Chapter 13
thirteen
. . .
jett
I practically fly out of my car the second I throw it into park.
I’m picking Hadley up at her house, we’re going to grab a bite to eat, and then I’ve got something super special planned.
She thinks we’re going to make snow angels when in reality, I’ve arranged for a horse-drawn sleigh to pick us up after dinner and take us on a ride around Briarwood.
She’s always wanted to do that, and I was too stinking broke to do it in high school because every penny I made went to making sure we kept the house and dad in rehab.
It’s freezing too, so it’ll be easy to convince her to cuddle under a blanket. I swear I can’t seem to hold her close enough these days. I just want to love her. To show it as much as possible. I’d give anything to have that chance again.
When I reach her door, I knock, and I can’t stop myself from grinning ear to ear. I don’t even care if I look over-eager, dorky, or anything else. I just can’t wait to see her and hold her. I’m almost confident enough to try and kiss her again.
I wonder if she’ll let me.
I wonder if she’d freak out if I told her I love her.
The thought makes my heart skip a beat.
I’ve never stopped loving her, but this love feels so much different than when we were kids. It feels more like a choice than an emotion. I’m old enough to know what I’m getting myself into. Old enough to know what having a future with her means.
Forever. Good times and bad. Sickness and health. I’m hers. I’ve always been hers, and now, I’ve got enough experience in life to know I never want to stop. I’ll do anything and everything to make sure we stay together… no matter what comes our way.
The door opens, and I immediately know something is wrong.
She’s in her fluffy bathrobe. Her eyes and nose are red.
“What’s going on? What happened?”
Her lips twist. “You happened.”
I’m not following. “What did I do?”
She works her jaw and furiously wipes away fresh tears. “You know what you did, Jett. Just stop.”
“What did I do?” I shake my head. “What are you talking about?” I have no idea what’s got her so upset, but I just want to fix it. Things have been going so well. What could have happened?
A million years lapse as she stares at me. All I want to do is pull her into my arms, tell her I love her, and I’ll personally body slam anyone who ever hurts her again.
“You and Vivi planned that thing at the pond so you could trick me into fake-dating you.” She hiccups on the last word.
I shake my head. "Yes, we planned it, but not the fall into the pond. That was absolutely an accident. I swear—"
She lifts her hand. "Stop."
My shoulders sag. I didn't think I could feel worse than that night I sent the text…but I can hear the anguish in her voice. I messed up. Bad. The kind of bad you don’t come back from.
“I didn’t think it was possible you could break my heart any more…” Another hiccup.
“Hadley… just—”
“No.” Her voice cracks. “No, I’m done. I don’t play sports, and you don’t have three strikes. I’m tapping out, Jett. I never want to see you again.” She goes to shut the door but stops. “And tell Vivi to stay away from me too. Both of you can rot for all I care.”
The door slams in my face so hard that the current it kicks up knocks my hair out of my face.
The worst part? She’s not wrong.
We did plan it… sort of. Just not like she thinks.
Vivi had the idea to stage something light—just a paddleboat ride and a photo Greer could spin. I thought it was harmless. I’d never have gone along with it if I knew she’d end up soaked in a white shirt, humiliated in front of the whole town. I never wanted to hurt her… again.
But I didn’t stop it either. Didn’t come clean.
And now she thinks the whole thing was a setup—like we threw her in that pond on purpose. Like we played her.
I turn and walk down the steps, cutting through the crunch of old snow on her walkway. I reach the gate and pause.
I’m not doing that again. Not just walking away.
I race back to her door and shove the door so hard the hinges groan.
Her eyes are wild when they meet mine, and it takes her a second to catch up. “Get out!” She yells as she comes off the couch.
“No.”
Her face scrunches up. “This is my house. I said get out.”
“I said no. I walked away last time because I didn’t think I had a choice. This time, I’m not going anywhere until I say what I need to say,” I nearly growl it. Not angrily, but with some force, so she knows I’m serious.
She crosses her arms over her chest. “Well, you can talk, but that doesn’t mean I have to listen.”
I expect her to just stand there, but instead, she takes off at a sprint. Before I can catch up to her, she shuts her bedroom door and locks it.