The morning after Halloween, I wake up in time for my classes at nine in the morning. Turning off my alarm I take a deep breath, trying not to wake Jace in the process.
So, yesterday really happened. I'm anxious to find out what makes Derek so powerful over Jace and why it's such a sensitive topic for him. I know I'll have to let it go for now. Jace told me yesterday that he'll tell me one day, and I'm deciding to rely on that.
Patience, Mila. That's something you have to learn.
Before I can get up to get ready, I feel a hand creep up on my waist. My back is turned to Jace as he's pulling me towards him.
"Good morning" he mumbles against the back of my neck.
"Morning" I say back, not sure how to react towards him.
My body feels tense, I don't dare to move. Jace sighs softly.
"Turn around" he demands.
I quickly do so and turn to my right side, using my left hand as a pillow on my cheek to create a little space between us. Jace's hand finds my other cheek, stroking it with his thumb. I'm happy to see that his eyes have returned to normal.
"What are you thinking?" he asks me gently.
Giving myself a few seconds to ponder, I respond "I don't know. A lot."
"Talk to me, please" he says in his groggy morning voice, with a pained look on his face.
"I'd like to know what happened, but you already knew that."
"I'm so sorry Mila, I truly am. I wanted yesterday to be a reminder that you can trust me, show you that I can go out without anything happening. I just made everything messier" he admits, not stoping his movement on my cheek.
"You said it wasn't your fault, and I told you that means that I'm not mad at you. The whole trust thing would just be easier without all of the secrets" I say, honesty pouring out of me.
"I know" Jace says with a serious expression. "I'm not trying to make this harder, please just know that everything I'm doing, I'm doing to protect you, okay?"
My heart melts at his words. How can you be mad when someone says that kind of thing to you? I don't answer, I nod my head instead.
"Can I ask you one question?" I say, the seriousness visible on my face too.
"Yeah" Jace says, stopping to stroke my cheek. He starts playing with the fingers on my hand instead.
"Did you... enjoy it?" I ask him, without looking into his eyes.
Another heavy sigh leaves Jace's mouth.
"I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't, but I stopped using for a reason. I'm not going to start again, I promise" he says and I feel instant relief.
"Okay" I say quietly, a little rest of worry remaining inside of me.
"Come on then, get ready. I'll take you to campus" Jace says, encouraging me to get up. I lift the covers off of me to do as demanded. "You forgot something" Jace says with an innocent look on his face.
"What?" I say, genuinely clueless.
Jace pulls on my arm, throwing me on top of him in the process. A squeal leaves my body as he does so, and I have to laugh at his silly action. His hand finds the back of my neck as he presses my lips onto his.
"This" he whispers against my them. I smile, almost forgetting the troubles from last night.
"I really have to get going" I laugh at Jace, who's placing little kisses all over my face.
"Okay, okay" he chuckles back at me. Jace loses his grip on me, so I can get up on his side of the bed. Before I'm out of reach, he gives me a smack on my ass.
"Ouch" I say, covering my nearly naked butt with my hands right away.
I turn around to give Jace a little death glare, but have to smile right away when I see his childish grin.
"Don't look at me like that, you know you liked it" he says, smirking at me.
I roll my eyes at him, but turn around to walk into the bathroom before he can see my head heating up and turning red. I don't like to admit it, but he's right.
Before I disappear in the bathroom to shower, I turn around once more.
"Aren't you coming?" I ask him all innocently. I've never seen anyone get out of bed that fast.
Jace is in the shower before I can even take off his shirt I was wearing to bed. The water is nice and warm once I hop in with him.
"Do you have classes too?" I ask him, curious to know.
"Yeah, but I'm skipping today" he lets me now, pouring some of his shampoo onto my head.
I give him a fake disappointed look. Skipping is normal for Jace, I don't know how he manages not to fail any classes. Don't ask me what he does with all his free time, because I have no idea. I guess he's either in the gym or studying at home.
"I'll pick you up after your seminars" he adds, massaging my head with his hands.
"Actually, I'm going home for the weekend today" I say quietly, remembering that I might've forgot to tell him.
After what happened last time, I'm really anxious to go, scared that the same thing will happen.
"Okay, I'll still pick you up and drive you" he states, rinsing the shampoo off of his body before letting me do the same. "And yes, I'm sure" he adds, half-smiling at me before I can ask.
Jace did as promised. Luckily the two seminars I had today flew by quickly. I tried to distract myself by taking a lot of notes and burying myself in work. I'm surprised to find Jace, when I walk out of my classroom. He gives me a quick peck on the cheek, before grabbing my backpack and carrying it for me.
"Ready to go babe?" he asks me.
I'll never get used to the stares of everybody, especially if he kisses me in public and calls me that.
"Yeah" I nod my head. "I just have to grab my things from my dorm room."
Ten minutes later we're seated in Jace's car, heading down the highway towards my home town. "How was your day?" I ask Jace, gently stroking his hand that's laying on my thigh.
"Good, went to the gym and slept some more. How about you?" he asks me, looking at me once before turning his eyes back on the road.
"Good" I say back. "Can I be honest with you?" I add, looking out the window.
Talking about it takes a lot of courage for me, but I have to get it off my chest before I explode from anxiety.
"Always."
"I'm anxious about being home for the weekend... after what happened last time" I say quietly, scared he might take it the wrong way.
"I know, and I'm sorry. But I promise you, nothing will happen. This time, I'll actually show you" he half-smiles at me again, talking about Halloween night.
"How can I prove it, make you feel safer?" he genuinely wants to know.
I think about it for a few seconds. "I have no idea" I admit helplessly.
"Okay, we'll figure it out together" Jace answers, right when we pull up in front of my house.
I let out a huge sigh and take off my seatbelt.
"Hey" Jace adds. "I'm not asking you to trust me blindly, but I still give you my word. I don't want anyone else, Mila" he says, taking off his seatbelt as well.
"What are you doing?" I ask him confused, as he grabs my bag for me.
"I'm coming in, saying hi to your mom" he says, as if it's obvious.
I look at him with wide eyes. Never in a million years would I have thought that that's what he wants.
"Come on" he says as he opens my car door, holding out his hand for me to grab.
______________________
How will the meeting go?
Lots of love x