His eyes widen slightly as his brain plays catch up and he realizes what I’m talking about. “Have you been thinking about them the entire time?”
Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I give him a quick nod.
“Oh, Will,” he breathes, his lips tugging downward. “I think they’re going to be okay. The vet is going to do everything they can to make sure that the kittens get healthy, and then they will go to a good home.”
“You don’t know that, Jace.” I choke on the words, my voice barely audible as a few more tears fall. Jace catches them with his thumb.
“I will make sure of it,” he presses as his gaze fixes on mine, unwavering as he stares back at me. There’s a comforting warmth to the way his eyes burn through mine.
“Do you promise?”
“I do,” he says. “I promise.”
“And you’ll tell me if something happens to them?”
The space between his eyebrows crinkles. “You only want to know if something bad happens?”
“Yes,” I dip my chin, blinking back more tears. His hands linger on the sides of my face. “No news is good news. I wish I could give them a home, but you know my mom is allergic.”
“Okay.” His expression softens. His thumb slowly strokes my cheek, his touch burning my skin. “Whatever you need.”
My throat bobs as I swallow roughly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get so emotional over something like this.”
“No, don’t do that.” Jace’s eyebrows tug downward as he subtly shakes his head. I didn’t realize how close his face was to mine until this moment. He’s less than a foot away and I’m fixated on the swirls of green in his irises. “You have the biggest heart and I never want to hear you apologize for that.”
He slowly searches my eyes, and his lips part as a soft breath escapes him, fanning across my face. I can’t help myself as my attention falls directly to his mouth. My heart pounds inside my chest, knocking violently against my ribcage. His hands drift lower, thumbs grazing my jaw as his fingers dance along the sides of my neck.
“Willow…” he breathes, my name falling from his lips like the softest wish. Now it’s my turn to search his eyes. The inner corners of his eyebrows lower and he works the muscle in his jaw. His chest rises as he drags in a deep, conflicted breath.
Then, as if he experienced a static shock, he drops his hands from my face. He shifts his body away, sitting back in his seat as he clears his throat and drops his gaze down to his hands in his lap. “You should go inside.”
“Hey, Will.” His voice breaks through my thoughts, pulling me back to reality. “We’re done for the day.”
The grey cat on the desk comes back into focus. My throat constricts, and my heart thumps a little harder as a lightness floats through my chest. I look up to find Jace standing on the other side of the receptionist’s desk.
“You went back for them.”
His brow furrows. “What?”
“The kittens.” I pause, all of it finally clicking into place. “I never heard anything about them after that night, so I had assumed they survived and were adopted.”
Jace is silent for a moment, his expression softening as the corners of his mouth twitch. “They were.”
“Why did you go back for them?”
“Why do you think?” The faintest of smiles drifts across his lips. “I knew how worried you were about them, and after hearing about them both losing an eye and Dr. Grey having such limited vision, I couldn’t help but wonder whether or not someone would want to adopt a package deal like that.” He pauses to sigh. “I knew you weren’t able to give them a home at the time, no matter how much you wished you could.”
My lips part and a ragged breath escapes me as I’m momentarily overcome with emotion. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
A sheepish grin crosses his lips as he lifts his shoulders. “I figured you’d eventually figure it out.”
I snort. “And what if I didn’t?”
“Well, then I guess you never would have known.”
My eyes narrow, and the would-be tears turn to laughter, escaping me as giggles. “Jace Miller, that is just cruel.” Shaking my head, I raise my eyebrow at him. “Who hurt you?”
Jace chuckles, walking around the front of the desk as he scoops up Dr. Grey. “I’ll see you later, kid.” He disappears around the corner, heading back to his aunt’s office and leaving me in the front of the clinic.
