Page 90 of The Way the Heart Breaks: Jade’s Story

“Having fun?” she asks.

I look around at everybody packed around the table. “Yeah. You?”

She smiles. “Definitely.”

“Good.”

I reach for a burger, and she reaches for one at the same time. I pull my hand back, “Ladies first.”

She shakes her head, but she's smiling. I steal a piece of corn off her plate.

She smacks my hand. “Tommy.”

“You and I share food, remember?”

“That's not a thing.”

“It is now.”

She rolls her eyes, but she doesn't stop smiling.

I love her smile. It warms something in me I don't know how to explain, and for a second, I just sit there watching her laugh with Tessa, listening to everyone around us talking over each other, and I can't believe we ended up here. Blue Valley.

Of all the places we could have gone, all the schools, all the teams, all the choices our parents made for us, but Coach somehow maneuvered us here. I wasn't looking for this. Hell, I didn't even know I needed it. But sitting at this table, with Jade across from me and Lucas beside me, with everybody yelling and laughing like this is the most normal thing in the world, it feels like maybe we were supposed to find this place.

Maybe that's what fate is.

Not some big fucking sign in the sky telling you where you're supposed to go. Maybe it's just a bunch of little things lining up when you aren't paying attention, until one day you look around and realize you're exactly where you're supposed to be.

And somehow, Jade is here too.

I glance at her again, and she catches me.

“What?”

I shake my head, smiling. “Nothing.”

She narrows her eyes like she knows I'm lying, but she lets it go.

I reach for the piece of corn she just put on her plate, and she smacks my hand. “Seriously?”

I laugh. “You started it.”

“I absolutely did not.” She laughs.

Around us, the table is loud as hell. Everybody is talking, laughing, eating, arguing about football. Somebody is already breaking down tomorrow's game like we're sitting in the locker room instead of around a picnic table.

I look at Jade.

She catches me staring.

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing.” She smiles softly.

“You're doing it again.”

“Doing what?” she asks.