Looking up from where he is shoveling food into his mouth, Jace nods. “Yeah, for sure.” I give him a look and he grins. “What? You look superhot today. I like your boobs.”
“Focus, Jace. Up here,” I say, pointing to my eyes, but his gaze is on the cleavage my shirt is providing him with. The V-neck cuts down way lower than I usually wear, giving him one hell of a view, but I loved it when I saw it at the campus boutique. While the front only shows boobs, the back has the emblem for the Bullies in pretty glitter.
Yes, I said glitter.
And yes, I’m wearing my boyfriend’s team’s shirt.
I’m now that girl.
“So if you weren’t sleeping with me, you would think I was good enough to query?” I ask, even though I doubt he’s listening. He’s looking at my boobs like he’s going to eat them the way he’s eating his sub.
Finally, he looks up, his eyes playful. “Yeah, Av, seriously. You’re amazing.”
Grinning, I wiggle my shoulders as I tighten the strings of my guitar. “Okay. I think I’m gonna do it.”
He nods. “Okay, let me know if you need help.”
I smile. “Thanks.”
“Because you know, I do some wicked backup vocals. Plus, I’ve got some mean-ass beats. I got you.”
I shudder in horror. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”
He grins and I smile back until I hear, “Hey, guys. Avery, you almost ready?”
I nod and don’t miss the way Jace glares at Todd, which only makes me smile more. “Almost, I’ll meet you back there.”
“Cool,” he says with a grin and then walks away without another word. I glance back at Jace, and he’s still glaring. His face kills me, and I still can’t believe that only two days ago I could have lost him. It was all my fault, I know that, but I shut down, unable to own up to the fact that I hid who my dad was. I’m just so used to doing i
t that I did it to the one person I care about. I still feel bad about it. Jace, though, all he cares about is moving forward.
“So is Todd going to be backup vocals?” he asks, emphasizing Todd’s name in a snide way.
“No,” I say simply, moving my fingers down my strings.
“Good. And you know, you’re lucky I’m confident and not jealous of you two singing together.”
I scoff. “You are jealous.”
He waves me off. “No proof of that.”
“Jace, you’re glaring at him like he stole your hockey stick and set it on fire.”
He rolls his eyes. “Please, he couldn’t get near my sticks, for one. And for two, I’m sure my look is more along the lines of ‘Don’t touch my woman.’”
I grin. “Fine, whatever. He means nothing.”
“Damn right, and you best believe he couldn’t make you scream or squirm the way I do,” he says, reaching under the table, his fingers dancing along the inside of my thighs. Unlike before, when I would tense up, now I only giggle and bat away his hand. It’s so great to be able to enjoy his touches and not freak out that he could find out about my scars because he already knows and accepts me. I kind of wish I would have told him sooner, that I would have let him in. I think I underestimated him, and I regret that.
Maybe if I hadn’t been so hung up on the fact that no one could love me, I could have enjoyed him the way I am now, sooner. Because now… God, I’m in bliss. Like pure, unadulterated harmony. The last couple days have been perfect and everything I’ve ever wanted. I always wanted that fairy-tale love, and I think I got it. He completes me, fills the holes and the dents inside me, and I couldn’t ask for someone to be so in tune with me.
He’s my song.
But yet, Friday night continues to weigh heavily on me.
I still can’t shake that I sort of lied to him. When he asked if there would be any more surprises, I said no, because I feel what happened with Caleb shouldn’t be a surprise. I feel like it shouldn’t ever come up, and I’m okay with that. I’m starting to let it go, or at least I hope I am. I need to. One of the things Dr. Glasscoy said was to banish the whole thing from my head and enjoy what is looking at me daily.
That’s Jace.