Page 25

Jackson

M y knuckles ache—raw and bruised from the fight. I flex my fingers, wincing as the sting shooting through my hand. I should be working. Anything to take my mind off Chloe, but I can’t.

Her face had been a blur in the haze of adrenaline—wide eyes, trembling lips. She’d begged us to stop, and in that moment, I saw myself through her eyes. Not the guy she kissed under the stars or held close on summer nights. No, I was someone else entirely—the bad guy.

I feel like I’ve crossed some line I can never come back from.

I exhale, leaning back against the wall of metal cabinets.

My phone buzzes in the pocket of my overalls, but I’m not brave enough to look. It’s either Ethan or Chloe. Chloe wants to talk and Ethan’s already blown my phone up with threats. I don’t know what to do.

Stay away from Chloe.

Easier said than done. Not seeing her makes it feel like there’s a chasm inside my chest where my heart should be.

She’s vulnerable and you think you’re some sort of hero. You’re going to mess her up worse than Brendan did.

Ethan’s words rattle through my mind. He could’ve called me so many worse things, and none would’ve cut as deep as those.

Hero? Was that what I was doing? Enjoying playing hero too much?

Did I just get carried away? I have to admit, it was nice not just being the dumb mechanic with a slightly dented reputation.

It was downright incredible being Chloe’s boyfriend.

I risk another glance at my phone.

Don’t make her choose between us.

I let out a groan and rake a hand through my hair. Ethan has been there for Chloe her whole life. He’s looked after her when her parents couldn’t. How can I make her choose me over him?

Screw this. I can’t sit here and do nothing all day. “Dad, I’m getting coffee,” I call, not waiting for his answer before I head out.

The bell jingles as I push open the door to the coffee shop, grateful for the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans. Maybe it’ll wake me up. I didn’t sleep a bit last night, just remembering how Chloe looked at me.

I shuffle to the counter, hands shoved deep in my pockets. "Two large dark roasts, please. One with room for cream."

Melissa greets me with a cool smile, ringing up the coffees silently. We lock eyes for a moment, and I offer a tentative smile. Her gaze narrows, lips pressed into a thin line.

What’s her deal today?

I drum my fingers on the countertop. I’m not enjoying being still. It gives me too long to think about Chloe’s hurt expression and her words landing far too well when she accused me of giving up on us too easily.

"Here you go.” Melissa shoves the takeout coffees my way. “No Chloe today?”

“Uh…” I shrug. “No.” I guess she hasn’t heard about the fight with Ethan or the fact Chloe and I are over, but it won’t be long.

She nods slowly. “Gotta say, I was surprised."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," she says, leaning against the counter. "Never pegged you two as a couple. But I guess things change, huh?"

I shift uncomfortably, the coffee cups suddenly feeling heavy in my hands. Melissa's tone is light, but there’s an undercurrent of something that doesn’t sit right.

"It's, uh... complicated," I manage to say.

Melissa raises an eyebrow. "Complicated? With Chloe Davenport? She seems like a sweet kid.”

“She’s two years younger than you, Mel,” I point out.

And a hell of a lot smarter than both of us put together, I reckon, but I’m not going to tell Melissa that. Not when she seems pissed at me for some reason.

“And less jaded, I’m sure.”

I lift an eyebrow. “Jaded?”

“Things didn’t exactly end well for us, did they?”

“Well—” Melissa and I dated for a few months senior year, and our breakup wasn’t exactly easy. But I didn’t think she ever held it against me. It’s not like I did a Brendan and broke up with her via text.

“I’m just saying, Jackson, you need to do better. I wouldn’t want to see her hurt too.”

“I hurt you?”

She gives a tight smile. “Sure you did.”

Shit.

“I had no idea.”

“Dude, you were Jackson Whitaker. Everyone wanted to date you. I thought I’d won at life getting you as my boyfriend but—”

“But I was a lousy boyfriend.” I grimace. Back in senior year, I discovered alcohol, partying, and generally being an idiot.

“Yeah, you weren’t great.”

“I’m sorry, Mel. You never said. I thought you were okay with us ending things.”

“I was,” she says firmly. “You messed up too many times, and it was exhausting. But it still hurt, knowing I didn’t mean enough to you for you to change.”

I clutch the warm coffee cups and ease out a breath through my teeth. “I wish you’d said.”

“Would you have listened?”

“Maybe not.”

Melissa glances at the door as another customer enters.

“All I’m saying is, be careful, Jackson.

You don’t have a great track record, and everyone knows Chloe just got her heart shattered by Brendan.

And I don’t buy for one minute that she was cheating on him with you, either. She’s too good for that.”

“She is,” I agree.

“So if you’re playing games with someone on the rebound—”

“I’m not playing games.”

“Chloe deserves better, is all I’m saying. Don’t do to her what you did to me.”

"You're right," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "I screwed up back then. I was young, stupid, and—"

"And now?" Melissa challenges.

"Now, I’m trying to be better. But Chloe does deserve better. She deserves the world."

“I’ve got to go—” she jerks a thumb toward the new customer “—but just…you know…”

"I hear you," I say, my voice rough. "Thanks for... for being honest."

Melissa gives me a small nod, then turns to face the other customer. I push through the coffee shop door, coffees in hand, and head back to work.

My ex-girlfriend might think she’s telling me something I don’t know, but she isn’t. I know it all already. I’m the bad boy, the greasy mechanic, the guy who doesn’t deserve the good girl.

Melissa’s words echo in my mind as I make my way back to the auto shop, her warning lingering like a shadow. She’s right about one thing—I have a messy history, a trail of broken promises and hurt feelings that I can’t undo. But with Chloe, it felt so different.

Until Ethan came home, that was.

I don’t see any sign of Dad as I enter the garage, so I head into the back office, but he’s not there either. I leave his coffee on the desk and sink onto the chair behind it. If I were Dad, I’d shut up shop and go home for the day rather than look at my miserable face. He’s probably sick of me.

God knows I’m sick of myself right now.

I throw back the coffee, almost scalding my mouth but welcoming the discomfort. Anything is better than what I’m feeling right now.

I should fight for her.

I should let her go.

I don’t know which is the right answer.

I pull out my phone and get as far as unlocking it before staring at the screen. What do I even say? That I made a mistake? That I love her? That I don’t know how to be what she needs, but I want to try anyway?

Or would that just make things worse?

Maybe Ethan was right all along. Maybe all I’ve done is drag Chloe into something messy, something that was never meant to last.