EVA
“WHAT DID YOU do?” Jace slid his coffee cup to the center of the table and leaned forward on his forearms.
“Nothing.” I shrugged nonchalantly, taking a sip of my drink, but I was sure the smirk I couldn’t contain was giving me away.
“Eva . . .” Jace’s voice raised slightly as he dragged out the end of my name, clearly knowing I was lying my ass off. “You forget I know that pretty little head just as well as my own. Whatever it is, it’s juicy, too. I can taste it.” He smacked his lips together and crossed one leg over the other, leaning forward to rest his chin in his palm. “Spill it or I’ll—”
“Hey, guys,” Jessie’s sweet voice cut over Jace’s. She seemed oblivious that we were in mid-convo as her mega-watt smile greeted us. She slid into the chair beside Jace, whose face pinched together as though he smelled something rancid.
“Oh, no, honey. What is all that?” He circled his fingers around Jessie’s head.
“All what?” She palmed the side of her hair, self-conscious.
“Being it’s still early, I’m going to pray for your sake that it’s I-was-fucked-all-night-hair.” He paused, leaning back to allow his gaze to rove over her. “And well.” He winked. “But that’s still no excuse for leaving the house like that. And sharing a table with me, no less. Get your ass over here and let me work some magic or I’m afraid you’ll have to vacate the premises.”
I giggled as Jessie hissed through clenched teeth. “Jace. You’re embarrassing me.”
Jace palmed his chest. “I’m embarrassing you? Honey, if that nest on your head isn’t embarrassing you, nothing will. Now, come on, scoot.” He swished his hands at her. She rolled her eyes but grabbed the edges of her chair and scooted it toward him.
Jace dug in, ripping and separating and twisting. “I mean, honestly,” he said under his breath. Then he turned his attention back to me. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, miss. You’re not off the hook. Spill. Apparently, I’ve got time.” He scowled at the back of Jessie’s head.
“Ouch!” She winced. “Be careful.”
“Take your punishment, bitch. Next time you’ll think twice before coming out in public looking like a hot mess.” Without switching his focus, Jace stopped just long enough to point at me. “Talk.”
I sat back and crossed my legs, studying my nails. “I’ve just decided to fight, that’s all.”
Jace waved his hand in a circle. “More specific, darling. You’ve been fighting for weeks. You already look like She-Ra.” He placed his fingers back inside Jessie’s curls.
“Not that kind of fight. And excuse me, but She-Ra was hot.” I crossed my legs with a smirk.
“I much prefer He-Man. And his sword. By the power of Grayskull.” Lifting a leg, he accentuated each word with fire-rolling thrusts of his hips.
I snorted. “I forget how quick you are.”
“Hey, I resent that. I am so not quick.”
“Sorry. You come back quick. Better?”
“Thank you.” Jace’s eyebrows rose with an innocent modesty. “But I’m sure there’s another pun in there somewhere. I do have a rep to protect, ya know. Now stop distracting me. I’ve had five shots of espresso already. I’m wired as fuck.”
“I can tell.” Jessie winced again.
“Hush it.” He pulled her hair and spoke around her head. “Anyway, I’m on my game, so stop beating around the bush. We all know you don’t have one.”
Jessie was mid-sip and spit her water out in a spraying-splash.
“Jace!” My eyes nearly popped out of my head.
“The longer you wait, the more I say. I live for this shit. I can go all day. And night.” He fingered the corner of his mouth with his ring finger and crossed his legs in the opposite direction. “There. You’re done.” He spun away from Jessie, who was pulling out a pocket mirror, and turned his full attention to me.
“So this fight . . . Who are we fighting? Is it a pussy—” He cleared his throat. “I mean, a cat-fight? Do I need Vaseline?”
I sobered. “I’m fighting for him, Jace.”
A spark flared in Jace’s honey-colored eyes. He tried to cover it up, but it was too late. I’d already seen it. “Fighting for who, honey? Drew? That boy’s always looking to fi—”
“For Blake. I’m fighting for Blake. I’m gonna do whatever it takes to prove I’m worthy of him.”
Sparks danced around in Jace’s eyes as he leaned forward. “Come again?”
“I said I’m fighting for Bla—”
“I heard that part,” he interrupted. “I want you to repeat the part that came after that.”
I repeated the words quietly as their meaning and the fact that I had said them so effortlessly floated together. “I said I’m going to do what it takes to prove to him that I’m worthy of him.”
“That.” Jace pointed. “That last part. Tell me those last four little words again.” He leaned in closer, cupping his ear.
“I’m worthy of him.” The strength of my voice grew.
Jace sucked in a sharp breath, but composed himself quickly, his hand still on his ear. “I’m sorry. I think I misheard you. What was that again?” he challenged.
Until that point, I don’t think I’d realized that I even felt that way. I was so used to looking at myself with filth that I hadn’t noticed the change until it flew out of my mouth.
Do I honestly believe that?
I thought I did. The awareness of that made my scalp prickle. I wasn’t sure I would ever be one hundred percent, but I knew I could be what he needed me to be. That I could show him more love and devotion than anyone else in this world.
“It’s hitting you, isn’t it?”
My thoughts were halted by Jace’s voice, and I focused my eyes back on him.
“Uh-huh.” Jace relaxed back in his chair and brought his hands together in a slow-clap before raising his palms to the sky. “A-men, praise Jesus, hallelujah. I never thought this day would come.”
“Me either,” I replied, half to myself and half to him.
“This calls for a celebration.” Jace stood, glancing around. “Where’s the alcohol when you need it?”
“Jace, it's ten-thirty a.m.”
He waved a dismissive hand. “You know my theory about that.”
“It’s five o’clock somewhere,” I mumbled, rolling my eyes.
“Yazzz, sugar. Now let’s go.” He tugged at my arm.
Jessie clicked her pocket-mirror closed then looked back and forth between us, tucking it into her bag. “You guys are really going drinking right now?”
Jace and I stated in unison.
“Yes.”
“No.”
He peaked an eyebrow. “Don’t challenge me. What’s the problem?”
“I can’t go anywhere today. I have plans.”
Jace flung an eyebrow at me. “What could be more important than the biggest breakthrough of your life?”
I sucked my lower lip between my teeth and looked up at him through lowered lashes, finally realizing with certainty since the moment we met he had always been the most important thing in my life.
“Winning him back.”