Chapter 52: Chapter 1

JACE

At last, my senior year is here. I’ve been juggling school and working alongside Nate whenever he’s at the estate. He’s even given me an office right next to his, which is pretty cool. I assist with mundane tasks like filling out paperwork and hiring new guards. It’s not the most exciting work, but it’s all part of the business. I need to understand every aspect so I can step in wherever I’m needed.

School is fun, but the girls can be a bit much. They seem to try too hard for attention. If I flash a friendly smile, suddenly they think we’re engaged or something. So, I’ve stopped talking or even looking at anyone. I’m just so done with the drama. I’m relieved that this is my last year. Sure, there are some cute girls, but none that really catch my eye.

Nate and Dad tell me that I’ll know my goddess when I see her. They say I’ll feel a tightening in my chest, butterflies in my stomach, and an overwhelming urge to protect her from everything. It sounds like I’ll want to wrap her in bubble wrap.

I often wonder what she’ll look like and where I’ll meet her. But more than that, I wonder if she’ll want to be saved. What if she doesn’t? What if she never reaches out?

I ponder these thoughts as I shut off my alarm and quickly get ready for the day. I make a point to be ready before Uncle Frankie, having seen how long Nate and Jocelyn take to get ready. I figure I’ll give him a break. I grab a muffin on my way out, navigating through the morning chaos of everyone else getting ready.

“Hey Jace, Nate left some paperwork for you on your desk. You can deal with it when you get home.”

“All right, thanks, Jocelyn.”

I watch as Nate and Jessie start hounding Jocelyn and Mandy to hurry up. I can’t help but chuckle to myself as I stand off to the side. I watch Mandy say goodbye to Mason and their daughter, Missy. My parents, preferring to stay home with the grandkids, have decided it’s easier to work from home. Although, I swear we come home to more work on our desks than when we left.

After a few minutes, Frankie rushes in, sees me ready to go, and grins. We head out, load up, and make our way to school. The ride is usually quiet until the school comes into view and we see everyone gathered out front. As we pull into the driveway and wait to unload, all conversations cease and everyone stares. It’s nothing new, but it can be annoying. Our family has quite the reputation, from elementary school right up to high school.

I’m familiar with almost every girl here, so I notice new faces right away. I make my way to my locker and unload my books. When I close my locker, I see a group of girls hanging around. Looks like they’ve figured out where my locker is this year. I’m sure there’ll be twice as many tomorrow.

I’m about to walk away when I nearly bump into Tamara. This girl really grates on my nerves. She’s too aggressive. She’s the most popular girl in school, a cheerleader, track star, softball player, you name it. She’s also slept with the entire football team, yet she still thinks I should be interested.

“Jace, darling, why don’t we start this year on a positive note? How about you take me out to dinner?”

“I think I’ll pass.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not interested. Not even a little bit.”

“So you’ll think about it?”

“No.”

Tamara inches closer, her hand tracing a path down my arm. I instinctively recoil, my gaze dropping to her.

“You’re saying no now, but just you wait. Soon, you’ll be saying yes to everything I have to offer.”

“Doubtful.”

Her response is a smile, a wink, and a casual saunter away. God, she’s delusional. Who would want something that’s been passed around town like a hot potato? I shake my head, heading to my first class, hoping to make it through the day without another encounter.

My morning classes pass without incident. Tamara tries to join me at lunch, but I’m up and out before she can settle in. Thankfully, I’d finished eating, so I didn’t miss much. After my afternoon classes, I make a beeline for the car. Rounding the corner, I spot Tamara, twirling her hair and chatting with Uncle Frankie and Tank. I give them a nod, and we pile into the car, waiting for them to join us.

“Who was that girl, Jace?”

“The school’s resident easy girl, Uncle Frankie.”

Tank chokes on his drink, spraying it all over the car. Frankie’s reprimand about cleaning up the mess has me laughing. It’s the truth, after all. No one in their right mind would want that. I’m holding out for my goddess. The one who needs me as much as I need her.

We arrive home in no time. I head straight to my office, tackling homework before diving into work. I’m gathering paperwork for my parents when my dad walks in. Perfect timing. I hand him the documents, instructing him to pass them to Mom so I can focus on work.

“Did you find her at school?”

“No, Dad, not yet. I don’t think she’s there. But I know she’s out there somewhere. I have this feeling that I’ll find her soon. It’s hard to explain, like something’s stirring inside me, but life hasn’t shifted yet. Does that make sense?”

“It does! You have that gut feeling that you’ll find her and things start changing mentally to prepare.”

“Exactly! It’s like I’m trying to focus, but my brain has other plans.”

He chuckles as he leaves my office, and I’m relieved I’m not losing it. I do my best with the paperwork, filing and filling out forms. The last thing I see are employment requests from familiar names at school. Why didn’t they approach me directly? I’ll leave a note for Nate. Maybe I can sit in on the interviews.

I finish up the paperwork, leaving it on Nate’s desk as I head upstairs for the night. I grab dinner before retreating to my bedroom. My room is a sanctuary, with cream walls, tan rugs, and a light wood king-size bed with pale blue sheets.

I’ve always loved the beach, so I went with a beach theme. There’s a fireplace, wooden furniture, a “mini bar” stocked with sodas and water, a massive walk-in closet, and an adjoining bathroom.

The room soothes me. I even have a machine that mimics beach sounds. I hope my goddess will love it as much as I do. I finish my dinner and head for the shower. I’ve been having this recurring dream of a broken girl. I can see her, yet I can’t. Thinking about her stirs something in me, so I turn the shower to cold to calm myself.

After drying off, I pull on some boxers and crawl into bed. As I drift off, my thoughts return to her. This time, I can see her. I can’t make out her face, but I know it’s her. She’s in bad shape, and I know I have my work cut out for me.