The Perfect Storm 2

Chapter 150

I look down at my feet as I walk on the grass and pebble road beneath me. It's been months and months since I've last been to Jace's house for dinner and now going like this, so unexpectedly, makes the nerves in me twist and tighten. 

My feet finally take me to his house where my hand refuses to knock. I stand there, looking at the wooden door that leads straight into Jace's kitchen. 

His bedroom is on the left and his grandparents bedroom and the bathroom are a little into the hall, away from the kitchen and Jace's bedroom.

"Madison?" Nancy says a little startled as she puts a bag full of trash outside.

"I, uh, yeah," I say and try to blink away the awkward words that have come out.

"I had no idea you were in Ohio." She smiles and I nod.

"I wanted to come and say 'hello.'" I tell her and she nods this time.

"Would you like to join us for dinner? Ben is just finishing up with the soup." She explains and I smile at her, "Yes, thank you." She steps inside and I follow, closing the door behind us and entering the dim-lit room.

"I'm sorry for the bad lighting, our lightbulbs went out and Ben forgot to buy new ones," Nancy tells me and I nod, remembering the different worlds that I now live between. 

Miles and Ohio are two different things and I still can't get used to balance them out.

"Jace should be out in a minute," Nancy says and just as she does, Jace gets out of his bedroom but his eyes don't notice me. 

He's too busy wiping the sweat off his face with his white t-shirt—the white that only belongs to him and me, not to Miles. 

His light brown hair looks a little darker with the sweat and his torso and especially arms are more muscular than I remember. 

They don't look puffed but rather neatly defined with lines, muscles, and strength. 

They're muscles you'd only notice through a tight shirt, on bare arms, or if you're really paying attention to the lines of his arms and torso. I can't help but let my eyes scan him, taking in the new Jace in front of me. 

He doesn't notice me and walks all the way to the small bathroom almost right in front of him while I'm hidden by a small wall in the kitchen.

"Okay," I tell Nancy before she offers me to sit down at the table. I hear the shower running so clearly, knowing that Jace will see me in mere minutes. My heart starts to race but Ben's smile calms me down.

"So, Madison, it's so good to have you for dinner again." He smiles and I nod.

"Thank you, it's good to be here," I tell him and he nods.

"How's WSU treating you?" He asks before turning back around to stir the soup in the burning hot pot.

"It's been okay," I say, remembering everything that happened, Miles first seeing me at the dorm with Chrissy, Miles, Miles, Miles.

"That's great to hear, I would have liked Jace to attend but he was too set on TXSU for me to interfere," Ben says and I smile even though he can't see me, but Nancy can. 

She sits down to my left side as we wait for Jace to get out of the shower. Ben places the pot with the hot soup on the table along with freshly baked bread. 

Ben sits right in front of me and I smile at him before the three of us pour ourselves a bowl full of soup.

"Are Jace's grandparents not eating?" I ask, curious about the two.

"Oh, no, they're taking naps, they're only eating jello for now," Nancy explains kindly and I nod.

"How are they doing?"

"They're better, but old age really gets to you." Ben finishes and I give him a small smile, unsure of how to reply. We all hear the door to the bathroom open, with slight steam traveling up to the white ceiling above us.

"Madison?" Jace asks as soon as his eyes meet mine.

"Yeah." I smile at him, unsure of what to say. My feet stand up and all of a sudden I'm approaching Jace. 

I don't know how to feel about this whole situation but when I see him smile I don't hesitate to lean in for a hug and he doesn't either, making me feel like we're not as distant as I made up in my mind. 

I'm not mad at him now that he's in front of me and he's the only one who I have now. I don't have Miles anymore, the only person I have is Jace who always cares for me and he doesn't deserve to be taken out of my life even if it's only for a short time.

"It's so good to see you, you have no idea, babe," Jace whispers into my ears and my eyes go wide and so do his. We both detach from the hug and I see Jace's red cheeks. 

We look around awkwardly but to our surprise, no one heard him. I give him a small awkward chuckle and he tries to hide a smile before I sit down and he follows next to me.

"So what did I miss?" Jace asks, his brow raised and his voice seemingly deeper.

"The soup," Ben says, and we all chuckle. Jace reaches to the table to pour himself some soup and I can smell his sweet cologne, it's faint and I can barely smell it, but it's there and it's comforting right now.

"Are you both going? To Texas tomorrow morning?" Nancy asks and I look at Jace.

"You're leaving?" I ask him and he nods.

"Yeah, I've got to finish setting up my dorm and get to know TXSU." He says and I nod slowly.

"You can come with if you, uh, want to." He says, grabbing the last white bread on the plate.

"I'd love to," I tell him. Anything that will at least help get my mind off Miles is something I'm willing to do, and a trip to Jace's new college doesn't sound like a bad idea.

"I'd love to have you with you," Jace says and kindly touches my hand under the table, it's the kind of touch he has always given me—the touch I didn't know I needed. 

Holding his fingers with mine feels good and his warm skin is keeping me safe. His thumb rubs gently on my hand, creating even more warmth throughout my whole body.

"I'm glad to have my friend back," I whisper only to him.

Hi guys!! I just wanted to let you know that I created a playlist for 'The Perfect Storm' 'Madison' 'Miles.' It took so long to make so go check it out under 'Amelia levi' on Spotify!!