Different

64.

"Are you ready to go?" I ask him, as he grabs my bag from me.

"Whenever you are" he answers. 

"Alright. I think we're going to head out then, guys" I say directed towards mom and Ava.

"Okay sweetie, give me a hug" mom says, getting up to embrace me once again.  "You're going to be just fine. Call me after your exams and tell me everything" she adds.

"I will mom, promise" I answer, embracing my sister next.

"You got this" Ava smiles at me. 

"Thanks" I say back, grabbing my jacket.

"All the best for you too Jace, of course" mom says, escorting us towards the door.

"Thank you Helen. And thanks for the coffee again" Jace answers politely. 

"Always a pleasure. Drive safe" mom says, waving us goodbye as we walk to Jace's car. He stores my bag on the backseat and we both make our way inside the Q5 to head back to campus as soon as possible.

"Thank you for picking me up" I say, the quiet embracing me. 

"You don't have to thank me, you know that. How was your weekend?" he answers, starting the engine.

I take a big sigh. "Stressful, but nice anyway. How about you, are you ready for finals?" I ask him back.

"Ah, you know I'm going to ace it. I'm not one to study" he answers chuckling.

"Really? No studying what so ever?" I say in shock.

"Nope" Jace says, keeping his eyes on the road. 

"Wow. I wish I had your nerves" I say, chuckling back at him. "When are your exams anyway?"

"I have four; one on Tuesday, two on Wednesday and my last one on Friday, like you" he answers casually. "And hey, like your mom said, you'll be fine. I know it" Jace adds, placing his hand on my thigh to stroke it up and down. 

I lay my head on the backrest and face Jace half-smiling. "Thanks" I say, placing my hand under Jace's to hold it. "What did you do this weekend then?" I add, trying to distract my thoughts. 

"Hung out with Austin for a bit, went to the gym. The usual" he answers, as we drive onto the highway. My heart starts racing slightly, and I don't know why. Usually I'm nervous when I drive the highway myself, but never when I'm just in the passenger's seat. I start to feel dizzy slightly. Can I breathe properly? I'm not sure. My stomach sinks in the most uncomfortable way, it feels like we're lifting off with a plane. My hands start shaking and Jace notices right away.

"Hey, are you okay?" he says, looking over towards me for a few seconds.

"I don't know. I'm not feeling well, I'm panicking" I answers, taking my free hand to wave air into my face. 

I can tell Jace is unsure of what to do for a few seconds. It's not like he can hold me while he's driving.  "What can I do?" Jace asks me, as I shift in my seat uncomfortably. 

"I don't know, can you stop the car?" I say, almost frantically now. The hypersensitivity makes the movement of the car feel dreadful. My dizziness intensifies by the second and my legs start to feel weak, even though I'm not even standing. 

"I'll stop at the next gas station" Jace says, as my shaking gets even worse. He holds my hand tightly.

"I'm so sorry, I don't mean to make you feel uneasy too" I say, still shifting in my seat. 

"Don't worry, you're not. Just focus on me, okay?" Jace says, looking at me for a few seconds. I nod back at him. "Hey, did you know Bree's moving in with Austin? He told me this weekend" Jace asks me, doing his best to distract me.

I take a big breath before answering. "Yeah, Bree told me at the party. I meant to tell you, it just never came up" I answer, crossing and uncrossing my legs to find a comfortable position that works right for me at the moment. 

"Listen, I was thinking. Why don't you pack all of your stuff and bring it over to my place? There's no use for that dorm room now anyway, since I don't want you to be alone there" Jace answers casually.

I instantly freeze at his words and stop shaking right away. My mind is so full, that I can't focus on my panic anymore. "What?" I say, my mouth falling open slightly.

"Yeah, I'm serious. Move in with me" Jace smiles, looking at the road. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that he's asking, but I can't help but think that he's only suggesting because Austin and Bree are moving in together. If I move in, then only if it's actually what Jace wants, not because he got the idea from his best friend and because it's convenient. 

"Jace, I..." I start, but I can't find the right words to say.

"You don't want to" Jace states, almost looking slightly disappointed. 

"No, it's not that I don't want to. I just don't want you to feel like you have to ask me just because Austin asked Bree, or because it would be convenient. If we're going to do this, then I need you to actually want it" I blurt out, trying to make him understand what I mean. 

Jace sighs. "Mila, I knew from the moment I met you that I want you and that it would only be a matter of time that I'm going to ask you to move in with me, after Derek found your dorm room. I'm not asking because it's convenient, I'm asking because I fucking want you with me all the time, do you understand?" he rants back, just like me seconds ago. 

I fully turn my body towards Jace in the car seat, feeling like a tear is going to slip out any time at his words. "There's nothing I'd love more than to move in with you" I say honestly, making a huge smile appear on both of our faces.

"It's settled then. We're moving your stuff after the exams" Jace answers, picking up my hand to place a little kiss on it. "Hey, there's the gas station. Do you still want me to stop?" he adds, remembering my panic attack from just seconds ago.

I take a moment to get a feeling of my body, but all of a sudden, I feel fine again. "I'm okay. What a way to distract me" I smirk at Jace, finally relaxing back into my seat a little.

"I know, I'm amazing" he smiles back. "No I'm serious, I'm glad you're feeling better. We'll take a bath so you can relax a little before your big day tomorrow" Jace says and I couldn't think of a better way to spend my evening. 

"I'd love that" I say, resting my head on the head rest until we arrive home. Home. I guess starting next week, this apartment will actually be just that. 

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