things slow. Glancing at the clock, he sighed. “I should probably head home,” he said reluctantly. “I need to talk to Carson.”
She nodded but didn't move from where she was tucked against his side. “I know.”
He stood and pulled her up with him, then walked to the door with his arm around her shoulders. He kissed her one more time on the threshold, slow and sweet and full of promise. “I'll call you tomorrow.”
Rachel smiled up at him, and Jack felt his heart turn over in his chest.
He drove home with the taste of her still on his lips, and the feeling of her in his arms burned into his memory. And for the first time in years, Jack felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.
24
Jack pulled into his parents' driveway and cut the engine. The house was lit up warm against the night, and through the front window, he could see his mom moving around in the kitchen. The sight made something settle in his chest.
He grabbed his gym bag from the back seat and headed inside. The smell of his mom’s cooking lingered in the air, making his stomach rumble despite the pasta he'd just eaten at Rachel's.
“Hey, Mom,” Jack called out as he stepped into the kitchen.
She looked up from wiping down the counters and smiled. “Hey, honey. How’s Rachel?”
“Good.” He grinned, then smiled wider as he spied his mother’s smile. He set his bag by the door and walked over to kiss her cheek. “We’re good, Mom.”
She nodded, her smile still in place.
“Where's Carson?”
“He's upstairs doing homework. Or at least he's supposed to be doing homework.” Carrie's smile was knowing. “Go on up. I’m sure he’d love to see you.”
Jack climbed the stairs to the second floor, the old wood creaking under his feet. Carson now had the room that Jack had lived in when he first moved into Colt’s house.
Jack knocked on the doorframe. “Hey, got a minute?”
Carson looked up from his desk, surprise flickering across his face. “Yeah, sure.”
Jack stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Carson's room was neat but lived-in, with posters of baseball players on the walls, a bookshelf crammed with textbooks and novels, and a backpack dumped in the corner. It reminded Jack of the way he’d decorated the room, back when life seemed simpler.
“What's up?” Carson asked, swiveling his chair to face Jack.
Jack sat on the edge of the bed, resting his forearms on his knees. He kept his posture relaxed, wanting Carson to be at ease. “Just wanted to check in. See how you're doing.”
Carson shrugged. “I'm fine.”
They sat in silence for a moment, and Jack could feel the quiet between them. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was definitely careful. Carson had always been quieter than Jack, more thoughtful, less quick to trust. But they’d always had a good relationship.
“You know,” Jack said, sitting straighter, “I've been thinking about when Colt first started dating Mom.”
Carson's eyebrows lifted slightly. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Jack smiled at the memory. “I thought it was the greatest thing in the world. I was, what, eleven? And suddenly, there was this guy who wanted to hang out with me, teach me things, and show up at my games. It felt like I'd won the lottery.”
