Page 21 of Beneath a Tennessee Sky

I push the thought away. I have him right now. He holds me against his chest, his fingers stroking idle patterns along my spine. His breathing evens out, slow and deep. I know he’s drifting to sleep.

I don’t sleep.

I lie there, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart, memorizing the weight of his arm around me, the way his breath tickles my hair. The tears come silently, slipping down my cheeks before I can stop them. I don’t wipe them away. I let them fall, soaking into his skin, hoping somehow he’ll feel them, that he’ll wake up and tell me he’s changed his mind.

But he doesn’t.

I know he’s already gone. I don’t want to sleep. I want to spend every minute I have with him memorizing every details because the truth is...I know I’m in love with him. It happened fast. But this is love. This isn’t the fake feelings I forced with Sam. These feelings developed through spending time with a man who is raw and real. He promises me nothing and asks for nothing. He is just this steady, strong, and supportive man in my life.

And now he’s going to be gone.

The hours pass, the darkness outside the window fading. The candles had flickered out a while ago. By the time the first streaks of sunlight come through the window, my eyes are dry. I ease out of his arms, careful not to wake him, and walk to the bathroom.

The mirror shows me the truth—puffy eyes, flushed cheeks, and evidence of his teeth still lingering on my skin. I splash cold water on my face, pressing my palms against my eyelids until the redness fades.

When I slip back into bed, Jack stirs, his arm reaching for me even in sleep. I curl into him, pressing my lips to his collarbone. He hums, still half-dreaming.

“Morning,” he mumbles, his voice thick.

“Morning,” I whisper back.

His eyes open. He smiles when he sees me. “Hey, you.”

I force a smile. “Hey.”

His hand slides up my side, his thumb brushing the curve of my hip. “Last morning,” he murmurs.

The words are like a knife.

I kiss him before he can say anything else, pouring everything I can’t say into it—stay, stay, stay. He responds instantly, his hands tightening on me, his mouth hot and hungry.

This time is different. Faster, more desperate, like we’re both trying to outrun the clock. When he moves inside me, I cling to him, my nails digging into his shoulders, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps. I don’t want it to end. I don’t want this to end.

But it does.

After, we lie tangled together, neither of us speaking. The silence is suffocating. There are so many things I know we should say. But words would only ruin the moment.

Jack kisses my forehead before rolling out of bed. “I should get ready,” he says, his voice too bright.

I nod, pulling the sheets tighter around me as he walks to the shower. The water turns on and I hear him humming before he starts singing. I finally let myself exhale. I sit up in bed, clutching the sheets to my chest. The sound of Jack’s voice fills the small house. Usually, I love listening to him singing in the shower. Today, it feels like a countdown. Every note is a step closer to him leaving.

I slide out of bed and get dressed. I leave my room and go out to make coffee. Max is angry—again. “I know, I know,” I murmur.

I unceremoniously dump food in his bowl. “I’m not in the mood,” I tell him. “Today is going to be a shit day and I don’t want to deal with your bullshit.”

When I hear the shower turn off, I quickly start making coffee. I don’t want him to see me like this—raw and unraveled. I force myself to take a deep breath, to smooth my face into something neutral.

Jack emerges from the bathroom, a towel slung low around his hips, his hair damp and messy. He grins when he sees me.

“Want coffee?” I ask.

“No, thanks. I need to get going. I told Aggie I would be by before Liz picks me up.”

I keep the tight smile in place. “Of course.”

He nods, like he believes me, and starts pulling on his clothes—a pair of jeans, a plain white t-shirt. He looks like he always does, but there’s something different about him today. He catches me watching him and pauses.

“What?”