Just enough.
Then my phone vibrates.
Once.
Twice.
We both freeze.
The phone vibrates again, harder this time, buzzing against the nightstand like it’s demanding attention.
Instead of pulling away, Jace’s grip tightens. His movements turn erratic, urgent, like the interruption snaps the last thread of restraint instead of restoring it.
My breath catches. His name breaks out of me as everything rushes forward at once, messy and overwhelming and impossible to stop.
We tumble over the edge together, breathless and shaking, the sound of the phone fading into nothing beneath the rush of it.
Only after Jace finally stills, his weight settling, his breathing rough against my neck.
I reach for my phone and don’t even look at the screen before answering.
Ellie’s voice comes through immediately. “We’re coming over.”
I blink. “Ell—”
“Don’t argue,” she says. “Emma’s with me. We already decided, we are having a girls day.”
“What time?” I ask.
“Ten minutes.”
I exhale slowly. “Okay.”
“Good,” Ellie says. “Unlock the door if you can.”
The line goes dead.
I drop the phone onto the mattress and stare at the ceiling, my chest rising and falling too fast.
Jace meets my eyes, the intensity easing into something quieter. “Everything okay?”
I nod, “Yeah. The girls are on their way.”
His gaze softens in a way that makes my throat tighten. He gets up and pulls on his boxer briefs, then leans down and kisses my forehead.
“I should go before they get here then,” he says quietly.
The words land heavier than they should, and my body reacts, like it wants to pull him back by force. I sit up and drag the sheet around myself, half naked and half exposed and not sure which feels worse.
“You don’t have to rush,” I say.
“I know,” he answers. “But they’re here for you, and I don’t want to crowd that. Besides, I have some things I need to think about.”
I understand instantly and I hate that he’s hurt.
He gets dressed quickly, movements quiet and controlled, like he’s used to putting himself back together in silence. He finds his shirt and pulls it on, then his jeans, then his socks.
When he reaches the door, he pauses. “Sarah,” he says.
