Page 102 of The Way the Heart Breaks: Jade’s Story

Looking freaking amazing.

He’s over six foot, and I know this because so are Alex and Ry, but he’s two hundred pounds of solid muscle, not the lean kind they are. His broad shoulders stretch the white tee under his navy and white flannel making it pretty damn obvious he spends a lot of time in the weight room. His dark hair is still a little damp, pushed back from his forehead, and he’s wearing faded jeans, and the whitest pair of white sneakers I’ve ever seen. Not almost white. Not recently washed white. Perfectly, ridiculously white.

His duffel hangs over one shoulder, and I can see the easy confidence in the way he stands there talking to Lucas.

Then he turns and finds me. His whole face changes. That smile. The one that starts at the corner of his mouth and somehow makes me forget whatever the hell I was thinking two seconds ago.

Yeah. Freaking amazing.

“Morning, pretty girl.”

I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. “Morning.”

Beside me, Alex sneers something. I glance at him, “Seriously?”

He gives me a look.

“What?”

He looks toward Tommy.

I stare at him for a second before shaking my head. “You cannot still be doing this.”

“Doing what?” Alex asks.

“You know what.”

He doesn't answer.

“We literally spent last night together. All of us. You, Ryan, Tommy, Lucas. You threw hay, ate, and swam. You built a fire. You sat around talking and even laughed.”

“I did not.”

“You absolutely did.”

“I didn't.”

“You did.” I elbow him. “Dad was perfectly nice about Tommy this morning, and he saw him in his underwear at the farm.”

Alex stops and fights a smile.

I grin. “Dad said he seems like a good kid.”

Alex looks toward Tommy again.

I shake my head. “If Dad can be nice about the kid he saw half-naked on the farm, you sure as hell can be nice to him after spending all night bonding with him.”

Alex sighs.

“I'm just saying,” I add, walking past him toward the stairs, toward Tommy, “you don't get to glare at him after last night. You already bonded. It's too late.”

I catch Tommy's smile as I pass, and then I feel him following me up the stairs to the Senior wing.

I glance over my shoulder and see him looking at my butt. “Um, excuse me.”

He looks up and into my eyes. “You have a ridiculous, perfect ass, and it was literally right in my face.”

He’s so serious I almost laugh. Instead, I tell him, “Love to say the same thing about yours, but that flannel was covering it up when I tried to steal a peek.”