Page 109 of Entangled

“The file will be there on Friday.”

I suck in a breath as trepidation flips my stomach. “Good.” I nod, more to convince myself than him. “That’s good.”

“So what’s the surprise?” He sets his guitar down on the steps beside us, picking up his wine to take a sip.

“You have to find it.”

“Find it?” He lifts his brows, eyes turning delighted at the game.

I lean back on the porch steps, giving him a teasing look. “Mhmm. If you can.”

“You know me, Blondie.” He flashes those dimples at me. “I love a challenge.”

He scoots down to the step below me and grabs my ankle, bringing it to his lap before trailing his finger slowly from the bottom of my leg to the sensitive skin behind the knee.

He turns his head to me. “Am I close?”

“No.” I smirk. “Higher.”

“Such a shame.” He flashes me a wicked grin and trails his finger up the inside of my thigh, pausing at the bottom of my shorts before moving higher to brush back and forth over my pussy with a featherlight touch. “Now?”

“Unfortunately, not.” My breath hitches as I speak. “Higher.”

He slides his hand underneath my shirt. “Under here?”

“Nope.” I laugh, taking a sip of my wine.

“Hmm.” His eyes narrow, sliding over my body before zeroing in on my right arm. He reaches out for my hand, looping our fingers and turning it over.

I watch his expression go slack as he sees the tattoo there.

“Oh, Ellie.” His voice comes out rough, eyes crinkling at the edges with feeling. “It’s…” He flicks his eyes to mine and I can see the hesitancy in them, the worry that he’s jumping to conclusions.

“You were right.” I give him a small smile. “That first time we chased the sun together. About not letting myself starve from fear of the pain. About taking a leap in order to feel the brilliance of the light again. I needed to hear that.” I nod down to the tattoo of the rising sun on my wrist. It’s a simple thing. Not fussy or overly done. Just a half circle with lines of varied lengths coming off it, cut off by a straight line at the bottom to represent the horizon. “And even if this all goes to shit too… you, this summer, the way you helped me to heal… Jace, it will always be infinitely precious to me. More than you know. You—” I clear my throat. “You brought my heart back to life again when I didn’t even want it at all. And I will always, always, love you for that. You will forever be the rising sun that I chase.” Giving his fingers a squeeze, I throw him a bratty look. “Although I have no intention of this going to shit as long as you can excuse my occasional self-sabotage.”

He laughs lightly and brings my wrist to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the sun there. “I love it.” He clears his throat, eyes meeting mine and brimming with tenderness. “Love you.” A flash of dimples. “Self-sabotaging tendencies and all.”

“Good to know.” I smirk, taking a sip of my wine and watching as he drops his eyes back to the tattoo.

“Maybe I should get one for you now.”

The wine catches in my throat at his words and I choke, coughing up my response. “Not necessary.”

His playful eyes rise to mine, expression amused. “Maybe some stars? Or a moon?”

I scrunch up my nose, stomach giving an uncomfortable twist. “Not stars.”

“Hmm,” he muses, running a thumb over the tattoo. “What about the sky? The keeper of it all.”

His words strike deep and it takes me a minute to muster a small smile and answer. “Maybe. Not sure how you’d do that though.”

“I’ll have to give it some thought.” He grins, grabbing his wine and taking a sip.

I cock my head at him, his response prodding me toward the conversation we’ve both been putting off.

“What’s your dream, Jace?”

“What do you mean?”

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