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Jaxon pulls out a pizza box—classic move, honestly, nothing says romance like pepperoni and questionable cheese.

The scent hits me before the lid’s even open, and suddenly I’m not sure if my stomach’s growling from hunger or nerves.

Probably both. I grab a slice and take a giant bite, burning the roof of my mouth like a rookie, but I don’t care.

Greasy cheese and tomato sauce mixing with the cool night air—somehow, it’s perfect.

“You know how to set the mood, don’t ya?” I tease, trying not to laugh as a string of cheese stretches between us like some weird edible tether.

“I know, right?” Jaxon lifts his head from my lap, grinning. “I’m impressing myself right now.” His hair’s all messed up from the pillows, and the way he looks at me—if there was a manual for ‘guy about to make a move,’ his face would be the cover.

I close my eyes for a second and let the sky soak in.

It’s this ridiculous swirl of purple and pink and orange, like some kid went nuts with sidewalk chalk up there.

I snuggle closer, feeling his hand drift to my waist, thumb tracing lazy circles on my skin.

Subtle, but not that subtle. The kind of touch that says, “I want you right now,” but with a side of “I’m pretending to be chill. ”

“This is so romantic,” I say, partly because it is and partly to see that soft look in his eyes. He doesn’t disappoint.

“It’s all for you, baby.” There’s that word again. Baby. He says it like a dare, like he knows it’ll make my heart race and my brain short-circuit.

Funny how the beginning of love feels—your stomach does flips, your brain plays highlight reels of every awkward, adorable thing they’ve ever done.

I keep thinking about him stealing my string cheese in eighth grade, acting like he was too cool to care, and me actually thinking it was flirty.

We spent so much time growing up and apart and pretending we didn’t want what we wanted.

When we broke up, I thought maybe I’d find peace in the empty spaces he left.

Turns out, those spaces just made room for missing him.

But this—this is new. It’s not messy or weird. It’s not some secret, back-and-forth thing that leaves me wondering if I’m just filling time until someone better comes along. This feels like he’s actually here, with all his beautiful sincerity. Like maybe we both finally get what we want.

He kisses my temple, and his voice gets all gravelly and real.

“I should have done something like this for you months ago.” He pauses, takes a breath.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever have my shit together, Cam.

” His lips press against my skin again, fingers still tracing gentle circles that make it hard to focus.

“But I’m trying. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and I’m sorry for everything I put you through. ”

“I know you are,” I whisper.

“It doesn’t make it okay,” he says, and his eyes look haunted in the fading light.

“No, it doesn’t, but how can we move on if we don’t forgive each other for past mistakes?” My hand finds his face, tucking a stray piece of hair behind his ear, and his eyes flutter closed like he’s memorizing the feeling.

He snorts, his smile pulling up, even if his eyes are still sad. “When have you made mistakes?”

I roll my eyes. “I’ve made mistakes. I trusted Brynn when I shouldn’t have.”

His voice softens, wary. “Did she apologize?”

“She did.”

He nods, quiet. I wonder if he’s thinking about all the people who never understood us, all the times people wrote us off as doomed or messy or just plain stupid. Maybe we were.

“Jaxon—”

He presses his fingertips to my lips, smirking in that way that always drives me crazy. “I want us again. I don’t care how it happens or what it looks like. Just that I have you.”

I look him dead in the eyes, steady and honest. “I don’t want to go back to the friends-with-benefits thing. I’ve been patient. I waited for you. I’m not doing that on-again, off-again thing anymore. I don’t want to be with you if you want to keep it a secret. That’s not fair to me.”

He shakes his head, that lopsided smile gone, replaced by something raw and serious. “I know it’s not. I told you, this time is different.”

“So what do you want from this?” My voice is soft, but my heart’s pounding like I ran the bases.

He leans in, close enough that I can see the sunset reflected in his eyes. “I want you.”

Okay, he keeps saying that and I want to believe him, but I can also see exactly what he’s thinking—and it’s not about pizza anymore. “I… don’t think we should have sex.”

“Wait, what?” His eyes go wide. “Let’s not get crazy.”

I have to laugh. “Maybe we need to start different this time.” I’m teasing, but I mean it—and he knows it.

He lets out this dramatic sigh, but the corners of his mouth twitch. “That’s wild.”

“Jaxon.”

He looks at me, and I can tell he’s not exactly thrilled, but he gets it. “Fine, we can try, but I’m not promising I won’t try to seduce you.”

“Oh, I know you’ll try. That’s what makes it fun.”

“For you or me?”

“Me, obviously.” I giggle, the sound bubbling out before I can stop it. He pouts, full puppy mode, and I lose it, laughing so hard I almost drop my pizza. He tries to look offended, but he’s fighting a smile.

His hand finds my knee under the blanket, fingers tracing slow, maddening shapes that say he’s not giving up anytime soon. “I bet I can make it to third base tonight, though.”

“Oh yeah?” Some part of me knows I’m playing with fire. But maybe, for once, I want to see what happens if I let it burn.

“Mhm.” His lips brush my ear, his hand sliding further up my thigh.

My breath catches—not that he needs any more proof he’s getting to me.

His fingers dip under the frayed edge of my shorts, and suddenly the cool night air feels a million miles away.

His touch is light, more a question than a promise, and the way he’s so damn sure of himself, but still a little shy, has my nerves buzzing.

“Third base, huh?” I manage, my voice doing that breathy thing that always gives me away. “You’re pretty confident for a guy who almost dropped his pizza.”

He grins, leaning in so close I can see every silly freckle on his nose. “Once I’m at the plate, I’m locked in.”

I bite my lip, fighting back a smile, but honestly, I couldn’t wipe it off my face if I tried. The city lights are flickering on below us, Seattle stretching out like a glittering blanket, and here we are—tangled up in old blankets and new feelings.

His nose brushes mine. “You’re not making this easy,” he whispers, his thumb drawing lazy circles that make it very clear he’s not giving up on third base anytime soon.

I laugh softly, but it catches in my throat because his face is right there, and all I can think about is kissing him. “I never said I’d make it easy.”

There’s a beat, a pause that hangs between us, heavy and electric, before he finally closes the distance.

His lips find mine—slow at first, almost uncertain, like he’s asking a question he already knows the answer to.

I kiss him back, deepening it, letting all the longing and hope and everything unsaid spill out.

He keeps one hand braced on my thigh, alternating slipping inside my shorts and stopping, his other hand cupping my cheek, and I melt into him, the taste of pizza and summer and something sweeter.

The whole world shrinks down to the bed of this truck, the soft weight of his body, the way his touch is both familiar and brand new.

I pull back, just enough to look at him, and he grins, breathless, staring at me. “So… second base?”

I shake my head, pretending to sigh. “You’re really pushing it.”

He laughs, the sound rumbling through me, and for a second, I forget every reason I ever had to be scared. All that’s left is the heat between us and the city lights and the feeling that maybe this time we’ll get it right.

Until my phone buzzes again. Fork Guy.

“He has the worst timing,” Jaxon groans, head falling back against the truck.

FORK GUY

if you guys start making out

tell me so i can make an epic playlist

also, jaxon, don’t forget to mention how amazing camdyn’s curveball is

bro, this is your moment

swing for the fences!

I show Jaxon the messages. He groans but grins, shaking his head.

“Fork Guy,” he says, “the unofficial fifth wheel.”

I drop my phone on the bed of the truck and lean my head on his shoulder, feeling the steady thump of his heartbeat under my ear.

“Thanks for tonight.”

He presses a soft kiss to my forehead. “Thanks for saying yes.”

“Something tells me you wouldn’t have taken no for an answer.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t have,” he laughs.

Sometimes stepping up to the plate just means showing up. And tonight, he showed up big.

My phone buzzes and this time Jaxon picks it up. “I’m gonna kill him.”

I laugh and read the messages as Jaxon holds my phone for me.

FORK GUY

jaxon romance is 90% awkward silences and 10% stealing her fries

Also, maybe some heavy breathing???

camdyn you’re the curveball that changed the game

don’t let him strike out

also did you guys eat pizza?

because if not, i’m on my way with extra cheese

I grin, feeling heat creep up my neck. The way Jaxon’s eyes flick to my lips makes my heart hammer. “He’s literally insane.”

I take my phone and type back:

Camdyn

Pizza was devoured

He stole my string cheese too

#romance

Jaxon’s phone buzzes. He reads:

FORK GUY

string cheese theft is the ultimate test of love

you passed

now prepare for the final test

the fork dance

I nearly snort, but the way Jaxon’s eyes darken as they meet mine makes me catch my breath. “Can we turn our phones off now?”

I raise an eyebrow. “What’s the fork dance?”

“Apparently some interpretive ritual he invented,” Jaxon says, voice low and teasing. “Pretty sure it’s some kind of weird mating ritual he learned on Animal Planet.”