CHAPTER NINE

"You, Daniel, Cobyn, Jonah and Zach," Reagan asked, "That's your band?"

"Yep," Jack replied, visibly relaxing. He adjusted on his seat and his guitar on his lap before he started to strum some chords once again, "They're the closest thing I have to brothers."

"And you're really serious about making music."

"More than anything," He smiled timidly.

Reagan grinned at him, "Being the next One Direction is genuinely part of your things to do before you die, then?"

"Well, not the next One Direction," He rolled his eyes, looking like he was fighting the urge to stick his tongue out at her, "But having our songs heard by as much people as possible is definitely part of the list."

Reagan smiled, contented with his answer, but tacked on, "But you won't even let me hear you sing."

"That's different," He chuckled.

"So sing to Reagan Wallace isn't part of your bucket list?"

"No," He rolled his eyes again, "But find a way to somehow make Reagan Wallace stop pestering me to sing is high on my priority list."

"Well," she shrugged, looking regretful, "I guess there's one item meant to not be checked off in every person's list. That one's yours."

Jack sent her a glare, looking fond nonetheless, before his expression turned somber and he plucked his guitar strings when he mumbled, "How 'bout you?"

"What about me?" She asked, watching the ripples rush to the river bank.

"What's on your list?" He continued, steadily playing a tune, "Things to do before you die."

"New York," She said in an instant, no hesitation, before she snorted at herself, "I know it's silly and cliche. Small town girl dreaming of conquering the big city. Who hasn't heard that before, right?"

"It's not silly," Jack started in an attempt to appease her but she waved him off.

"i just wanna live there and feel what it's like to live somewhere fast and busy, you know? Then of course, there's the northern lights on my list. Skydive. Live in europe for a month."

"Press some flowers from the south of France?" Jack teased, picking up one of the flowers Reagan has collected and piled up near where he sat.

"Yeah," she laughed, "Just the usual."

"I get it," Jack smiled and she nudged his knee.

"How about you? What's on your actual list?"

"Well, of course, number one is to find a way to make Reagan Wallace stop pestering me—" Reagan slapped his knee and he laughed, "Kidding, jeez. Mine's more or less the same as yours except I need someone beside me, you know what I mean?"

Reagan paused, pursed lips, "Actually I don't."

Jack rolled his eyes.

"I want someone to be there with me," He said as if he was talking to a child, "It's not enough that I go to New York, I want to have someone to kiss when the ball drops. When I go to Venice or Paris I want someone to hold hands with while we cheesily walk over cobblestones and be sickeningly couply."

"Well, I'll be damned!" Reagan interrupted with an incredulous laugh, "Am I hearing things or is Jack Avery a hopeless romantic?"

Jack rolled his eyes at her for what felt like the millionth time in the past hour but he didn't stop the smile forcing its way to his lips.

"Yeah sure, make fun of me. It's just," He said, "I don't know, there's always been a person to be with when I think of my future. I don't know but that's just the way I imagine things."

"What a shame if you grow old stag."

"Okay, that's just cruel," He frowned and she laughed.

There was a pause of silence before Reagan spoke up again.

"This image in you brain," She asked, "Is there a specific girl? You know, that you're with?"

"It's pretty early to decide on who that person it, don't you think?" He laughed and she shrugged, accepting the answer.

"Guess so."

"All I know is I'm going to take someone to my favorite bistro back in Pennsylvania. Dance with someone in a Rocket to the Moon concert, and I don't know," He coughed, "Probably kiss someone in front of a waterfall. I think that's in most people's lists."

Reagan's head snapped to look at him so quick she was afraid she'd give herself whiplash. She was half-expecting to see Jack staring at the ground, but instead he was staring straight at her, looking like he was waiting for her to react—daring her to react, and she nearly stopped breathing by the mere sight of him.

No one moved for what felt like so long. Reagan could only stare at Jack. Jack stared back at her.

She didn't miss the way Jack looked ready to form apologies or excuses or explanations from the tip of his tongue but she also didn't miss the way her own eyes glanced at his lips when his tongue swiped over his bottom lip and she didn't miss the way Jack looked back at her the same way she was looking at him.

Reagan wanted to count her breaths until Jack finally moved.

He pulled his guitar from his lap and placed it onto the seat beside him. Reagan couldn't count her breath. She wasn't sure she was even breathing when Jack heaved himself up from where he sat, a few feet away from her, and sat down to lower their distance to a few inches.

Reagan didn't stop staring at Jack, from the moment he said that until the moment he sat down beside her, the heat of his body radiating to her own. Jack was looking at her with his eyes blown and bottom lip pulled between his teeth and Reagan's ears were pounding despite the how quiet their surroundings were.

And then Jack leant in. The slightest movement of his head tipping sideways and leaning towards her. Reagan was partly afraid her heart was beating too fast than she was capable of handling. But she took one look at Jack who looked no less vulnerable than she was and did the same.

Just as she could feel his breath fanning over her, when they had inches apart—continuously lessening by the second, Reagan's eyes fluttered close. The pad of his thumb gently brushed against her cheek, guiding the tilt of her head. All she had left to anticipate was his lips on hers. Her heart rate picked up as seconds drew by, her entire body lit with the awareness that Jack only had to lean only an inch more—

Until Jack's phone rang from beside them.

It was loud and shrill and Reagan didn't think she could hate a sound as much as she hated that one. She didn't think she could open her eyes for what felt like ages but when she did, Jack has already sprung away from her, the distance back between them, and she couldn't help the embarrassment that washed over her. She felt cold again.

Reagan could only glance at Jack as he stared down at his phone, eyebrows knitted together and chest heaving.

"The one time," He mumbled, "The one time I didn't want my phone to have signal."

He answered the call.

It was Logan who called, worriedly asking Jack where they were, and it was only then that Reagan noticed that the sun was almost setting, orange starting to color the sky.

The ride home was tense and quiet. No one said anything until they reached the house.

idk what this is eitHER DONT LOOK AT ME IM PROOFREADING AT THE LAST MINUTE AND IM CRINGING

BUT BUT BUT

HELLO

I DIDNT REALIZE THIS YESTERDAY BUT THIS FIC HAS REACHED 1K AND AJDKSJJSNJ IM SO THANKFUL. AND THE COMMENTS AND YOUR SUPPORT MAKES ME WANT TO CRY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR APPRECIATING THIS I APPRECIATE U

IM FORGETTING A LOT OF THINGS I NEED TO SAY IM IN A RUSH IM SORRY BUT ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU I AM SO GRATEFUL <3