Chapter 20 #2
“Heading back to Jensen’s?” His question takes me by surprise because I didn’t tell him that, which means Jensen did.
Was that all that he mentioned?
“Umm, yeah. It’s nice that he’s letting me stay there.” I bite my cuticles—a habit I thought I had broken.
Luca chuckles.
“What?” I murmur, taken aback by his laughter.
“I’m pretty sure he’d give you his house if you asked for it.”
My heart skips a beat. “W-why do you say that?”
He chuckles again. “Oh, come on, Lain. It’s just me here, and I’m well aware of how Jensen feels about you.”
Have I entered an alternate universe? Because Luca used to scold Jensen and constantly remind him that I was off-limits, but now he seems … encouraging?
“How do you feel about that?” I stammer, shooting myself for how incredibly awkward I’m making this.
I can hear Luca’s smile in his voice. “I don’t know a better guy out there than Jensen. I would have no problem with you guys dating.”
“Really?” I scoff, my voice a tad too high-pitched.
“We’re not kids anymore, Lainey. I don’t care if he pursues you.
Honestly, it would be nice to not hear him bitch about how shitty your ex was every time I talked to him if you two were finally together.
” He giggles, and my heart swoons as I imagine a jealous Jensen.
“The amount of times I have told him to reach out to you or tell you how he feels would blow your mind. So, no, I have no issue with you dating Jensen. As long as he doesn’t fuck it up. ”
For some reason, my eyes are welling up again, and I’m starting to wonder if my intense emotions are being caused by my pregnancy or by how vulnerable I’ve felt lately with Jensen.
It’s like I’m opening back up to the world and stepping out of a hazy cloud I’ve been trapped in, every single thing bringing me to tears.
“Okay,” I murmur, not really sure what else to say.
I want to tell him I’m pregnant, but I don’t know if this is the right time. They play us soon; maybe I’ll do it then so I can tell him in person.
“How are you?” I ask, starting Jensen’s car so I can warm up a little. “How’s the dating life?”
Luca scoffs. “I’m doing fine. Just practice and games every day. We’ve been traveling so much during the start of this season. I’m excited to have a break back home for a little while after this leg.”
“Yeah, I bet.” I pause, chuckling at the fact that he only answered one of those questions. “And your dating life?”
“Not just going to let that go, huh?” He sighs.
“Not after we talked about mine.”
“Wait, you guys are already dating?” he asks, and I roll my eyes.
“Don’t change the subject but … yeah, I guess we are.” I can’t fight the tipping up of my lips, my cheeks heating up, just thinking about it.
“I’m so happy for you guys, honestly. As for me, I’m still on the hunt for Mrs. Bradford.”
“Are you looking for a permanent Mrs. Bradford or a one-night-only Mrs. Bradford? Because maybe you’re looking in the wrong places.”
“Shut up,” he snaps sarcastically. “You’re annoying when you’re right.”
This earns a genuine laugh from me. “I can’t help it that I’m smarter than you.”
“Okay, actually, I take back what I said. I don’t think you can date Jensen. You’re too much of a know-it-all.”
My laughter deepens, and it’s like I can feel the serotonin hitting my system. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
Noise that I can’t make out sounds in his background.
“I gotta get going, Lainey. Talk soon, okay?”
“Of course. I love you.”
“I love you too.” He ends the call, and I suddenly feel so overwhelmed with love and family.
Having his blessing for Jensen and me means a lot. I would hate it if Luca didn’t approve. I don’t need his approval to do what I want, but I care about him and his opinion, and I’m just glad that he’s okay with it.
My phone chimes, and I see a text from Jensen.
Jensen: Heading home soon?
Leaving the garage now.
Jensen: Okay. Sounds good. Drive safe.
I tuck my phone into the holder and head to his place, knowing the path by memory now.
Is it weird how natural this feels with Jensen? Should it feel this easy and safe?
I know we have a lot of history, which plays a big factor since we already know pretty much everything about each other. But I still can’t get over how right this feels.
There’s still more that we need to talk about, but it can wait and come out when it’s time. He’s being patient, and he hasn’t pestered me about the scar on my neck, but I know that he’s curious and he wants to know what caused it.
I’ll tell him. I will. Sometimes, when I open my lips to finally say those words, they get caught in my throat. Even the times when I’ve wanted to open up to him before, I just couldn’t. It’s like my body stops it.
Will he feel the same way about it that Cole did? No, I’m aware how different the two of them are, and Jensen would never make me feel less than for what happened to me, but that doesn’t take away the irrational fear that there’s a chance he might.
Doing my best, I force that thought away, knowing that it’s my anxiety talking and not what I really think—something I haven’t been able to see clearly until I got away from Cole. It’s wild that my mind was somehow unaware for so long.
How was it possible that I lost myself in that relationship? I became someone so different, pieces of myself chipping away over time. The signs were there, but I was blinded to see them.
It makes me feel so … dumb and weak that I stayed for as long as I did. I knew he was cheating, maybe not fully acknowledging it, but deep down, in my gut, I felt it.
Never again will I let myself drift so far away. Thankfully, with Jensen, that’s not a concern I have, but there are still walls up that he hasn’t gotten behind. Not because he hasn’t tried, but because my mind won’t let him. It’s going to take some time for that to happen.
As I pull into the parking garage and scan the key fob, giddiness shimmies across my shoulders. After this morning and afternoon, I’m still so excited to see him again.
When I round the corner toward his spot, my heart grows in size as I see Jensen standing in the walkway in front of the parking sign. He should be resting and definitely not going out of his way to meet me down here.
But I appreciate the gesture nonetheless. My skin hums with anticipation of his embrace. I immediately kill the engine once parked, grab my purse, and throw the door open.
My voice is bubbly as I kick the door shut. “What are you doing?”
Dear God, that man is too attractive for his own good. Black hoodie, gray sweats, and a backward baseball cap? We might end up making a baby of our own tonight.
“I came down here to see my girl and walk her inside. Is that okay with you?” he asks sarcastically.
His girl? I swear my knees get a little weaker.
“As your physical therapist? No. As Lainey? Yeah.” I bite down on my smile as I walk over to him and step onto the sidewalk. “Hi.”
He murmurs with a dangerous smirk on those lips, “Hi, baby.”
Okay, I may have witnessed Jensen’s game over the years, but fully being on the receiving end is overwhelming. The way he’s staring at me, his pupils dilated and eyes hooded, I might combust in this very spot.
“Come on.” He gestures toward the building entrance. “I have a surprise for you.”
I suck in a sharp breath. “For me? Really?”
His smile widens, showing those pearly white teeth. “Yeah, for you. The first of many.”
I’m at a loss for words as he beams at me. “Thank you.”
He nods sharply. “You’re welcome.”
My body is one solid flush, reddening more as we walk inside slowly so he doesn’t push himself too hard on his crutches. We need that swelling to keep going down so he can get his surgery as soon as possible.
When we get into the elevator and reach his penthouse, my stomach is in my throat with nerves. I have no idea what to expect. His surprise can be food—which I would honestly be so excited about—or anything.
He crutches out of the elevator, moving faster than I’ve ever seen someone on crutches. “Come on. Hurry up, slowpoke!”
A giggle slips past my lips as I catch up to him, climbing the stairs right behind him. “What is it?”
Snapping his head back my way, he glares at me. “I’m not spoiling it when we’re ten steps away, you brat.”
“Hey, you like when I’m a brat sometimes!” I argue.
His eyes darken, and a smirk lifts one side of his lips, a dimple creasing in his cheek. “That’s true.”
Turning back to the task at hand, he leads me upstairs, past his room and the one I stayed in, continuing to the bedroom directly next to his. The door’s shut, and he stops outside of it.
“Close your eyes,” he murmurs, grabbing on to the doorknob.
I listen to him, shutting my eyes, my heart thumping in the side of my neck.
Hearing the door open, I resist the urge to peek as he guides me in front of him, positioned in the doorway.
His warm lips press into my ear as he whispers, “Open.”