37.

JACE'S HAND squeezed mine tightly, his fingers gripping mine like he'd disappear if we let an inch between us. His mother stared at us from the front door, the door handle still clutched in her hand. Her eyes grazed over my face before shooting to our clasped hands.

"Jace," she said, her stare flitting back up to meet his own. "I thought that I forbid you from going to physio today."

"No need to worry, Mom. Your little fit this morning put a stop to that plan. By the time I got there, the class was over," he shot back.

Her expression soured and she turned back to look at me, her eyes narrowed, and brow wrinkled in distaste. I refused to shift under her stare. Instead, I lifted my chin, my grip tightening in Jace's hand.

The last time I'd seen her, she had screamed at us. Screamed at me. I remembered how easily her sweet smile had morphed into an expression of darkness – contempt. I could feel her hatred as she dismissed me. As she drove off, speeding away from Jace and me.

I could still see her contempt now, as she stared at us, the pretend smile officially gone, her true feelings reflected in the tight frown she sent me.

"Are you here to apologise?" she asked finally.

I blinked at her. Then, I started to laugh. "Apologise? Shouldn't it be the other way around."

She folded her arms over her chest, frowning. "I don't see what you mean."

"Mom," Jace cut in, his voice withering and tired. "I want the car back. I want my phone back. I want my life back."

"Your life?" she echoed. She cackled, shaking her head. "Do you mean the life you so selfishly tried to take? Or the life that consisted of staying in bed until three in the afternoon? Or maybe it's the life that gave up on track, gave up on school, confined to your own bedroom. That life? Which is it, Jace?"

Jace boiled beside me, stepping forward in a fit of anger. I tugged him back, and he paused, inches away from his mother.

"I didn't give up, Mom. I tried out again. Or did you conveniently forget about my entire recovery process?"

"But you didn't get in, did you?"

He winced. It was only a tiny wince, but I saw it. I saw it in the miniscule narrowing of his eyes, the tiny wrinkle in his brow. I saw it in the way he took in a sharp breath through clenched teeth and tightened his grip on my hand.

Anna smiled at that.

"No. You didn't. Because, guess what, Jace? You gave up on it. Not only when we were back in California, but when you tried to take your life. When you had me worried sick for you in that hospital bed for weeks after. Until now!"

"I'm sorry!" Jace yelled, so suddenly that I startled. My eyes widened and I stepped closer so that our arms were touching. "I'm sorry, Mom, that I was so fucking depressed that living didn't seem worth it anymore! I'm sorry you were worried! I'm sorry that you had to move across the country, and pay my medical bills, and drive me to therapy, and – and I'm sorry for ruining your relationship with Dad! And for – for ruining everything – and –"

"Jace," I whispered.

He looked at me.

Looked at me, like he'd forgotten I was there. His eyes were wide, and his chest was rising and falling with heavy breaths, but as his eyes met mine, he softened. His mouth closed and his fingers loosened around mine, probably just realising now how tight he'd been holding onto me.

He let out a slow breath, his shoulders sagging with the movement before turning back to his mother.

"Mom," he started again.

Anna stared at him, like he was a new person. She still crossed her arms, still glared with an icy frown, but there was something in the way her lips twitched. Something in the way her brow furrowed as he spoke.

"I'm sorry for uprooting your life. I promise, it wasn't my plan." He paused and I knew what he was thinking. What his real plan had been back in California. "But now we're here. And I've been working with Dr Lindsay, and Dr Julio, and Dr Hannah. I've been going to my classes. My physio. And I met Jasmine. You can't say that you want me to be normal, and the ignore all my efforts just to stop me from seeing Jasmine. Just because you're afraid."

"Afraid?" she repeated with a scoff. "I am not afraid, Jace. I'm worried. We both know what will happen when she breaks up with you."

"I'm not going to –"

"And if you decide to date again, it should be with someone else," she continued, cutting me off.
"She's a bad influence, Jace. Haven't you heard the gossip? She's... You should be with someone... happier."

Undamaged.

Normal.

Jace scowled at that. "Mom, don't you ever –"

"And," she interrupted him. "You know this was meant to be temporary. We're going to leave soon. You're going to leave her."

Jace, still fuming at his mother's insults towards me, cut her a sharp glare. I squeezed his hand, and he took a steadying breath, his eyes not leaving his mothers.

"I know that was the original plan," he began slowly, trying to keep his voice low. "But Dr Lindsay says I'm doing really good here –"

"Your father is waiting for us back in California. Your sisters need you –"

"– I can graduate here and then I'll be off to college anyway. I don't want to go back to my old school. Our old town –"

"Jace!" she shouted eventually. A couple was crossing the street behind us and Anna cut herself short, forcing a strained smile onto her face and taking a deep breath. "Jace. I am your mother. I know what's best for you."

"I'm eighteen!" he was shouting now, and unlike Anna, he didn't care who turned to stare. "I'm an adult! You can't – you can't make me – you can't –"

His voice cracked and I squeezed his hand.

"Mrs Wilson," I said. She opened her mouth to snarl at me, but I interrupted. "Please, just listen to me. I understand where you're coming from. You're worried about Jace. You miss home and the rest of your family. But, can I just ask, why did you move here in the first place?"

She blinked wordlessly, her back straightening as if not expecting the question. "We moved here because – because he needed a break. To get away. And his dad is from her, Dr Lindsay was here. It seemed like a good option. He needed a quiet town where nobody knew..."

I nodded. It was the answer I expected. I already knew from Jace, but I needed to make my point. She wouldn't listen to me otherwise. She'd probably just yell at me again for telling her how to parent – as if parents were free from criticism, especially from their own children.

"Mrs Wilson, we're already mostly finished with our semester, and Jace already moved once in the middle of the school year. How do you think he would feel about moving again? Going back to his old town?"

Her frown deepened. "He'd be fine. He has his sisters and father there."

"I don't want to go, Mom," Jace said.

"You don't know –"

"Mom," he interrupted again. He spoke slowly, enunciating each word. "I don't want to go. I don't want to leave. I want to graduate here."

"But... Your sisters..."

"Will be fine without me," he finished. "They've been fine without me so far. We text and call every day – at least, when I have my phone. They just want me to be happy. They –" he paused, blushing, and looking down at his scuffed shoes. "They think Jasmine's good for me."

I spun to him. He'd told them about me? Now, I was blushing too. I wondered what he'd said to them. I wondered if his dad knew too.

"Jace."

"Mom."

They stared at each other, unblinking, and I could feel the tension clawing at me. I chewed on the inside of my cheek. And then, Anna was sighing, her arms falling dead by her sides.

"Jace, I just – I don't..." she trailed off, all out of arguments.

Jace jumped on the opportunity. "Mom, you don't have to agree with me. You don't have to stay. But I'm staying. And I'm not breaking up with Jasmine. It's my life, and I'm happy here. Wasn't that the whole point of this?"

"You were supposed to be happy with your family. You were supposed to be happy, then move back to California."

"But I'm not happy there!" he exclaimed. He released a breath, pressing a hand to his forehead. A vein bulged near his hairline like it was going to pop. "I'm not happy there, Mom. I'm eighteen and I'm making this decision. It's final."

She glowered but said nothing. Which was a good sign. Probably. At least she wasn't arguing anymore.

"I want my phone back," he said. She opened her mouth to interject but he continued. "And the van. Dad gave it to me. It's in my name."

She was silent for a second. Then, she reached into her pocket, dropping the van keys and his scratched phone into his hand.

His fingers closed around them and he smiled, sending her a curt nod.

"Thanks, Mom."

She looked at him. For a moment, I thought she wouldn't reply. I thought she might close the door in our faces or tell him to never come back again. But instead, her eyes softened. It was only a fraction, but I could see the sadness behind it.

"I'll see you at dinner," she said. And she closed the door.

Jace and I stood in stunned silence for a minute, staring at the shut door. I could hear Anna's breathing behind the wood, quiet and barely there, and then her footsteps shuffling away a second later.

Jace spun to me, holding his phone up.

"Success," he said, grinning.

"Was it?" I asked, still in shock.

I didn't know what had just happened.

He nodded, glancing back at his front door, at the spot his mother had been just a second ago, and his smile grew wider.

"We'll be okay," he said quietly, and I wasn't sure if he was talking about him and me, or him and his mother. Maybe both.

It was enough for me.

I leaned closer, lifting onto my toes to kiss him on the mouth. He smiled into the kiss, dropping my hand to place it on my back and pull me closer.

When we pulled apart, he rested his forehead against mine, breathing my breath.

I smiled, pressing another quick kiss to his lips.

"We'll be okay," I repeated.

I believed it.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

3 chapters left! Omg this chapter was really hard to write but I hope you all liked it! Things aren't perfect for Jace, but they're looking up, which means we have plenty of room for fluff now hehe let me know your predictions for the final few chapters!