The streets blurred past as Amy drove, headlights slicing through the dark. Her chest tightened with every unanswered call, every time his voicemail mocked her.
Her first instinct carried her back to the gallery on Lark Street. Maybe he was still there, packing up, drowning in the wreckage of what she had done.
She parked hastily and ran to the door, breathless.
But when she peered through the glass, her heart sank. The once bright space was dark now, the walls stripped bare. A few paper cups and napkins littered the floor, a forgotten wine stain glistened on the tile. The echoes of earlier laughter and whispers had been swallowed by silence.
"Jace?" Her voice was a fragile whisper against the glass, unanswered.
Her reflection stared back at her, pale and trembling, and she pressed a hand to the door, tears stinging her eyes. He was gone.
Swallowing hard, she turned and ran back to her car.
Her next stop was his apartment. She raced up the stairs, pounded on his door until her knuckles throbbed.
"Jace! Please, It's me.....open up!"
No sound, no movement. Just silence.
She slid down against the door, sobbing quietly. "Don't shut me out… not now.....I'm sorry"
She sobbed for what felt like hours before she summoned up the courage to stand up. She walked slowly down the stairs and towards her car. It felt like the world was closing in on her. She stepped into her car, head on the steering as she felt her chest tightened from within.
Her heart clenched, but then like a sudden flash,the memory returned. Waves lapping at the shore. Sand between their fingers. The way he had kissed her under a bruised sky.
The beach...of course!!!
The beach was where they began. And maybe, just maybe it was where they could begin again.
Amy hastily ignited the car and drove into the nightlight with the street lights looking like they were directing her to the one place her answers lied. As her car neared the oceanfront, Amy slowed. The sound of waves grew louder with each passing moment, that familiar rhythm tugging at something deep inside her. She parked, almost stumbling as she got out, gravel crunching under her shoes.
The beach stretched before her,the tide rolled in quietly, the full moon casting a pale fluorescent light over the water.
Her breath caught in her throat.
She walked further, her eyes scanning every shadow, every curve of shoreline. Nothing. Just the hiss of the ocean and the endless sweep of wind tangling her hair.
"Jace…" she whispered, the word torn from her lips, half prayer, half plea.
She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold back the shiver that wasn't from the cold but from the growing fear that she was too late.
Then she saw him.
Jace's silhouette stood near the tide line, the wind tugging at his shirt, his shoulders hunched as though he carried the entire ocean on his back. He didn't move. Didn't see her at first. And in that moment, Sophie's voice whispered in Amy's head "He's all you've ever wanted, Amy. Don't be so scared of being loved that you throw away the only man who would fight heaven and hell for you."
Her throat constricted. Her feet quickened.
"Jace!" she called, breathless.
He turned sharply. Even from a distance, she saw his eyes. They were wounded with a hurt she had put there.
"What are you...." He tried to say but was interrupted by Amy.
Amy stumbled to a stop. "I didn't mean it," she said, choking back a sob. "I was wrong."
He laughed once, bitter and hollow. "Wrong? Amy, you ripped my heart out in front of a room full of strangers. You called everything we had a mistake.....do you think you can just take it back because you feel guilty now?"
Her eyes filled, the tears spilling hot. "It wasn't guilt," she whispered. "It was fear. Jace, I was terrified."
He stepped toward her, slow, deliberate, eyes flashing with disbelief. "Terrified of what? That I love you? That I remember every detail of us....your favorite song, the way you crinkle your nose when you read, the sound of your laugh when you try not to laugh too loud? Does my love really scare you that much?"
Her breath broke. "Yes!" she cried, and the confession shattered something in her. "Because it's so much, Jace. It's so much that it felt like one day it would drown me. Like I couldn't possibly be enough for you. And instead of letting you see me fail, I pushed you away. I twisted things. I said the cruelest words I could think of, just so you'd hurt and leave me."
His jaw tightened, his chest rising and falling as if he was holding back everything in him. He looked away to the sea, then back at her, eyes burning.
"And Gina?" His voice was quieter now, but edged with pain. "That's what this was really about, wasn't it? You thought she still mattered."
Amy's tears fell harder. She nodded helplessly. "I saw her, and I let it fester in me. I told myself you weren't over her, she looked perfect and I thought that I'd always just be someone filling a space she left. And I never gave you the chance to speak, never trusted you enough to tell me the truth."
His voice cracked. "The truth is Gina and I have been over for years. She walked away when I needed someone most. You...." He took a step closer, his hands trembling at his sides. "You walked in when I wasn't even looking. And you changed everything. Since that first picture, Amy, it's only ever been you."
The sob tore out of her. She covered her mouth, then dropped her hands to her sides and stepped closer until she could feel the warmth of him, her tears streaking her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry for every cruel word. I don't want to run anymore. I don't want to be afraid of this. I want you. Just you. Every version of you, every imperfect day, every fight, every laugh, every silence. I want it all with you."
Jace swallowed hard, his walls trembling but not yet fallen. "You're sure?" His voice was low, almost broken. "Because, Amy, if I let you back in, I can't do this halfway. I can't survive you walking away again."
Her lips trembled. She reached up, touched his face, her fingers brushing his stubbled jaw. "I'm sure. I love you, Jace. I love you so much it terrified me to think there was someone else in the picture but I don't want to live in fear anymore. I'd rather risk everything and stay than lose you again."
For a moment, the world held its breath. The waves hushed, the wind stilled. Then Jace's resolve shattered. His hands flew to her face, cupping her cheeks, and his mouth crashed against hers.
Amy gasped into the kiss, the sheer force of it flooding her. It was desperate,raw.....the kiss of two souls who had been starving for each other. His lips pressed hard, urgent, but softened when she melted against him, her tears smearing his face.
It felt like breathing again after being held underwater for too long.
She clung to him, her hands fisting in his shirt, her entire body shaking. The weeks of distance, the nights of aching loneliness, the silence that had gnawed at her.....all of it poured out into that kiss. Her chest burned, not with pain but with the ache of relief, of finally being home.
When they broke apart, foreheads pressed together, both gasping, Amy's voice shook against his lips. "Do you feel that? That's how much I missed you. That's how much I'll always need you."
His thumb brushed her wet cheek, his voice cracking. "I've been waiting for you to say that since the night you walked away."
She kissed him again, softer this time, lingering, as if sealing her words into his skin.
And when they finally pulled apart, Amy whispered, with a certainty she had never felt before, "No more running. No more breaks. Just us. For as long as you'll have me."
Jace's eyes glistened, his arms tightening around her. "Forever, Amy. That's the only way I've ever wanted you."
And on that moonlit beach, with the tide washing at their feet, Amy knew she was exactly where she belonged.
The first fat drop of rain hit Amy's cheek just as Jace kissed her forehead. She blinked up at the sky, a shiver running through her when another cool droplet splattered across her lips. The clouds had gathered quietly while they stood together, and now, as though the heavens had been waiting for their cue, the drizzle began in earnest.
Within moments, the drizzle turned into a steady downpour. Jace groaned softly but didn't let go of her hand.
"Of course," he muttered, glancing skyward. "the night wouldn't let us have one perfect moment."
Amy laughed breathlessly, tugging at his arm as they stumbled back toward the car. "Its already perfect," she said, her hair plastering against her cheeks.
By the time they reached her car, they were both drenched, the rain soaking through every layer, clinging to skin. Jace opened the passenger door for her, and she slid in, heart still racing....not just from the sprint through the storm but from the fragile, electric hope threading through her.
The drive back was quiet, but not the uncomfortable kind. Their hands found each other across the console, fingers laced, knuckles brushing in the glow of passing streetlights. The rhythm of the rain against the roof sounded almost like applause.
When they finally pulled up outside Amy's apartment, the storm had worsened, sheets of rain blurring the street. They dashed from the car, laughing breathlessly as they splashed through puddles, and by the time Amy and Jace stumbled up the stairs to her apartment, they were dripping wet. Amy shoved the key into the lock, her wet hair plastered to her cheeks. The door swung open, spilling them into warmth. Sophie looked up from the couch, cocooned in a blanket with a mug of tea in her hand. Her eyes went wide at the sight of them....hair plastered, clothes clinging, shoes squelching like wet sponges.
"Oh, for crying out loud," Sophie said laughing setting her mug down with deliberate care. "Of course it had to rain on your reunion. Again. What is this, your ritual? Break up, make up, and then a downpour?"
Jace chuckled, water dripping off his jaw. Amy groaned, covering her face with one hand.
"You know what?" Sophie continued handing them both a towel. "You two should come with a forecast warning. Heartbreak, followed by public declaration of love and heavy downpour. Honestly, I need hazard pay for being in this friend group."
Amy threw her towel at Sophie. "You're insufferable."
"True," Sophie said, smug. "But not wrong."
Jace's voice cut through, quieter but steady. "Actually… I wanted to thank you."
Sophie blinked, caught off guard. "For what? Providing sarcasm on demand?"
"No." He shook his head, water dripping from his hair. "For the gallery. For helping me set it up. For standing by Amy. For convincing her to show up. If you hadn't, we wouldn't be here." His eyes softened, flicking toward Amy. "I wouldn't have her back."
Amy's breath caught. She turned to Sophie, narrowing her eyes despite the tears pricking at the corners. "You sneaky liar."
Sophie smirked. "What?"
"You made it sound like it was your thing," Amy accused. "Like you just wanted me to stand in for you, do you a favor. You never said it was Jace's gallery."
Sophie lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "Would you have gone if I told you the truth?"
Amy faltered, lips parting but no words coming out.
"Exactly." Sophie's grin softened. "Sometimes you have to be tricked into happiness. You're welcome."
Jace chuckled, but Amy's jaw dropped. "You're unbelievable."
"And yet indispensable," Sophie said sweetly. "Now, go change before you ruin the floor. And Amy? Don't you dare run again. I'm not helping stage another fake art show just to get you two in the same room."
Amy rolled her eyes, cheeks burning, but when Jace's hand tightened around hers, the only thing she could say was, "No more running."
A few minutes later, Amy reappeared from her bedroom in dry clothes, toweling her hair, while Jace emerged wearing one of her oversized hoodies that barely stretched over his shoulders. Sophie burst out laughing.
"Oh my god," she wheezed, clutching her blanket. "You look like a someone who mugged a college freshman."
Jace gave her a look but tugged at the hoodie sleeve with mock pride. "Comfy, though."
Amy's lips curved despite herself. "That's my favorite hoodie."
"Not anymore," Jace said, his eyes catching hers in a way that made the room go quiet for a moment.
Sophie groaned loudly. "Ugh, save the googly eyes for your room. Some of us are trying to keep our dinner down."
Amy lobbed her towel at her. "You're impossible."
Sophie caught it, smirking. "And yet, once again, indispensable."
They settled in the living room,Amy curled against Jace on the couch, Sophie sprawled across the armchair like a queen in judgment. The storm rattled the windows, but inside, the air felt warm, safe.
Sophie sipped her tea, eyeing them. "So, let's just state for the record, I was right. Again. You two belong together. You're welcome, universe."
Amy sighed. "You're going to hold this over me forever, aren't you?"
"Forever and ever," Sophie said, smug. "You'll be telling your grandkids about me one day. You'll be like.... and then Aunt Sophie lied about an art show, and boom, you exist."
Jace laughed, his arm tightening around Amy. "Honestly, she's not wrong."
Amy groaned, but her smile betrayed her. She leaned into Jace, warmth seeping through her, steadier than it had ever been. For the first time in a long while, she wasn't afraid of the storm, wasn't afraid of falling apart.
Because here she was, safe, loved, and thanks to Sophie, everything is right again.
The storm rumbled on outside, rain hammering the windows like it meant to drown the whole city. The three of them lingered in the living room, laughter trailing into quiet comfort.
Eventually, Sophie stretched, tossed her empty mug on the counter, and yawned with exaggerated drama. "Alright, lovebirds. I'm officially third-wheeling myself into oblivion. I'm taking the spare room before I choke on the excess love in here."
Amy rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous."
Sophie smirked, heading toward the hall. "Oh, please. Don't act like you're not going to drag him into your bed. Correction.....our bed." She wagged her brows at Jace. "Guess you're stealing my spot tonight. Try not to ruin the sheets."
Amy buried her face in her hands, groaning. Jace coughed to hide a laugh, but his cheeks flushed all the same.
"Goodnight, children," Sophie sing-songed, disappearing down the hallway with her blanket trailing behind her like a cape.
Amy muttered after her, "She's insufferable."
But when the door clicked shut, the apartment seemed different.The quiet thickened, broken only by the rain and the low hum of the storm. Amy looked up and found Jace watching her, his arm still draped lazily across the back of the couch, his hoodie sleeves pushed to his elbows. His eyes were softer now, but heavy, searching.
"You okay?" he asked gently.
Amy swallowed, her chest tightening. "Better than okay." Her lips twitched in a half-smile. "I just… can't believe you're here. That you're really here after everything I did to push you away."
Jace leaned closer, brushing a damp strand of hair from her face. "I told you I'd wait as long as it took." His voice was low, husky from the weight of it. "But hearing you say you're not running anymore? That's all I needed."
Her breath hitched. The distance between them felt like it had shrunk to nothing. She could see every fleck in his eyes, could feel the heat rolling off him despite the chill that still clung to her skin.
"Jace…" she whispered, but the word broke when he shifted closer, their foreheads nearly touching.
The tension sparked, undeniable, pulling them like a tide. And then his lips found hers.
The kiss was slow at first, almost reverent, as though they were memorizing the shape of each other all over again. But it deepened quickly, urgency building like the storm outside, months of ache and silence pouring into every movement.
Amy clutched at his hoodie, pulling him closer, while his hands slid to her waist. Her pulse thundered in her ears, matching the rhythm of the rain.
They broke for breath, foreheads pressed, gasping.
"This feels…" she whispered, trembling.
"Right," he finished, his voice rough, lips brushing hers. "It's always been right."
When he kissed her again, the softness gave way to hunger, his mouth claiming hers with a need that matched her own. They tumbled back onto the couch, laughter breaking between kisses, the kind that comes when you're too full of relief and want to stop smiling.
And somewhere in the background, Sophie yelled through the thin wall, "I knew you two were predictable."
They laughed breathless and aching, before pulling him down to her again.
Jace shifted, angling toward her, his free hand skimming her waist. Even through the damp cotton of her shirt, the heat of his touch seared her. She gasped when his fingers splayed across her hip, anchoring her to him.
"Jace…" she whispered against his mouth, trembling.
"Don't stop saying my name," he murmured, his lips trailing along her jaw, down to the curve of her throat. Her head fell back, breath stuttering as his mouth lingered against her skin, his teeth grazing lightly.
Her hands slipped beneath the edge of his hoodie, exploring the hard planes of his back, tracing the lines of muscle, desperate to memorize the feel of him again. He groaned softly at her touch, his own hands sliding up her sides, thumbs brushing just under the hem of her shirt.
The kiss grew hungrier, deeper, each movement rougher with need, until she was straddling him on the couch, her knees sinking into the cushions, his hands gripping her waist like he couldn't bear to let her go. The storm outside roared, but it only seemed to drive them further, like the world itself was urging them closer.
When their mouths broke apart, both gasping, Amy pressed her forehead to his, her lips swollen, her voice trembling. "This feels like fire."
His answer was a rough whisper, his breath hot against her cheek. "It feels like coming home."
Their lips found each other again, kisses desperate, hands roaming, tugging, learning and relearning. She felt the press of his body beneath hers, the undeniable heat of it, and the sound that tore from her throat was half sigh, half moan.
"God, Amy…" he whispered into her mouth, kissing her harder, rougher. His lips trailed down her jaw, over the curve of her throat. She shivered as his teeth grazed lightly at her collarbone, his breath ragged.
Her fingers tangled in his hair, tugging, and he groaned, his hands sliding up beneath her shirt. His palms splayed against her bare skin, exploring, tracing every line and curve as though relearning her by touch. She gasped at the contact, her body arching into him, heat rushing through her veins.
No more running,no more fear. Finally the two of them giving in to the fire they've been starved of.