Page 44 of Kissing Chaos
“I’m not saying you have to, I’ll support whatever you want to do, but I will say from experience that seeing a therapist has made a difference for me.”
Jett sits up to reach for another bite of food, and Sadie takes that as her cue to jump onto the couch. She peppers both of us in wet kisses until Jett is a bundle of giggles and scratching Sadie’s ears.
“I’m sorry for avoiding you this week, especially when you were fighting such a heavy battle on your own.”
I open my mouth to dispute her apology, but she stops me with a squeeze of her hand.
“Things were moving faster than I had anticipated, and I panicked. But, Noah, I want to do this—whateverthisis—with you. I’m in.”
“Yeah?”
Before she can respond, the door opens and my little sister waltzes in. “Honey, I’m home!”
I cut my eyes back to Jett. “Continue this conversation later?”
She nods, but her eyes are on the purple-haired goober.
“Oops,” Oaks whispers. “Looks like I’m interrupting something.” As she glances between the two of us, I can literally see when the pieces click. She stares open mouthed at me. “Is this her? Elevator girl?”
Jett almost spews out the Dr. Pepper she’d just taken a sip of.
Palming my face, I groan. “Would you quit with the embarrassment, sis?”
The Cheshire Cat would be jealous of the grin on my sister’s face as she turns her attention back to my girl. “Hi! I’m Oakley. Noah hasn’t shut up about you.” Reaching her hand over the couch with unmatched enthusiasm, she shakes Jett’s much more tentative hand. Dropping her bag behind the couch, she sighs. “Whew, I think that’s the extent of my energy drink’s powers.”
Chuckling at Jett’s bemused expression, I officially introduce the two. “Oaks, Jett. Jett, Oakley Kate. This is my blabbermouth little sister.”
“Nice to meet you, Oakley.”
“Same, girl. It’s always a pleasure to meet anyone who can bring the sweet side out of this one.” Her gaze shifts up to the screen, and she hollers. “Go, baby, go!”
Realizing Silas just scored his second goal of the night, Jett looks to me in confusion.
“I thought you said they broke up?” Jett whispers to me.
“Yep. Still support each other, though. Like I told you, I don’t know what happened,” I whisper back. “While she’s distracted, though. Your pace, chaos. What you say, goes. I’m all in.”
“As long as you’re willing to practice patience with me.”
“Always.”
Oaks turns back to us. “Okay, love birds. Who wants ice cream?”
18
Jett
After staying up way too late getting to know Oakley, I slipped into Noah’s bed for the night. I’ve never slept as well as I do when his arms cage me against him. But when I wake up, the spot next to me is empty, even though the bedside clock says it is too early for Noah’s work alarm to go off.
Slipping off the bed, I grab my slipper socks from the nightstand and trudge through the loft. I pause where the hall leads into the kitchen when I hear Oakley and Noah speaking in hushed tones.
“Mom really wants to see you, No. And Trace has promised to be on his best behavior.”
Noah scoffs. “That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
“He’s trying.”
“I’m not comfortable going, Oaks. I’ll go for a visit once he and his girl are gone.”
