Chapter 31 31.Explanation
Tabitha’s POV
“If you actually want to talk about what you saw last night, maybe stop avoiding me like I’m some plague,” he jabs, voice laced with frustration
I keep my eyes on the sink. My hands move slower under the stream of water.
“Why would I want to talk about it?” I ask bitterly. “It’s none of my business who you kiss. You can do whatever you want. Kiss whoever you want. That has nothing to do with me.”
He pushes off the wall. “Is that why you walked away after what you saw?” he taunts.
I grit my teeth and rip a paper towel from the dispenser to dry my hands.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I ruin the mood for you? I’ll make sure next time I see you with your tongue down someone’s throat, I’ll cheer instead of walking away,” I shot back, my voice dripping with acid.
I turn to leave, but he reaches for my arm and catches me gently. The contact makes me freeze. His expression softens.
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t what I meant. I didn’t come here to piss you off. I’m here because, well—fuck.” He briefly shuts his eyes close as if he is frustrated with himself. “Yennifer kissed me,” he finally continues as soon as he opens his eyes again. “I didn’t want it. I didn’t kiss her back. I pushed her away!”
I look down at his hand on my arm.
“You don’t owe me an explanation,” I say quietly.
His jaw clenches. He steps closer, then cups my chin to tilt my face up. I don’t fight him, not when his thumb over my chin makes my heart go haywire.
“I do have to explain,” he insists in a firm voice. “I hate misunderstandings. I hate that you think I kissed her and liked it. I didn’t.”
“What difference does it make, Jace? Whether you kissed her or not—it doesn’t matter because it has nothing to do with me.” God, I hope I was able to convince myself that before I ran away like an idiot yesterday.
“It has everything to do with you because…” he trails off and averts his gaze.
“Because what?” I probe. I don’t know why I’m doing this. I should just drop this conversation but I can’t seem to stop myself from getting the answer I’m not sure I want.
Jace mutters a curse before leaning closer, his forehead kissing mine. My breath hitches at our sheer proximity. One wrong move and I’ll feel his lips against me.
“Because I don’t want you to have the wrong impression of me. Yennifer and I have been over for a while now. And I’m not planning to go back with her—or anyone.” His gaze drops to my lips and I swallow hard. “Contrary to your belief, I don’t think with my dick.”
“Then, why were you inside the ladies’ bathroom in the first place?” Damn it, I should really stop asking more questions.
“Yennifer had been pestering me the whole night. She kept saying she wanted to talk. I got sick of the back-and-forth, so I told her fine. One conversation. That’s it.” He takes a deep breath and rubs his thumb over my lower lip. “I meant to talk to her in the hallway. But there were guests everywhere, and I didn’t want to make a scene.
“So you dragged her into the bathroom?” I say, lifting an eyebrow.
“It was the nearest empty room I could find. I just wanted to get it over with,” he explains softly. “We argued. She kept begging me to give her another chance. I said no. She didn’t like that.”
I already know where this is going, but I let him say it anyway.
“Before I could walk out, she grabbed me and kissed me. I pushed her away right after. You saw that.”
“Or maybe you pushed her away because you were guilty of getting caught doing something filthy inside the ladies’ bathroom,” I fire back.
Jace lets out a sarcastic laugh. “Oh, believe me, I have no issue doing filthy things in the bathroom… but only with the person I like.” His words are a whisper, spoken directly over my lips. My face burns. “I pushed Yennifer away because I didn’t like her kiss. I didn’t even touch her back. She caught me off guard, and yeah, I was pissed about it.”
To be fair, I did hear voices of two people arguing before I went inside the bathroom, so his story kinda checks out. Somehow, hearing his side lifts a heavy burden off my chest.
Shit. Why am I even relieved to know that Jace didn’t intentionally kiss Yennifer? Or that he’s not planning to go back with her… or anyone?
“Hey…” Jace brushes the corner of my mouth with his thumb and frowns. “Say something, please.” He sounds almost desperate.
But before I can respond, I hear Mom’s voice calling from the next room. “Tabitha, come on! We’re starting again!”
“C-Coming!” I yell back in haste. “We need to head back,” I tell him and avert my gaze.
I step back, slipping from his touch. But just as I reach for the door, Jace circles his arm around my waist and pulls me flush against him. His chin settles on my shoulder.
“Are you still mad at me?” he murmurs, voice low near my ear.
My heart stumbles and I swallow hard. What is he doing to me?
“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I be mad?” I ask in a shaky voice.
He hums quietly, then nuzzles the tip of his nose against my shoulder. Almost as if he is longing for my scent.
“Then just say it,” he whispers against my neck. “Tell me you’re not mad anymore. Tell me you believe me. I’ve been a good boy for being this patient, haven’t I? Don’t you think I deserve a reward?”
God, he’s so shameless. But worse, it’s working.
“Fine,” I hiss, cheeks on fire. “I’m not mad. So stop acting like a kid.”
I feel him smile against my skin. Then he places a slow kiss at the base of my neck before finally letting me go. I don’t say another word and just slip out of the bathroom. I walk as fast as I can back to the tasting room, trying to calm the mess inside my chest.
I rejoin the group and sit beside Mom again. Jace follows me a few minutes later. The rest of the tasting passes by without much incident. Mom continues to try every flavor, her eyes sparkling with each bite. Chef Lydia seems pleased by our feedback. The boys offer comments here and there, but what surprises me most is how Jace seems… lighter. Back to his usual self. He jokes with Reed and teases Luca. He even sneaks in a few ridiculous remarks that actually make Mom laugh.
And every now and then, I catch him glancing at me with a small smile.
I hate how much it makes me want to smile back.