A Chance

Chapter Nineteen

Hey, so I know that it was been a long time. And I am so sorry that I just dropped off the face of the Earth. These past five months have been extremely difficult and I have been dealing with a lot of mental issues. But, now I am off for summer break and hopefully getting back in the swing of things. I will be trying to update once or twice a week now.

So, now onto the story:

Joey hadn't cried nine years. Not since her mother died. Despite Jace being much taller and having a bigger built than Joey, she was holding him. Like a mother to a child or like an older sibling to a younger one, this hug was completely platonic.

Jace could remember the last time that he was held like this. It was when he was learning to ride a bike. His nanny at the time, Sarah, was teaching him. He had fallen and hurt his knee, he was panicking, and she was trying to calm him down. She pulled him to her and held him until he calmed down. He remembered how safe he felt. He felt loved.

That memory came back to him while Joey was holding him. He felt those same feelings he felt with Sarah again, but with Joey now. He thought that his feelings for her were just romantic, but they had evolved into something else. He felt something deeper for her. He couldn't describe it that well. He felt the same feeling of protectiveness he felt for his cousins and aunt. But, he knew that he had a deep level of attraction towards her as well. He had no idea what these feelings were, or how strong they were or were becoming. He looked back, and he felt that this would have terrified him; it should have him wanting to run and get away. To not him and someone get hurt. That if they both continued to let these feelings develop, he would have no idea what would happen between the both of them.

It was terrifying and thrilling all at the same time. He had no idea what was going to happen to them, as friends or something more, but he sure as hell wanted to be around for it. And he was starting to believe that she wanted to as well.

"What are you thinking about?" Joey asked him as they both lied on the ground in silence.

"Oh, just you." Jace said honestly

"What about me?"

"Just that you are probably the most amazing person I have met."

"How would you figure that?"

"Because you sat here listening to me. You told me that it was okay to cry. And you held me when I was crying. Most people would not do that." Jace said pulling back to look at her face.

"I'm not like most people." Joey said whispered not being able to look away from him.

"I know, and that's what makes you so extraordinary. Without even trying, you're your own person. You're Joey." He said while tucking a hair behind her ear and moving his hand to her neck. She shivered in response.

"Sorry about that." Jace said with a soft smile while brushing his thumb over her cheek and then holding her face still.

"No you're not." Joey said matching his smile as she leaned into his hand and put her hand on his wrist while rubbing her thumb in circles.

"You're right, I'm not." He smiled so warmly at her that it hurt.

It was such an intimate moment that Joey wanted to freeze time to capture this moment and remember it forever. She had never felt this strongly about anyone. Joey felt so right with him. Like everything in the world was perfect and nothing could ruin it. Then he leaned his forehead on hers and Joey thought that her face might burn with the heat rising to her face. She could feel his breath on her face. The proximity was not helping Joey's breathing. Jace was slowly moving his face closer to hers. Joey slowly closed her eyes. And Jace only whispered one thing. Her name.

Their first kiss had felt on fire. This kiss was different. This kiss wasn't because of the paparazzi was about to take a picture of the both of them together. Nor was it to ignore the on going impasse between them: that they belong in different worlds. This kiss was passionate, intimate, and real. Their first kiss had been fiery and intense. This kiss was savored and passionate. This kiss made her feel safe, wanted, and needed.

Jace wanted to show her all the emotions that were going through him that he couldn't put into words. He wanted her to know that what was going on between them anymore, was not just friendship, that there was something more. That he had no idea how to say out loud. He wanted her to be his, and his only. They kissed softly for a few more minutes before needing air. Jace leaned his forehead against hers again and they were both grinning like idiots.

For the next few hours, they both simply just lay on the grass and talked about everything. From their families, to things that happened when they were little, or how Joey had a stereotypical upbringing while Jace didn't (which he found fascinating to hear the simple mundane things that she did in high school.) They talked about what they wanted to be when they grew up, as if they had a clue. It was simple and relaxing, something they both had not had in a while.

The sky was starting to darken and Joey looked how beautiful the sky was. It was twilight and all the sunsets she had seen, while she was in LA, had been nothing like this. The sky was full of pink, red, orange, yellow, blue, and purple. It was so beautiful and surreal by how breathtaking it had been, she forgot all those hazy cloudy LA nights and focused on how something simple could be extraordinary.

Jace simply chuckled at Joey. He knew why she was awestruck. Personally, the first few times the he had come here, he was too.