Page 57 of The Comeback Road (Leaving #2)

Jace

I couldn’t focus on any of the tasks I needed to complete at the Bar-kery because I kept replaying my interaction with Lexie and how she had said yes.

I was riddled with anxious energy, and I felt twisted from the inside out in invisible knots that weren’t there but carried such a heavy physical presence.

My fingers twitched to try to expel some of it, and I made up my mind to text Sloan and Dexter to see if they had time for a quick meet-up to help calm my nerves.

Me: You guys around? Need to talk.

Barely a moment later, my phone buzzed with Sloan’s reply.

Sloan: At Montgomery’s for once. Come join me if you need a drink.

Dexter: I’m at the office. You know, holding down the fort while you’ve been MIA.

I chuckled at Dexter’s jab. He was right.

I hadn’t set foot in the office since Lexie had come back, and someone had to manage things while I figured out my life—or rather, never let Lexie out of my sight, just in case.

Even though he grumbled about it, if Dexter really had a problem, he would have said something long ago.

He liked Lexie, and made his displeasure known about the whole Jess situation hundreds of times.

Me: Give me 15.

As I drove to Montgomery’s, I couldn’t shake the feeling of inadequacy.

Will Lexie see me as the man I want to be, or will she only see me as the mess I am trying to fix?

I parked in front of the bar, taking a moment to steady my breathing before stepping inside.

The dim lighting and lively atmosphere due to the lunch hour welcomed me, a definite contrast to the thoughts inside my head.

Sloan spotted me first, waving me over. He looked relaxed, his usual confidence radiating from him. Dexter sat across from him, a slightly skeptical look on his face.

“Hey, man,” Sloan greeted me as I took a seat. “What’s going on?”

“Lexie agreed to a date with me tonight,” I told them.

Dexter shook his head. “Don’t you guys all basically live together?” Man, he is testy lately. I shot Sloan a questioning look, and he just shook his head at me, letting me know he didn’t know what his deal was either.

“Let’s be clear. Jace is too far gone to notice anyone else in that house, let alone have an intelligent conversation.” Sloan had gotten us all a beer, and pointed his in Dexter’s direction.

“That’s an overstatement.” I rolled my eyes at him.

“Oh, really? Are you going to show her what you’ve been working on?” he taunted me, and I kicked him under the table for being an ass.

“What have you been working on?” Dexter asked.

My heart raced at his question. I’d been remodeling a room in my house, dedicating it to her.

It was a wine cellar, complete with handcrafted shelves and climate control for each type of wine and a slushy machine with little pouches of mixes.

I saw her eyeing them at a farmers market.

We had gone to check out ingredients for the Bar-kery once.

I went back and bought them later that day.

I knew everyone would consider it to be much too fast, but when I kept buying wine I thought she’d like when I saw it.

I couldn’t help myself. And I had rationalized it by telling myself that the wine had to go somewhere.

What I told myself was a room to store things quickly changed.

It became a room for her, a space she would love and want to come to. One where she could feel safe.

“Well, it’s…”

“It’s basically a she-shed, but a she-room. A wine room for Lexie,” Sloan said. He wasn’t wrong. It was.

“Dude, it’s the first date. Have you lost your mind? She’s going to have you committed. Do not show her that.”

“Dex, it’s my last first date,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. The weight of my words hung in the air, heavy with my unspoken fears.

Sloan leaned forward, as if to really drive his point home. “You just gotta go all in, man. All in, or someone else is going to swoop in and give her everything and more. You’ll be left waiting on the sidelines, growing old alone. Show her the room. Don’t let fear keep you from the grand gesture.”

Dexter let out an awkward noise as I absorbed Sloan’s words. “Love doesn’t exist for everyone, you know.”

Sloan shot him a calculating look. “Lydia really did a number on you, didn’t she? If you don’t feel that way, then what are you doing with Remi?”

Dexter stiffened, and I could see the gears turning in his head as he processed how to answer Sloan’s question that sounded more like an accusation.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said between clenched teeth.

Sloan just smirked, leaning back in his chair. “I’ve noticed you bringing Raya to the restaurant. It’s clear you’ve been watching her for Remi.”

“She’s a cool kid. That’s all there is. And she loves Mac,” he said nonchalantly, but I saw the way his jaw stayed clenched. Sloan just shot him an I don’t believe you look.

“See?” Sloan pressed, turning his focus back to me. “You’ve got to take the plunge. If you don’t, you’ll be in denial, like this guy.”

I swallowed hard, that fucking knot in my stomach tightening. I wanted to throw caution to the wind, but I wanted to be respectful and go at a pace Lexie was comfortable with. What if it was too much too soon, and I scared her off?

“I’ll consider it.”

“Thatta boy!” Sloan cheered and raised his bottle to ours, all while Dexter continued to grumble under his breath.

“To Jace! Finally growing a pair and going after what he wants!”

Dick, I thought as I clinked my bottle to his.