I smile, leaning over to kiss his cheek, loving the feel of his stubble against my lips. “My sparkling personality and my penchant for wearing pink Converse? The fact that I always have Fireballs in my pocket? My choice of activities based on a shirt I found in a sketchy souvenir shop on Canal Street?”
Jordan props himself up on one elbow, leaning down to kiss me again. “All of the above,” he whispers against my lips. “And so many more things.”
“Jesus,” I mumble as he lays back down next to me, taking my hand as butterflies riot in my stomach. “You’re the best more than friend I’ve ever had.”
“More than friend?” he asks, scooting closer to me so our shoulders are pressed together, his head leaning against mine, hands intertwined.
I shrug. “I mean, you’re my best friend, and you’ve also seen me naked a bunch. I wasn’t sure what to call us now.” My tone is flippant, but my stomach twists a little. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make this about defining our relationship or anything. This has only been happening for, like, two minutes.”
Jordan turns his head to look at me. I can feel his gaze on the side of my face before he grasps my chin, tipping my head towards him and pressing a kiss to my lips. “Hurricane, what did you think was happening here, exactly?”
I shrug again, not sure what else to do. “I don’t know. This is new for me, and this is your first time dipping your toe back into the dating pool since Allie. I didn’t want to assume anything.”
Jordan gives me a wry smile. “Okay, well, first of all, this may be new for you, but you caught on pretty quickly. Second of all, I’m not dipping my toe into the dating pool. I’m not interested in any kind of pool at all. Pool means lots, and I don’t want lots. I only want you.”
“You mean that?” I ask, hating that the question lays bare all of my inexperience and an insecurity I didn’t realize I possessed until this very minute.
Jordan’s expression turns serious, and he glides his thumb over my palm. “Jo, I’m fucking crazy about you. You are the most important person in my life and the best thing that’s happened to me in a very, very long time. I know we have a lot to figure out. A lot of me is still a mess, and we live in two different places, and there are probably other things I can’t remember right now. But I know that I want you for as long as you’ll have me. Be with me, Hurricane. We can figure out all the details later.”
I feel my smile spread over my face because fuck, this man. There has never been anyone more perfect than him. “You’ve got me, J.”
“Yeah?” he asks, a dazzling smile on his face.
“Definitely, yes. And for what it’s worth, I don’t think a lot of you is a mess. I think you’re doing just fine.”
Jordan strokes the back of his hand down my cheek in the most romantic gesture of all time. “Better with you.”
I reach up and cover his hand with mine. “So does this mean you’re, like, my boyfriend or whatever?”
He laughs, leaning over and kissing me again. “Yeah, Jo Jo, that’s exactly what it means.”
We both lay back, shoulder-to-shoulder, and Jordan chuckles. “This isn’t the best stargazing location.”
I glance around at the few courts still occupied by people who look like they actually know what they’re doing, massive floodlights lighting the area as the sky gets dark, and the extremely well-lit grounds around Wollman Rink, and I have to laugh. “Yeah, probably not, but we have the court for another half an hour, and it’s weirdly nice to lay like this.”
Jordan squeezes my hand. “It really is.”
Neither of us speaks for a while; we just exist in this happy little bubble as night falls all around us. It’s Jordan who breaks the silence. He shifts and clears his throat. “So, I kind of had something to ask you.”
I turn my head to look at him. “Ask away, J.”
He flushes a little bit, and it’s so adorable I want to kiss every inch of his face. “I kind of did a thing. I was texting with my brothers, and I sort of told them I would ask you if you wanted to come to Boston with me.”
Everything inside of me lights up, but I force my expression and my voice to stay even. “Did you?”
He takes a deep breath and lets it out. “I haven’t been back to Boston since Allie died.”
I squeeze his hand. “You mentioned that before. Do you feel ready to go now?”
He squeezes back. “I’m honestly not sure if I’m ready or not, but it’s my mom’s birthday in two weeks, and I want to go. That has to count for something.”
“That counts for everything, J.”
“So, would you? Go with me? Maybe it’s too much too fast, and I can’t promise my family will be normal or have any kind of chill with you because they’re more of a crazy, smother you with love kind of family, but if you’re up for it, I would really like for you to come.”
I bring our joined hands up and kiss his knuckles. Jordan inhales sharply, and his eyes cloud with emotion. “It’s not too much, and it’s not too fast. I’d love to come. A crazy, smother you with love family sounds perfect.”
He smiles, shifting even closer to me, leaning over and kissing my forehead. “Thanks. It’ll be more fun with you there. Everything is more fun when you’re there.”
