Page 19

Jackson

A s I pull a t-shirt over my head, my phone buzzes in my jeans pocket. I tug it out with a smile, expecting to see Chloe’s name.

My stomach sinks. It's a text from Ethan.

Hey, plans have changed. Should be home in a few weeks. Can't wait to catch up.

“Crap.”

Looking forward to it , I type back.

A total lie.

I set the phone down on my cluttered desk and eye it, guilt sinking deep into my gut. How am I supposed to tell my best friend I've fallen for his little sister?

It’s not like we planned this. And as Chloe said, she’s her own woman. She’s hardly an idiot and she can make her own decisions.

But Ethan trusted me to look out for Chloe, not fall head over heels for her, and I know exactly how he’s going to feel about this. I might be good enough to be his best friend but I’m definitely not good enough to be his sister’s boyfriend.

I grab my phone again, thumbing through my recent messages with Chloe. Her last text makes my heart skip a beat

Can't wait to see you later. Miss you already.

A groan escapes me. What the hell am I going to do?

I can’t give Chloe up.

I collapse onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling. The fan spins lazily overhead, offering no answers.

My chest tightens. I can't lose her. I won't.

Somehow, I’ll have to face Ethan, hope he forgives me and pray our friendship doesn’t end over Chloe.

The aroma of sizzling garlic and herbs wafts up the stairs. It’s nearly dinner. Chloe will be finishing her shift at work shortly so I better get my ass in gear.

I heave myself off the bed and head downstairs, my socked feet padding softly on the wooden steps. As I round the corner into the kitchen, I see Dad at the stove, stirring a pot of sauce. He's still in his work clothes, grease stains on his shirt sleeves.

"Hey, Jackson," he says, glancing over his shoulder. "Perfect timing. Dinner's almost ready."

I lean against the counter, inhaling deeply. "Smells great, Dad. But, uh, I actually can't stay. I'm picking up Chloe from work and eating at her place tonight. Sorry, I thought I said.”

Dad turns. “You probably did. It’s been a day.”

I nod. “Work was busy.”

“Not that I’m complaining.”

“Me neither.”

“That social media stuff you’ve been doing has worked a treat.” He waves a spoon at me, and I dodge a splash of tomato. Dad looks sheepish. “Sorry, kid. Guess you’re trying to stay smart looking for Chloe.”

“Uh, yeah.”

“You don’t look too thrilled about a hot date.”

I sigh and lean against the kitchen counter. "It's just...Ethan's coming home soon. And he doesn't know about me and Chloe yet."

"Ah, I see. And you're worried about how he'll react?"

"Yeah," I admit, running a hand through my hair. "I mean, it's his little sister, you know? And with their Dad’s depression, he’s always looked after her.”

Dad sets down his spoon and steps closer, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Listen, Jack. You're a good man. Ethan knows that. And if you and Chloe care about each other, which I can see you do, then that's what matters most."

“I hope you’re right.”

He nods, squeezing my shoulder with a grin. "I always am. Just be honest with him. That's all you can do."

I take a deep breath and exhale slowly, some of the tension unwinding from inside me. I’m still not looking forward to seeing Ethan but if everyone supports us being together, surely he’ll see the light too?

"Thanks, Dad.” I straighten and thrust a thumb over my shoulder. “I’d better get going.”

“Don't keep your girl waiting."

I grab my keys and head out, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the pavement. My heartbeat quickens as the restaurant comes into view, its weathered sign swinging gently in the breeze.

As I’m pulling in, a screech of tires snares my attention and I watch as a delivery truck crashes into a parked car with a thud and bounces up onto the sidewalk.

The people nearby spring back and I quickly jump out the car, sprinting toward the chaos, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

"Hey, you okay?" I call out, jogging toward the truck.

The delivery driver stumbles out of his vehicle, looking dazed. "I... I don't know what happened.

I reach him just as his knees buckle. "Whoa, easy there," I say, supporting his weight. "Let's get you sitting down."

"Can someone call 911?" I say to anyone nearby and a woman nods, already dialing.

I turn back to the driver and ease him down to the sidewalk. "Any pain? Dizziness?"

He shakes his head, then winces. "My neck...it's a bit sore."

"Okay, try not to move too much," I advise, kneeling beside him. "Help's on the way."

The parked car's owner approaches, an older guy with red cheeks. He thrusts a finger at the driver. “For God’s sake, are you blind?”

I stand and place myself between the man and the driver. “It was an accident. I’m sure it can be all sorted out with your insurance.”

The man paces around his car. “Look at the state of this!”

“Jackson?” I spy Chloe heading toward me. "Are you okay?

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just happened to be here when...well, you can see," I gesture vaguely at the accident scene.

“What the hell am I going to do about this damage?” the driver demands and I ease Chloe behind me.

“Let’s focus on making sure everyone is safe first,” I say firmly, standing between the agitated car owner and the driver.

The distant wail of sirens grows louder, promising help is on its way. Chloe’s worried gaze meets mine, and I offer her a reassuring smile before turning back to the men.

She grips my arm lightly and helps me reassure the driver as we wait for emergency responders to arrive.

The paramedics quickly attend to the driver's minor injuries and the car owner’s anger seems to have subsided when he recognizes how shaken the driver is. Once a cop car comes by, the drama quickly subsides and I tell them what happened and step aside.

“I thought something happened to you when I heard the crash,” Chloe says, slipping her hand into mine. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Just a minor accident, thank God.” I glance at the driver and motion to my car. “Shall we get going?”

She nods. “Yes, please. It’s been a long day.”

We cross the road, hand in hand and I can’t believe how much I like holding her hand. It’s the simplest of things but having her hand in mine makes me feeling like I can do anything.

I open her door, our eyes meeting for a brief, charged moment.

"My hero," she teases gently, but there's a warmth in her voice that tells me she means it.

I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, stealing a glance at Chloe as I pull away from the scene.

"You okay?" Chloe asks, catching me looking.

I nod, forcing a smile. "Yeah, just thinking."

She raises an eyebrow. "About the crash?”

“In a way.”

“Life’s short.”

I nod. “It could have been worse.” I try not to picture Chloe standing on that sidewalk, too close to the crash, and what I would do if something happened to her.

“You were amazing, Jackson. Not everyone would be so calm.”

I give a dry laugh. “I’m not sure I feel calm now.”

“Should we pull over?”

“Nah, I’m good.” I sneak quick looks at her, still feeling the rush of adrenaline from the accident. But it's quickly replaced by the overwhelming feeling of relief knowing that she is safe next to me.

She reaches over and squeezes my hand. This is going to take some getting used to. My previous relationships were pretty shallow and it's hard to believe that I have someone like her in my life.

“I, uh, got a text from Ethan,” I say after a few beats of silence.

“Me too,” Chloe says quietly.

“I’m guessing you know he’s coming home?”

She nods tightly, staring ahead. “Have you told him about us?”

“No, have you?”

I see her shake her head from the corner of my eye. “It doesn’t seem right over text.”

“Agreed.”

“So, we tell him about us when he gets back?” she suggests.

“God, I hope he doesn’t think I’ve betrayed his trust."

She straightens in her seat. “Ethan isn't my keeper."

“He isn’t,” I agree. “But it doesn’t mean he’ll love the idea of us dating.”

Chloe's gaze flicks to the passing scenery. "I know my brother, Jackson. He's protective, but he’s fair. If we’re honest, he’ll understand."

I hope she’s right but the knot of anxiety in my chest won’t budge. Chloe might be giving Ethan too much credit. I remember how pissed he was when she started dating Brendan, and Brendan was her age.

"Fingers crossed,” I murmur, my grip on the steering wheel tightening involuntarily.

Chloe reaches out to lay a comforting hand on my tensed fingers. Her touch, light and soothing, grounds me in that moment. “We’ll deal with it together.”

I steal a glance at her, my breath catching slightly. Even with her hair a little frazzled from work, she’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. It takes all my willpower not to pull over and kiss her until she’s breathless.

Somehow, I resist and we pull up outside Chloe’s house.

“Mom is, uh, happy about us getting together,” Chloe warns me before we get out. “I hope she doesn’t seem too overexcited.”

“I’ve known your mom a while, Chloe. She won’t scare me off. Besides, if your parents are cool with us dating, that could help with Ethan.”

She nods, leans over and gives me a kiss that’s far too brief and motions toward the house. “You ready?”

Our first dinner together as boyfriend and girlfriend? I feel like I’ve been waiting for this for years instead of weeks.