Fortuitous || Jack Steele [1]

sixty five

A memory comes back to me in that second.

There's seven billion people, surely there's someone out there for the both of us.

Yes, we found someone. We found each other.

Somewhere under the heat of the sun and the coolness of the moon, there has to be someone waiting.

Yes, waiting in plain sight.

Someone waiting for us to walk into their open arms.

We already did.

For then, and only then, would the world become complete for the very first time.

It is.

"I love you too." The words leave my mouth dripping with nothing but truth. I lean back so I can take in his whole face. Damn.

"I really am sorry though. I thought that getting back with Taylah was a good idea and that it would ease the ache in my chest. I also thought that it would be easy to get back with her. What I didn't realise is that you're all I need. I'm sorry—"

A breathy chuckle escapes me. I press my finger to his lips, shaking my head from side to side, grinning. "Just shut up."

Jack halts, accepts it and silences.

"You made a mistake, I get that, but what you did afterwards made up for it. You showed that you did care about me and that you were pretty hellbent on making it up to me. My gut feeling was never wrong about you in the end and you were still always the one for me." With my finger still to his lips, I kiss his cheek and smile at him authentically. Jack then gently removes my finger and curls my hand, kissing the back of it. Cardiac arrest is coming on.

"I'm glad you don't hate my guts," he laughs out in relief. His doesn't dare to release his hold on my hand.

"Oh I still hate you," his eyes widen, "when you call me Maddy, so in payment I better receive your hoodie."

Jack pulls a face and rolls his eyes with humour. "But you gave it back," he notes.

"Yeah, in an anger fuelled by your dumbass," I counter, mindlessly fixing his tie with both hands. I smooth it out against his chest. He looks down at me, a lopsided grin appearing as he watches and thinks of something.

"Well you called me hot," he throws out with a smug look plastered on his clean face. He now proudly wears a full blown smirk.

"I did not! When?!" I try to keep my blush in check but it's no use. Did I say that aloud when I saw him earlier? Oh please no.

"And I quote, 'm very angry at chu but you 're really hot'. You said it after the Giants win when you got really drunk," he sniggers with a sense of superiority, taking full advantage of this information. He's definitely going to give me an earful of that all the time.

"So you didn't tell me that, huh?" I raise an eyebrow, not even trying to hold back a smirk. "I thought no more lies."

"I didn't think it was the time," he says with a simple shrug. "I thought I'd save you the embarrassment." He chuckles.

"Well what a true gentlemen you are," I tease and he rolls his eyes. I then pause for a moment. "The bracelet. What did you end up doing with it?"

Jack's look softens. He automatically glances down at his arm before pulling back the sleeve which reveals a teal and silver bracelet contrasting against his tanned skin. His doe eyes lock with mine again.

"I never took it off except for games and training," he admits truthfully, rubbing his wrist with his fingers. "I just couldn't do it."

My expression becomes emotional as I maintain eye contact with him. Through his gaze he appears vulnerable. I don't saying anything. Instead I wrap my arms around his neck with a content sigh. He does the same around my waist, pulling me as close as he can, pressing his face into curve of my neck.