"Something wrong?" I ask while feeling very hypocritical.

"No, what's wrong with you?" He asks in return. I can actually hear him trying to keep his voice from shaking. "You said you wanted to talk but you're not saying what's wrong, instead you invite Nanette to hang out with us?"

"You ask that like I haven't spent time with one of your ex's before."

Jace doesn't hesitate to respond, which stumps me a bit, "In a public setting, I apologized after you made it obvious you didn't like it so how does this compare?"

"Shouldn't it be obvious that I didn't like it? Would you be ok if you hung out with one of my ex boyfriends?"

"Yes," Jace answers without even having to think about it and, again, that stumps me. His knuckles are starting to turn white on the wheel while he takes a deep breath. "Listen, my dad never let my mom hang out with anyone. He was possessive, controlling and jealous and I refuse to be like that."

His voice is low, shaking to the point that I can tell he's using all his willpower not to yell. I never intended for him to bring up his parents, especially since I know exactly how they passed. Murder-Suicide, something no one should have to go through let alone a seven year old kid. The fact that Jace refuses to raise his voice clues me in on what his dad was like even if everyone at school already has a pretty good idea. Now I feel like an asshole for making him even have to talk about it.

"You can hang out with your ex boyfriends. I will too if you want me to because I am not controlling your life or acting like an asshole to somehow prove my interest in you. You're not a piece of property. I don't own you and I never will so don't try to force me to act like it."

"That's not—" I bite my lip, unsure of what to say, especially after Jace's outburst. It's so out of character that I can't bring myself to respond. Sighing, I start to play with my seatbelt, twisting it around my hand and letting it go over and over while trying to think of what to say. I can only really think of one thing.

"Sorry," I whisper, keeping my gaze on my feet since I can't bare to look at Jace. "I didn't...I didn't mean to make it sound like that. It's not what I meant."

I'm shocked when Jace suddenly reaches over to take my hand in his. My eyes can't help but to stare at our intertwined hands now resting on my lap. Somehow there's a heat emanating off them so strong that I can feel it in my chest.

Fuck, I'm so screwed.

"I'm sorry too," Jace mumbles, which has me finally looking at him in confusion because, honestly, what is he sorry for? I was the one acting like an ass, which isn't unusual. "I didn't mean to get mad."

"Is that what you call mad?" I send him a smile that makes Jace's shoulders finally relax. "It was pathetic."

Jace squeezes my hand just as we pull into the parking lot of a restaurant. We both hesitate to get out, Jace not taking his hand away from my own. I learn why when Jace asks, "Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

"Huh?" Oh right, there was something I wished to discuss but we kind of got off track. "No, not exactly."

Jace waits patiently for me to bring it up, which only makes my stomach churn. There's no use avoiding it though. If I do then we'll end up in another argument. I don't like making Jace angry, even if his anger pales in comparison to my own.

"The girl that always calls and messages you, Mackenzie—"

Jace's eyes go wide.

"Who is she?"

The hand holding mine shakes a moment before Jace regains his composure. Looking away, he hesitates to speak, which only puts me more on edge. He doesn't want to talk about her? Why? What's their relationship? If there's something going on just tell me so we can break this off before I lose it.

I'm not sure what makes Jace finally cave but he does. There's a heavy sigh that even I can feel the weight of before he says, "She's my brother's girlfriend...was my brother's girlfriend."

Fantastic, I dredged up another awful memory.

"Sorry," I immediately blurt out, shaking my head to show we can end the conversation with that. "I—we don't need to talk about Mateo if you...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

I should have believed Olivia and assumed it was a family member! Mackenzie basically is if she was dating Mateo before he died. Somehow I've managed to bring up Jace's parents and brothers death all in one day. Hell, it hasn't even been a year since Mateo's car wreck so that wound is still fresh.

I've peaked. I'm at the top tier of what an asshole is. I am garbage and I need to fall into a hole and die.

"It's fine," Jace says but I don't believe him. Especially with the way his eyes have darkened, like he's remembering something troubling. "We need to talk about it since she'll be calling more with—" Jace lets go of my hand to pull away. My hand feels cold without his. "—with the anniversary coming up. If that bothers you, I can ask that she doesn't call me."

"No!" I quickly interject, waving my hands frantically, which has Jace eying me suspiciously. "I was only worried because you were acting strange but I get it. If she needs to talk then I understand and if you need to talk—"

Where the hell am I going with this? I don't fucking no and my hands can't stop flailing through the air. It's ok though because Jace is finally starting to smile and that makes my stupidity worth it.

"I mean, if you need to talk then I'm...here?"

Why do I make that sound like a question?

Jace chuckles, bringing up his hand to ruffle his hair like he's stalling to speak. When he drops his hand back into his lap, all his jaw does is hang open for a moment before snapping shut. We're both left sitting there just staring at each other in silence and I don't know what the fuck I'm meant to do. Did I miss this up? Did I say something wrong? I have no clue.

It seems I have not messed it up though when Jace reaches out to press his hand to my cheek. Said cheeks are now bursting with color but I can't panic about that yet since I'm panicking over the sudden close proximity of our lips. Jace's eyes are locked with my own, the practically burning embers within his eyes makes my heart decide to say "fuck it" and stop working entirely.

Jace's hand slowly moves its way back to twist his fingers into my hair and, with that, he leans in for a kiss that is nothing like our first. It's long and frustrating but in the best of ways believe me. There's almost a hunger to it, Jace's teeth coming out to nip at my bottom lip teasingly. While his tongue runs over the seam of my lips he never does more than that and damn it, he best do something or I am going to freak!

It has me leaning closer, my own hand coming out to cradle his neck, feeling the pulse beating beneath my fingertips. It's encouraging, makes my own heart match the beat. The car is growing hotter by the second and I feel like any minute I may actually burst into flames. Obviously no such thing happens but the sparks only intensify when Jace finally presses his tongue into my mouth.

This fucker tried to make me think he was a bad kisser. I will end him! Only after I've quenched my thirst, which may be never judging by the absolutely electrifying way his tongue rolls over the expanse of my mouth. It leaves me breathless, not to say I wasn't before yet somehow Jace manages to intensify everything I'm feeling with a single flick of his tongue.

And when Jace pulls away I'm only left with the desire for more. Seeing his eyes looking back into mine has turned my brain to completel mush. When he smiles, it only gets worse.

"Eres muy lindo."

"I'm googling that right now," I whisper, the sound so breathy that I'm actually embarrassed.

Shaking his head, Jace pulls away and his heat is missed immediately. However, there's a teasing smirk on his lips that makes me think I'll be getting a kiss like that again sometime soon. I sure as hell am because if he thinks once I've learned how great of a kisser he is that we aren't making out constantly than he is actually insane!

"I'm looking it up, I'm serious!" I call after the boy after he's out of the car. My phone is already out and I'm trying to determine how any of it is spelled.

Jace doesn't seem to mind, waving it off while heading to the entrance. It isn't until he's at the door that I find a translation that makes sense.

You're really cute.

"Did you find it?" Jace shouts from the doorway, grinning from ear to ear when I look at him with a face that I know is blushing full force.

Quickly, I put my phone away and refuse to admit that I found the translation or...that I really hope he keeps saying it.