Chapter 5
FIVE
“So where are we heading?”
Jace smiled back at me, and I sucked in a sharp breath.
The sight of that same, genuine smile twisted something in my chest, nothing like his usual cocky smirk.
It made him look so much younger—lighter—than he had before.
He looked at me as if I’d promised him gold instead of another hour of my time.
God, no wonder so many women fell at his feet.
“I’m taking you to my favorite place in the city.
Trust me, it’s the best food you’ll have all month. ”
He reached out, letting me lead him toward my car, but before I unlocked the door, I held up my phone.
“Just in case you have a secret murderous side, I’ve shared my location with Cade and all the other bartenders.
” Not exactly a lie. Chelsea and I shared our locations with each other; she never thought to check, but Jace didn’t need to know that.
“If you get any ideas about selling my organs or hacking me up into little pieces, they’d avenge me. ”
Jace shuddered a little. “Dark, Kins. But trust me, the only thing being murdered tonight are your tastebuds. I’m going to take you to my secret spot.”
“Okay, never say those words to anyone again,” I replied as we climbed into my car.
Jace grimaced, no doubt finding the loose spring that stabbed any passenger right in the spine. “Cozy.”
My spine stiffened at his words. Was that judgment for my dated little hatchback?
I hadn’t seen his ride, but it was probably some souped-up truck.
Maybe it wasn’t as fancy, but this car had driven me thousands of miles with little hassle, had even served as my home for a couple of rough weeks when I first moved to the city.
The car, which I’d lovingly named Betty, was my most prized possession.
My mom gifted her to me for my high school graduation.
She’d worked overtime for six months to afford the car.
I refused to part with her, no matter how much money she cost me.
“If you’re going to insult Betty, you can get out right now,” I said, pointing to the passenger-side door.
“Betty?” I arched a brow as I pointed to the dashboard. Jace shook his head as he held up his hands. “My apologies, I would never hurt Betty’s feelings on purpose. How did she earn her name?”
“You have to work a little harder to earn my secrets.” I popped the key into the ignition, praying it would come to life.
Jace hummed as the engine reluctantly turned over, turning to stare out the window as I pulled out of the lot.
The Skyline sat at the heart of the city, right in the action of downtown.
As we drove away from the bar, he directed us toward the outskirts, away from all the high-end restaurants and usual haunts.
Where the hell was he taking us?
Even though I’d grown up in Erie City, I’d always lived in the heart of it, never bothering to venture out into the suburbs.
My mom had sold my childhood home after I left for college, and she’d lived in a small, two-bedroom condo on the south side of the city for the past five years.
While I loved it for the warm memories inside its walls and the vintage elements, it was a far cry from the luxurious homes that lined the lake.
“Do you live out here?” I asked, trying to break the quiet.
He sighed. “Sort of.”
Before I could ask any more questions, Jace motioned for us to turn into a diner parking lot. When he smiled up at the aged, fifties facade, I couldn’t help but laugh. “This is your favorite place?”
“Fuck yes,” Jace said, rubbing his hands together. “Best breakfast in all of New York State.” His brow furrowed for a moment. “Please tell me you like breakfast foods.”
“Is that some kind of deal breaker for you?”
“It might be.” Jace grinned. “It is the most important meal of the day, after all.”
Glancing at the clock, I rolled my eyes. “It might not count as breakfast at this hour, but I’m willing to see if you know your stuff.”
“Have a little faith in me, Kins. I’m a fucking expert about quality food.”
He stepped out of the car, and I followed, staring up at the faded sign. Doris’. The flickering fluorescent sign stood out in the modern neighborhood, which made me even more curious. There had to be something special for it to stand the test of time.
As Jace pulled open the front door, the yellow-toned lights illuminated his handsome face.
Okay, Kins, don’t get distracted by his charm.
Why did you even come here with him? Oh, right.
I wanted to escape for the night. It would have been smarter to walk away—to ignore this odd familiarity in my chest. But every time I thought about leaving, Jace would wipe away those doubts with an easy smile.
“Thanks,” I muttered as I moved past him, trying to ignore the hint of his cologne wafting off his sweater. It was a soothing scent—almost like a campfire and summer nights.
I stood in the entryway, taking in the diner in all its glory.
Stepping inside seemed like jumping into the pages of a fifties magazine, just with a little more wear.
Teal pleather covered the booths, and chrome accented all the curves and lights.
The only thing missing were the servers in the old-fashioned uniforms with the aprons and paper hats.
Instead, an older woman wearing a floral shirt and a flowing skirt stood in front of a mirrored bar, straightening a pile of menus.
When we pulled the interior door open, she tossed her long, white braid over her shoulder, ignoring the pens jutting out of it at every angle.
“Jace!” she called out when we approached. He stepped around me, pulling the woman into a tight hug. When they separated, she whacked him on the shoulder. “It’s been too long. Why haven’t we seen you?”
“Busy season,” he chuckled. “You know my trainer would kill me if he knew how much you fed me.”
“Pssh,” she replied. “You’re a growing boy. Need to keep that meat on those bones. They work you too hard on that field for my liking.” As if she had just realized they had an audience, she glanced over his shoulder and smiled widely. “And who is this gorgeous girl?”
“This is Kinsley. She’s a new friend.” He turned back to me. “Kins, this is Doris.”
Before I could get a word out, Doris swept me into a crushing hug, and the scent of patchouli erased all traces of Jace’s cologne.
Doris pulled back and searched my eyes. “It’s so nice to meet you, Kinsley.
It’s about time this boy brought someone else with him.
And such a pretty thing too. Sure you’re just friends? ”
“Doris…” Jace warned.
“Breaking my heart.” When another customer called out her name, she waved us off. “Your usual booth is available, honey. Just holler when you’re ready to order.”
Jace placed his hand on the small of my back and led me through the diner, taking us over to the back corner booth.
Some of the late-night patrons watched us as we walked past, but no one said anything to him.
It was so different from earlier in the club, where everyone tried to stop him and his teammates.
There, they were all on display, playing their part to entertain the masses, but here? It seemed like Jace could just breathe.
As we climbed into the booth, Jace sat across from me, and I glanced at the diner from a new angle.
Sure, it needed a fresh coat of paint and other updates, but the environment felt cozy, much like the diner my mom used to take me to on Sunday mornings, where I’d pile my pancakes high with syrup and whipped cream.
I shook my head, willing the memories away.
When I turned back to Jace, he stared right through me, as if he’d gotten caught in my daze.
“What was that?”
I grabbed a menu from the far side of the table. “Nothing. So, what’s good here?”
But Jace took my menu and placed it down on the table, staring at me with a look that was all too knowing. “Not until you tell me what happened. Your entire face changed, and you looked…” He paused, searching for the right word. “Sad.”
I had to bite back a chuckle. Sadness was my default setting at this point.
But as I looked into Jace’s sapphire eyes, my grief sank like a weight in the pit of my stomach.
God, I was getting so fucking tired of trying to hold it all together.
“This place reminds me of my mom.” I tried to smile, but it came out strained.
“Pulled me back to my childhood for a minute.”
“What’s your mom like?” Jace asked.
“Dead,” I said, taking the menu out from under his hands.
The word fell flat between us, squashing any of the tension that had lingered since the bar.
Wasn’t that what I wanted? And if so, why did it make my stomach twist?
I shook my head and lifted my menu to block my face.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. It’s hard to talk about her right now. ”
Jace leaned forward and laid the menu back down on the table. “I’m sorry. How long has she been gone?”
“Three weeks ago.”
“Fuck,” Jace sighed, running his hand over his mouth. “How are you holding up?”
“Terribly,” I choked out, reaching up to brush the tears away. “God, I’m sorry. I’m okay as long as I don’t think about her.”
“Don’t apologize,” Jace said. “I haven’t lost a parent, so I don’t know what it’s like, but my mom…she left my dad when I was fifteen. Haven’t seen her since.”
“That’s awful.”
He shrugged, far too casually. “I’ve moved on from it. But you’re allowed to feel it, Kinsley. If you want to talk about your mom, I’m here.”
“Thank you,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “But if it’s alright with you, I’d like to talk about anything else right now—like how many toppings I can put on top of my pancakes before Doris curses my name.”