Jace glanced down at them. “Ok, we can start small.” He glanced back up at me with excited eyes. “Like camping in the backyard.”
“I never went camping as a kid.” I held up a hand when Jace’s mouth went slack. “Which I’m totally fine with, incidentally. I never minded missing some of the regular things kids did. Really, I think the thing I would have liked the most was a basic sleepover with a group of friends.”
“You’ve never done a sleepover at a friend’s house? Not even Leah?”
I shook my head.
“It’s a good thing I’m willing to do as many sleepovers as you want,” he smirked. “I mean, I’m willin’ to put in the extra effort here. We could play two truths and a lie, then spin the bottle, then progress to seven minutes in heaven. All with yours truly, of course.”
I playfully pushed him on the shoulder. “What’s two truths and a lie?”
“It’s a game where you say three facts about yourself, one’s a lie and two are true. Everyone has to guess which one’s the lie.”
“And that’s . . . fun?”
Jace tilted his head back and forth. “I mean, it’s usually played in middle school, but we can play for funsies.” He rubbed his hands together. “Here’s an example. My name is Jace Vargas, I played Romeo in high school, and I perm my hair.” Jace pointed to his frizzed-out hair, which had dried all haphazard after the rainstorm today.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the obvious lie.
“See? It’s fun. You try!” Jace’s whispered enthusiasm was infectious.
I looked down at my kids, then back to Jace. “I have two awesome kids. I love wearing pretty shoes, and I drink coffee every morning.”
Jace nodded encouragingly. “See! You’re getting it.”
I grimaced, shaking my head. “There’s a reason this is for middle schoolers.”
He grabbed my hand. “We’re just warming up. I’ll try again.”
He cleared his throat lightly. “I once dressed up as a clown for a six-year old’s birthday party.”
I smirked at the memory as he squeezed my hand.
“I’m great at predicting the weather by looking at the sky.” He lifted his eyebrows at me, making me chuckle.
Jace then looked up in thought, his thumb stroking absently over my knuckles. When he faced me again, his smile had tempered, expression suddenly serious.
“And I love you.”
My heart immediately began to hammer in my chest. I replayed his statements over in my head.
I once dressed up as a clown for a six-year-old’s birthday party.True.
I’m great at predicting the weather by looking at the sky. Lie.
Which meant, by process of elimination, what Jace said last, had to be true.
And I love you.
I swallowed roughly.
I thought I’d been in love once. But then after years of being with David, I realized it wasn’t love. You don’t treat someone you love that way. With silent disapprovals in your facial expression and cold shoulders year in and year out.
Jace was like finding the sun. He’d filled my world with so much light that at first, I was blinded by it. Scared that when he got closer, he might not like what he found. But day by day, through his actions and words, he showed me that the sun was a good thing; it scared away all the shadows. The people that love you, stick around, even if you’re not perfect in the harsh light of day.
He demonstrated what unconditional love was supposed to feel like.
“My name is Polly Anna Alberton.”
