working with jace {jace norman}

Chapter 33

I shove my papers into my bag, heavy with the stuff packed from the past month. My parents had come home this morning, but I had been caught up at work.

I push my backpack over my shoulders, pulling out my hair from between. Jace taps on my door from the hall, welcoming himself in.

"You ready?"

"Yeah" i switch off my mirror light, grabbing the rest of my things. We walk through the quiet hallway, Jaces keys being tossed around on his lanyard.

"Goodnight Cooper" 

"Goodnight Em" his voice calls from his room as we pass. Opening the doors to the outside, and making our way to the car.

"You excited to see your parents?"

My eyes widen lightly; we hadn't said much to each other for the past few weeks.
"Yeah"

"You mind if I, stop in to say hi?"

"Sure"

We drive in silence, I wasn't up for much talking.

We pull in about a half an hour thru California traffic. I hop out of the car without him. Hustling to the door in into the kitchen, engulfing my mom in a hug that I had never thought would occur. I had missed her.

"Where's dad?"

"He's gone to bed already"

I sigh, hugging her once more.

"Hi jace"

I pull away from my mom as she smiles behind me, I turn to meet the eyes of his. His light jacket still clung to his skin, his keys dangling down by his knees. He grins his dorky smile, his hair a mess from his fingers running through it.
"Hello ma'am.  How was your trip?"

"Good. How are you doing? Getting some of your memory back, yeah?"

"Almost all there" he nods.

"That's great hun" she grins, resting her hand on my head. "Its getting late. We'll catch up in the morning"
She kisses my head, her heals clicking against the tile as she leaves to her room.

I stand there on my own, watching her until she dissapears.

"They didn't seem to care to see me" I stare at my feet.

"They're just tired. Hey," jace stands from the door frame, walking towards me
"You okay?"

My head shakes, looking down at the ground as my cheeks start to warm up, eyes beginning to sting. I sit down in the kitchen chair.

"Emily..."

"You're leaving and my parents seem oblivious of me -"

"Hey," he kneels in front of me, grabbing my hands,
"Stop"

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Its going to be okay Em" he hugs me, softly running his hands up and down my back.

I sniffle, wiping off my eyes and sighing,
"I'm sorry... I'm just, tired

"Lets get you to bed then, yeah?"

I nod, allowing him to follow me up the stairs to my room. I drop my bag on the floor, pulling out my papers from work and stuffing them into my dresser drawer. I close it, but it sticks, not pushing past the cluttered mess within the drawer. I reach in, pulling out and old flower notebook that I hadn't seen in years. I flip my thumb through it, curious. Stopping on a full page of writing. I grin at the list, chuckling lightly to myself.

"What's that?" Jace peaks over my shoulder.

"A list"

"No shit?"

I elbowed him lightly,
"I made it when I was little; fifty things I want to do"

"Be a princess?" He chuckles

"I was eight, alright?"

I shut the journal, slightly embarrassed of my childhood mind. I lay it flat within the drawer, closing it back up smoothly

I sit within the sheets of my bed, watching as Jace sits on the edge of my bed.

"I'm good now..."

"I know I just" He sighs, "I don't want to leave yet"

I nod, "Oh. Okay?"

"I'm sorry for leaving you"

"Its not your choice Jace, it's fine"

"I know, but I just felt like things were going good between us, and now that I'm leaving..."

"Its just going to be a weird adjustment. We'll get a routine down and, it'll be six months in no time."

He sighs, smiling lightly and resting his hand on my knee.

"When do you leave?"

"Monday. But I can stay with you until then"

"Go home, Jace. Stay with your family, it'll be a while before you see them."

"It'll be a while before I see you too"

"Family first" I grin, reaching myself forward to kiss him lightly on the cheek.
"I'll come to the airport with you. But you spend time with your family until then. We can catch up later"

He nods lightly, staring harshly down at the ground. He let's out his breath that he'd been holding. Getting up, his hands push against his pants in the process. He turns his face to look at me.

"Sleep tight Em"

"I love you"

"You too"

He switches off my light on his way out. His mellow tone scaring ghosts back into their graves as it echoes off my walls. Playing over and over again.

It'd be hard without him.