AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The growl that rumbles through Jay’s chest is hard to miss. I press my hand to his cheek and massage away the scowl but keep my attention on Sophie. “Yeah, that works. Thanks.”
“And what are the plans for her birthday this weekend?”
Sucking in a breath, I glare at my best friend, but she looks on innocently while Jay’s piercing eyes burn a hole in my face.
“It’s her birthday this weekend?” His voice is all gravel. “Fuck,” he mutters under his breath and takes a step back. “I don’t even know when my own daughter was born.”
“September fifteenth,” I whisper. “She was overdue.”
“I’ll just—” Soph points to the hall and then disappears.
Jay slumps into the chair, still holding the boxes in his lap. He’s wearing the saddest frown I’ve ever seen and looks so lost. “I’ve missed so much.”
Biting the inside of my cheek, I give him a minute to come to terms with it all.
He clears his throat. “Can I—” But he doesn’t finish the sentence.
“Can you what?”
“Can I celebrate with you?”
Warmth spreads in my belly, and I smile. “Yeah, I think she’ll like that.”
Jay nods, but his eyes flit back and forth like his mind is working overtime. Pushing my chair back, I stand and round my desk. I take the boxes from him and place them down, then settle on his lap. His heartbroken expression makes my heart pinch. Running my hands against his clean-shaven face, I smooth away the tension in his jaw.
“What did Sophie mean when she asked about your date tonight?”
“Your plan,” I chide.
Dropping his forehead to mine, he closes his eyes. “Fuck,” he mutters.
I flatten my palms against his cheeks and pull his head back so I can kiss him softly. “It’sfake.”
“Doesn’t make it any easier,” he grumbles. “But the sooner we get it over with, the quicker I can have breakfast in the kitchen with my family every morning instead of having to bring it to the office, right?” He eyes me hopefully.
Family. Squeezing my eyes shut, I make a wish that this will last forever. The way he looks at me. Our easy banter. His openness. The joy I feel now that I have the two most important people back in my life. “Right.”
Once his expression relaxes, I settle in the seat beside him and dig into my waffle.
“Did Chloe say anything about the song this morning?” Jay’s voice is soft, unsure.
“It was perfect.”
“Had a chance to listen to yours yet?”
“You sent me a song?” My heart skitters at the thought.
His forehead creases, and he mutters something unintelligible under his breath. “Is your iPod there?” he asks, nodding to my desk.
“Left it at home.”
With a humph, he slides his phone from his pocket and unlocks the screen. After a moment, he settles it between us as Coldplay’s “Clocks” plays quietly.
I watch him and he watches me. Neither of us speaks, but we say so much. Music. Jay gives me music. And in this moment, I realize that I’ve been living in silence for years.
He sings along softly, the gravel in his voice stealing another piece of my heart. As much as I want to close my eyes and feel everything, I’m mesmerized by the way his lips move. With nothing but honesty in his expression, he sings about how nothing compares to us, and he tells me I’m his home. Confesses that he wants to come home.
The song ends, but our song continues. The music still plays vividly between us.
