Jace stood in the kitchen, flipping a grilled cheese sandwich with practiced ease, though his mind wasn't on the pan. Amy had texted back "On my way" and just seeing her name pop up brought a calm that settled in his chest like a balm.
But the calm was fleeting.
Because ten minutes earlier, his phone had buzzed again.
Another message from Gina.
Gina:
"Today reminded me of what we had, Jace. Don't you miss it? I know I hurt you, but I'm not asking to fix the past. I just want a moment to be heard."
He didn't answer. Didn't delete it either. Just stared at the screen until the display went dark.
The messages were getting more frequent. More desperate.
He had made it clear. Or at least, he thought he had by not replying to any of her texts. But now Gina was weaving herself into places that weren't hers anymore, his peace,his present and his now stable life.
Worse still, Amy had seen her name once already.
He had lied.
Just a harmless lie, he told himself. A soft way to keep the past sealed where it belonged. He didn't want Amy to worry, especially after everything they had just been through. They were finally in a good place. And he wanted and needed that to last.
But guilt had a way of pressing in from the edges.
He could still remember Amy's face when she asked, "Who's Gina?"
And his own voice replying far too quickly, "Just someone from a photography group I used to be in.She sends random event invite sometimes....like gallery things.....kind of spammy"
He was ashamed of his lie but she had nodded, slowly and said nothing more.
She had looked at him for just a second too long. He knew she wasn't convinced enough with his reply but he fortunately played it cool.
Jace sighed and plated the sandwich. He moved about the kitchen to tidy up, the silence of his apartment feeling heavier than usual. He glanced around the living room, it was clean, organized and in order. A book Amy had been reading still lay open on the arm of the couch.
Their life together was forming, piece by piece. A mosaic of moments, laughter, shared breakfasts, rainy walks, quiet nights.
He couldn't let anything or anyone come in between them.
He turned his phone to silent and dropped it face down on the counter just as a knock came at the door.
When he opened it, there she was....the love of his life,the woman he'd rather be with .....Amy, cheeks pink from the wind, hair curled at the edges from the cold. Her eyes warmed when she saw him, and suddenly, the tension inside him dissolved into relief.
"Hey," she said softly.
"Hey you," he murmured, pulling her inside, into the quiet warmth of the apartment, into his arms.
And for now, that was all that mattered.
They had dinner on the floor of the living room, legs tangled together as they shared Chinese takeout. The scent of soy sauce and ginger filled the apartment as they passed a bottle of red wine between them. Amy handed Jace his set of chopsticks and settled beside him on the floor.
"This smells really nice" she said with a grin, plucking up a tangled forkful of noodles from the carton.
"I knew you'd like it" Jace chuckled.
"I can't believe you still eat lo mein with chopsticks" she teased stealing a strand from his carton with her fork.
"It's about the experience and it's the right way too," Jace said, dramatically twirling his noodles. "Elegance, discipline…"
"And then there's soy sauce all over your shirt," she pointed out, eyes sparkling.
He looked down, sighed theatrically, and grinned. "Details."
Amy laughed nudging him playfully.
They ate a while longer, conversation drifting to books, photography, random dreams. The kind of talk that didn't require tension or big answers just presence.
A show played softly in the background neither of them paying attention. Amy let's out a laugh, snuggled closer, letting the warmth of his body and the quiet of the apartment settle around her. She was getting used to this.....coming home to him everyday, sharing jokes, midnight laughter and sweet cuddles. This was all she wanted.....peace that wasn't forced. Since returning from Virginia, the city had felt louder somehow. More crowded. But here, everytime with Jace, the noise faded.
He looked down at her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You okay?"
She nodded. "Better than okay."
"What about work today?"
"Mmhm. Busy, but good. The kids were less chaotic today" Amy said
"And yeah....." She continued between bites. "There was this woman at the bookstore today. Said she used to come in years ago, but I've worked there for a while and never seen her".
Jace looked up, eyes neutral. "Yeah?"
"She was kind of mysterious, but nice. Said she just wanted to browse and ended up asking for recommendations. I gave her The Spanish Love Deception. She smiled like it meant more than just a book."
"I still can't believe I read that book from start to finish" Jace said fork mid air.
Amy tilted her head, smiling. "Why?"
"Nothing," he said, blinking slowly. ".But.... I guess it's one of the things I do for you just like Aaron in that book."
Amy nodded smiling. "Yeah. It felt that way.Difference is Aaron pretended to be her boyfriend but you're my boyfriend so you owe me that" She stated.
"Alright..... alright you win" Jace said smiling back at her.
"So back to what I was saying....I don't know why, but the way she looked at me...it was like she knew me. Strange, right?"
Jace took a sip from his wine and forced a chuckle. "Maybe she's just good at reading people. Like you."
"Even the way she said my name"
"Babe, there's nothing to worry about,chill"
"Yh...I guess it's nothing to worry about" Amy said as she rested her head against his shoulder, content sighing softly.
"I like days like this. Simple. Easy."
She pressed a kiss on his cheek ."Me too."
As they finished eating and clearing the cartons of Chinese takeout,soy sauce packets and folded napkins, Jace got up and stretched out a hand toward her.
"What are you doing?" Amy asked side eyeing him.
"We are dancing"
"Now?" Any asked surprised.
"Yh,you owe me that much after stealing my dumpling" He said dragging her up slowly.
"You want to use that as leverage.... huh?" Amy asked smiling up at him.
"Exactly, anything to make Miss Mayfield agree to my biddings" He said as Amy laughed.
He tapped at a playlist on his phone and let a soft, jazzy tune hum through the speakers.
He pulled her close, hands on her waist, her arms slipping around his neck. They moved slowly, barefoot in his living room, the city a blur beyond the windows. Nothing fancy, just swaying to the music like no one was watching which, of course, no one was.
Amy closed her eyes as she rested her head on his chest matching the rhythm of his heart to the beat of the song.
"I like this," she murmured. "Just… us."
Jace kissed her temple. "Me too."
They slow danced until the song faded, then stumbled back onto the couch in a happy heap. Her head landed on his chest, and his fingers found her hair, slow and gentle.
"I meant to ask," she said after a pause, "how's your mom doing?"
"She's better. Really. And Becca's being… Becca. All over it."
Amy smiled softly. "That's good. I've been thinking about her."
He nodded. "She asked about you the other day. Said I shouldn't screw this up."
"And what did you say?"
He turned to look at her. "That I didn't plan to."
Amy leaned up and kissed him, light and lingering, before curling back into his side. They stayed like that, not needing much more.....but Jace broke the silence.
"Ames" He called.
"Mmm...." Amy answered.
"Any luck reaching out to your mom?" Jace asked hesitantly.
Her hand stopped circling his chest. She froze. Not all at once, but just enough that he felt the change in her body. She pulled back, her gaze dropping as she withdrew from his arms.
"Let's not talk about that, Jace," she said flatly. "She made it pretty clear when she got married again that she didn't want anything to do with me."
Jace shifted his weight, unsure whether to let it drop or keep going. Something in him pressed forward.
"Ames, I've… I've seen the calls you don't take," he said hesitantly.
Her head snapped up. "Are you monitoring me now?"
"No," he said quickly. "It's just....when your phone lights up and you pretend it doesn't, I notice. That's all."
Amy let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. "You think ignoring those calls is the problem?"
"I just think maybe she's trying," Jace offered gently. "She probably wants to make amends."
Amy's jaw clenched. "Keyword… probably."
There was a pause. Heavy. Tense.
Then she folded her arms, eyes narrowing slightly. "You know what's funny? You say all that, like it's so easy. Like I'm just being difficult. But you haven't forgiven your dad all these years."
Jace blinked. "Amy, that's not the same"
"Isn't it?" she said sharply. "Your dad is the whole reason Emma died...the incident shattered you....And now? Now he's suddenly sorry, and we're all supposed to pretend that matters?"
He looked away, swallowing hard.
Amy's voice was low but piercing. "You shut him out because he broke something in you that won't fix. I get that. But don't stand there and act like I'm supposed to be the bigger person when you haven't even tried to be."
Jace didn't answer. He couldn't. Her words had hit the nerve she wasn't even sure she meant to touch.
"I'm not ready," she said softly. "To forgive. To talk. To open doors I've already closed."
She shook her head shifting a bit from him in the couch. "So please… don't ask me again. Not about her. Not like this."
Jace nodded slowly, eyes on the floor as she left the living room. He understood. And it hurt but not in the way she meant it to.
It hurt because she was right.
He doesn't want to forgive his dad even though it's been 7 years already and because, in a way he hadn't realized until now, they were both still standing on the top of wounds they didn't know how to stop feeling.
They went to bed in silence.
Jace lay on his back, eyes fixed on the ceiling. Amy curled up beside him, her back turned to him, her breathing soft and even but not asleep.....not yet. The space between them felt colder..... this is the first time they're having an argument since they got back together. He thought about reaching for her, holding her tight and closing up the space between them but something held him back. Pride?.....no... Guilt?..... yes...and Fear of hearing what she might say if he did.
He reached out and turned off the bedside lamp, eventually, he closed his eyes and pretended the distance didn't sting.
She was the light but the shadow has found it's way in.
.....
The Next Morning
The soft clinking of plates filled the kitchen, but neither of them spoke much. Amy moved quietly, making coffee and slicing an apple. Jace sat at the table, tapping his fingers against the wood, watching her out of the corner of his eye. They hadn't said anything to each other that morning apart from a simple good morning greeting.
He cleared his throat. "I was thinking we could grab dinner tonight? Maybe that Thai place you like?, I'd pick you up from work"
Amy nodded faintly as she rinsed her mug. "Sure. Maybe."
Not a no....but not a yes, either.
He tried again. "Are you… still mad about last night?"
Amy didn't answer right away. She dried her hands, walked over, and leaned down to kiss his cheek. It was soft and almost felt vague like a kiss of pity rather than warmth.
"We're fine," she said simply.
Then she grabbed another apple from the counter and her bag from the chair.
"I'll see you tonight," she added on her way out the door.
Jace sat there, coffee cooling in his hands, wondering if she really meant it.
He told himself she did.
But the silence she left behind told a different story.