She was demanding answers I didn’t have. “I don’t know what came over me. Forget it ever happened,” I said, immediately regretting every word.
She looked up at me, stunned.
My heart begged me to say something—to do anything to fix this—but my mouth just kept fucking it all up.
“I’ve gotta get back to the ranch,” I said, opening the front door and slamming it shut behind me on any chance I ever had with Cassie Blake.
Chapter 13 – Jace
“Fuck, fuck, FUCK!” I yelled, slamming my palms against the steering wheel as the truck barreled down the road. How the hell did I manage to screw up everything I’d wanted for so long in just a matter of seconds? What the fuck was that? Just walk away, pretend it never happened? Yeah, real solid plan, Jace. That would definitely work.
In just a few days, I was supposed to stand at the altar with Cassie for one of the biggest days of my brother’s life. I’d taken her to watch football, driven her out to Crowley’s Ridge, and told her things about my past I hadn’t told another soul. It was all right there, right in my hands. And I didn’t just let it slip away—I stomped on it, crushed it, and tossed it into the flames.
How the hell was I supposed to fix this? Truth was, I didn’t know if I even could.
I snatched my phone from the console and dialed the one person I knew could help me make sense of the chaos in my head.
She picked up on the second ring. “Hey, Jace. Whatcha need?”
“Are you free right now? It’s an emergency,” I said, desperate for even ten minutes of her time.
“I’ve got another client in about thirty minutes. How fast can you get here?”
“Five,” I muttered, already turning the wheel hard. I hung up before she could say another word.
“So… it sounds to me like you had a really good time with someone you care about, and then froze because you were terrified of the repercussions,” Elizabeth said, watching me closely. She was right—she was always right.
I dropped my head and dug my fingers through my hair as a frustrated sigh tore out of me.
“What exactly are you afraid of?” she pressed.
That one was easy.
“I’m scared of losing Cassie. I’m scared of pissing off Ellie for hurting Cassie, which will just make my brother furious with me too. Once again, my screw-ups put everyone else at risk of getting hurt,” I admitted, my chest tightening.
“Does Cassie feel the same way about you that you feel about her?” she asked gently.
I shook my head. “We didn’t get that far, but I know there’s something there. She’s never said it outright, but you can’t fake that kind of connection. The worst part is that she probably thinks my intention was to get her into bed all along—but that wasn’t it. I just wanted her to let go, for one night. To forget all the shit weighing her down, because I know exactly how it feels to be swallowed by it and not even realize it.”
Elizabeth stayed quiet, eyes on me, waiting—but I had nothing left to say.
Finally, she leaned forward. “Let me ask you this, Jace. You’re scared because you know everything could go wrong—and you’re right, it could. But what if it doesn’t? What if it all goes right?” She paused, letting the words sink in. “You’ll never know unless you take the risk. Your past doesn’t define you anymore. You’ve put in the work, and you’re ready to share the new version of yourself with someone. But you’ve got to stop being so damn scared of opening up.”
Her gaze stayed locked on me, like she was daring me or something. No one could put me in my place like Elizabeth.
“But how do I fix the damage I’ve already done?” I asked quietly.
“First, you say you’re sorry. Then you give her time. Keep showing her you’ve changed, and don’t give up when it feels like nothing’s going right.”
“Easier said than done,” I groaned as someone knocked on the door, my cue that my time here was over.
Chapter 14 – Cassie
“What I’m about to tell you guys is top secret. You cannot tell anyone, capisce?” I said, giving Ellie and Molly the most serious face I could come up with.
They looked at me with concern.
I took another long sip of my margarita, downing more liquid courage. What was girls' night without a strong margarita? I needed one now more than I ever had before.
