2
Hana
The wine warmed my chest as I leaned against the kitchen island, the glass cool in my fingers. Snow drifted outside, swirling under the cabin lights.
Jack was in the living room, tossing another log on the fire. His voice drifted over to me right after I heard my phone ping with a text.
“Jackie just texted you. They should be here in about ten minutes,” he said, that smooth English accent making even a weather update sound charming.
I smiled, already feeling the buzz of anticipation building inside me.
“You look quite happy, sweetheart,” he said when he came up behind me, his arms wrapping around my body.
“Iamexcited,” I admitted, trying to hide my grin, though I wasn’t sure why.
Jack nuzzled my neck, slow and teasing. He knew exactly how to ignite the heat between my legs.
“You’ve got that schoolgirl crush energy,” he whispered. “Especially when it comes to her.”
I scoffed, laughing it off. “Shut up. She’s my best friend. I’ve just missed her.”
He chuckled. “Mmhm. You have always had some sort ofthingwith her.”
I rolled my eyes. “I have not. I just…of course she’s beautiful. But we’ve been through a lot together. We’ll always have that strong connection.”
Jack kissed the side of my neck, his voice dropping. “Honestly, I wouldn’t mind watching.”
I caught the little edge in his tone—the teasing, but also something more. Jack loved to watch, to share. It had been part of what turned him on, something we discovered the night he was practically forced to share me, back when Michael…
I stopped myself. I didn’t want to think about him.
Jack and I had our wild nights, but always with other guys. He had always been curious, open about exploring that side of himself, and I liked being part of it—watching, but especially joining in.
But it never happened with a woman.
He never brought it up. Neither had I. The idea occurred to me, but I think both of us just assumed I wasn’t interested in women.
Jack had been on tour all fall. His band was doing great—not stadiums, but sold-out tours, covers of magazines, talk shows, podcasts and interviews with big names.
Tour life was usually the five of us: Jack, Jenny, Emily, Adam, and me. Jenny was our amazing four year-old who was too smart for her own good. Emily was my cousin and best friend, and she was with Adam—Jack’s bandmate and best friend. Between Jenny’s wild energy and Emily’s even wilder mouth, things stayed loud, messy, chaotic, and full of love.
Emily’s energy was exactly what Jenny needed to keep her entertained while we disappeared into the snow for a few days. I texted Emily that morning, reminding her to not let Jenny sneak snacks before dinner. She texted me hours later with Jenny’s face covered in chocolate with a plate full of untouched dinner in front of her.
Jack took my hand as he smiled, his dimples deepening. Even after years together, he still made my heart flutter.
“Jenny’s gonna have some good stories when we get back,” he had said.
I smiled with a shake of my head. “Yeah, all riddled with words likefuckandshitandgoddamnit.”
He laughed softly. “You think she doesn’t already know those words? She goes on tour with a fucking rock band—”
I was pulled back to the present when suddenly, headlights swept over the snow outside.
“They’re here!” I said, unable to hide the excitement in my voice.
I made my way to the front door, my heart thudding quickly. Through the window, I could see the two of them emerging from the SUV—Jackie laughing at something Elliott said, snow catching in her hair, her cheeks already pink from the cold.
I opened the door, and the cold air immediately hit me. But my attention was all on them.
