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I shake my head. "You go. I'm kind of tired, to be honest."
"Okay."
Thankfully, he thinks nothing of it, and with a quick kiss to my forehead, which is so not a friends-with-benefits thing to do, by the way, he heads off into his shower.
A FEW DAYS PASS, and I finally tell Jace that I can't spend the day with him. It's not that I don't want to. It's just that I feel like I haven't spent nearly enough time at home, and that’s the whole reason I moved back in the first place.
Sure, Jace and I have spent time with my dad, together, but that's just him. I haven't been around to help my mom with anything, and I swore I wouldn't leave this all to her.
I walk into the kitchen to see her doing the dishes. Without a second thought, I pick up a towel and start to dry the ones she's hand washing that wouldn't fit in the dishwasher. She smiles warmly at me and passes the next one over.
"What have you been up to?" she asks.
I shrug. "Just hanging out with Jace. He's been going through some stuff."
Concern crosses her face. "He was going through stuff a little over a month ago, too. Is everything all right?"
"I hope so," I tell her honestly. "But I don't know. I think it goes a lot deeper than what I know, and I'm not sure I'm strong enough to help him beat it."
She stops what she's doing and turns to face me. "Paige, you are one of the strongest people I've ever known, and I've known a lot of people."
"I know, but—"
"No buts. Use your judgment. If something is too much for you, you're smart enough to walk away from it, but if you want to help him, you'll find a way. You always do."
I drop my head and continue drying a spot that is long past dry. "But I should be here, being strong and helping you."
My mom shakes her head and grabs the dish out of my hands before pulling me in for a hug. "If anything, you're helping me by living your life. I know you're here if I need you. Don't worry about that."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
THE WEEK PASSES IN the blink of an eye. After going through this week, I'm more than happy to spend a night of drinking and hanging out with friends at Zayn's house. Amelia and I have actually managed to get pretty close, and even Charlotte has been getting along with her. Charlotte's friends, on the other hand, check out Zayn too much for Amelia's liking.
"Whatever, Easton," his girlfriend Kennedy snaps. "You know, one of these days, I'm going to get really tired of coming in second place to your fucking ex all the time."
She gives Amelia a sorrowful smile before grabbing her coat and leaving. Meanwhile, Easton groans and grabs a beer before heading toward the back deck. I look over at Zayn, who can only seem to shake his head.
"What the hell was that about?" I question.
Zayn sighs. "Let's just say Easton never really got over a certain brunette."
My brows furrow as I try to figure out what he's talking about, until it clicks. "Oh my God. You're not referring to Tessa Callahan, are you?"
"You know her?" Amelia asks.
I nod. "We went to high school together. I mean, we weren't exactly friends, but I heard she's practically engaged to some quarterback now."
"She is," Zayn answers. "But her and Easton have a lot of history, and while he seemed to move on with Kennedy, I don't think he ever fully let go of her."
Amelia crosses her arms over her chest. "Well, he's being an idiot. I mean, I love Tess as much as the rest of you, but Kennedy deserves better."
No one tries to tell her she's wrong, because she's not. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to always feel like you're not good enough, and that they miss what they had more than they enjoy having you.
A LITTLE WHILE LATER, Jace comes up and wraps his arms around me from behind. I smile brightly and tilt my head to the side to give him some space. He hums against me and brings his lips to my ear.
"I want you," he whispers.
