Whispered Promises

Chapter 18 - Between Laughter and Doubt

Josys POV

The ride back from the beach had been quiet, with a relaxed sort of tiredness settling over everyone in the car. I leaned my head against the window, the cool glass a welcome relief against my sun-warmed skin. I could hear the low hum of Jackson's voice as he chatted with Levi in the front seat, his laugh mixing with the sound of the radio, and something about it made my heart flutter in a way I wasn't sure I was ready to admit.

I wasn't supposed to feel this way. This was all just for show, right? A fake relationship to help Jackson keep up appearances. But every time he smiled at me, every time he touched me—even in the smallest, most innocent way—it felt *real*. And that terrified me.

The car slowed as Levi pulled into the parking lot of a small diner on the side of the highway. The neon lights flickered, casting a soft glow over the gravel lot, and I felt my stomach rumble in response. The beach had been fun, but after hours in the sun and surf, I was ready to eat.

"Food," Alex mumbled from the backseat, stretching her arms over her head. "Finally."

"Yeah, Levi's driving made me too nervous to eat," I teased, shooting a grin at Levi as I unbuckled my seatbelt. "I think I deserve a burger after that."

Levi shot her a playful glare, stepping out of the car. "You're lucky I didn't let Alex drive. Then you'd have something to be nervous about."

"Hey!" Alex protested, shoving Levi lightly as they all climbed out of the car. "I'm a great driver."

Jackson chuckled, rounding the car to open the door for me before I had the chance to do it myself. "You'd think they'd be getting along better by now," he murmured with a smile, leaning close to me as we walked toward the entrance of the diner.

I felt my skin tingle at the proximity, but I forced myself to smile back, trying to act normal. "Yeah, well, maybe one day they'll figure it out. In the meantime, we get to enjoy the show."

Inside the diner, the warm, greasy smell of fried food and coffee welcomed us like an old friend. We slid into a booth near the back, Levi and Alex taking one side while Jackson and I sat across from them. The jukebox in the corner played some old country song, and the place had a charming, retro feel that made me feel comfortable right away.

A waitress appeared with a smile, her notepad ready. "What can I get you kids?"

"Burgers all around?" Jackson asked, looking around the table.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and I couldn't help but laugh at how simple it was. "Make mine with extra fries," I added, flashing the waitress a grin.

The waitress took our orders and disappeared, leaving us alone in the booth. There was a moment of quiet before Alex leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands.

"So," Alex said, looking around the table with a mischievous glint in her eye, "what's one thing you haven't told anyone yet? Something embarrassing, weird—whatever. We've been friends for a while now, but I feel like there's still so much we don't know about each other."

Levi groaned, shaking his head. "We're really doing this? What are we, in a movie?"

Alex shot him a glare. "Yes, we are. And you're starting." She definitely spent too much time with already.

Levi sighed, clearly not in the mood for it but knowing better than to argue with Alex. "Fine. Something weird, huh? Okay, uh..." He thought for a moment, scratching his chin. "I used to be obsessed with dinosaurs when I was a kid. Like, *obsessed*. I memorized all the names, watched every documentary, even made my parents take me to those cheesy animatronic dinosaur parks. I still know way too much about them."

I couldn't hold back my laughter, the image of a younger Levi running around in dinosaur pajamas flashing in my mind. "That's adorable," I said, smiling wide.

Jackson grinned, clearly enjoying the revelation. "I can totally picture that."

Alex raised an eyebrow, nodding approvingly. "Okay, not bad. Your turn, Josy."

My mind raced as I tried to think of something that wasn't too revealing but still funny enough to share. "Alright," I said after a moment, a small smile playing on my lips. "When I was in middle school, I tried to cut my own bangs because I thought it would be easy. Spoiler alert: it wasn't. I ended up looking like a lopsided version of Lord Farquaad from *Shrek* for about three months."

The table erupted in laughter, and I found myself laughing along with them, the embarrassment of the memory dulled by the humor of it now. Even Jackson was chuckling, his eyes crinkling at the corners in that way that always made my heart skip a beat.

"Wow," Alex said between laughs, wiping a tear from her eye. "That's amazing. I need to see pictures."

"Never happening," I replied, shaking my head. "Those photos are buried deep."

The conversation flowed easily after that, everyone taking turns sharing little pieces of ourselves that we hadn't revealed before. There were embarrassing stories, childhood quirks, and even a few confessions about old crushes that made everyone groan in sympathy.

But through it all, I found myself watching Jackson out of the corner of my eye. Every time he smiled, every time his hand brushed mine under the table, I felt that familiar warmth spread through my chest. And yet, I couldn't shake the nagging doubt that tugged at the edges of my mind.

*What if this is all just part of the act?* What if Jackson was only being sweet and attentive because that's what they were supposed to do for our fake relationship?

I knew he was a good guy—he had never given me any reason to doubt him—but that didn't stop me from questioning everything. I had been hurt before, and the last thing I wanted was to fall for someone who wasn't really falling for me.

As the food arrived and the conversation shifted to lighter topics—football, classes, upcoming plans—I found myself caught in a tug-of-war between my heart and my mind. I didn't want to admit that I was falling for Jackson, but the more time we spent together, the harder it became to deny it.

*This is going to be more complicated than I thought,* I realized with a sinking feeling. But for now, I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on enjoying the moment—the laughter, the food, and the warmth of Jackson's hand resting lightly on my thigh under the table.

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