Page 28 of Rush

She goes quiet and then I hear one bang on the other end of the phone line, the sound echoing as if she set down a dish with too much force. “I’m not going to argue this with you. What is this anyway? Why all of the sudden is Jameson’s name being brought into everything? Is he back in your life?”

Taking a deep breath, I confess, “He never truly walked out of my life, Mom. Jameson has been a rock the entire time. But yes, we are talking more. I want him to be part of our life.”

She scoffs and the sound hurts me more than it should. “That boy is nothing but trouble, Sam. He’s going to destroy your dreams and probably leave you with another baby in the process.”

Internally I flinch, because part of me truly believes she thinks that. I’m also angry, knowing she’s projecting a lot of her circumstances with Allie’s father onto me, and it's unfair.

“Jameson is a good man, Mom. He’s the best father to Dylan and she loves him. He doesn’t deserve your animosity and neither do I. I have to go.”

I hung up the phone with my mom before she could say anything else, but that didn’t stop the barrage of text messages I continued to get that day and the rest of the week. They got to the point that they were almost emotionally abusive, which is when I showed them to Emma and Riley while breaking down crying. Isla stepped in and put a temporary block on my mom’s texts to my phone. We don’t talk about how she could do that, but I am thankful she or someone she knows has the ability to help.

“I just never thought she would hurt me that way. I can’t believe she said something to Jameson. And knowing him, there’s probably more, he just won’t say it.”

Riley rubs my shoulder. “Maybe now that you guys are starting fresh, and you’re in a different place with things, he’ll feel more comfortable sharing. If not, make him talk about it, Sam. You both deserve this second chance.”

I don’t even get a chance to respond because Emma jumps from the bed and shows me the time on her phone. “You only have ten minutes to finish getting ready!”

In a flurry of activity, I manage to get dressed, and Emma finishes curling my hair. I let Dylan “help” put the finishing touches on my lip gloss right as there's a knock on my door. Dylan goes flying out of my room, Riley hot on her heels, while screaming with excitement about seeing her daddy. Right before I leave my bedroom, Emma and Isla hug me, both giving their support. My nerves die down until I step into the living room and my eyes connect with the dark, chocolatey brown ones I’m used to. His gaze roams over my body from the tips of my boots to the top of my head.

“You look beautiful, Sammy,” he says, not caring the least that my friends are watching him with wide eyes and smiles that take up their whole faces. My cheeks pinken and I dip my head in thanks.

“You don’t look too bad yourself, Kane,” I tease him lightly. In all honesty, he looks hotter than ever in a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of distressed jeans that hug his thighs and black motorcycle boots. My brows rise a little, I’m so used to seeing him in hoodies and Jordans. The last time he was dressed up in front of me was prom. Once again, my eyes dip down to his neck, searching for my tattoo before coming back to his gaze.

Jameson smirks, knowing I’m checking him out. Sparing me any humiliation, he steps forward and hands a small bouquet of flowers to Dylan. “Flowers for my best girls.”

She giggles looking up at her daddy, and he carries her over to me before handing me my own bouquet. “Thank you,” I tell him, suddenly feeling shy.

Jameson turns to my three friends who are staring, watching with hopeful, heart-filled eyes, and just a hint of calculation. The latter coming only from Isla. “Ladies, thanks for taking care of Dyl tonight.” He hands them a medium-sized white box from a bakery. I watch as Riley opens it and squeals in delight.

“CHEESECAKE!”

We all laugh and the girls quickly round up Dylan after Jameson and I kiss her goodnight. Right as we’re slipping out the door, I hear Emma tell them they can have one piece before dinner but that's it. I’m smiling when we get to the elevator, and Jameson takes my hand.

“I love when you smile.”

I duck my head but don’t get a second of reprieve before his fingers land on my chin, angling my head up to meet his gaze. “I mean it, Sammy. No one-liners, no lies, no games. I’ve waited too long to take you out. To be alone with you. I love seeing you happy.”

My heart swells in my chest. I wonder what he would think if he knew that he’s one of the only people who make me happy all the time. I’ve wanted Jameson since I was sixteen. He’s been my person for longer than that.

“You make me happy,” I confess with a small shrug of my shoulders, like I just admitted the biggest secret in my heart. His eyes close, and when he opens them, an easy smile tugs at his lips. The elevator door dings and we step in.

“Making you happy is all I’ve ever wanted.”

jameson

. . .

I don’t have to guess that Sam is nervous about our date tonight. It shows in the way her hand trembles in mine and how her gaze moves around the streets outside the moving vehicle. I also know because I have been watching her closely since I asked her out on Wednesday after our amazing family outing to see the ice sculptures. Sam has started to open up about the past, toeing the line around us and bringing up the things she’s kept buried for far too long. Which is why I watched her obsessively, reading her body language, trying to gauge her thoughts. I heard her conversation with her mom, and as much as I had wanted to go to her right then, I knew I couldn’t. I can’t explain to her how I knew the details of a very private conversation. Instead, I watched as she cried and fell apart in her kitchen so that our daughter wouldn’t see her.

Tonight is about more than just taking Sam out to show her we’re more than co-parents. It's about showing her that I never stopped loving her and making her comfortable again. I want to be her safe space. I know we have things to work through and more difficult conversations, but there is no way I’ll ever give up on her.

Twenty minutes later, I pull into the parking lot at Luna Rosa. A small but extremely popular Italian restaurant. I know that Sam has been curious about it but never gone. When we walk in the doors, her eyes widen and spark with intrigue right away. The place is decked out in candle sconces, pink and white roses and portraits of the Italian countryside. The tables are mostly made for two. It's intimate, cozy, and I can tell my girl adores it the second she sits down.

“This place is beautiful,” she murmurs, scanning our surroundings. It's on the tip of my tongue to tell her she’s beautiful, but we aren’t the only table here tonight. I’ve already stared down two men and a male server for looking at her as we made our way to the table. I don’t need to put it in their heads about her beauty as much as I need to prove she’s mine. My hand reaches for her across the table, and she lets me hold it. My long fingers gently run over her delicate soft ones until I see goosebumps break out on her skin. My lips tick up in a smile, loving how I can affect her so much with barely a touch.

“I heard the food is good. Seemed like a good place to start the night.”

Her brow rises, and she pushes her golden curls off her shoulders with her free hand. “The start of the night, huh?”