Page 77 of Wanna Bet?

The groan that escaped her was immediate and Jace laughed. The sound filled the room, all warm and familiar before he shifted closer. Close enough that their shoulders touched.

"Myah." The way he said her name made her stomach flutter.

"Yeah?" She looked up at him, into his green eyes and beautiful lashes.

"I love you," he admitted.

Everything stopped. The room. The air. Her heartbeat. For one impossible second she couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Couldn't move.

Jace looked terrified. As if he regretted saying it. As if he thought she'd run.

Idiot. Wonderful idiot. A laugh escaped her followed immediately by tears. "Oh my God."

His eyes widened. "You don't have to say it back."

"You absolute idiot."

"That's not exactly the response I was hoping for." Jace frowned, but Myah could see a smirk hiding behind his eyes.

She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on tight.

His arms wrapped around her instantly.

"I love you too." The words came out muffled against his shoulder. But he heard them. She felt the way he froze and felt his grip tighten.

"Yeah?" Jace seemed almost surprised.

She pulled back enough to look at him. "Yeah."

A smile spread slowly across his face. Beautiful, unstoppable. The kind of smile that always felt like sunlight.

"So." Myah wiped her eyes.

"So." Jace cleared his throat. His ears were turning red.

Adorable.

"Would you maybe want to officially go out with me?"

She blinked, "Are you asking me on a date?"

"Maybe."

"You told me you loved me before asking me out?" Myah knew she was maybe teasing too hard, especially after something so personal, but she couldn’t help herself.

His face grew redder. "I may have done things out of order." He rolled his eyes. "Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

Myah grinned so hard her cheeks hurt. "Yes."

Relief flooded his face. "Thank God.”

She leaned in and kissed him. Running her fingers through his hair. And for the first time in weeks—maybe longer—everything felt right. The hurt still existed and so did the mistakes, but so did the honesty and forgiveness. So did love.

Jace pulled her closer, wrapping his large hands around her waist before pulling away and shifting so they were sitting side by side again. She rested her head against his shoulder. The repaired closet door stood quietly across the room.

A small, silly thing. But somehow it mattered. Because maybe healing looked like that. Not grand gestures or miracles. Just showing up. Again and again. Fixing what you could and loving what you couldn't. And for the first time in a very long time, Myah believed they could.

Chapter Eighteen