“I work at a hospital, sweetheart. I see things that aren’t pretty.” He runs a hand through thick black hair that looks even more perfect when it’s messy, then drops a heavy arm over my shoulders.
“Oh. I’m sorry, Jacey. You wanna talk about it?” I offer, knowing I’m not his first choice.
“Nah, I’m fine. Just tired.”
“Why didn’t you send Sam so you can rest?” I press.
“Because I’ll rest easier once I see for myself that everyone’s home and safe.”
“You’re almost tolerable sometimes, you know that?” I say with a half hug as I unlock the door.
Jace warily squeezes my shoulder and pats my back. “Shhhh. No one needs to know.”
He trots up the stairs and looks around Annie’s room and bathroom, then comes back to make sure the sliding glass doors are locked and my bathroom and bedroom are all clear. His safety protocol seems like overkill, but if it makes him feel better, it’s fine with me.
“Was your room this clean when you left, Spice Cake?”
I peek around him with my phone in my hand, already texting Jude to let him know we’re both home. “Oh, wow. It wasn’tthisclean.”
He smirks, shaking his head.
There’s not a wrinkle to be found on my perfectly made bed, and every throw pillow is neatly arranged. My shoes are all back in the closet, and the tangled ball of twinkle lights is missing from my floor. A plastic tote of books next to my desk was replaced by a small three-shelf bookcase. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s the perfect size for my small room, and it looks so much better. Jude isn’t obsessively neat, but he has his moments, and those moments are a lot more frequent than mine.
Jace picks up a small remote off my dresser and presses a button illuminating my room, now bordered in hundreds of tiny sparkling soft white lights.
“Did you do this?” I gasp out the question, but I know who did it. My gut instinct is confirmed when Jace rolls his eyes.
His eyes narrow to a glare, shaking his head. “I swear, if you aren’t good to him…”
“I will be,” I promise timidly.
“I know.” Jace pats my head. “Same goes for him.” He swipes a guitar pick from my dresser and lifts my guitar from its stand. “Are you okay by yourself, or do you want Sam to stay here? Or you can have Danny’s room since you’re comfortable there.” A flash of mischief sparks in his blue eyes. “But I’d suggest not leaving flaming-red checkered shoes in the hallway if you’re trying to stay incognito.”
I press my lips together and try not to laugh.Busted.
“Sothat’swhy you’ve been such a butt. It’s been nearly two months, Jace! Why didn’t you just ask why I was in his room all night? You ask me inappropriate questions all the time. Why stop now?”
“Seemed like a straightforward observation. You might be bad at math, Spice Cake, but I’m not.” He plops on the edge of the bed with my guitar, absentmindedly running through dexterity exercises from pure muscle memory.
“But youknowme. And instead of asking, I bet you were a passive-aggressive horse’s behind until Daniel confronted you about your attitude.”
“That doesn’t really sound like me, now does it?” He scrunches one side of his face while scrubbing his hand through his hair again. I glare at him until he continues. “You don’t need to hide things from me. If something happens and you or Annie don’t feel safe, I want to know.”
“And normally, I’d tell you, but I was too upset to talk. By the time you came in, we were exhausted, and I’m sure you were too. I wasn’t in the mood to be interrogated.”
I sink into my desk chair, eyes catching on a page marked in my notebook. I force my attention back to Jace so he doesn’t notice my confusion.
“And you had your safe person. I hear you.” He continues to strum.
“I don’t mind telling you most things, but I need you to respect me either way. Who I am as a person didn’t change just because you didn’t know why I was in his room. I didn’t want to talk that night, and you would’ve been relentless.”
“You’re right,” he resigns. “I’m sorry, Cupcake.”
“You know, Jace, as much as you annoy me, you’ve got two things going for you.”
“Yep. I’ve got amazing hair, and I can make a guitar wail,” he quips with a yawn.
I roll my eyes. “You watch out for your family, and you apologize when you’re wrong. Even if it’s stupid-often.”
