I take my finger from her lips. I want to kiss those lips, but I don’t.
She lifts a brow in true Jillian fashion. “Can I talk now?”
I nod and smile. I wouldn’t say she’s perfect. No one is. But she’s the one I want.
“You, here, right now… you’re Jack. I want nothing more than to believe you, Leo, are Jack, and that you want all the things we had that night. I’m leery. I’m terrified.”
“Why?”
“Because, Leo, you have the power to destroy me if I let you get any closer. Please don’t use that truth against me. Ever. I beg of you. I may seem like I’ve got it all together and I can handle things without a problem, but that’s false bravado. The Jill you met that night? That’s me. The real me. The rude drunk Jillie? She’s a bitch, and I really don’t like her, but if you hurt me, I think that’s who I’ll become.” She’s only ever been honest.
“And if you hurt me, I’m afraid I’ll never let anyone behind these walls ever again.” I return the honesty.
“Oh boy.”
“Yeah,” I whisper. “Oh boy.”
“Ella’s going to go psycho.”
“I already told her,” I admit.
Her jaw drops, her eyes go wide. I want to laugh, but I don’t.
“What? When?”
“Yesterday. Why?”
“Well, that explains her little show at the game last night.” She watches me closely. “You really told her?” Another squeak.
“I really told her.”
“At some point, we’ll have to talk about your weird relationship with her.”
That pulls the smile from my face. I don’t want to talk about Ellen. Ellen doesn’t matter. But for her, I will. “We will. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
“Wow. Tell me, am I dreaming? Because it would suck if I opened my eyes right now and I was in my bed and none of this was happening.”
“It’s not a dream. It’s real.”
“Leo,” she whispers.
I can’t hold off anymore. I need to feel her. I pull her into my arms, hugging her to me, kissing her forehead as I do. When her arms wrap around me, I release a shaky breath. I was worried I might have been too late.
But I know now, I was just in time as we just stand here, holding one another. A rare perfect moment.
A seagull flies too close to us, she steps back, but I grasp her hands in mine.
“Let me give you a ride home?” I ask.
She nods. “That’d be great. I walked here. I’m not sure what I was thinking.”
“That it was only seven blocks?”
We both smile. I live two blocks away. I suppose even that’s too much for her, but it’s better than the seven, I’m guessing.
We walk to my house, and I run in to the laundry room and grab a clean shirt.
“I’ll be back later,” I yell to the parentals who are watching me with total confusion.
