Jay Jay's POV
Mia and Percy came out next.
Mia stopped mid-step, eyes narrowing instantly. "Your eyes are red."
I sighed lightly. "It's a horror house. That's kind of the point."
"Hmm," she tilted her head. "Still suspicious."
Percy smirked. "Very suspicious."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm fine. Relax."
A pause.
Then—
I smiled.
"Actually… yeah. I'm fine."
And this time—
It didn't feel like a lie.
"Perfect!" Mia clapped suddenly. "Then we celebrate with food."
"Finally," Percy muttered.
"And then ice cream," she added.
"Obviously," I said.
Because of course.
---
By the time we reached the restaurant, Mia was already dragging Percy by the wrist like he'd disappear if she let go.
"Sit here," she ordered, pushing him into the chair beside her.
Percy raised a brow. "You know I can sit on my own, right?"
"No," she said instantly. "You can't be trusted."
I dropped into my seat across from them, watching the whole thing with a slow smile.
Jason sat beside me.
Of course.
---
The waiter came and left.
Orders placed.
And just like that—
It started.
---
"Mia," I said casually, leaning forward, "why are you holding his hand under the table?"
Both of them froze.
Percy immediately pulled his hand back like he'd been caught stealing.
"I was not—"
"You were," I cut him off, grinning.
Mia narrowed her eyes at me. "You're imagining things."
"Am I?" I tilted my head. "Because from here, it looks very… cute."
Percy coughed. "Okay, first of all—"
"Oh wait," I interrupted again, gasping softly. "Are you two sharing food too?"
Mia blinked. "What?"
"You just gave him your fries," I pointed out dramatically.
"That was ONE fry!"
"That's how it starts," I said wisely.
Jason let out a low laugh beside me.
---
"Wow," Mia leaned back, crossing her arms. "Look who's talking."
I raised a brow. "Excuse me?"
"You," she pointed directly at me, "who has been glued to him since morning."
I scoffed. "That is not true."
Percy leaned in. "You literally held his hand in the horror house."
"That was survival," I said instantly.
Jason murmured beside me, "You didn't let go after that either darling."
I turned to him. "Whose side are you on?"
He smirked. "Darling...ofcourse,The honest one."
---
"Ohhh," Mia grinned. "And the way he keeps calling you—"
"Don't," I warned.
"Darling," she finished anyway.
Percy burst out laughing.
I glared at both of them. "You two are insufferable."
"And you're blushing," Mia added.
"I am not."
"You are."
"I'm not."
Jason leaned slightly closer. "You are."
I elbowed him lightly. "Stay out of this."
"Can't," he said. "I'm involved."
---
Food arrived, but no one really focused on it.
Because apparently, my life was more interesting.
---
"Tell me something," I said suddenly, resting my chin on my hand as I looked at Mia and Percy. "When did this happen?"
"What?" Mia asked, too quickly.
"This," I gestured between them. "The soft looks, the sharing food, the unnecessary touching—very suspicious."
Percy choked on his drink. "Unnecessary—?"
"Yes," I nodded. "Very unnecessary."
Mia rolled her eyes. "At least we're not dramatic."
"Oh please," I scoffed. "You two are one step away from feeding each other."
"Don't give her ideas," Percy muttered.
---
"Okay, enough," Mia clapped once. "Your turn."
"My turn for what?"
"To be exposed."
I leaned back. "Try me."
---
Mia turned to Jason instantly. "Tell us something."
I narrowed my eyes. "Don't you dare."
Jason looked between us.
Then smiled.
Slowly.
"Oh, I have something."
"Jason—"
"Jass," he corrected softly.
Mia gasped. "Even better."
---
I pointed a finger at him. "Be careful."
He ignored me completely.
---
"So," he started casually, leaning back in his chair, "there was this one time—"
"No," I said flatly.
"—when we were out," he continued, "and she insisted she wasn't scared of anything."
Percy grinned. "I like where this is going."
I covered my face. "I hate all of you."
---
"And then," Jason went on, clearly enjoying this, "a dog barked from behind a gate."
Mia leaned forward. "And?"
He smiled.
"She jumped."
Percy laughed. "That's normal."
"No," Jason shook his head. "She didn't just jump."
I glared at him through my fingers. "Stop."
"She grabbed me," he said, looking straight at me now.
Mia gasped again. "Oh my god."
"And then," he added, "she pretended nothing happened."
"I did not!"
"You did," he said calmly.
---
"I hate you," I muttered.
"No you don't," he replied softly.
That—
That was too smooth.
Too real.
---
"And the best part?" Jason added.
"There's more?" Percy asked, already laughing.
"She told me," he continued, "that she was just checking if I got scared."
The table burst into laughter.
---
I dropped my head onto the table. "I'm leaving."
"You're not leaving," Mia said, wiping her tears. "This is gold."
Percy nodded. "Pure gold."
---
I sat up, glaring at all of them. "First of all, that dog was aggressive."
"It was behind a gate," Jason said.
"That doesn't matter."
"It couldn't reach you."
"You don't know that."
He laughed softly.
And that—
That sound—
It did something.
Something warm.
Something familiar.
---
"Okay fine," I said, crossing my arms. "At least I didn't scream like you did on that roller coaster."
Jason blinked. "Excuse me?"
Mia perked up. "Wait—he screamed?"
I smirked. "Loudly."
"That is not true."
"It is."
Percy leaned forward. "We need details."
I grinned. "Oh, I have plenty."
---
The teasing went on.
Back and forth.
Lighter.
Easier.
Like nothing heavy existed.
Like everything was just—
Fun.
---
And for a while—
I let it be that way.
Because maybe—
Just maybe—
I needed this.
This noise.
This laughter.
This… distraction.
---
And maybe—
I wasn't ready to feel everything else just yet.
Later at the ice-cream parlour
---
The ice cream parlour was brighter than the restaurant.
Too bright, maybe.
Soft pastel walls, warm yellow lights, quiet music in the background—everything felt… calm.
Peaceful.
Like nothing heavy was allowed to exist here.
---
Mia was already at the counter arguing about flavors.
"Why can't I mix all of them?"
"Because that's not how it works," Percy said.
"It should work."
"You're a menace."
"I'm creative."
---
I shook my head, smiling, and walked in behind them.
Jason stayed beside me.
Close.
But not overwhelming.
Just… there.
---
"What are you getting?" he asked.
"Chocolate."
"Predictable."
I turned to him. "Safe."
He smirked. "You were never safe."
I raised a brow. "And you would know?"
"I do," he said quietly.
---
We got our ice cream and stepped outside.
Mia and Percy immediately took the bench—
Which left the smaller one.
Of course.
---
I sat down.
Jason beside me.
A little closer than necessary.
But I didn't move.
---
For a few minutes—
It was just silence.
Soft.
Comfortable.
Not forced.
---
"You still eat the edges first," he said suddenly.
I frowned slightly. "What?"
He pointed at my cup. "You always eat around the sides first before the center."
I looked down.
He was right.
I hadn't even noticed.
---
I glanced back at him. "You remember that?"
He smiled faintly. "I remember everything."
---
Something about that—
Made my chest feel… lighter.
And heavier at the same time.
---
"You used to steal my ice cream," I said.
He scoffed. "You used to offer it."
"I did not."
"You did," he insisted. "And then you'd complain about it."
I smiled slightly. "Because you took too much."
"I had to," he said. "You eat too slowly."
---
I laughed.
Soft.
Real.
And it surprised even me.
---
"Remember that day at the beach?" he asked.
I looked at him. "Which one?"
"The one where you said you could beat me in a race."
I groaned. "Don't remind me."
He laughed. "You were so confident."
"I slipped," I defended.
"You fell."
"I slipped."
"You dragged me down with you."
I pointed at him. "You lost too."
"I sacrificed myself."
I rolled my eyes. "Delusional."
---
He leaned back slightly, still smiling.
And I realized—
I missed this.
This version of him.
This easy.
Uncomplicated version.
---
"You've changed," he said after a moment.
I tilted my head. "Good or bad?"
"Both," he replied honestly.
I nodded slightly. "Fair."
---
"You're… stronger now," he added.
That made me look at him.
"Or maybe just better at hiding things," I said quietly.
He didn't reply immediately.
Just watched me.
---
"And you?" I asked. "Have you changed?"
He let out a small breath. "More than I wanted to."
"Regret it?"
A pause.
Then—
"Some parts," he said.
---
Silence again.
But this time—
It wasn't empty.
It was… full.
Of things we weren't saying.
---
"You know," I said softly, looking at my ice cream, "I used to hate you."
He nodded. "I know."
"I really did."
"I know that too."
---
I glanced at him. "And now?"
He asked it quietly.
Carefully.
---
I didn't answer immediately.
Because I didn't have a clear answer.
Not yet.
---
"I don't hate you," I said finally.
That was enough truth for now.
---
He smiled slightly.
Not wide.
Not dramatic.
Just… soft.
---
"You still call me Jass," he said suddenly.
I blinked. "What?"
"You've been calling me that all evening."
I froze.
Had I?
---
"I didn't even notice," I admitted.
He leaned a little closer.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "That's the point."
---
Something in my chest shifted.
Because that name—
It wasn't just a nickname.
It was… something deeper.
Something familiar.
Something I never really let go of.
---
"Maybe it just slipped," I said.
"Or maybe," he replied softly, "some things never change."
---
I didn't argue.
Because I wasn't sure I could.
---
Mia's voice cut through suddenly, "Are you two having a private moment?"
I rolled my eyes. "Go away."
Percy smirked. "Not possible."
---
I stood up, walking a few steps ahead.
Needing a second.
Just a second.
---
Jason followed.
Of course he did.
---
"Hey," he said softly.
I turned to him.
---
"You okay?" he asked.
Simple.
But not light.
---
I nodded.
Then paused.
Then—
"I think I am," I said.
---
He looked at me like he was trying to understand something deeper.
Something I hadn't fully figured out myself.
---
And maybe—
That was okay.
---
Because for the first time in a long time—
I wasn't overthinking every second.
Every feeling.
Every memory.
---
I was just…
Here.
Talking.
Laughing.
Remembering.
---
And somehow—
That felt like a beginning.
Not an ending.
---
"Come on, Jass," I said without thinking, turning back toward the others.
"Let's go before they eat everything."
---
He didn't reply immediately.
But when I glanced back—
He was smiling.
---
And I didn't ask why.
Because I already knew.
Jason POV
---
She didn't wait for me.
She just walked ahead a little, that same soft smile still lingering on her face, like something inside her had finally… loosened.
"Come on, Jass," she said over her shoulder, not even thinking about it. "Let's go before they eat everything."
And there it was again.
Jass
Effortless.
Natural.
Like it never left.
---
I followed her to the car, trying not to look as affected as I actually felt.
But it was getting harder.
Because every time she said it—
It felt like I was getting a piece of her back.
---
She slid into the passenger seat.
Comfortable.
Familiar.
Like she'd done it a hundred times before.
And maybe—
That's what made this feel so unreal.
---
"Seatbelt," I said automatically as I got in.
She rolled her eyes but put it on anyway. "You haven't changed."
"Some habits are good, darling."
She didn't argue.
Didn't even react.
Just looked out the window with that faint smile.
And somehow—
That silence between us didn't feel awkward.
It felt… easy.
---
The engine started.
Percy's car was already ahead of us with Mia beside him.
Of course they were.
---
"Race them?" she said suddenly.
I glanced at her.
"You're serious?"
She turned to me, eyes lighting up. "Very."
I smirked. "You never learn, do you?"
"I always win," she shot back.
"Delusion suits you."
"Drive, Jass."
---
I laughed.
Actually laughed.
And pressed the accelerator.
---
The city lights blurred past us as we drove.
Not too fast.
Just enough to feel alive.
---
"You remember," she started, leaning back slightly, "how you always got dragged into my trouble?"
I scoffed. "Dragged? You pushed me into it."
"I did not."
"You absolutely did."
She turned toward me. "Name one time."
"One?" I laughed. "I can name twenty."
"Try me."
---
"School lab," I said immediately.
She froze for a second.
Then narrowed her eyes. "That was not my fault."
"You literally told me to distract the teacher."
"Because you were good at it."
"I wasn't!"
"You smiled," she said. "That's all it took."
I shook my head. "And while I was 'smiling,' you almost set the lab on fire."
"I didn't set it on fire."
"You almost did."
"Details."
---
I glanced at her.
She was smiling.
Really smiling.
And it hit me—
God, I missed this.
---
"You got detention for that," she added.
"We got detention," I corrected.
"You didn't even do anything."
"I stood next to you. That was enough."
She laughed softly. "You never defended yourself."
"I didn't need to."
"Why?"
---
I looked at her for a second.
Then back at the road.
"Because you were worth it."
---
Silence.
Not heavy.
Just… quiet.
---
She looked away.
But I caught that small change in her expression.
That slight softness.
---
"You were stupid," she said after a moment.
"I still am."
She smirked. "Good. At least you're consistent."
---
"Remember New York?" she asked suddenly.
I let out a breath. "How could I forget?"
---
Those streets.
That school.
Those endless days where everything felt bigger than it actually was.
And yet—
Somehow simpler.
---
"You used to start fights over the smallest things," I said.
She gasped. "Excuse me?"
"You argued with a teacher over attendance."
"He marked me absent!"
"You were late."
"By two minutes!"
"You still argued for ten."
"Because I was right."
---
I laughed again.
And it came easier now.
Lighter.
---
"You dragged me into that too," I added.
"You supported me."
"I tried to leave."
"You stayed."
---
I smiled slightly.
Yeah.
I always stayed.
---
"And that time on the rooftop," I said.
She immediately looked at me. "Don't."
"You said no one would find us."
"They didn't."
"The principal did."
"That was bad timing."
"That was your timing."
---
She laughed again.
And for a moment—
It felt like we were back there.
Back in New York.
Before everything got complicated.
Before I left.
Before I lost her.
---
"You know," I said after a while, "things changed a lot after you left."
She didn't respond immediately.
Just listened.
---
"Percy… he wasn't the same."
That got her attention.
---
"What do you mean?" she asked.
---
I exhaled slowly.
Choosing my words.
---
"He had a lot going on," I said. "The inheritance, the business… your aunt Victoria constantly on his head."
Her expression shifted slightly.
Concern.
---
"And you?" she asked quietly.
"I saw it," I said. "He didn't show it much, but… it was there."
---
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel slightly.
---
"And then you were gone," I added. "And he was worried about you too."
Her gaze dropped for a second.
---
"Mia was around more after that," I continued. "At first, just… checking in."
A small smile formed on my lips.
---
"And then they just—clicked."
---
She looked at me again. "Clicked?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "She balanced him out. Made him laugh when he didn't want to. Pulled him out of his head."
---
I glanced at Percy's car ahead.
---
"And he grounded her," I added. "When she got too much."
---
Jay smiled slightly.
Soft.
Understanding.
---
"They needed each other," I said.
"And you?" she asked.
---
That question—
I felt it.
---
I looked at her for a second.
Then back at the road.
---
"I didn't have that," I said honestly.
---
Silence filled the car.
But it wasn't uncomfortable.
---
Because the truth was—
I didn't need to say more.
---
She already knew.
Or at least—
She felt it.
---
But then she nudged my arm lightly.
"Still survived."
I smiled. "Barely."
---
She leaned back again.
Relaxed.
At ease.
---
And I couldn't stop myself from looking at her again.
Because this—
This right here—
Felt like something I thought I lost.
---
"Hey," I said softly.
She turned to me.
---
"I'm glad you're here, darling."
---
She didn't reply immediately.
Just looked at me.
And then—
A small smile appeared.
---
"Drive properly, Jass."
---
I laughed under my breath.
And for the first time in a long time—
I wasn't thinking about what I lost.
---
I was thinking about what I could still get back.
---
Because she was here.
Beside me.
Laughing again.
Calling me Jass like nothing broke between us.
---
And this time—
I wasn't going to mess it up.
---
I'll fix it.
I'll make it right.
I'll win her back.
---
No matter how long it takes.