instagram stories !

𝗷𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲
1 𝗁

𝕵une has spent the last fifteen minutes wandering through the hotel gardens, having gotten tired of waiting for Jack and Nico to come see them after the brief meeting they're having with a Devils PR expert.

She chatted with Ellen and Jim for a while in the hotel lobby before deciding she needed some fresh air and leaving to walk around the vast grounds, quickly phoning Luke and catching up with him.

She tucks her hair behind her ear, stepping over a grass root her heels slightly digging into the ground which makes her immediately hop over to the path running between the grassy area.

Her phone rings then, Jack's name flashing over the screen.

Her heartbeat picks up for no reason — okay, well there is a reason and it's that Jack hasn't seen her yet so last he remembers she was frowning at him across the breakfast table wearing sweatpants and a tshirt that she stole from him (he knows) which completely justifies her anxiety.

She answers the call, "You're done?".

"Hey—yeah. We're waiting in the lobby, come on over".

"Okay, one minute".

She hangs up and moves over to the open glass doors walking onto the marble floors, attempting to calm down her breathing as she makes her way to the seating area at the back.

Her steps fasten when her gaze catches on Ellen, Jim, Nina — Nico's older sister — and Nico standing together in a huddle, Jack standing with his back to her.

Suddenly, it's getting too real. And she wants to run. It might not be possible in the heels she's wearing but she's ready to take them off and run barefoot if it means she'll get away from the . . . . well, the expectation of the moment.

What if Jack takes one look at her and realises that she wasn't the right choice for his plus one? That she's going to go there and yap and oh my god, what if I embarrass him?

She really doesn't want to do this anymore.

"There she is", Ellen's face lights up when June gets closer, Jack finally turning to look at her and oh.

He blinks, taking her in.

His eyes slowly trail from her hair down to her lips, eventually looking at all of her — her dress, the heels, her ring clad fingers fiddling with the small clutch she's carrying.

He blinks again, gaze returning to her waiting face.

His expression is unreadable but mostly, in the sense that he has no idea what to say.

She nervously bites down on her bottom lip and stands up straight.

"Well?".

"You look so gorgeous, June. That dress is amazing", Nico smiles throwing an arm around her shoulder to pull her into his side and she happily accepts it, breathing in his fresh scent.

But her eyes stay locked with Jack's.

"You, uhm", he finally clears his throat, stuffing a hand in his pocket, "You look beautiful, Bug. Just . . . perfect".

He smiles then, softly gazing at her with that stupid fucking expression that he's been giving her a lot lately and the urge to melt into a muddle at his feet is very strong.

"She's a princess", Ellen pats her cheek and Jim laughs quietly, warmly looking at June with so much parental affection that something catches in her throat.

"Oh, Jack got something for you", Nico gestures for Jack to hand her whatever it is that he's holding in his other hand which is when she realises that it's a rose.

A pink rose — because she's always said she prefers the pink ones.

Gingerly, June takes it from him, their fingers brushing with that buzzing feel, and silently stares down at the flower and the way its petals softly curl very lightly at the edges.

She looks up at him then, trying not to burst into a full blown sob in front of everyone.

"Thank you".

He only smiles, stepping up to place a hand on the small of her back and usher them all out to the vehicle waiting outside.

Ellen, Jim, Nico and Nina walk a bit ahead letting them follow in a little privacy.

"You really do look stunning. For a second there, I think I forgot to breathe".

His words hit warmly, just like his breath, against the side of her neck, her skin flushing in the aftermath.

She glances up, his eyes already on her.

Appreciating her.

Grinning, she sidles up closer to his side, his arm completely resting against her hip now, fingers tight yet somehow so gentle over the soft fabric.

"You don't look so bad yourself".

He snorts, sending her a side glance.

"Just keep the alcohol consumption to a minimum tonight".

She squints, "Why? You think I'll embarrass you?".

"What? No. No—what? I . . . . need you sober".

"What does that mean?", she scoffs.

He shrugs with a faint smile.

"You'll find out".

— && —

All throughout the evening June has spent her time chatting with people who seem to materialise out of thin air and laughing at every stupid inside joke that passes between Nico and Jack, who hasn't left her side once.

But she hasn't had the chance to talk to Jack at all because people suddenly seem way too interested in knowing and talking to Jack Hughes' plus one. It's a little exhausting but she feels herself relax now that she's seated at dinner with Nico on her right and Jack right across from her.

"You should definitely show her around if you can. She's very stubborn so she likes to act like she doesn't need anyone but she does get sorta lonely at times", Nico sips his drink, sending her a knowing glance as they converse about his cousin, Aurora who moved to Newark just this January.

Luke would love to, actually — rests on the tip of her tongue but she holds it back because the last thing she needs is to out her best friend to his captain even if it's only for her own entertainment.

She smiles, taking a sip of her water — she abandoned the pursuit for a full glass of wine when she caught Jack's sharp stare across the table a few minutes ago and settled on only water, he's so demanding — and nods.

"Give her my number and tell her to contact me whenever. I only had a short chat with her at the party but she seems cool", Cool enough for Luke to be head over heels for her, he's in love you know? If they get married, she might become a Hughes and Luke will officially be a part of your family. Wait, do you think they'll let me and Jack tag along to Switzerland with them for vacation?

The thought of Jack claiming a spot in her fantasy sobers her up and her eyes instantly move over to catch his but she only finds an empty seat which makes her frown.

Where the hell—

"I'm gonna go introduce mom and dad to a few people. You guys good over here?".

She looks up, his right hand resting on Nico's shoulder and the other one on the back of her chair fingers lightly brushing against her exposed back.

A slight chill washes over her and he seems to notice because he bites his lip to suppress a smile.

"Yeah, we're fine", Nico answers briefly glancing up at him before looking away with a very, very faint smile when he realises that they're both too busy staring at each other to pay attention.

"Mhm", June nods and Jack steps back, only to momentarily move over to shove something on her side of the table and then he's gone, walking away as if she's not gazing at his back in confusion.

Nico gets distracted by a man coming up to offer him a hug and she takes that as her cue to grab the folded tissue Jack left on her table and open it up.

'My room @ midnight'.

A smile pulls up her lips, her cheeks burning as she looks down and takes in the words scribbled hastily in his scrawled handwriting with a black pen.

June pulls her bottom lip between her teeth to keep herself from desolving into a giggling mess right then and there lest everyone label her as insane.

She has a meeting at midnight after all.

***
i'm pmsing so bad that i actually teared up while writing one of the future chapters for this book and the chapter isn't even sad (maybe it is, you guys will be the judge of that tho 😔)