a living,” I said, feeling more hurt than I’d thought possible.
“And I think you should go.” I turned away from him, not wanting
him to see the tears that pooled in my eyes, threatening to
overflow any moment.
Jace’s arms looped around my waist as he spun me to
face him. “I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
“ Then what did you mean? Because
that seemed pretty straight forward. You don’t trust me enough to
tell me a single thing about your family.”
“ I wish I could explain it all to
you. I really do, Tessa, but I can’t. Not right now. And it’s killing me that I can’t; please don’t think it’s not.” His
voice cracked with emotion and I finally felt my tears spill over.
Jace’s hand cupped my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. “I
never wanted to make you cry.”
His lips brushed across my forehead and I closed my
eyes. Jace released me and I heard his retreating footsteps echo
through the silent diner. I didn’t open my eyes, because I knew
when I did, Jace would be gone and I’d take notice to how many sets
of eyes were on me. A tiny piece of my heart broke and I struggled
to catch my breath as I stood there, motionless.
CHAPTER TEN
Twenty minutes later, Rachel let me leave early and
I sulked out to my car more heartbroken than ever before. Sam hated
me. He thought I was some lying cheater, which in actuality, I sort
of was. And Jace couldn’t trust me enough to tell me any details
about his family or what he was doing the last few days.
When had my life spun so out of control?
Something tucked beneath my windshield wiper caught
my attention. I reached out and plucked a single yellow rose from
beneath it. A note was wrapped tightly around its long stem. I
carefully unrolled it while searching around, looking for whomever
could have placed it there. Opening my car door for more light, I
read it.
I promise you, Tessa, one day soon I’ll be able to
explain everything to you. I’m sorry for the tears I caused… please
don’t stay angry with me for long.
- Jace
My lips twisted into a small smile. He’d remembered
my favorite flower. I read his note once more while inhaling the
sweet scent that wafted off the rose, knowing there was no way I
could stay mad at him for long... especially not with an apology
like that.
* * *
Days passed without me seeing Jace again, but every
night I worked, I found another rose attached to my windshield. On
the nights I didn’t work, I’d find one the next afternoon, once
school had let out, beneath my windshield wiper blade. None of them
ever had a note besides the first, but I didn’t need one to know
who’d left them.
* * *
It was Friday night, exactly one week since my soap
opera moment in the diner. I sat curled up at the end of our couch,
watching some stupid sci-fi movie with my parents. It was only 7:45
and I was already nodding off. A knock at the door snapped me awake
and I jumped up to answer it.
“ I’ll get it,” I said.
When I opened the door, my jaw dropped. Jace stood
in front of me dressed in light colored jeans, a white T-shirt, and
a tan corduroy jacket. He was holding two more yellow roses.
“ Hi,” I muttered,
shocked.
“ Hey.” He smiled. “I hope it’s okay
I stopped by unannounced.”
“ It’s fine.” I smiled nervously,
suddenly feeling insecure about the over-sized T-shirt and baggy
sweatpants I was wearing. “How did you know where I lived, though?
Are you stalking me or something?” I asked jokingly, attempting to
hide my embarrassment.
“ Nah, I’m not the stalking type.”
He chuckled. “I asked Rachel and she told me.”
I nodded, making a mental note to growl at her for
not sending me a text letting me know he’d be coming over.
“Oh.”
“ I wanted to give you these,” he
said, handing me the two roses he’d been holding. “One for all the
tears I made you shed and one asking for your
forgiveness.”
I gaped at him, not sure how to respond. No one had
ever gone
“And I think you should go.” I turned away from him, not wanting
him to see the tears that pooled in my eyes, threatening to
overflow any moment.
Jace’s arms looped around my waist as he spun me to
face him. “I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
“ Then what did you mean? Because
that seemed pretty straight forward. You don’t trust me enough to
tell me a single thing about your family.”
“ I wish I could explain it all to
you. I really do, Tessa, but I can’t. Not right now. And it’s killing me that I can’t; please don’t think it’s not.” His
voice cracked with emotion and I finally felt my tears spill over.
Jace’s hand cupped my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. “I
never wanted to make you cry.”
His lips brushed across my forehead and I closed my
eyes. Jace released me and I heard his retreating footsteps echo
through the silent diner. I didn’t open my eyes, because I knew
when I did, Jace would be gone and I’d take notice to how many sets
of eyes were on me. A tiny piece of my heart broke and I struggled
to catch my breath as I stood there, motionless.
CHAPTER TEN
Twenty minutes later, Rachel let me leave early and
I sulked out to my car more heartbroken than ever before. Sam hated
me. He thought I was some lying cheater, which in actuality, I sort
of was. And Jace couldn’t trust me enough to tell me any details
about his family or what he was doing the last few days.
When had my life spun so out of control?
Something tucked beneath my windshield wiper caught
my attention. I reached out and plucked a single yellow rose from
beneath it. A note was wrapped tightly around its long stem. I
carefully unrolled it while searching around, looking for whomever
could have placed it there. Opening my car door for more light, I
read it.
I promise you, Tessa, one day soon I’ll be able to
explain everything to you. I’m sorry for the tears I caused… please
don’t stay angry with me for long.
- Jace
My lips twisted into a small smile. He’d remembered
my favorite flower. I read his note once more while inhaling the
sweet scent that wafted off the rose, knowing there was no way I
could stay mad at him for long... especially not with an apology
like that.
* * *
Days passed without me seeing Jace again, but every
night I worked, I found another rose attached to my windshield. On
the nights I didn’t work, I’d find one the next afternoon, once
school had let out, beneath my windshield wiper blade. None of them
ever had a note besides the first, but I didn’t need one to know
who’d left them.
* * *
It was Friday night, exactly one week since my soap
opera moment in the diner. I sat curled up at the end of our couch,
watching some stupid sci-fi movie with my parents. It was only 7:45
and I was already nodding off. A knock at the door snapped me awake
and I jumped up to answer it.
“ I’ll get it,” I said.
When I opened the door, my jaw dropped. Jace stood
in front of me dressed in light colored jeans, a white T-shirt, and
a tan corduroy jacket. He was holding two more yellow roses.
“ Hi,” I muttered,
shocked.
“ Hey.” He smiled. “I hope it’s okay
I stopped by unannounced.”
“ It’s fine.” I smiled nervously,
suddenly feeling insecure about the over-sized T-shirt and baggy
sweatpants I was wearing. “How did you know where I lived, though?
Are you stalking me or something?” I asked jokingly, attempting to
hide my embarrassment.
“ Nah, I’m not the stalking type.”
He chuckled. “I asked Rachel and she told me.”
I nodded, making a mental note to growl at her for
not sending me a text letting me know he’d be coming over.
“Oh.”
“ I wanted to give you these,” he
said, handing me the two roses he’d been holding. “One for all the
tears I made you shed and one asking for your
forgiveness.”
I gaped at him, not sure how to respond. No one had
ever gone
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