Leah

"So, I'm assuming we're sharing a bed." Jace said with a mischievous smile on his lips.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Think again, bad boy." I tossed him a pillow.

We were currently standing in my bedroom. I tried to keep Jace downstairs on the couch, but he very much insisted on coming to my room.

We argued.

And argued again.

And again.

To the point that I just caved in.

Now we were standing in the middle of my room trying to figure out the sleeping situation.

"You know." He started. "When you slept over at my place, I gave you the bed."

"And thank you for being such a gentleman. You have proven chivalry is not dead." I handed him a blanket. "But you're still on the floor."

"Leah." He whined. "The last time I slept on the floor I had a cramp in my back for weeks."

"Listen, I'm not one to be mean." I said and he perked up like a puppy waiting for a treat. "I'll even spread a comforter on the floor so you'll have a cushion."

Jace's happiness deflated just like a helium balloon.

"You're mean." He muttered but still took his place on the floor. A part of me felt bad, but I did offer the couch downstairs just saying.

I grabbed a sweatshirt and shorts and went to change in the bathroom connected to my room. Once changed, I enter my room to see Jace standing next to my desk with a picture frame in his hand.

"You look just like your mom." He said placing the frame back in its original position.

"I guess you can say so." I told him looking over his shoulder to see the picture. It was one where mom and I went to the lake to hang out for day. We were seated in front of the water, her arms around my shoulders and wide smiles on our faces. I was about six in the picture, my dark hair and brown eyes match that of my mom. I did have her nose and eyebrows.

"I see you have a lot of photos of you and your mom." He said looking around my desk and bookcase where I have different sized pictures of my mom and I from different ages and locations. "I don't see any of your dad."

I felt a sharp pang in my chest at the mention of my dad.

Jace locked eyes with me.

" I do have pictures of my dad, but he was usually the one taking the photos." I said with a sad smile. "He always found a picture perfect moment in the worst times." I let out a chuckle.

I flashed back to a memory of my dad when I was six and decided to share the memory with Jace. "We were on a walk in the park with my mom. It was warm spring day and the sky was clear of clouds. My dad insisted on going for a walk. He wanted to see the bright vibrant colors of spring." I paused thinking about how spring and fall was my dad's favorite seasons.

"He made sure to always take his vintage camera with him. It was a gift from my mom when they were in college and he never let it go since. While walking in the park, dark clouds came out of nowhere and started to rain. My dad stood there as it rained and took pictures as my mom try to grab and protect me from the rain. The pictures were candid and looked like they could be a part of magazine. It was his passion." I finished.

"Maybe you can get him away from behind the camera and in front of it sometimes." Jace mentioned.

I wish.

I paused for a moment and decided it was time to share this. "My dad passed away a few years back."

Jace's eyes widen with shock. "Leah, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

I gave him a small smile. "It's not common knowledge." I said giving him back the same line from earlier tonight.

He smiled softly. "Maybe we should start a club."

I chuckled and sat on my bed. "As long as you bring the snacks."

Jace sat next to me in a comfortable silence.

If you told me two months ago I would be in my room with Jace Emerson alone, I would have laughed in your face. 

But honestly, I never thought in a million years I would befriend Jace or even enlist in his help, but here we are.

"Jace." I called out for his attention.

"Mhm?" He hummed as he checked his phone.

"Why did you agree to help me with Nate?" I asked curiously.

Jace froze for a second.

"Was it really to play a game for your entertainment?" I added.

"Yes and no." Jace answered. " I said yes to have something to occupy my time at first but I also said yes to honestly help you. I couldn't leave a pretty damsel in distress." A small smirk on his lips.

"You always know the right thing to say." I said dryly. I got up and move to the top of the bed and under the comforter. "You can sleep up here, but no funny business." I warned.

Jace smiled widely. "My back thanks you." He slid up the bed and laid on top of the comforter instead under it. I turned the lights off.

The moonlight from sky shone through my window illuminating the dark room slightly.

I turned to my side to see that Jace had an arm over his eyes and the other one at his side. "Thank you for caring." He whispered softly. I felt a strung of sadness laced in his voice and it stung me to hear it.

"What are friends for?" I told him in a cheery tone hoping it would rub off on him.

"Friends." He repeated the word shook his head and then looked over to me.

I gasped internally.

His eyes held unshed tears. So many emotions swirled in them. Sadness and anger is what I pinpointed. What ever may be going on has him on a rollercoaster of emotions and it seems like he's been going through it all, alone.

It tore my heart to think about him crying, feeling sad or alone.

I wanted to be there for him.

I will be there for him.

"Jace." I said. My voice barely a whisper. He didn't answer, only went back to his original position. Like that moment never happened.

Jace is not one to openly express how he feels. Especially if sadness is involved. The day we went to the boxing gym was the day I saw Jace come head to head with his feelings. That was his relief.

I grabbed his free hand and held it in my own. I wanted to let him know I was there for him. That he could talk to me instead of facing a punching bag.

Jace intertwine our fingers and that small action sent tingles through my body. This time it had a different feeling to it. It felt right.

"Do you trust me?" He spoke up after a few moments of silence.

"I do." I said without hesitation. I honestly did.

"Then know, when the time is right I will tell you everything." Jace said.

"I know."

"No one will hurt you. I'll make sure of it." I knew he was talking about Damian.

And I know Jace would.

Silence settled into the room. I heard Jace's breathing get slower. He was falling asleep.

I felt my own eyes get heavy with sleepiness.

A thought popped into my head.

I never told Jace what Damian said.

About having an eye on me for someone else? Who could that someone else be?

I opened my eyes to see him peacefully asleep. I couldn't wake him now.

I'll be sure to tell him in the morning.

But for now I couldn't keep my eyes open. I slowly felt sleep take me over.

And before I knew it, I was fast asleep just like Jace.

With our hands still intertwined.

***
Hello my loves!

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I think we're getting into an emotional territory with Leah and Jace!

Next chapter coming soon!

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-Lisa