“No, uh, he had to get some stuff done.”

It didn’t seem like the right moment to drop the bomb that I’d dumped the sweet guy they’d all met today. There was no explanation that would have made sense to them.

Alyssa put her arm around Jace, and I cringed. His eyes were still boring into mine, though. I turned and got a glass of water, busying myself in the kitchen, and after a moment, Alyssa got up to use the bathroom.

Relief washed over me. It felt like my one chance to communicate with Jace.

Once she was fully out of sight, I turned to him and mouthed, Please.

He swallowed hard.

I didn’t know what my request meant, wasn’t sure exactly what I was begging him for.

Please…put me out of my misery?

Please…don’t take her back to your room tonight?

Please…let’s just go somewhere?

It wasn’t like Jace could ask me what the hell I meant, either.

Nathan stood and took Crystal into the living room. Now it was just Jace and me. I was about to say something more when Alyssa came out of the bathroom.

To my surprise, Jace suddenly stood. “I need to drive you home.”

Alyssa seemed caught off guard. “Oh…you have somewhere to be?”

“I have an early morning tomorrow.”

I didn’t know where any of this was going until he turned to me. “You said you needed a ride to Kellianne’s, right?”

Holy shit. “Uh…yeah. My car shit the bed again.”

His eyes were piercing. “I can take you.”

My heart beat rapidly as I nodded. “Okay…thank you.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes. “Your car never seems to be running.”

Jace went to the living room. “Nice meeting you, Crystal,” I heard him say.

“Where are you going?” Nathan asked.

“Driving Alyssa home and dropping Farrah off at Kellianne’s.”

“You’re going to Kellianne’s this late?” he called to me.

“She’s…going through some stuff. She just wants some company.”

He seemed to buy it. “Oh…okay.” Nathan was so into Crystal, I probably could have started a fire in the kitchen tonight and he wouldn’t have noticed.

“Really nice meeting you, Crystal,” I said.

“You too, Farrah. Maybe we can grab coffee sometime.”

“I’d love that.” I smiled and gave Nathan a discreet wink to show my approval.

Goose bumps peppered my skin as I followed Jace and Alyssa out to his truck. She climbed into the passenger seat next to him while I had no choice but to sit in the back. But I told myself to be patient. As soon as he dropped her off, I would have him all to myself. My body buzzed with excitement and nerves. I couldn’t believe he’d taken me up on my vague Please. He’d translated what I’d asked for: alone time with him.

The ride was silent and uncomfortable. I could practically feel Alyssa’s disdain seeping through the back of her seat. Jace turned on the radio, maybe to drown out the quiet.

“Are you dropping her off first?” she finally asked him.

“No. It makes sense to drop you off first.”

When we got to her house, Alyssa turned to him after she let herself out. “Call me soon?”

“Yep,” he said noncommittally.

She leaned her head toward the backseat. “Have a good night, Farrah.”

“You too.”

As a courtesy, I waited for her to enter the house before getting out of the backseat and moving to the passenger side. As I sank into the leather, I felt more relaxed than I had all night. Being next to Jace again felt like home.

He wouldn’t look at me as we drove off.

“Where are we going?” I asked after a couple of minutes of tense silence.

He laughed almost angrily. “Beats the fuck out of me.”

“Thank you for making time for me. I know my message was vague.”

His eyes darted toward me. “I knew what you wanted.”

That gave me chills.

My eyes fixed on his hands gripping the steering wheel.

“What happened with you and Colton tonight?” he asked.

“I told him I couldn’t see him anymore.”

His breath hitched. “I thought you liked him.”

“Not the way I like you,” I said matter-of-factly.

Jace sucked in some more air. “This is so messed up, Farrah. You were with that dude, and I was supposed to be with Alyssa, but all I wanted was to sit next to you during that goddamn movie just so I could fucking touch you.”

His words made the muscles between my legs contract.

Jace finally stopped at the same desolate playground parking lot we’d visited once before.

He shut off the ignition. “You asked where we were going.” After a pause that lasted several seconds, he said, “Pretty sure it’s hell.”

Then he leaned in and kissed me like I’d never been kissed before.

Chapter 14

* * *

Jace

My tongue was practically all the way down Farrah’s throat; I’d never felt so out of control in my life. All of the reasons I knew I shouldn’t have been doing this went out the window the second my mouth was on hers. The only thing that mattered right now was tasting her. I’d been starving all day, ready to lose my mind from jealousy. And this was my reward for the slow torture of having to watch her with him.