☄. *. ⋆ YOU LIKE A PRETTY BOY
WITH A PRETTY VOICE
tv girl
ALL THE way up until she stopped at his front door, she gave herself a pep talk, her hands evident from the panic as they shook.
He came to the door, greeting her with a sweet grin as he moved to the side, letting her in.
She glanced around the mud room, pictures of his family accompanying the walls. She walked further with Jack in front of her, pulling at her hand, the home smelt like warm vanilla and had the perfect feeling of coziness.
"Hi! You must be Stella." A blonde woman came around the island, beaming at the young girl.
"Yes." Stella nodded with a smile, swallowing the lump in her throat. "It's so nice to meet you, Mrs. Hughes."
"Please." The woman waved her hand. "Call me Ellen, honey. If you two need anything you know where to find me. Oh, and, Jack, tell Luke his new skates came."
Jack nodded before dragging Stella up the stairs, their shoulders pressing together.
"Your brother plays, too?" Stella asked, attempting to make conversation as Jack hummed, knocking on his brother's bedroom door.
"We all do." Jack knocked again, hearing the boy inside mumble a groan. "Lukey."
Luke opened the door, his curly hair messy as he rubbed his eyes. "What, asshole?"
"Your new skates are here." Jack chuckled, bringing his hand to muffle his hair even more, earning a slap from his brother.
Luke's gaze shifted to the girl beside him, eyeing her with no dismay. "This the girl from the rink?"
"Her name is Stella." Jack shot him daggers. "Stella this is my little brother Luke."
"Hi, Luke." Stella greeted with a chuckle.
"Hello, Stella." Luke nodded with flat lips, containing his smirk as he flicked his eyes between the pair. "Have fun you two."
And with that, Jack was hurrying her to his room, scoffing with annoyance as he shut the door behind him.
Jack's room was exactly what Stella pictured it to be. Light gray walls with matching bedding, white blinds shut, hockey posters scattered on his walls, and a corner of his room being overtaken by gear.
He gestured her towards the bed, his TV playing a Netflix show as he scooted to the headboard, Stella sitting beside him.
"Your room is cute." Stella hummed, looking around once more as she couldn't help but take mental polaroids. "So is your brother."
"He's a beast." Jack toyed with the ankle band of his socks, seemingly nervous. "He definitely thinks you're hot."
"I'm flattered." Stella chuckled, shaking her head. "He's just a bit too young for me. And your other brother?"
Jack folded his hands, his elbow pressing into her side slightly, she didn't dare to move. "He's in Canada, playing for the Canucks. You'd love him. His name is Quinn."
"Quinn." Stella repeated. "Well, I hope to meet him someday."
"You will." Jack said with confidence, smiling lightly.
Stella let her gaze linger on his desk, her brows furrowing together. "Are those books? Like, reading books?"
"Yes?" Jack cocked his head slightly. "Why do you sound so puzzled?"
"I didn't take you for a reader." Stella scrunched her nose, watching his face twist with offense as he cocked his head up towards her.
"Ouch." He pouted. "I do it whenever I can. I mean, most of them are, like, hockey history books but it counts. Do you read?"
Stella nodded, thinking about her embarrassingly large collection sitting on her bookshelf, none of the fifty books had a trail of dust.
"Yeah, I do. Preferably romance novels."
He cocked a brow. "Why romance novels? Aren't those boring after a while?"
"Never." Stella snickered lowly. "I mean, it's not like any of them are true. I think that's why I like them so much."
"What's not true?" He asked, intrigued.
"Romance." Stella shrugged. "The entire idea of love is deep within our history so everyone just thinks it's some great feeling."
Jack twisted his face, turning his body to completely face her. "Are you saying you don't believe in love? Like, at all?"
"Exactly." Stella confirmed. "It's just deep affection for a person. You can love a lot of people. I just don't believe in the concept of falling."
"That's crazy." Jack shook his head, fascinated by her beliefs. "What about when you get married?"
"What about it?" Stella questioned. "See what I mean? The concept of love drives its believer's insane."
Jack smiled. "I think your idea on it will change someday."
"Someday." She lifted her shoulders with a small huff. "Do you read poetry?"
"No." Jack shook his head once more. "You?"
"Obsessed." Stella flashed her white teeth at him. "I'm a Shakespeare girl at heart, what can I say?"
Jack knitted his brows together in thought. "Isn't that the guy who wrote Romeo and Juliet?"
"The man himself." Stella chuckled, bringing her knees closer to her chest. "I don't think he believed in it either. After all, it was just fiction."
"I'll have to do my research." Jack nodded with pursued lips.
Stella cracked a lopsided grin at the thought, it slowly dying as he stared at her, speaking. "I think you're a secret hopeless romantic."
"Are you crazy?" Stella blinked, cracking her knuckles.
Jack scooted closer to her, examining every feature on her face. "Maybe. Or I'm just right."
"You're the opposite of right, Rowdy." She rolled her eyes with a shake of her head.
A whine left her lips as a pillow made contact with her shoulder, her light eyes going wide as she stared at the culprit. "I'm sorry-did you just hit me?"
"It slipped. So sorry." Jack mocked, freezing as she returned the favor, hitting him upside the head. "Oh, SJ, you're so on."
He grabbed the pillow, watching her grab her own as the two battled, Jack's larger frame practically serving him a victory on a silver platter.
Even with all of her force, she was defeated, lying flat on her back, laughing as her hair was sprawled out beneath her, she placed the pillow behind her.
Jack had his hands on either side of her head, staring down at her.
Stella could feel her blood run cold from the situation, her heart beginning to beat at lightning speeds as his eyes lingered on her pink lips.
He lowered himself, slightly. Their lips were inches apart, every breath could be felt, heard. They barely brushed and it had Stella itching for more.
"Jack." She muttered, almost like a plead.
"Yes, Stella?" Jack asked, one elbow keeping his balance as he brought the other to move the baby hairs from her face.
"Kiss me." She let the two words slip.
The second they left her lips in a hoarse tone, they met. He kissed her in a way that she'd never been kissed before, with passion, lust, and neediness.
She molded into him, feeling like jelly as she laced her fingers in his thick hair. She panted once he pulled away, his forehead resting on hers.
He smiled, grinning from ear to ear like a kid on Christmas. Only prompting her to smile the same. He leaned back down, kissing her again before mumbling words that stuck with her for years.
"I want to kiss you forever, SJ."
the "i don't believe in love" & "i do" trope
is so UNDERRATED.
i have so much planned for this story
just get your tissues ready.