His Name Is Jake Saunders

All Over Again, Only Better

"I can't stay long," I said, walking in.

"I imagined so," Jack closed the door behind him and followed me.

I didn't know where to go. The room was large, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from asking him how he could afford such a large room in an expensive hotel. The double doors leading into the bedroom were wide open. I gave it a side-eye and settled on the silky, smooth sofa.

"What a set up you got yourself here," I commented discretely.

Jack smiled and ran a hand through his thick, blonde hair. "Yeah..."

I waited for him to say more, but he didn't continue. "So...what did you want to see me about?"

"I wanted to give you something." He disappeared into the bedroom before I could interrogate him and emerged with a golden, shiny bag with pink ribbon handles. "For you."

"Jack..." I furrowed my brows in confusion whilst also managing a polite and grateful smile. "You shouldn't have."

"I had to." He gave me the bag. "I immediately thought of you as soon as I saw it. I actually think of you a lot so I don't really need an instigator, but upon seeing this, I thought you would like it."

I rummaged around in the bag and pulled out a small box. I looked up at Jack with hesitance in my eyes, his were eager. Awaiting my reaction in anticipation. Genuinely hoping I do like whatever is inside.

"Open it."

I bit my bottom lip, feeling like this was wrong, but went with it anyway. Deciding against my gut instincts and better judgements have always been my strong suits. I pushed back the top, and inside the box, resting on a midnight blue velvet pillow, was a white gold necklace, at the bottom of which, hung delicately, was a ruby in the form of a heart encased in a white gold frame.

"Jack," I whispered in awe, unable to form a sentence or to divert my eyes from the ruby.

"Blood-red, just the way you like your favourite colour to be. And..." he took the necklace and strung it around my neck, hooking the clasp together within five seconds. He stroked the ruby laying flirtatiously on my chest, "...and it's close to your heart. So I can be close to your heart."

I started shaking my head without word. When Jack angled his brows in confusion, I gulped and found my voice, and snatched it back out from its cave. "Th—this. I can't accept this, Jack."

He shrugged. "Of course you can."

"No," I shook my head. "This is wrong."

"What's wrong?" His wrist limp against my chest, his fingertips still on the ruby.

My heart picked up, drumming harder, and the entire time I was hoping he couldn't feel it. Or see it banging against the ruby. "This is too much. You're too much. Just slow down."

"What for?" He moved his other hand up to stroke my hot cheek. "You know me don't you? And I think I know you. What more is there to say?"

"Say?" He nodded. "Say I was scared?"

"You don't have to be anymore." He moved closer to me, locking me into place.

"I mean, scared about you."

He stopped leaning his head down and brought his eyes up to my own. "Suppose I lost the better part of me and it killed me? Suppose I lost everything and in my eyes, you are my everything? Suppose I still lo—"

"No!" I brought the palm of my hand to cover his mouth. "Don't say it. Please. I can't handle that right now."

"Okay," he muttered through my hand, nodding.

He moved closer when I smoothed my hand around his neck. Leaning in, closer and closer, his head lowering, his eyes fixated on my lips, and we kissed.

And it felt like our first kiss all over again, only better.