Page 9

Jackson

I catch a glimpse of chestnut hair through the grimy garage window, and my heart skips.

Chloe.

What's she doing here?

Wiping my hands on a rag, I hurry outside, calling her name. “Chloe. Hey.”

She startles and turns away quickly. Is she…running from me? God, I must have scared her more than I realized the other day by pretending to be her boyfriend.

“Chloe, wait up!” I jog after her, mind racing. Things have been weird since we pretended to date at Joe's last week. I haven’t seen her, and her replies to my texts have been abrupt. Did I cross a line? Screw up our friendship?

She stops, and I nearly collide with her. “Jackson, hi,” she says, not quite meeting my eyes. “I was just...um...”

“Hanging out by auto repair shops for fun?” I crack a smile, hoping to ease the tension.

It works—her shoulders relax, and she lets out a small laugh. “You caught me. It's my new favorite hobby.”

“Well, you're in luck. I happen to be an expert tour guide.” I gesture grandly at the shop behind us. “Want the inside scoop on lug nuts and carburetors?”

Chloe rolls her eyes, but she's grinning now. “Tempting, but I'll pass.” She hesitates. “Actually, I came to ask you something.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Sara's having this party this weekend, and I was wondering if maybe...if you're not busy...you might want to come? With me?” The words tumble out in a rush.

For a split second, I picture us showing up hand-in-hand, laughing together, maybe even...No. Stop it. We're just friends. That's all.

I run a hand through my hair. “I wasn’t sure you wanted anything to do with me after the other day. I thought maybe I’d crossed a line.”

“No, of course not. You were just trying to help. And, actually—” Chloe stops and stares at her brown boots “—I was rather hoping you might be willing to keep up the pretense.”

I force my expression to remain neutral. “You want me to play boyfriend again?”

“Well, Brendan is going to be there, and I...” She lets out a long breath. “Well, I don’t really fancy going alone.”

“I think I can make it,” I say, even though my only plans were to watch a movie with Dad. She can’t know how desperately I want to spend every hour of every freakin’ day with her and how much I’ve been thinking about her since the other day.

“Great!” Chloe beams at me, relief evident in her voice. “I'll text you the details?”

I nod, watching her walk away. My chest feels warm, like sunshine breaking through clouds. Just friends, I remind myself firmly. But as I head back to work, whistling, I can't quite squash the tiny spark of hope flickering to life inside me.

The rest of the week passes by slowly, and I don’t even want to admit how many times I changed my t-shirt before picking up Chloe.

We travel in silence, and I resist the urge to reach across and hold her hand.

She’s probably nervous as hell, but I don’t know how to comfort her right now.

All I can think about is how much I want to protect her from anyone and everyone tonight.

The bass thrums through my chest as Chloe and I approach Sara's house. Laughter and snatches of conversation drift out into the cool evening air, mingling with the soft glow of string lights draped across the porch. I glance at Chloe, in tight jeans and a floral strappy top, and my breath hitches.

“Ready for this?” I ask, trying to keep my voice casual.

She nods, her smile tight. “As I'll ever be.”

We step inside, and the party hits us like a wave. Bodies move to the music, red cups in hand, while fairy lights cast a dreamlike haze over everything. I spot Sara across the room, chatting with a large group of people.

“Wow,” Chloe breathes, taking it all in. “I told Sara I’d help, but you know what she’s like…she said I’d get it all wrong.” She laughs and rolls her eyes. “If I’d known she was going this big I’d have insisted.”

Without thinking, I reach for her hand. Our fingers intertwine, and a jolt of electricity races up my arm. It feels right, natural, like we've done this a thousand times before.

“C'mon,” I say, gently tugging her forward. “Let's make the rounds.”

As we weave through the crowd, I'm hyper-aware of Chloe's presence beside me. The warmth of her hand, the faint scent of her perfume. This is all just pretend. So why does it feel so real?

“Jackson?” Chloe's voice pulls me back to reality. “You okay? You seemed a million miles away.”

I flash her a reassuring smile, hoping she can't see the turmoil beneath. “Never better. Just...taking it all in.”

She squeezes my hand, and my heart does a backflip. “Thanks for coming with me,” she says softly.

“Anytime,” I reply, meaning it more than she could possibly know.

“Well, well, well! If it isn't the town's newest power couple!”

I turn to see Emma, another of Chloe’s oldest friends, approaching us with a mischievous grin.

She's flanked by Tyler and Zoe. I know Tyler from playing football at school together.

He was always a cocky idiot but a nice enough guy, though his girlfriend Zoe has only lived in the town for a few months.

“Took you two long enough,” Tyler chimes in, playfully punching my shoulder.

I feel Chloe tense beside me, her hand tightening in mine. I give it a reassuring squeeze, hoping to convey that I've got this.

“What can I say?” I shrug, pulling Chloe closer. “Sometimes the best things are right under your nose.”

The words leave my mouth before I can think them through, and I'm surprised by how true they feel. Chloe looks up at me, her eyes wide with something I can't quite read.

Emma squeals, “I knew it! Didn't I tell you guys they were perfect for each other?”

“They do look pretty good together, Em,” Zoe agrees, swaying slightly into Tyler as she downs her drink. “Wish you’d look at me the way he looks at her, Tyler.”

“What are you on about, baby?” Tyler says. “I always look at you like that.”

Heat creeps up my neck. Have I really been that obvious?

“Oh, stop it, you guys,” Chloe laughs, but there’s a tremor to the sound.

Their words echo in my head, forcing me to confront feelings I've been pushing down. The way my heart leaps when Chloe smiles. How I always want to make her laugh. The fierce protectiveness I feel toward her.

“Earth to Jackson.” Tyler's voice snaps me back. “Man, you really have fallen deep, haven’t you?”

I manage a chuckle, but inside, I'm reeling. This was supposed to be pretend, a favor for a friend. Now it feels like the most real thing in my life?

“Can you blame me?” I say, looking down at Chloe. Our eyes lock, and for a moment, the rest of the party fades away. Is it just my imagination, or does she look as conflicted as I feel?

I’m about to respond when a familiar figure across the room catches my eye. My stomach tightens. Brendan. He’s here, his arm draped possessively around his new girlfriend, Maisie.

“Chloe,” I murmur, instinctively pulling her closer. I tighten my fingers around hers, and she stiffens slightly.

“What is it?” she asks, following my gaze. I hear her sharp intake of breath when she spots them.

Brendan’s gaze flickers toward us, and when he smirks, it feels like a punch to the gut. How dare he look so smug after what he did to Chloe? She deserves better—she deserves someone who actually sees her.

“You okay?” I whisper, leaning in close to her ear.

She nods, but I feel her trembling faintly, her emotions cracking through her composure. “Yeah, I just… I guess preparing to see him and actually seeing him are two completely different things.”

The tremor in her voice twists something inside me. Without thinking, I reach out and cup her cheek with my free hand, turning her face toward mine. Her eyes, wide and vulnerable, lock onto mine, and it’s like the rest of the room blurs.

“Hey,” I say softly, my thumb brushing her cheek. “Forget about him. You’re here with me, remember?”

I don’t know how I expected her to respond, but I didn’t plan on this next moment. I lean in, my lips meeting hers before I can overthink it. It’s not calculated, not for show—it’s instinct. The moment our lips touch, it’s like something inside me that’s been quietly burning bursts into flames.

The kiss deepens almost immediately, and I lose myself in it. Her lips are soft, warm, and she kisses me back with a passion that takes me by surprise. This isn’t just about Brendan anymore. It’s not about putting on a show. It’s about her. About us.

When we finally break apart, the room comes rushing back, but I barely notice. My breathing is uneven, and Chloe’s pink cheeks mirror the way I feel—unsteady, breathless.

“Wow,” she whispers, her voice barely audible over the noise of the party.

Somewhere in the background, Tyler lets out a whoop, and Emma mutters something sarcastic about us finding a room, but I don’t care. My hand is still on her cheek, and I can’t look away from her.

That kiss was supposed to be for show. But it felt anything but fake.

I’m not surprised that I have feelings for Chloe—I’ve known for a while. What I wasn’t ready for was how consuming that kiss would be. It’s like every quiet feeling I’ve been shoving aside came roaring to the surface all at once.

"Jackson?" Chloe’s voice pulls me back to the present. Her friends have moved away, leaving us alone.

I blink, realizing I’ve been staring at her. “Yeah, I’m… I’m here.”

She tilts her head, her brows knitting in concern. “Are you okay? Was that… too much?”

“No,” I say quickly, shaking my head. “No, it wasn’t too much.” I hesitate, unsure how to put this into words. “I mean, unless you think it was?”

She bites her lip, and my eyes can’t help but drift to her mouth again. “I don’t know,” she admits softly.

I force a smile. Here she is recovering from heartache and I’m about ready to spend the rest of the night kissing her. She doesn’t need this.

“Let’s get back to the party,” I suggest, and she gives a little smile in response.

As we turn back toward the party, I glance at Brendan one last time. His smug expression doesn’t bother me anymore. Chloe’s mine, and I’ve wanted this for longer than I’d like to admit. But now, as I replay that kiss in my head, I can’t shake one thought.

Wanting her might not just be a quiet ache anymore.

It might be something I can’t hold back.