Page 54 of Before You
“For what?” he asks.
“For listening,” I say, curling my fingers in the fabric of his shirt to rest my head against JJ’s solid chest.
~
I can’t believe JJ walked in shirtless earlier. Once I got over the initial shock, I wanted to laugh, especially after Tessa whistled—because honestly, same—but the look on Grayson and Dad’s faces easily helped me repress the urge.
For the first time since I cut my hair shorter, I regret it. I did it for a change, but I’m starting to wonder if I did it for the wrong reasons. Looking in the mirror, I twist my fingers through the ends, and it’s healthy, but I wish I’d waited.
“Second guessing it?”
I turn, jolted out of my daydream to see Tessa leaning against my doorframe.
The corners of her mouth pull up into a smile as her grey eyes crinkle. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, but I saw you pulling at your hair. I like it, but I’m sure it’s taking some getting used to.”
“No, you’re okay. I was just thinking about something.”
Tessa walks up behind me and rests her hands on my shoulders. It’s crazy how much Bria looks like her mother. “Like?”
“Our trip to France when we went to that tiny town in the mountains,” I admit, and confusion twists her striking face.
“Not that it wasn’t a great trip, but why are you thinking about it now?” she asks, pulling a dress the same green shade as JJ’s eyes off the bed and holding it up. “This is really cute. Are you going to wear that tonight?”
I shrug, taking a seat on the edge of my bed. “I’m not sure.”
“The dress or the trip?”
“Both? The trip just . . . I was reminded of it.”
Her eyes narrow in scrutiny, and I know I’m not making any sense. She one hundred percent knows something is up with me.
“We’ll have to go back. I love Italy with all my heart, but France is almost as beautiful—especially the countryside. I bet I could get another commission from the artist, and we can bring Bria with us.” Tessa smiles at me before carefully laying the dress flat on my comforter. She runs her fingers over the smooth material, giving me a reprieve from her watchful gaze. “Does this have something to do with the young man earlier?”
I look away to one of my favorite pieces of art hanging on my wall. I didn’t want to leave it in my room at home so I insisted it come here with me. It’s a painting of the night sky, and probably one of the least valuable pieces in my family’s collection, but it means the world to me because it reminds me of that night.
I’ve always loved the stars, but since then, they’ve held a special meaning.
No matter where I was in the world, I could look up and know JJ would be seeing the same stars. It was comforting when I had no idea where he was or how he was doing.
“Everything has to do with him,” I admit, my voice a whisper as I force the words out. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
She rests her hand on mine. “None of us do. Sweetie, I’ve made so many mistakes in my life. Some I wish I could take back and some I don’t regret, but all of it has led me to where we are now. That’s the beauty of life.”
“You’re right.”
“Obviously,” Tessa says, her quiet laughter lightening the air. “Do you feel better?”
“Kinda. I’m nervous about tonight. Do you think Dad will be nice to JJ?” I ask, and this time she snorts.
“Oh, hell no. He’s going to give him the third degree and rake him over the coals, but after the bullshit your last boyfriend pulled, I think it’s understandable.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I say, but I wish he was.
“Yet,” Tessa corrects. “He wouldn’t be subjecting himself to tonight if he didn’t have feelings for you.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
JJ
