Page 82 of The Run Back Home

But I don't.

Lenny sucks in a breath. "I know."

She doesn't move either.

And that's the problem.

Because I'm still here. She's still here. And none of what's between us really ever went away.

My heart hammers in my chest, so loudly it mirrors the bass through the wall. And before I know it, my hand's rising toward her, my thumb brushing against her lips like I didn't spend years trying to forget what they feel like.

"Jace…"

"This doesn't change anything," I warn.

She nods gently. "Okay."

I press my mouth to hers, kissing her with the force of moments lost and memories… memories nowhere near forgotten.

Lenny matches my urgency, eager for more as soon as I pull away. She opens for me the second I brush my tongue past the seam of her lips, and—

Holy shit.

It's as good as it used to be.

Better even.

I slide my hand into her hair as she throws hers around my neck. I suck her bottom lip, and she moans into me. Exactly like she used to.

With my hand wrapped around her lower back, I turn us both and press her up against the door. Dropping one hand above her head, we break apart for just an instant.

"This doesn't change anything," she repeats to herself, her eyes still closed as she fists my jacket and tugs me back to her.

My forehead meets hers before we melt together again, breathing into each other like we can finally let go.

Like we've been waiting for it.

And who are we kidding?

We both know this changes everything.

16

Lenny

My legs are shaking before I even step outside into the cold.

I tell myself it's due to the lack of sleep I got last night thanks to everything that went down at Luxe. But the real reason is that, if I'm right, Jace will be waiting for me on the other side of this park.

I never thought I'd say that—Jace, waiting for me. Would he happen to be somewhere I am? Maybe. That's just how things seem to go with us, but… waiting? Willingly?

I never thought I'd see the day.

Us kissing was another thing I never imagined. Well, that's not true—I've imagined it plenty. But his lips on mine, mine on his, our hands exploring the bodies we used to know like our own? Our breaths tangling into one the way our hearts used to beat?

I would have said that Slice had a better chance at becoming the next Dr. Dre.

So, when his friend JJ came darting through the door to the beer garden shirtless—which is apparently a gift compared to some of his other appearances—I thought maybe that was the end for… for whatever it was that was happening between us.