The Perfect Storm 3

Chapter 243

My eyes haven't adjusted to the red flaming bar lights or to the fact that Miles's eyes are staring at me for the first time during this whole night. 

I'm not sure how he moves all the way across the bar with Hayley or why Stephanie and Elijah are so close to Cody and me. But somehow I've been in my whole world for some time; more time than I realize.

"Where's Jace?" I ask all of a sudden and Stephanie shrugs, her eyes telling me that she only realized now that he's missing. I glance around and notice a shadow standing outside and instantly, I know it's Jace. 

He's all alone and I know he's thinking, he wanted some space from all of this, of course, he did. I take a sharp breath and tell Cody I'll only be a minute before my feet take me towards the back door of the bar which weirdly is facing the bar. I close the door behind me slowly and Jace turns around to see me. 

His eyes are steady and so cold looking as they stare into mine, they're so lost as if the way his future was supposed to go has been shredded into pieces over and over again and onæy now he realizes that there's truly no way to fix anything. 

His hands are still in the pockets of his pants and his shoulders are reaching up to his jaw, I know he's cold, he couldn't be colder. 

I take a few more steps toward him but as son as I step out on the gravel, the clasp of my heels sticks into my skin and I can't take any more of the pain. 

My feet entangle and I fall but Jace is quick to catch me, his face is pale and his cheeks are slightly flushed from the cold outside. 

Despite it being practically sping the night is Ice which reminds me that I only have until the end of this month to make a decision about living with Miles. I swallow down the memory of the key I have and continue focusing on Jace.

"I . . . I need to take them off." I manage and he nods before bending down right in front of me, letting a rush of warmth flood over me. It almost looks as if he's about to propose but I know that I'll never see Jace do that; never to me.

"Maybe you'll propose to Rosie one day," I say and almost cover my mouth in horror. Even without alcohol somehow the thoughts that should stay in my brain make their way out of my mouth and I'm horrified every time by the things manage to say and especially in front of Jace. His fingers run over my heels as he tries to unhook the clasp.

"Ouch, ouch," I say, the pain freezing my legs in place, I can't move.

I feel Jace's hands steadying me as I attempt not to fall completely flat onto my face. I shouldn't have said what I said, I regret the words, and Jace being this silent is unnerving. 

I feel his hands run over my legs as he stands up, I can feel that he's dong it more to steady me and make sure I won't fall rather than to touch me or feel me but Jace's touch feels good, it always has. 

The way Jace hugs me, the way he comforts me, lets me lie inn his bed and the way he used to hold me and play with my hair when we were kids. He never teased me not even when the small boys at the farm teased me, Jace never did, he was always there and for that I'll always want his touch.

His hands stop briefly as he avoids my hips and then he quickly holds my arms, trying not to let me fall. The heels are unstrapped now, halfway and my heels aren't as steady as I need them to be. Jace's eyes look right at me and without saying a word, he slowly lifts me up, letting me rise off the ground and taking away te aching in my feet.

I stare at Jace as he just holds me up in the air, I don't want to say anything and when he doesn't say a word, I know it's the right choice. I kick off my heels and let them drop to the ground, hitting the pebbles beneath us.

"I'll always be in love with you, Madison, always." He says, repeating the words from earlier tonight except ten times stronger.

"Jace—" I still don't know what to say, I can't say anything because I don't have anything to say back to him even though I wish I did.

"You don't have to tell me you love me back . . . because I know you don't." He says and at the words, he lets me go back down onto the pebbles, they sting the bottoms of my feet but it hurts much less than the heels did and I find it oddly soothing since it lets me focus on anything else but the pain in my ankles and the words Jace just laid out on me.

"I guess . . . I guess it just hurts to know that this is my eternity." He says and manages a smile through his hurt grey-blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jace, I—" I try to muster a thought, I must have something to say; anything. But I'm thankful when I hear the door to the bar open. Maybe I really don't have anything to say. I spot Cody with a drink in his hand.

"That minute was very long." He says with a small smile and I can't help but let my cheeks turn an awkward pink color at this whole situation.

"I'll, um . . .. I'll be right there." I manage calmly and quietly, Cody nods and walks back in through the door, his eyes telling me he understands.

"Thank you, Jace," I say, kissing him on the cheek. His warmth will always be a source of comfort to me.

I'm not sure that I'm thanking him for only taking away the pain in my feet but for something so much more, for telling me how he feels, for everything he's ever said, I'm thanking him for everything he's done not only comforted me but told me his deepest truths that I will forever cherish even if he'll never know but when looking into his eyes, they tell me that he already knows exactly what my words meant; exactly what I'm thanking him for.