Page 20 of Jace
It’s all wrong.
Gently, she protests, disbelieving my devotion to her. “Jace, my life is messy, and I know it makes no sense to anyone. I can’t ask a friend to understand my decision, and?—”
“But that’s what friends do, right? We don’t judge; we support. We don’t pull away; we get closer.” I point between us. “Becausewe’reclose, Viv. You feel this, too, right? We’re good…” I swallow the lump in my throat. “Friends…together?”
I just need to know this one truth; I don’t care if it’s a risk to ask for it. I need to be sure I’m not alone in this feeling.
This…
Love.
Does she feel it?
A smile breaks through her tears. Hope finds her crying eyes, searching mine. “Yes, Jace. We’re closefriends; I feel it too.”
She doesn’t need to say what I just heard.
How this is love.
How I’ll never give up on us.
CHAPTER SIX
VIVIAN
Six months ago
“Got it?”
“Yep, got it.” I strain, bursting a blood vessel somewhere in my body, I’m sure.
Jace huffs out, “Viv, I can carry this box by myself.”
“Nope, it’s my circus, my monkeys. I’m helping.” Awkwardly, we navigate the U-shaped switchback on the grand staircase, trying not to mar the pristine walls with my delivery. “It’s just so cumbersome.”
He jostles the long box. “Now that’s a dollar-sized word for my penny brain.”
I laugh. “Shut up, big guy. I know your secret; you’re all brawnandbrains.”
And a beastly beauty.
But I press my lips so tightly together, the obvious fact doesn’t escape.
I love it when Jace wears that fitted, midnight-blue suit with his unbuttoned, white shirt. It makes his sparkling lapis eyes reach out and wrap around my heart.
My heart that’s always happy when I’m with him.
He grins, walking backward but focused on me. “You know, myfriend, I’m so damn tempted to shout ‘Pivot!’ right now.”
My eye roll is epic. But it can’t erase my smile. Not when I’m with Jace. “Idon’tlook like her.”
“Whatever you say, Rachel.” He turns around, lifting his end of the box, resting it on his shoulder. “Guess that makes me Ross.”
“Guess you’re just going to carry this whole thing by yourself?” He’s lifted the box right out of my hands. I throw them up. “Jace, let me help you, please. It’s my stupid box anyway.”
“Nope.” He bounds effortlessly up the stairs. “Just tell me what’s in it.”
“Angel wings.” I follow him, trying really hard not to stare at his perfect ass. Clearly, I’m failing. “My client wants a catwalk-lingerie theme, so I ordered giant, white feathered angel wings.”
