He blinked, as if he’d reconciled his demons, that mask of confidence back into place. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring the mood down. My older brother died in a combat mission in Kandahar when I was in high school.”
Before I could think, my hand was in his, squeezing as I tried to hold back tears. Trying to keep my heart from breaking for him, for who he’d lost.
“My sincere condolences for your loss.” Tears welled up in my eyes, and before I could stop them, they were sliding down my cheeks.
He gave me a weak grin. “Caleb was a fighter pilot,” he started, choking up. “Only two years into getting his wings before a mission gone wrong took his life.”
I raised up on my toes and hugged him. He held me tightly as if he needed me more than the air he was breathing. I got the feeling he hadn’t dealt with the loss or had anyone to shoulder his pain with him, and that broke my heart.
Still, in that moment, in his arms, feeling him against me, I felt protected, loved, and like I’d known him all my life. Howcould I feel this sense of peace with him? Like he and I belonged together. We’d just met.
Sighing, he released me then brushed his fingers along my cheek. “Thank you for that.” Before I could respond, his thumb was touching my busted lip. “I hate that you got hurt.” His blue eyes were filled with too many emotions I didn’t care to unpack.
I shuddered, tingles and goose bumps blanketing my body like a live wire of electricity. “Battle scars. Part of the job.”
He studied my mouth as though he was about to kiss me. I would melt into a puddle of water if he did.
He tucked hair behind my ear. “I would fight to the death for a girl I liked, especially if it were you.”
This man was making me believe I could love again.
My chest rose and fell as I craned my neck upward. “Did you when you were in high school?”
“No. None were as beautiful as you, Monroe.”
My stomach was doing somersaults, and the longer we stood here, the more likely it was that I would be brave enough to pull him into a janitor’s closet.
“We should go.” I willed my legs to move but was failing miserably. All I wanted was to stay in this moment and listen to Jace tell me over and over again how beautiful I was.
He pressed his forehead to mine. “Tell me you feel the same thing I’m feeling.”
“I’m—”
A door slammed somewhere behind me, and both of us jumped.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw a student walking down the hall away from us. I felt like I’d been caught kissing a boy, and that thought made me giggle.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I feel like we’re in high school again.”
He smirked. “We are.”
I playfully swatted at him. “You know what I mean.”
“Want to stop in the janitor’s closet?” he asked with a boyish grin.
Yes, please.“We should get out of here.”
Despite my words, shock coursed through me that I had been thinking that very thing about the janitor’s closet. I’d caught a few students sucking face there. Ryan and I had even hidden in one back in high school for an entire period. Nevertheless, a warm and giddy feeling replaced my shock at the thought of Jace and me making out in a supply closet.
He feigned a pout. “I guess so.”
Maybe I was ready to put myself out there. Maybe I was ready to go where my heart took me, which was leading straight to Captain Jace Callahan.
6
JACE
