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I turn my attention to him, and my brows furrow. "Me?"
He nods. "You were enough to make him want to quit. I kind of figured you would be."
"Why me?"
Chucking softly, he picks up the controller and turns on the video games. "Isn't it obvious? Christ, Paige. He's been in love with you since we were kids."
No. That's not possible. "Yeah, okay."
"I'm serious," he insists. "He didn't admit to it right away, but I always knew."
All his words are registering, but two stand out. "Right away? You mean he admitted that at one point?"
Instead of confirming it, he glances over at me and simply smiles—ending the topic right there where it stands and giving me no more than hope.
It's no secret that Jace has always been that person for me. In middle school, when he got his first girlfriend—a girl named Missy in our science class—I wondered why it wasn't me. I was there when he got his license, and then talked about how he was so excited that he would be able to take girls out on dates. It was always Jace, Carter, and me, and I always just assumed he saw me as one of the guys, but there wasn't a day that I didn't wish he would look at me differently.
It wasn't until senior
year that things changed.
Two Years Ago
Jace's house is packed with people from Haven Grace Prep. Of course, there are a few North Haven High kids who managed to sneak in, but for the most part it’s a pretty good group.
I'm sitting on the kitchen island, watching as Grayson does a body-shot off of Savannah's stomach. Meanwhile, Jace and Carter watch him with pure envy.
Savannah has always been that one girl. The queen B. The favorite. The one everyone either wants to be or wants to be with. For a while, I was jealous of her. I mean, she had it all, and she didn't even try, but then I learned she really didn't. Her home life was a shitshow until Grayson became some kind of hero and saved her from it all. Apparently they have been friends since they were little, and while he moved away for a bit and they had their issues, they got through them. Now, I've never seen her happier.
If there's one thing everyone knows, it's that both Jace and Carter have both been trying to be the object of Sav's affection since she came to school freshman year. But neither of them were successful, and now they have to watch her with Grayson.
A part of me feels bad for them, but then I realize that's how I've felt about Jace for years. Knowing he's getting at least a small dose of his own medicine is only fair, right?
"I swear that has to be the most action this kitchen has ever seen," I quip, seeing how sexual they make just a simple body-shot.
Jace is leaning next to me and chuckles against his cup. "Are you insinuating I haven't had sex in my kitchen?"
"Have you?"
He smirks for a second but then shakes his head. "Nah, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't."
I roll my eyes. "Of course you would."
"I would! I just haven't had any willing participants."
Mhm, sure. "You've had plenty. I'm pretty sure I could throw a rock in here and hit at least four of them."
Looking around, he purses his lips and shrugs. "Maybe they're just not the one I'm interested in."
"Oh? And who are you interested in?"
He turns and cages me in on the island in between his arms. His face is so close to mine that my breathing slows as I try to anticipate his next move, but I can't. At first I think he's going to kiss me, but instead, he moves to the side and brings his lips to my ear.
"Stick around after the party and maybe you'll find out." His tone is so sickeningly seductive, and damn near steals the air straight from my lungs.
As he backs away and goes over to Carter, Becca gives me a look from across the room. She's known about my thing for Jace for years, so all I can manage to do is flip her off. She laughs and goes back to paying attention to the guy she's talking to, but my mind is still locked on Jace.
The night when the party ended was probably the most nerve-wracking of my life. I knew that I didn't want to be another one of his one-and-dones. And I'd heard him talk to Carter; I knew he had a lot of them. But instead, we watched about half a movie before he even kissed me.
