He smiles, but it carries a serious undertone. “You don’t. Because being separated at night, even by one inch, is too far. I don’t want to spend any more nights away from you.”
My breath catches at his words, somehow still astonished at the change between us. “You mean that?” I murmur, feeling my eyes well up.
“I mean everything I’ve ever said to you, more than you even know.”
“Jack.” I sniff, ducking my head to hide my tears.
I guess we’re moving in together.
He rests his chin atop my head and rubs his thumb along the apples of my cheeks. “I want to kiss you, sweetheart. You’re making this so hard on me.”
“Soon, Jack,” I whisper, and bury my head deeper into his chest as we move effortlessly to the music.
After a few seconds of silence between us, he says, “This will be us one day, I promise.”
I lean back. “What do you mean?”
“I want to marry you properly. I want to have a proper celebration between us. You deserve it all, B.”
I stare at him wide-eyed. “You continue to surprise me, Jack.”
“And this will be our wedding song,” he states with reverence. “It’s our first dance as a real couple.” He smiles, cupping my cheek, and for a second I think he might kiss me… and in that second, I don’t care if he does.
Wait.
“You want an Elvis song as our wedding song?” I chuckle. “It’s a little reminiscent of Vegas, don’t you think?”
He barks out a loud laugh that has the people around us staring. “I didn’t even think of that. Now it’s even more of a reason. But no, this is a different version.”
He pulls us over to Marco, mister music genius. “Hey, who sings this song? The chic version, not Elvis.”
“Haley Reinhart,” he tells us without thinking.
Jack moves us back to our spot, though we don’t pick up our dancing. Instead, he holds me close in the middle of the dance floor. I try to move, but he tightens his grip. “I don’t want to dance anymore,” he mutters.
“Why’s that, Jack?”
“Because this is our wedding song, and today’s not our wedding.”
I still, staring into the depths of his unblinking eyes. He’s serious.
A warmth spreads across my chest, and my heart beats wildly at the thought of having an actual wedding song.
Jackson and Annabelle Peters.
It’s a phrase I put in the back of my mind after Vegas, never wanting to get my hopes up. Now, it sounds like perfection to me.
Jack brings his face inches from mine, pressing our noses together. “‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ by Haley Reinhart and the words, sweetheart”—he grabs my hand, bringing it up through the tight space between us and pressing soft kisses to my knuckles—“couldn’t be any more fitting.”
“Jack…” I cry, my voice breaking, before dropping my head again to the crook of his neck so no one can see my tears. “I feel the exact same way.”
When the song ends, I compose myself and lift off of Jack.
And I immediately freeze in place.
Straight ahead is Lola, crying happy tears with her hand on her heart, looking between me and Jack with nothing but love. Next to her is not only Matthew but Theo, too, and neither look happy… They’re furious.
Well, shit.
