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Chapter Thirty-Six

JACKSON

C had and I were expected at an event at the Sawgrass Mall this morning, but thanks to Jane’s emergency, he had to cancel. I stayed at the hospital for as long as I could to keep Chad and Izzie company while we waited for Jane to wake up, but when Izzie found out I had to be someplace else, she pretty much kicked me out.

More and more, she captivates me. I’ve never met anyone like her, and I want to be with her all the fucking time.

I signed jerseys, pucks, and whatever fans brought me at a sporting goods store. I was a little surprised by the turnout. Miami isn’t a hockey town, but the line of fans waiting outside the store was long, and there was no way I could see everyone within the allocated time. I stayed a couple hours longer than planned, happy to connect with fans.

Instead of going home, I head straight back to the hospital. Chad texted me earlier saying Jane was awake. When I asked if Izzie was still around, he replied with a Dude, you got it bad .

Fucker.

I wonder if Jane told him about Izzie and me. I’m not being subtle, but Chad wouldn’t notice so easily.

I find Izzie pacing in the waiting room, rubbing her forehead. She looks worried.

“Hey,” I say.

She looks up, and the worry creases between her brows soften. “Hi. I didn’t know you were coming back. How was the signing?”

“Great. Did something happen?”

She sighs. “My parents and Lydia are here. Jane and Chad just told them the news.”

It takes me a moment to remember what news she’s talking about. “Oh… and it didn’t go well?”

“It went as well as I thought it would. Mom isn’t happy that the Seville wedding she was so keen on planning isn’t happening anymore.”

“Chad and Jane can still have a wedding party in Seville next year.”

“Right, but it won’t be the same. My mother’s words, not mine.”

“Where are your parents now?” I search the room, but I see only a few strangers sitting far from us.

“With Jane. I had to leave, or I’d have made the situation worse.”

I step into her space and pull her to me. “It’ll be fine.” Instead of melting into my arms, Izzie tenses, and then steps back. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want my parents to catch us together.”

Disappointment rushes through me. “I see.”

“Don’t give me that look.” Her brows crinkle again.

“What look? I’m not giving you a look.”

“Yes, you are, Jackson. I just… well, I don’t know yet what we’re doing, and I want to figure it out before I tell anyone.”

I cross my arms. “You don’t know what we’re doing?”

Her face flushes. “No. Do you?”

I open my mouth to tell her exactly how I feel about her, but her parents join us in the waiting room, so I swallow my words.

“Oh, hello, Jackson. Nice to see you again.” Mr. Bennet and I shake hands.

“Likewise, sir.” I turn to his wife. “Good morning, Mrs. Bennet.”

She stiffens. “I wouldn’t call it a good morning.”

“Mom, come on,” Izzie interjects.

“Don’t ‘come on’ me. Not only am I the last to know that my daughter had been admitted to the hospital, now I find out she has to get married next month!”

“They don’t need to rush the wedding, dear,” Mr. Bennet chimes in.

His wife twists her face into a scowl. “Don’t you dare say they can wait and get married after she has the baby.”

He widens his eyes. “Okay, I won’t say it.”

Poor guy.

“I’ve dreamed my entire life of seeing my daughters get married in the same church that we did, and now, the dream is shattered!” the woman laments.

“Hello… you have two other daughters,” Izzie pipes up.

Mrs. Bennet waves her hand dismissively. “Oh, you’ll never get married at this rate, and Lydia is too young and reckless. Jane was my only hope.”

Izzie looks at me, and her eyes seem to say, See what I have to deal with?

“I wouldn’t count on Izzie never getting married. She’s a catch,” I say, just to see what Izzie does.

Her reaction doesn’t disappoint. Her jaw drops, and a couple seconds later, she gives me a death glare. I fight to keep a straight face. But in the end, the joke is on me.

“Oh, you think so? Then why aren’t you two dating?” Mrs. Bennet asks.

Hell. Why did I open my big mouth? “Honestly, I have no clue.”

Now Izzie will definitely kill me.

“Jackson is just joking, Mom. We have nothing in common.”

“What about the horses?” her father asks. “You both love horses.”

Mrs. Bennet’s eyes light up. “That’s right. You do love horses. It’s settled then. You must go on a date.”

“Mom! I’m not going to date Jackson because you said so. This isn’t a Jane Austen novel!”

If I hadn’t shared all those intimate moments with Izzie and made her come more times that I can count, my ego might have taken a bruising. But watching her get more flustered by the minute is amusing as hell.

Mrs. Bennet turns to her husband. “What did I tell you? No hope.”

“I’m going to say ’bye to Jane.” Izzie starts toward the hallway.

“I’ll come with you.” I look at her parents. “It was nice to see you both.”

Before I’m out of earshot, I hear Mrs. Bennet say, “He’s such a nice man. Why can’t Izzie see that?”

Izzie is taking large strides, determined to not let me walk by her side. But my legs are longer, so her attempt to run away from me is futile.

We turn a corner, and then she stops suddenly and pokes me in the chest. “You’re an idiot.”

“Hey! What’s with the violence?”

“Why did you have to say all those things to my parents? Now my mother will be plotting our wedding instead of Jane and Chad’s.”

“So?”

Her brows arch. “ So ? You’re unbelievable. It’s all fun and games to you, but I live with her. You have no idea what she’s like when she’s on a mission! She’ll be asking me nonstop why I’m not dating you, and listing all your attributes, and?—”

Invading her space, I frame her face between my hands and kiss her until I sense the tension leave her body. She curls her fingers into my shirt, pulling me closer. I wanted proof that Izzie isn’t indifferent to me, and now that I have it, I should let her go. I don’t want to get caught by her meddling mother either.

But she’s too addictive, and I don’t let her go.

“Holy cannoli!” Chad blurts out, and that does it.

I step away from Izzie and face my friend.

“When did this happen?” Chad’s gaze bounces between Izzie and me.

“Uh… after our win.”

His blue eyes turn as round as saucers. “You’ve been together since Friday, and you didn’t tell me?”

“I thought you knew! Besides, you’re giving me shit when you dated Jane for months in secret?”

His face turns beet red. “Well… I guess not.”

“Please don’t make a big deal out of it,” Izzie chimes in. “How is Jane? Can I say goodbye, or is she too tired?”

“She’s looking at baby names with Lydia.”

“Okay.”

The way Izzie walks away from us as if the devil is after her is almost comical, and it brings a smile to my lips.

Chad hits my arm playfully. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!”

“I thought Jane told you for sure.”

His brows furrow. “Maybe she did when I was too drunk to remember.”

“I wasn’t subtle, anyway. Grayson figured it out the next day.”

“You know I miss most social cues. Are you dating now, or just having fun?”

I sigh. “We haven’t talked about it yet.”

He tilts his head. “But do you want to date her?”

I know the answer to that, but something prevents me from being truthful to Chad. “I don’t know.”

“You’d better figure out quickly. I can’t deal with more drama.”

* * *

IZZIE

I shouldn’t have stuck around to overhear Jackson and Chad’s conversation. But against my better judgement, I did, and now I regret it. Jackson’s answer to Chad’s question wasn’t hurtful, but it stung anyway.

My eyes prickle, and I hate that I’m reacting this way. It’s been only a few days since we started fooling around, and I’m acting as though we’ve been seeing each other for months. The tightness in my chest scares me. How is it possible that I came to care for Jackson so much in so little time?

I walk away before I get caught, wiping my eyes. Jane’s bedroom door is open. Before I go in, I take a deep breath and force a smile onto my face. “Jane, shouldn’t you be resting?”

“I’m fine.”

“We were making a list of names for the baby. I’m guessing it’s a girl,” Lydia pipes up.

Jane smiles. “If it’s a girl, then there’s only one name.”

“Lily!” I reply.

She nods. All the dolls she ever owned as a child were named Lily.

“Oh my God. There are so many Lilys in the world already. How about something more unique like Feyre?”

Jane frowns. “Isn’t that the name of the main character in one of your books?”

Lydia crosses her arms. “Yeah, so?”

“So? You name your child that,” I butt in.

Jane yawns, and I take that as a sign that we should leave. I’m bone tired too, and fatigue is catching up with me. I also don’t want to be close to Jackson right now. I need to sort out my feelings first before I fall too deep into the rabbit hole.

“Let’s find Mom and Dad, Lydia. Jane needs to rest.”

“Oh, okay. Are you going home today?”

Jane lowers the bed, turning the mattress flat again. “Probably tomorrow.”

Lydia’s eyes bug out. “Oh shit. Will you be able to go to the parade on Sunday?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ah man. I hope you can. I was looking forward to that. I told all my friends I’d be there.”

I take Lydia’s hand. “Come on. You can talk about that later.”

I don’t see Chad or Jackson on the way to the waiting room, which is a blessing. But our parents are there, and by the look of Mom’s expression, she’s still bitching about Jane’s wedding.

“Hey, Jane is resting. We should probably get going,” I say.

“We need to wait for the lads to return. They went to get coffee,” Dad replies.

Great. And here I thought I could leave the hospital without seeing Jackson. Then I remember I came to the hospital with Jackson, and my car is still parked in the back of Triana. If my parents find that out, Mom will put two and two together.

I look at my watch and lie, “If I don’t leave now, I’ll be late for work at the clinic.”

“We’ll tell the lads you had to leave. Go on, darling.”

I give him a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll see you later. Bye, Mom.”

She barely acknowledges me, but I didn’t expect her to. She’s too embroiled in the drama in her own head. I palm my phone to call an Uber as I rush out of the hospital. The trip back to the restaurant won’t be cheap, but protecting myself from Mom’s meddling is worth it.