Page 99 of Fangirl

Jake blinks. “What?”

I shake my head, a watery laugh breaking free. “I don’t want to forget us. And I don’t want the world to forget us either. I just… I don’t know how to navigate this. I don’t know how we survive this narrative.” I swallow hard. “And you’re right. If I’d known who you were… I’d have shut it down before it ever started. And that would’ve been a mistake. I know that now. But?—”

“No. No but.” He edges closer, forehead pressing against mine, hands still clutching mine. “Don’t do that. No but, please.”

“But…” I whisper anyway, closing my eyes and letting the warmth of him sink into me, steady me. “You had months to see this coming. I’ve had twenty-four hours. I need time, Jake. I need time.”

He’s trembling when he whispers, “Do you love me, Amelia?”

The question cuts through me. I know what he wants. What he’s praying I’ll say.

I love him wholeheartedly.

But when I open my mouth… what comes out is the only truth I have left.

“I love… parts of you. More than I’ve ever loved anyone.” My voice breaks, but I force the rest out. “And I hope… with everything I have left… that someday, it’ll be all of you.”

He lets out a broken sound, part laugh, part sob. “I’ll take it. God, I’ll take it.”

I barely register him moving until his hand is against my cheek, fingertips feather-light like he’s afraid I’ll disappear.

Then he leans in slowly and hesitantly brushes his lips against mine. Once. Twice. Just the ghost of a kiss, like he’s memorizing the shape of me.

And when he finally kisses me… it’s not a claiming. It’s not a demand.

It’s a thank you.

It’s a prayer.

The kind of kiss that breaks you apart and stitches you back together in the same breath.

When he pulls back, his forehead rests against mine again, both of us breathing like we ran miles just to get here.

“I love you,” he whispers. “Even if all I ever get is this moment.”

God, he makes it so hard not to fall. Not to jump into his arms and let him carry me away. But this, us, it isn’t simple. It’s not just about feelings.

Because every smile, every touch, every mistake… it won’t just be ours.

It’ll be dissected. Judged. Torn apart by a world that doesn’t care how real this feels.

And that’s the part that terrifies me most—this can’t be a mistake. I need to know I can live with the weight of it, the noise, the hate that’s already waiting out there for me.

His hands tighten on me, his voice rough against my lips. “Come to LA.”

I stiffen, jerking back instinctively—but he doesn’t let go. He holds me steady, his gaze locked on mine.

“Not right now,” he says quickly, reading me like a book. “Not today. Not even tomorrow. But when you’re ready… come stay with me. See if this can work. No pressure. No cameras. Just us.”

His nose brushes mine tenderly. “I’ll buy you an open ticket. No expiration. Take it whenever you want. I’ll be there—waiting for you.”

And for the first time… it feels like a choice.

Mine.

CHAPTER 18

JAKE