Whispered Promises

Chapter 37 - Lost in the Moment

POV: Josy

The ride to the diner feels like it's dragging on forever, and my leg won't stop bouncing. I'm so ready to see Jackson. I know it's ridiculous—I've only been gone for like two weeks—but still, I missed him more than I thought I would. New York was wild, but Jackson's been on my mind the whole time.

When Sarah pulls up to the diner, the glow of the neon lights feels warm, welcoming. "I see you guys later in the club right?" "Yeah of course, thanks for the ride!" And then I see him. Jackson's standing there, leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, looking casually cool like always. His eyes scan the street, and when they land on me, his whole face lights up, that stupidly cute smile breaking out, making my heart race for reasons I really shouldn't dwell on.

I hop out of the car, trying to play it cool, but the second he starts walking toward me, that easy grin on his face, I feel the familiar flip-flop in my stomach.

"Hey, stranger," I say, biting back a grin.

"Look who finally decided to show up," Jackson teases, his voice low and playful. "How was New York? Turn into a big shot while you were there?"

I roll my eyes, stepping closer until we're practically toe-to-toe. "Please. Like I'd let fame change me. But I did bring you back a piece of pizza. You know, the real stuff."

His eyebrows raise in mock surprise. "Pizza? For me? I'm honored."

I smirk and lightly punch his arm. "Don't get too excited. I ate it on the plane."

He laughs, grabbing my hand for a moment, giving it a quick squeeze before letting go. "You would."

There's this weird pause, and for a second, we just look at each other. My heart's doing that annoying thing again where it speeds up when he's this close, and I don't know how to make it stop.

"I missed you," I blurt out, surprising myself with how real that sounds.

Jackson's grin fades a little, his eyes softening. "Yeah, I missed you too."

We stand there for a second longer, the words hanging between us, and I swear, if this was a scene in one of those rom-coms I love, this is where we'd kiss. But instead, Jackson's arm casually slings around my shoulders, pulling me into him, and we head inside the diner. He skipped the usual kiss at my temple. Not that it is important, but it kind of stings a little.

We settle into our usual booth, and I feel a warm, cozy feeling settle in too. The diner's pretty much empty except for an older couple in the corner. Jackson slides in across from me, picking up the menu like he hasn't memorized it by now. But he doesn't even look at it, just shoots me a grin.

"You gonna tell me about all the glamorous stuff you did in the city, or are you just gonna keep teasing me about pizza?"

"Oh, the glamour," I start, biting my lip to keep from laughing. "You should've seen me, Jackson. I was practically living in penthouses, mingling with celebrities."

"Uh-huh, and did you accidentally run into a billionaire CEO who fell hopelessly in love with you?"

"Duh. And now I'm planning my wedding at the top of the Empire State Building."

He snorts. "Guess I don't stand a chance then."

Something about the way he says it, even jokingly, makes my heart do that dumb skip again. I twirl my straw in my drink, suddenly feeling weirdly... shy. Which is ridiculous, because this is Jackson. We've been through a lot together.

"Nah," I say, leaning forward on the table, my eyes meeting his. "You're still my favorite."

Jackson's teasing smirk falters for just a split second, something flickering in his gaze that I can't quite read. "Careful, Josy. You keep talking like that, I'm gonna start thinking you actually mean it."