I love how we are right now.

And I don’t want it to end.

But he wants more. Not only has he basically said it, but I can feel it.

“The douche my sister was married to, Rick… Man, we all hate him,” he says as he hits the interstate to get back to school. “He cheated on her with like four different women while she was pregnant with Angie and then he started a relationship with his now-wife after Angie was born. He left my sister on Angie’s third birthday. I truly thought my dad was gonna kill him. I was only like sixteen, I think? It was nasty.”

“Jeez, that’s crazy.”

“No, what’s crazy is that Angie has to go see that douche every other weekend. He doesn’t love her. He just likes fucking with Lucy. I hate him.”

“Me too, and I don’t even know him.”

“Believe me, you’re better off without knowing that asswipe,” he says, pure loathing dripping from his voice. “Lucy may be the oldest, but we all treat her like she’s the youngest. We’re really overprotective.”

I smile. “That’s sweet.”

“Yeah, I bet you know all about that. Is that why you don’t get along with your brothers? Too overprotective?”

I grimace. “Hardly.”

“Really?”

“Jace, they ignored me all the time. Used me as a stick carrier. They didn’t care one bit about me. Still don’t. I’ve been here over a month. I’ve spoken to Matty twice maybe, and Laurence and Seth not even once.”

His face scrunches up. “Really?”

I laugh. “Yes, not everyone has Brady-family relationships like you do with your siblings.”

His smile is full of apology. “Sorry.”

I wave him off. “Please don’t be. I love that you love your family and talk to them daily. I’m jealous, but I’m happy for you.”

He nods as I move my fingers in and out of his. Silence falls between us, but it’s comfortable as he drives, the music playing softly. Soon, my thoughts float to my shitty family. I wish I had the relationship with my brothers like he does with his brothers and his sister. I wish I had a niece to spoil and love. But I don’t. I have me.

And Jace.

I have Jace.

“You were good with Angie. I didn’t know you liked kids.”

I smile wistfully. “I love kids. I wanted a baby sister when I was younger.”

“Angie is the best,” he says happily, and then he shoots me a grin. “So I guess you want kids?”

“One day.” Grinning over at him, I ask, “Making sure I’m long-term worthy?”

He scoffs. “I knew that the moment I met you.”

He sends me a wink, and I let out a long breath as I shake my head. He is so confident about everything in his life. I wish I had half the confidence he does. Hell, a quarter of it. “Well, then.”

“Just sayin’.”

Leaning my head onto his shoulder, I remember the conversation between him and his sister, and suddenly, I want to know all about it. I want to know everything. Especially things that bother him. I could tell he was troubled.

Threading my fingers through his, I ask, “What were you and Lucy talking about?”

Glancing at me, he shrugs before looking back at the road. “I told her my dad is coming to my game Friday, and she wasn’t too happy about it. I knew it wasn’t good, so she told my mom and is gonna tell my brothers.”

“Oh.”

He looks at me expectantly. “Just, oh?”

I shrug. “Well, why don’t you tell them?”

He shrugs sheepishly. “’Cause I’m embarrassed and guilty. She offered, and I took it.”

Rolling my eyes, I tsk at him. “It would be better if you did.”

“Yeah, but Jude and Jayden are gonna rip me a new one.”

“Do you deserve it?”

“Maybe. I think I really do want a relationship with my dad, but then I don’t. I don’t know. I’m confused about the whole thing.”

“I can understand that, but I think they’d appreciate it a bit more if you called and told them.”

He nods. “You’re right.”

Biting into his lip, he looks thoughtful, maybe a little annoyed, as he comes off the interstate. Shit, did I say too much? It’s just it’s different for the two of us. While he has been spoiled and treated as the baby, I never was. I always had to own up to every mistake I made, even when it wasn’t entirely my fault. He doesn’t like conflict, though. I can see that. He would rather everything be easy and funny. Always a smile on his face. But I learned very early you can’t laugh through life. Sometimes things suck and you have to face up to them. But who am I to tell him that? He didn’t fuck up like I did when I was younger, he didn’t live the life I did, so maybe I should keep my opinions to myself.

Squeezing his hand, I bring it up, kissing the back. “Sorry if I overstepped.”

He shakes his head quickly. “No, don’t be. I respect your opinion. But did you notice how I’m communicating?”

“Really, Jace?” I glare and he grins.

“Just sayin’, throwing it out there.”

“Well, take it back. I heard you the first time.”

“Fine, but I appreciate what you said because you’re right.”

“I just want you to grow, I guess.”

“And I want the same for you, which is why I’m trying to pry you open and find out what’s inside.”

I roll my eyes. “Nothing but a damaged girl.”

He doesn’t say anything, and when I look over at him, his lips are pressed together. “Sorry, that came out all kinds of wrong.”

He shakes his head, though. “No, it’s the truth and I was waiting for more.”

“There is nothing else.”

“Liar,” he accuses and I smile. “But it’s cool. I’ll pry you open and then put you back together right.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he promises. “Because when you talk, you feel better. Believe me. Like right now, I feel good. Usually, it’s Jayden pushing me to be a good guy, but with Baylor coming into his life and Claire coming into Jude’s, I don’t talk to them like I used to. Now it’s just us bullshitting about stuff or them bitching at me about trusting my dad. But it’s all good ’cause I have you.”