Page 2 of Jace

Zac: NO!

I smile, because I can’t help myself. I don’t know why it was Zac I confided in. I don’t know why it’s him that has talked me off a ledge more times than I can count. But I thank God every day I have him. His friendship means the world to me. He’s the anchor that keeps me from drowning.

Zac: Your closet is clear, there are no monsters under your bed and the twelve locks on your door could keep out an army. GO TO SLEEP!

Me: Tried and failed.

Zac: Try harder!

My smile widens, as I picture him rolling his eyes, half asleep as he attempts to focus on the screen.

Me: Coffee and Danish in the morning?

Zac: How many times do I have to remind you? I don’t eat that shit. And I don’t go for coffee. I’m not one of your girlfriends.

Me: But you painted my toenails, so that classifies as girlfriend behavior.

Zac: That was one fucking time and I got more on your toes than the nail.

Me: So no Danish?

I laugh at the silence I am met with. I’m guilty of pushing his buttons, he makes it so easy. It’s so much fun to get him all riled up.

Zac: No coffee! No Danish! No fucking donut or whatever the hell else those places have. GO TO BED!

Me: I’m in bed.

Zac: Then fucking go to sleep!

I laugh as I consider messaging him again but instead get lost in scrolling through all my photos. Most are Piper. I can’t help but go a little crazy whenever I’m around her, which is often. Breanna and I are together a lot, which means I get hours of delicious baby time. And those cheeks, my God they are scrumptious.

You would think with the amount of photos I have of her on my phone she’s mine and not Bree and Dax’s. But in a way she is all of ours. She has so many aunts and uncles by default but she only has one Godmother. Me. So that makes me her favorite. But even on my worst day, Piper can always make things feel better.

As I scroll along, I pause, moving backward a couple photos and my chest feels a little tight while staring at the image on my screen.

Gorgeous green eyes, and a sly grin. A grin that no matter how hard I try not to allow it to, it affects me to my core every single time I see it.

Have you ever wanted something so much even though you know it’s bad for you? It’s the exact reason why I had let go of the idea of Jace and I ever being more than a couple friends that shared a few make-out sessions. He’s not built for commitment and I don’t have it in me to share.

With Jace it’s a constant roller coaster, one minute we are good and the next he’s running scared.

I should delete every picture I have of him, its torture each time I run across one. His smile, and mischievous gleam in his eyes, it’s there, it’s a constant, and it’s incredible. I hate how much I love it; I hate that my entire body warms at the sight of him.

A notification pops up on my screen covering half of Jace’s face and it pulls me out of my thoughts.

Zac: Are you asleep?

I pull open my chats and stare at the screen seeing bubbles pop up, disappear, and pop up again before another message finally follows.

Zac: I should take your silence as an answer but the longer you don’t reply the harder it is for me to not jump in my truck and head over to your place to check on you.

Smiling, I give him the reassurance he needs.

Me: Still awake, scrolling through old photos.

Zac: Don’t do that.

It’s scary how well he knows me.

---