I tilt his chin up with my hand. “You weren’t a bad boyfriend.”
“Yeah, I was,” he says impatiently. “You were so nice to me all the time and all I did was push you away and treat you like shit.”
I take a step back and frown at him for a moment. “Did you lose your memory after the crash, or something?”
“What?”
“You know you were nice to me, like, all of the time, right?”
“I wasn’t—”
“Shh,” I interrupt, clamping a hand over his mouth. “I’m still talking. Like, remember Monaco last year, when I had that stupid flu?”
One corner of his mouth turns up slightly. “Yeah.”
“Well, do you remember how you stayed at my hotel and made me take Tylenol and drink a bunch of water and soup?”
He shrugs one shoulder. “I guess.”
“And do you remember when I lost the championship last year, and you stayed with me over Christmas?”
“You mean when you got me a really expensive present, and I didn’t even say thank you?”
“I remember you making that gross mint hot chocolate—”
“Peppermint.”
“—and making us breakfast, and falling asleep on my lap halfway through that weird cartoon.”
“It wasHow the Grinch Stole Christmas, and it’s a classic.”
I run my thumb over his jaw. “I could name a thousand things like that. And it wasn’t just that you did stuff for me.” I search for the right words. “It was the way you made me feel. I didn’t realize how lonely my life was until I met you.”
Jacob looks at his feet. “You had a great life.”
“Yeah, I did,” I agree. “But I didn’t have anyone to share it with.”I slide my hands down his neck and dig my fingers into the tight muscles of his shoulders. “Look, I’m not saying everything was perfect all the time. We both could’ve done things a bit differently. But I was really happy with you back then. And I’m really, really happy with you now.”
He looks up at me, his gray eyes serious. “I’m not going to mess things up again. I’m in this, a hundred percent.”
My lips curve up. “I know.” I kiss him gently, a soft brush of my lips against his. “Now can we please go and eat something? I didn’t eat all day, either. I feel like I’m going to die.”
“God, yes,” he agrees.
I shoot Heather a quick text on the way to the parking garage.On our way. Can you make sure no one’s hard on Jacob? He’s had a rough time.
My phone dings just as we pull into a parking spot near Matty and Erin’s.
[7:56] Heather:I got you, babe.
I smile at Jacob before we get out of the car. “It’s going to be fine, okay?”
He nods jerkily. It’s really sort of cute, how nervous he is.
True to her word, Heather is waiting for us at the door with a smile and two drinks.
“An old-fashioned, courtesy of yours truly,” she says, handing one to Jacob.
“Is that for me?” I ask, pointing to the second glass.
