Jace isn't speaking. Neither am I. The empty bag of fast food sits beside us, our garbage resting inside. I'm currently picking at the edge of it, twisting the brown paper, crumpling it and ripping it. What the hell else am I supposed to do? Talk to him? But I've been avoiding that. I don't want to freak out and hurts his feelings, which is what I know I will do if cornered.

I glance to my car. It's close by. I wonder if I could run to it? I roll my eyes at such stupid thoughts then glance at Jace to find him watching me with a soft smile. Seeing that smile makes my stomach flip and I turn away quickly to stare at the bag. It's a beautiful bag, all brown and shit.

Without any warning, Jace takes the bag and sits it aside. The gap between us is closed when he moves over and reaches up to brush a strand of hair out of my face. I pull away, staring at him curiously after he locks it behind my ear. He's smiling but not saying anything while I go on to ask, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Playing with your hair," he responds, twisting the strand around his finger before letting it go to rest his arm on the back of the bench.

"Why?"

"Because I can."

"I never said you could."

"Oh? But you're allowed to grope me in public? I see how it is."

My lips twitch back into a smile without my consent. The action only causes Jace's hazel eyes to sparkle with delight. Why isn't he asking me anything? Why are we just sitting here? Is he waiting for me to speak because that isn't going to happen!

"Let me see your pictures," Jace says, holding out his hand for my camera. I hesitate to do so, holding it in my grasp like I'm worried he'll break it. I know he won't so, with a sigh, I remove the strap from my neck and pass it over.

Jace happily looks through the pictures, clicking through them while pointing out the ones he really likes. We sit there for a while just going through them, not just the ones I took today but older ones as well. The entire time he's saying how good they are and I'm left flushing like a mad man next to him. It's not like I'm not confident in my pictures. I know they're good, people have said so before but hearing it from Jace...it's different.

The longer we sit here simply spending time together the more curious I become. Isn't he annoyed with me? I ran off to avoid talking to him so why isn't he yelling at me or telling me how immature I am? Jace hasn't made any mention of how he had to sit here for over an hour waiting for me. How the hell did he even know to wait here? I bet Sonya told him but, what if he waited and I never showed up?

"Are you crazy?" I inquire causing Jace to look at me with an expression of confusion. "What if you waited here all day and I never came?"

"Then I would have waited all day." Jace shrugs like it's no big deal.

"Wouldn't that...bother you?"

"Not really."

This kid is insane and he has to see it through my expression because he starts to chuckle.

"What?" He asks, throwing his arm around my shoulders this time. My cheeks heat up when he leans forward, close enough that one little movement could result in a kiss. There are people on the street passing by but it seems no one cares about the two teenagers looking ready to make out on a bench.

"Would it bother you if you waited all day for me?" Jace asks and, honestly, I don't even need to think about that.

"Fuck yeah."

Jace snorts and pulls away, shaking his head while I go on to explain, "If you think I would wait more than fifteen minutes, you're crazy. It is a privilege to spend time with me. My time is precious and cannot be wasted."

Jace's shoulders are shaking with laughter. His hand tightens on my shoulder, the action causing me to glance over at said hand. I'm not sure why it fascinates me to see it but it does. Then I feel a soft kiss against my cheek causing me to face Jace once again but he has already pulled away. My cheeks are on fire now.

"What was that for?"

"Do I really need a reason for everything?"

"Well, I mean–" I reach up to pull the tie out of my hair, ruffling it afterwards in confusion. "Why aren't you mad at me?"

"Why would I be?"

"I ran off just to avoid talking to you."

"I'm not mad. I am sorry though."

"Huh?" I give him an incredulous look.

"I figured talking would help and cornered you, made you feel like you had to do it," Jace explains with a frown. "But if time is what you need, I'll give you that."

My heart twists in an almost comforting way. I don't know how to explain it. I've always called myself childish for running off or avoiding a conversation but...Jace is telling me that's ok?

"You mean...if I refuse to talk about something you won't just get annoyed with me?"

"Why would I get annoyed? Not everyone needs to talk the moment shit happens. If you need space to simmer down then go for it but, when you feel ready, I'll be right here." Jace takes my hand, giving it a good squeeze and, somehow, my heart at the same time.

People have always called me annoying or childish for running from my problems. This is the first time someone is saying what it actually is; time. Time that I need to think, even if it isn't always the best. Space, space that I need in order to get my thoughts in order, even if it isn't always the best and I just feel so grateful not to be treated like an idiot, for someone to say they understand and not leave me the moment things get rough.

"I admit, I am curious why you don't want to tell me," Jace says, sounding almost a bit disappointed but not necessarily in me.

Well, that's a great question that has a multitude of answers, each one a little more stupid than the last. It's why I don't respond and instead sit here in silence.

"If it makes you uncomfortable, like I said, we don't have to talk about it now, although, I hope that we eventually do. I don't–" Jace hums, bringing up his opposite hand to rub the back of his neck. "I don't want you to feel like you can't talk to me."

"That's not, uh, it's not...like that?" My response that is more of a question doesn't help, which is clear by the raised brow Jace gives me. I bite my lip, my hands start to fiddle with the camera in my lap.

Fuck, this is why I didn't want to see him. Seeing his puppy dog eyes makes me want to cave instantly but, now, I admit I'm feeling a lot better. It's making me feel like I should talk, which is obviously the right choice but damn it, that doesn't make it easy!

I guess I don't know what to say. I don't know what it is that's bothering me. A lot? My mom? Mackenzie? But, honestly, right now, it's mostly my mom. I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk about Mackenzie because I feel like it's my own jealousy that refuses to settle down. I don't want Jace to feel like I don't trust him because I do, I really do.

Being on my own has helped. I can tell because it finally feels like I can talk even if I'm scared to. Grumbling, I find myself giving in and spitting out, "I ran into my...my mother yesterday while at work."

"Oh." Jace furrows his brow. He doesn't know much about my parents, only that they split so it's clear he has no idea what kind of impact running into her would have on me.

"We were really close when I was little. She was a stay at home mom so she was always busy with me while dad, well, he was busy with work. Not that he didn't give me all the love and attention in the world because he did. How could he resist this face?" I blink my long eyelashes at Jace, who rolls his eyes in response.

"So what happened?"

I shrug, hesitating to respond because my stomach is in knots. It takes a moment but, eventually, I take a deep breath and say, "She cheated, not that I knew back then. One day I came home from school and all her stuff was gone. I didn't hear from her, she never came to visit, never called, only sent a few cards here or there. I never thought I'd see her again but, I saw her at work. She married the bastard she cheated on my dad with and now they have a son, around the same age I was when she left. It just–"

I shake my head, the anger coursing through me has returned full force. My hands are starting to shake with frustration. "It just aggravated me and, I don't know, I wasn't ready to see her, I guess."

There was much more I could say, probably needed to say but never did. I left it at that, shrugging afterwards once more to show I wasn't going to continue or, rather, I couldn't. If I did, who knew what I would say but I promise none of it would be good.

Feeling Jace pull me flush against his side helps the anger go from a roaring inferno to a simmering flame. My cheeks, however, have taken on the inferno since they are now bright red I'm sure, not that they weren't already.

"Did she try to speak with you?" Jace asks in such a soft tone that I actually feel like I have to answer.

"Sort of."

"And?"

"I got pissy as usual and stormed off."

Jace once again brushes away the strands of hair that have fallen into my face. The feel of his fingertips touching my cheeks makes my toes curl. Why the hell is he so touchy? And why must I like it?!

"That's nothing to be ashamed of. No one can blame you for it, especially with what happened."

"It's whatever. Give me a day, I'll get over it."

"Don't do that," Jace groans, something I said seems to have set him off. He's using the hold on my shoulder to turn me in order to face him. Seeing his stern gaze makes me worried.

"Do what?"

"That. You know I already know what your worst habit is?" He presses his finger against my nose causing me to rub it after his finger retreats. "You act like it's ok when it isn't. If something's bothering you admit that it is. If something upsets you admit that it is, even if it's only to yourself at first. You're blunt, aren't you?"

"It's different," I explain, brushing Jace's hand off my shoulder so I can turn away. "Telling someone I wanna fuck them or that they're an asshole is easy."

"And telling your boyfriend when you're upset or hurting isn't?" Jace almost sounds offended when he says that, which makes me panic.

"No, I said that's–" I run my hands down my face, wondering how we are going in circles. "–just, I can handle it on my own. I don't need to complain or bother–"

"You're not bothering me," Jace interrupts. "You should know by now that nothing you do bothers me."

"Is that a challenge?" I smirk until I look back and find Jace narrowing his gaze. Ok, serious talk apparently means I can't throw a joke in, my bad. "I get it, I get it. I won't do it again."

"Yes you will."

"What about you then?" I ask, finding Jace's gaze hardening almost immediately. "Do you tell me everything that bothers you?"

Jace crosses his arms, his eyes falling to stare at the ground. "Touche."

"I thought you'd at least hesitate to admit it." Or more like I wanted him to. I guess I can see how it hurts to know that Jace possibly has something bothering him that he isn't telling me. Not that I can be much help, I'm pretty shit at making others feel better unless it's in the physical sense.

"The anniversaries coming up," Jace whispers so quietly that I barely catch it. However, the moment I do, the rest of the world seems to fade from existence. The solemn expression on Jace's face is so out of place that I can say with 100% certainty that I've never seen it before...and I don't want to see it again.

I hum to show I'm listening, unsure of whether I'm meant to ask how it's going or if it's better to just let him say it.

"It feels like we're all walking on eggshells at the house," Jace mumbles more to himself than me. "I don't like looking at the calendar or hearing how close the end of summer is. It's like, if I don't see it or hear it then the anniversary will never get here. Does that sound stupid?"

I shake my head at the questioning gaze Jace is giving me.

"Not at all," I answer, hell, with me it was the same when my mom left so I can't imagine how painful it is for Jace. "Um...if you need to talk or need to be alone or something, just let me know."

"What if I need a really expensive steak dinner?" Jace grins, his eyes are still dark, telling me that he's likely not feeling all that great yet he can still crack a joke. I guess we both have that problem...but how come he can joke and I can't? Unfair.

Snickering, I shrug and answer, "Mm, I'll think about it."

Jace drops his hands to his sides with a soft chuckle before reaching them up in order to stretch. Maybe I stare at the sliver of his stomach that is revealed while doing so and maybe Jace catches me.

"Seriously?" He laughs, pushing his shirt down to hide it from my view. Damn, it was such a nice view too.

"My goal is to at least get your shirt off by the end of summer."

Jace pinches the bridge of his nose but his smile tells me he totally digs it. I bite my lip while grinning, looking up at Jace while he drops his hand into his lap. Seeing his eyes return to their natural shine makes me feel like I've accomplished something.

"Come on," he says, standing up then holding his hand out for me to take.

"Where are we going?" I ask while taking that hand, my heart thumping loudly when his fingers interlock with mine.

"My house."

"Huh?"

"What? You don't want to come over?" He is tugging me towards his car and, the freaking bastard, turns around just before we reach it to say, "My grandparents aren't home."

Excuse me? Did he say what I think he just said? If this is some kind of test of will then I will fail that shit, happily.

"Are you trying to make me attack you? Because I'll do it."

Jace pushes me towards the passenger side without a word. It's then, while I'm sliding into the car, that I realize I came all this way to get my car yet I'm still leaving in his. Whatever, I'll get it later. Right now, I'm honestly a little curious as to why we're going to Jace's house and, well, I do want to see it.

Plus if his grandparents aren't actually home then there is a chance for some hanky panky and I am down for that! The question is, is Jace? Surely he isn't inviting me over with purely innocent thoughts in mind. You can't do that when there is no supervision.

This is clearly a set up and I wonder what Jace has in mind. Maybe I'm getting my hopes up and this is purely an innocent visit to him. If it is, I won't be disappointed, which is kind of sad to admit.

Shit, I'm in deep and it doesn't seem like I'll be getting out any time soon.