Chapter 53 The Invisible String Is Really Invisible Stringing
CHAPTER 53: THE INVISIBLE STRING IS REALLY INVISIBLE STRINGING
LACEY
“ I ’ll call you tomorrow?” Jace asks, breaking the kiss we just shared in front of my apartment door.
“You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m better than I’ve been in a long time,” he says, peppering my face with kisses and making me laugh. “And you, pixie, have everything to do with it.” His lips find mine again. His tongue swirls around my mouth and I let out a small moan. The thought of calling off the girls’ night crosses my mind, but I know Jace, and I know he needs time to process things. I pull back and those blue eyes capture mine.
“Have fun with the girls.” He gives me one more chaste kiss before spinning around and heading down the stairs towards his Jeep.
I watch him as he goes, leaning on the metal railing and smiling to myself. It feels surreal that we’re back together and we’ve fallen back into each other’s lives so easily. It’s like nothing ever happened.
Once his Jeep disappears down the street, I turn and walk into my apartment. Poppy is sitting on the couch intently scrolling on her laptop and drinking from her favorite coffee mug. I check my watch and shake my head. Only my best friend can drink coffee no matter the time of day and still sleep.
“Whatcha looking at?” I ask, eyeing her and setting my keys by the door. “I haven’t seen that look on your face since before you graduated.”
“Oh, nothing,” she looks up from the screen and shuts her computer. “Just some mindless scrolling.” She twirls a piece of hair around her finger and offers me a sheepish smile. There’s a weird pause and she sets the laptop on the coffee table and pulls her legs to her chest.
“How were your parents?”
“Same old, same old.” I shrug, sitting down across from her on the sofa. My body sinks into the pillowy cushions. “I accepted a long time ago I’ll never change Lori Sims, but that doesn’t mean some of the shit she says doesn’t get under my skin. Dad was fine, all business, per usual. And oh my God—” I sit up grabbing at the locket around my neck. “Did you know this was actually a gift from Jace and not Colton?”
“No way.” Her eyes land on the necklace. “But I thought Colt got it for you because he thought the birds were eagles,” she laughs.
“I know. I can’t believe it, but I guess it makes more sense now.” I run my fingers over the metal. “All this time it was from Jace. The crazy part is I hadn’t worn it in years. I found it the day we went on the boat and decided to put it on because I couldn’t find the other necklace I was looking for.”
“Damn the invisible string was really invisible stringing,” she laughs, sipping her coffee. “That’s sweet. How did Colt end up with it then?”
“Apparently, Colt snatched it from Jace when he brought it over,” I let out a laugh. “You know Colt always has to act like my big brother even though he isn’t.” I shake my head. “There was a letter too. He wanted to try to work things out. Asked me to meet him the night of our party on the roof and then he saw Alex kiss me and thought I had moved on. He decided to go to Georgetown the same night.”
“Oh my god, I forgot Alex kissed you. So gross.”
“Right?” I laugh.
“You think if you had gotten the letter, you would’ve gone?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. I was still so mad at him. That was the night you told me about Europe with Beau. Alex kissed me. I was in such a weird headspace back then that I don’t know what I would have done.”
“Maybe it was all meant to happen this way.” She shrugs. “Me meeting Logan. Jace coming back into your life when you least expected it.”
“Maybe.”
“So, what did your mom say this time?”
I let out a groan. “She wasn’t amused that Jace and I are back together. Thinks he’s not meant to stay here. Like he’s some vagabond.” I pause and roll my eyes. “For someone who thinks I’m dramatic, she sure knows how to be.”
“Does that mean he’s officially your boyfriend?”
“We didn’t label it. We agreed we want to try again and see where it goes.”
“And do you think he’ll leave again?”
“I don’t know. Maybe, but I think if he does, we can make it work. We haven’t had a chance to talk about it. After we left lunch, we stopped by Annie’s grave. I know we need to talk about what comes next, but today was a hard day for him and he needed some space to process his mom. For now, I’m really happy.”
She nods understandingly. I glance down at my watch. “Shit, they’ll be here soon. I need to grab a quick shower. You want to order the food?”
“Thai?”
“Yeah, but the good Thai place, not the one we got last time.”
I walk out of my bedroom to find Wren, Chloe, and Gray are already here with drinks in hand.
“It’s about damn time,” Gray says when she sees me.
“It was a long day. I didn’t realize y’all were all here.” I walk over and pour myself a glass of wine from the opened bottle.
“Food will be here any minute,” Poppy says, checking the app on her phone. I sit down next to her.
“How was the hospital, Gray?” I ask. “You got done sooner than I thought you would.”
“Oh no, we came over to hear about you and Jace. I’d love to hear about Gray’s second job, but unless she can offer us something as scandalous as fucking in the bathroom at The Local, it’ll have to wait,” Wren says, smiling mischievously.
“She’s right, Lace. You owe us the dirty details of what happened.” Gray smiles over the edge of her wine glass.
There’s a knock at the door and Poppy jumps up to answer it. “Hold that thought, that’s the food.” She moves across the living room to the door and takes two bags of takeout from the delivery driver. Thanking him, she kicks the door shut with her foot and returns to where we all sit.
She sets all of the containers on the coffee table and sits crossed legged on the ground. “Okay, I’m ready, tell us what happened.”
My friends all listen intently as I detail the night at the bar and what happened after.
“I’d like to take credit for this finally happening.” Wren giggles. “If it hadn’t been for Tanner and me picking such a hot song, you two could still be pretending like this wasn’t incredibly inevitable.”
“You’re a good friend,” I tease. “It was weird seeing you and Tanner get along so well. I thought he drove you crazy.”
“He does. It’s amazing who you’ll tolerate after some tequila.” Wren laughs. “I’m glad you’re getting some.”
“It feels like more than just sex though,” I say. “I mean don’t get me wrong, the sex is mind-blowing, and part of me hates myself when I think about all of the bad one-night stands I’ve had when I could have been having Jace, but I don’t know, it feels like?—”
“Love?” Poppy cuts me off, smirking.
“Maybe.” I feel my cheeks heat. “But that’s insane, right?”
“Not necessarily,” Chloe says. “Y’all have a past and just because you were apart for a decade doesn’t mean your history was erased.”
“Yeah, I don’t think you ever actually fell out of love with him,” Poppy says. “You were mad and hurt, but you’ve loved him since we were kids.”
Deep in my gut I know they’re right. It seems crazy, but I love Jace and I think I’ve loved him my entire life.
“So when do you see him again?” Gray asks.
“Tomorrow, maybe. He said he would call me.”
My phone pings and I grab it, secretly hoping it’s him.
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“Is that Jace?” Poppy asks.
“Oh, no. Apparently Good Vibrations is running a summer sale.” I laugh and sip my wine. “Anybody need a new vibe?”
“Maybe you should buy your new boyfriend a present,” Gray teases.
Chloe gets up and grabs the bottle of wine. “I’m excited for the wedding,” she says, changing the subject. She returns and tops off all of our glasses.
“I didn’t know you were coming to the wedding,” I say.
“I’m Gray and Wren’s plus one,” she laughs.
“Can you believe those assholes didn’t give us a plus one?” Gray asks. “We persuaded Enzo to agree to us each having half of a plus one. He said it was the best he could do.”
“I’m glad you’re taking a break from work and coming,” I say. “How will the hospital and the clinic manage without you next weekend?”
“Very funny,” Gray deadpans.
“What’s everyone wearing?” Wren asks.
“I still need to get a dress,” I admit.
“Girl, the wedding is next weekend,” Poppy says. “How do you not have a dress yet?”
“I know, but I haven’t had time.”
“You’re going to have to get something really hot,” Gray says. “Especially now that you’ll have a date.”
The conversation continues about dresses and Donovan and Enzo’s wedding. My phone pings again and when I look down I smile when I see who the text is from. My friends’ voices fade into the background.
Jace: How’s girls’ night?
Lacey: Fun!
Jace: I miss you.
Lacey: I miss you too.
My cheeks heat as I hit send. I might as well be seventeen again, hiding my phone under my desk and texting him in the middle of algebra.
“Lacey.” Poppy’s voice catches my attention.
“What?” I look up from my phone and all four of my friends are staring at me.
“Who are you texting over there?”
“Oh, shut up.”
Laughter fills our small living room. The rest of the night is filled with more wine and catching up. We talk about anything and everything. I’m so thankful to work with a group of women I can also call my friends. At some point, we decide snacks are a good idea, and Chloe makes a batch of chocolate chip cookies.
“So, anyway, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Wren says around a cookie. “They said we all have to move out by the end of October.”
“Can they terminate your leases like that?”
She shrugs, “I guess so. They sold the building and the new owner is bulldozing it.”
“That sucks. I’m so sorry babe,” I say.
“Would you consider a roommate?” Poppy asks, twirling her hair around her finger. Her eyes flit over to me.
“Maybe,” Wren says. “I’m so used to having my space and living alone, so that might be strange, but I also realize my current apartment was a steal and the chance of me finding something similar for what I’m currently paying is slim to none.”
“I’m sure something will come available,” Poppy assures her.
“Yeah, I’d say you could move in with me, but my studio is the size of a shoe box,” Gray says.
“You’re always welcome in my guest bedroom,” Chloe offers. “But I know living with a toddler isn’t for everyone.”
“Or our couch,” I add.
“Thanks, but I’ll find something. Just let me know if you hear of anything.”
After another hour or so Wren, Gray, and Chloe all Uber home, leaving Poppy and I alone.
“I’m really happy for you,” she says, cleaning up the empty cookie plate and takeout containers from the coffee table.
“I’m really happy,” I say, honestly.
“You didn’t say, but did you remember correctly?”
“Remember what correctly?”
“The size of Jace’s dick,” she laughs, heading toward her room.
“Good night,” I yell across the apartment.
“Night. Love you.”
“I love you more.”