CHAPTER THIRTY

Jack was giddy with energy the entire ride going to the orchard and she couldn't complain, especially when the song fast car played on the radio and he animatedly sang along.

Jack's voice was beyond the shadow of a doubt the best thing Reagan's ever going to hear in her lifetime and all she wanted to do the whole drive was to look for her father's old recorder and capture the boy beside her singing snd laughing.

They eventually go off road, straight into a path between low-lying lemon trees. The way the branches and leaves broke down the beams of sunlight made Jack look breathtaking, his skin almost golden in some places.

And when she pulled over into a spot with good shade, Jack wasted no time getting out of the car and picking up the basket from the trunk.

Reagan laughed as she watched his enthusiasm through the rearview mirror and shook her head, meeting him just outside the car.

"We have all day," She reminded him as Jack jumped off the back, basket in hand.

"I know," he grinned, "But there aren't enough seconds in a day."

Reagan's lips pressed into a thin line and Jack laughed at how unimpressed she was.

"Idiot," She shook her head, taking the basket from his hands and turning towards one of the shortest trees that had seemingly ripe lemons.

To her surprise, Jack didn't follow. She's gotten around four lemons into the basket before she spared him a glance, raising an eyebrow.

"Not gonna help?"

Jack bit his bottom lip to hide his smile (he failed) and leaned against the pick up truck.

"Nah," he crossed his arms, getting comfortable, "I'm fine just watching you."

Reagan's pretty sure her face heated up at the attention but she ignored it and rolled her eyes.

"Lazy," she scoffed, going to pick off another lemon and having to go on her tiptoes to do so.

Reagan often enjoyed lemon-picking, especially since the orchard was rich. The sun wasn't too hot on that particular day and the sound of distant insects was indescribably soothing.

It was quiet and peaceful, and Reagan has almost filled the picnic basket to the brim when she suddenly felt a pair of hands on her waist.

She barely had the time to react before Jack was flipping her around, making her almost lose her grip on the basket, and he pushed her backwards until her back hit the lemon tree's thin  trunk.

"Jack!" She managed to get out before his lips was on hers, likely to silence her gasp.

It didn't even take a second for her to melt into his touch.

"You're beautiful," Jack said as he pulled away, sappy grin on his face, "Have I told you that?"

"Shut up," she responded at an instant and Jack only grinned wider.

"Can we just stay here and make out?" He asked with a whiney undertone to his voice, "It hasn't been ten minutes and you're already  done with your stupid task of the day."

Reagan pointedly glared at him.

He kissed her nose fondly in response.

"Come on," he laughed, "I really don't wanna go back yet."

She mulled it over in her head for a second before she shrugged, "Sure, I guess. Why not?"

Jack then excitedly went to the back of the red truck and pulled out a blanket she recognized from their trip to the cliff. He then laid it out on the grass, just beside the tree she was stood on, and she continued to watch Jack head back to pick more things up from the truck.

He got his phone, one pillow, the bags of Lays, and he threw all of them on top of the blanket at once.

By the time he pulled out the pizza boxes, she laughed, "You planned this, didn't you?"

"Well," he said, smiling to himself dumbly, "What'd you think was in the basket?"

She shrugged, "Nothing?"

Jack shrugged back, "You guessed wrong."

Two boxes of pizzas and a shared tall milkshake later, Reagan's eyelids felt pretty heavy and Jack's eyes were already closed as she combed through his hair, lazily watching the beautiful boy who had his head resting on her lap.

"I'm sleepy," he announced, intertwining his fingers over his stomach.

Reagan hummed, slight trace of a smile, "I could tell."

"You know, I like Oregon," he said, stifling a yawn, "So, so different from L.A. The air here is better, for one."

Reagan chuckled, "The air?"

"Yeah," He nodded lazily, "I don't know how to describe it. It's just better. And there's no traffic here which is pretty cool."

She let him continue rambling as she continued carding her fingers through his hair.

"I feel young here, if that makes sense. It's less suffocating. I feel like I could breathe here, you know?"

She vaguely remembered their conversation from the night before and she gently cupped Jack's face, making his eyes slowly flutter open.

"I'm glad," She smiled down at him, "I'm glad you don't always feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders."

Jack smiled back at her, his eyes squinting because of the sunlight and he looked so adorable, she wanted to lean down and kiss him.

"Thanks," he mused, "I think I can only feel that way here."

The response made Reagan's chest tighten but she didn't know how else to reply than by smiling sadly at him.

Jack must've caught onto it because he continued, "I wanna stay in Oregon. I like it here. I like being with you."

Reagan didn't want to ruin the moment with self deprecation so she just shrugged at him, watching as his eyes started to close again, "Maybe you could."

Jack hummed, smile on his face, "One day."

And she had to admit. It was a great thought. Only if there was any possibility of it happening.

"I can almost hear you think, Wallace," Jack said, eyes still closed, and mildly surprising her, "Stop that. You promised me that you'd be here with me."

"I am," She reassured him, "I'm here."

Jack hauled himself up all of the sudden and Reagan felt a shock of emptiness until he turned to look back at her.

"C'mere," he urged sleepily, patting to the empty spot on the blanket just beside him, "Lie down next to me."

Reagan's heart wanted to burst from affection.

"Okay," she mumbled weakly, shuffling down until they were roughly eye level, and Jack lied back down, "Are we really gonna have a nap in the middle of an orchard?"

"Yes," He responded, running his fingers through her hair once, "It's romantic, shut up."

Reagan chuckled.

Jack pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before he pulled her closer, her head on his chest, and it didn't even take a minute until his heartbeat slowed.

"Stay," She whispered distantly, just as she felt herself falling asleep, but she didn't get a response and she didn't think she wanted to hear one.

hello i wanna try writing smut but why is thinking abt the boys and smut making me incredibly uncomfortable y do tHEY JUST LOOK SO INNOCENT jc

Also i made a story ideas book (pls take them i need to stUdy)

btw i didnt proofread this:((( i also dont have the outline for the rest of the story yet HAHAHAH i h8 myself