Realize

University of Britchester
Lecture Hall Three
Day of Semester Finals before Spring Break

In the dim lecture hall, my trembling hands clutched the exam paper. Heart pounding, I felt sick to my stomach. Suddenly, I was transported back to Taylor’s house—the baby shower. The same anxiety gripped me, but then Jackson appeared in my mind. His arms enveloped me, and he whispered, “Darlin’, breathe” in that soft, deep drawl that just always did something to me.

His words changed everything. The weight lifted, and I even managed to enjoy the party—a celebration hosted by my arch nemesis, wrapped in Southern Belle charm as fake as a three-dollar bill.

Thinking of Jackson, I took a deep breath. It worked, even now, in absentia. I aced the test, the last hurdle before Spring Break. Jackson, my opposite in every way, had booked our vacation with prize money from those rodeos that scared the living daylights out of me. Excitement mingled with nerves as I couldn’t help but think back on the past few years.
I’d tried to walk away from this love, more than once, cos our relationship made little sense in the grand scheme, but his unwavering determination pulled us back together every time. Back when I was sixteen, my friends and even my twin sister had given up their V-cards, but not me. Brad, my then-boyfriend, eventually pushed for more, gentle and sweet, but I still panicked when I tried to go there with him. I ran away from him, away from our hometown, fled straight into Jackson’s arms, all the way at the other end of the country, even though we weren’t close then. I lied to see him, took my brother’s car without asking, and snuck to Jackson’s ranch. A horseback ride to a waterfall revealed my true desire—to give my precious gift to him, nobody else would be more worthy in my teenage mind, I was certain of it the moment I saw him without a shirt, hearing that honest laughter as we played in the water, hearing his slow drawl, the twinkle in his eyes when he was teasing me, which he had always loved doing. Reluctant at first, he accepted my gift, and I never regretted that choice. He became my first man, and to this day, I still look back fondly to that experience.
But the drama began. Discovery, trouble, and Brad finding out. And scattered throughout me being grounded for various things, all related to wishing to see him. Now, Jackson is my official boyfriend, yet the distance between Chestnut Ridge and my hometown keeps us apart. No easy solution exists.

Jackson never stepped foot in a college lecture hall, barely scraping through high school. His education is the language of horses and the rhythms of ranch life. Yet, he possesses an inexplicable ability to anchor me, and some sort of wisdom well beyond his years, especially considering he’s only 2 years older than me, yet, sooooo much more mature than anyone in our age bracket. When he envelops me in his arms, his slow-as-molasses Southern drawl reassures me. His words weave a unique kind of magic—a promise that everything will be all right. And in that moment, my entire being relaxes, my world slows down to a manageable pace again, and I believe in the extraordinary power of his touch.

Brindleton Bay
Heritage Haven – Home to the Evans family

Somehow, I had completely zoned out, standing there waiting for the door to be answered, my head turned to melancholically stare at the Cunningham Estate across the street, one of my old stomping grounds, home to my aforementioned ex-boyfriend Brad, when someone was calling my name, tapping me in the arm, brought me back into the here and now. I turned my head and… nearly needed CPR! My eyes grew big, mouth gaped open.

“Bri, you okay? Come on in and sit, I’ll get you some water. Look like pale as a ghost!” the soft male voice said.

Initially I let him pull me along, mesmerized, before I pulled away from him, in my befuddlement nonsensically stepping back outside to look at the house number. I was at the right address, obviously, so I glared at Brad. My ex. The one I had such a crazy history with, and the one who still wasn’t fully over me, and vice versa.

“Why aren’t you at your house, across the street!? You are in the wrong house! What are you doing here?!” I blurted out, as the words echoed out, I knew I sounded like a fool.

“What am I doing at my in-laws house???” he looked at me as if I was clinically insane.

My facial expression derailed once more.

“Oh, right. Sorry. I … forgot. I came to see Tyler. He texted saying he found my pencil case, but had to drive home for something, so I said for him to take it as I was going to the Bay myself and would pick it up. Do you have my pencil case?”

“Ty didn’t say anything to me about pencil cases, they are all gone. Molly’s parents went on a couple’s retreat with some friends and Tyler already left again for the weekend. Sorry Bri.”

“Left? I texted him that I would be by later today and he was okay with it. Never mind. I guess I’ll come back.” with a sigh I turned around, but Brad held on to me.

“We can go up to Ty’s room and see if we can spot it.” he smiled.

“We cannot just go into his room uninvited, Brad. Seriously now?”

“Bri, I am his brother-in-law. They asked me to water their plants and look after their house, Tyler himself let me in, gave me the rundown and the keys. I am allowed to be here, even supposed to be here, just turned off the sprinklers which is why it took me a moment to answer the door. I didn’t suggest we toss Tyler’s room for a treasure hunt to steal his valuables, merely peek around to see if we can see your pencil case. The turquoise one with the heart on it?” Brad said in his calm tone.

It still startled me sometimes how well Brad knew me, even though it wasn’t such a surprise. Before he and I ever got involved, he was Jasper’s best friend, Jasper was living at our house, so Brad was at our house a lot. Plus, we were all in the same high school classes. I nodded, then followed him upstairs. Brad’s wife was also one of my best friends from high school, so I had been to this house a lot. Just not in her brother’s room, that part was still awkward.

Brad swung open the door and walked right in, I lingered around the doorframe, watching him, while also looking around the room with some unbridled curiosity. The friend’s big brother’s room would probably always hold some mystery to any girl.

“Ha!” Brad made, turning to me holding up the pencil case triumphantly, which made me smile. Also smiling he came to me, handed it to me, but pulled it away when I wanted to grab it. We turned into twelve-year-old kids, laughing and giggling I chased him downstairs and finally cornered him in the kitchen. Once he surrendered and I had my pencil case, we smiled at each other.

“Soda? Coffee? Literally anything to make you hang out for a moment?” Brad said with disarming honesty.

“I… you know … I ….” I started trying to find excuses, but my mind went blank, so defeatedly, I nodded. “Okay. Hit me with whatever sounds good to you.”

Brad’s smile widened, he rummaged around the fridge, clinked ice cubes into some glasses, then lead me outside. We talked over our cold soda, we laughed, and it was just like old times. Somehow, in this ever-changing world, that felt good. Easy.

“So, how are things going with you and your cowboy?”

“He is not ‘my’ cowboy and he has a name. Jackson’s fine, last we spoke. We are actually going on a couple’s vacation. Booked and paid for by him.”

“Nice. You deserve it. Hopefully somewhere special.”

“Sulani.”

“Very nice this time of year. Hey, remember our trip to Tomarang?”

I couldn’t help but giggle.

“How could I forget? Someone, who shall remain unnamed, accidentally booked a honeymoon bungalow.”

Brad’s laughter seized and turned into a sad smile.

“It wasn’t an accident. I wanted to see how you would react.”

Now my smile faded too.

“What? Why? How would any teen girl react to that?”

Brad looked straight at me.

“Because I wanted to marry you. Still do. I haven’t given up on us yet. Maybe it wasn’t our time then. But we are still very young.”

“Brad,” I sighed deeply. “Not this again. What about Molly? What about your son?”

“That’s just it. I don’t think Molly loves me, well, I know she does, but not the way you … used to. She’s obsessed with the idea of me, with my heritage, my status, all that. She didn’t want to marry me any more than I was ready to marry her, but we screwed up and here we are. She’s lovely, a great person and we get along great, but … well, you can use your imagination how this feels for both of us. You know I still love you, and always will, I have told you that and nothing has changed. My father would no longer be a problem, now that he has his heir. He always liked you, except for that hitch in his planning about your medical issue. I have watched you with my son, you are a natural with kids, Bri. You’d be the best stepmom he could ask for.”

“Sure Brad. Perfect plan. And Jackson can move into the Cunningham guest house, we’ll stick his horses with your Cunningham Clydesdales, perfect. It will be a family like no other.” my words oozed sarcasm.

“I see.” he nodded, then sipped his soda, the ice cubes clinking like a triple period in a book.

“See what?” I snapped, my tone testy.

He looked straight at me.

“You need more time. You are still holding on to some fantasy that will never come to pass. Jackson is a nice guy, I admit it, I can see how girls would like that, I can admit he is easy on the eyes, there is something about that whole lone cowboy theme, girls probably find that drawl charming, and his unconventional ways, not to mention the horses, I haven’t come across any girl who doesn’t like horses. Well, except Molly. She abhors riding.”

“Let me interrupt you right here, Brad. I am holding on to a fantasy that will never come to pass?! ME!? Seriously Brad?! That’s pretty rich coming from the guy who is literally rolling around in delusional fantasies. Even IF I wanted that, do you not see it would ruin the lives of half a dozen or more people? And as if your father would sit by and let you divorce the mother of his precious heir to marry me instead. As much as I understand dreamland ideas, that’s a bit too much. Period. You have GOT to snap out of it. NOW.”

Brad looked hurt, but nodded.

“Yeah, well. There is just so much of you – of us – all around me still and I am not ready to completely admit defeat. It’s mostly the little things. My wife and I don’t share any hobbies or interests. Riding relaxes me. Sometimes she comes along to humor me, but most of the time she makes me fly solo, which makes me think of our many rides down to the coast. Remember when I taught you how to ride? Your cowboy had promised to, but didn’t follow through, but I did. Those were good times. You can’t deny that.”

“I would never deny that. We had amazing times, but we just have too much working against us. Like everyone else, you are one of the first to point out all the ways Jackson and I shouldn’t happen, yet here you go coming at me with an even crazier scenario. Whether it is what you always dreamed of or not, fact is, you are a married man now, Brad, and a father at that. Instead of running after pipe dreams, you should direct your efforts to being all that to your full potential and make yourself and your wife happy, for your own sakes but moreover for the sake of your son. And yes, of course I remember how you taught me to ride, and I will never forget that. You were so patient with me, and made me love horses so much, you created a monster. I am obsessed with riding and horses because of you. Brad, you are the sweetest guy with incredible patience and SO much going for you, but are you aware that you sound like a creep and a psycho stalker sometimes? A very sweet one, but still… imagine Molly were to hear you saying those things, just think how she’d feel.”

Brad sighed, then nodded.

“Yeah, I can see how you would think that, even though in reality I am only being honest with you, like I always have been. Look Bri, I know what I know. I feel what I feel, and I know what I feel. I know we are meant to be, you and me. Not you and Jackson, not Molly and me. It was always supposed to be Briar Rose and Bradford. And if my father’s firm hand has taught me anything, it would be patience. You know the old adage ‘anything worth having is worth fighting for’? Well, I think in our case, something well worth having is worth waiting for. I’ll wait. I am convinced that in time, you will realize what I see, what the rest of us see. And if you don’t, Jackson will. Either way, whenever you are ready, I will be right here waiting for you with arms wide open.”

In this facepalm moment I know I should have jumped up and ran out. But I couldn’t. I was paralyzed by how casually he said all that, with a perfectly straight face, his soft blue eyes locked onto my green ones. Brad really was convinced of this. Now what? I really didn’t want to hurt him, clearly, he already had a heavy cross to bear. At least I was truly in love with Jackson, while Brad, … well …

I slowly rose up, he watched me, then got up as well.

“Yeah, well Brad, I gotta get going I already stayed way longer than I meant to, thinking I was only coming by to grab my case. I gotta get packing and leave for the airport early tomorrow morning. Meeting Jackson there. I am VERY excited about spending a week with my boyfriend,” I deliberately overenunciated the term “and after that week we fly straight to Tartosa for another wedding. A royal one. We’ll stay two days and then back to real life.”

Brad’s eyes glazed over with nostalgia.

“I remember us at a wedding at a royal palace. In Henfordshire.”

“Everyone does…” I said, my tone made even Brad snicker.

My entire family remembered that wedding and not even for the beautiful ceremony and blushing bride. Oh no. It was etched into everyone’s mind because of a faux pas by yours truly. It had been years since, I was still in high school, Brad was still my boyfriend, attended Jack’s wedding to Izzy with Brad, only to sneak out with Jackson the very next day, steal some royal horses and ride off to … well, use your imagination. Jack himself caught us trying to sneak the stolen horses back, my older brother Connor was there when Jack gave Jackson and me the lecture of a lifetime, but it was Connor who put two and two together and figured out WHAT Jackson and I had been up to. While I had never once explained all that to Brad, I am sure he knew, as he was in the lobby when Connor and Jack herded Jackson and me back into the palace, humiliated beyond recognition and our heads hung low, like two dogs who had gotten the newspaper.

Brad’s next words proved my theory. He figured it out.

“One day the sex with Jackson will get boring, and then, what’s left, Bri? I have never seen his ranch, and I don’t have to see it to know you are not gonna be happy there long term. Love is a fickle mistress. She may not be kind to you, but she won’t just leave either. I know you still love me too. And you are the love of my life. I can’t change that. Nobody can.”

“Look Brad. Let’s stick with your analogy, my fickle mistress was clubbed to death by your father. If you want someone to blame for Molly and not me being your Mrs. Cunningham, direct it all at your own father. True, you and I didn’t end because we quit loving each other. You are special to me, still, and always will be, and that is the reason I actually sat through all this and didn’t just run, like most girls would have and like I probably should have. But in which strange parallel universe would you just go back for seconds of the drama that was us, Brad? Just imagine yourself in my shoes and look at it from that angle. If my dad had made your life a living hell for the one thing about yourself you wish you could change, something that almost killed you, would you wanna fight the system a second time?”

“I understand. But now I have something on him, something I didn’t have before, and if you were to give me a second chance, I would make sure he would never dare to as much as look at you funny ever again.”

“Brad…. seriously? You need to lay off the crime shows. You’re not that type to blackmail people, especially not your own father.”

“Ha. Family. I know you are close with yours, and I can see why, but clearly I do not have that with my parents. And to be honest, I struggle with my son. He’s just … it’s…” Brad looked sad, distraught and just miserable, so I went over to him, grabbed his face with both hands and made him look at me.

“Brad, no. No, no, no. Your baby is special. It doesn’t matter the circumstances, he’s your baby, your blood, your DNA. He is your chance to undo what your father did, all the wrongs he’s done to you, the ways he didn’t love you the way you deserve. And you can undo your mother’s odd ways of sticking her head in the sand ignoring all this. Your baby boy is so sweet, all you, Brad, when I look at him all I see is you, your kindness, your sweet ways. You need to love him like he deserves and make sure whenever he is old enough to date and he’s in love, even if the girl—or boy— he brings home isn’t what you imagined, you welcome them and just love them all the same.”

I got emotional talking, and I could see the effect my words had on Brad. He swallowed hard, hesitated a moment, then put his hands on my hips, pulling me close to him as his arms now wrapped around me. Near my ear he said quietly.

“For you I would do anything. Anything.”

I plucked him off myself, grabbed my pencil case and told him

“Thanks for the soda, for the talk, and for finding my pencil case, but I REALLY have to run now. Bye Brad. Catch you soon, back on campus.” I turned and took the shortcut out of the Evans’ yard through the garden gate by the garage, I didn’t feel like going through their home again, which still felt like breaking and entering. I literally fled, cos honestly, I wasn’t sure if I didn’t get out there right away, what would happen.

The next day
Car ride to the airport

And yes, of course that incident stuck with me. I thought about it all afternoon, evening, even in bed, the next morning and on my way to the airport. So intensely that my dad almost made me jump out of his convertible, simply by nudging my leg, as he had been talking to me and I was in lala land, so he poked me to get my attention.

“Guilty conscience?” he asked, half-bemused as I stared at him as if he had grown a few extra heads.

“No. Tired and nervous. Don’t ask me why. Just am. Nervous and excited. Did I mention Jackson booked this trip–with Jasper’s help–and paid for it?”

“Only several dozen times,” dad huffed, then looked at me, his eyes the exact shade as my own light crystalline green ones, as he raised one eyebrow, before looking back at the road.

“So, how’s Brad?” he now said.

I turned crimson in less than a millisecond, my heart raced, and I just stared at him, his eyes met mine in the rear-view mirror before he looked over at me, nodded then looked back at the road. He had gone fishing with his guess, and my reaction told him all he needed to know.

“Look dad, I went to the Evans’ house to get my pencil case, like I told you and mom. Turned out they are on vacation and Tyler was heck knows where even though he knew I was coming by, instead Brad opened the door, housesitting for his in-laws, so he found the case for me, and we talked over a quick soda. End of story.”

“Bri, I have been your dad for a little longer than a minute. I don’t know what happened, nor do I care to know any details, and I know you are no longer a child, so this isn’t my bee’s wax, but whatever did happen shook you up. You really have to be careful with this. That boy still has a stronghold on you, and you keep going back for seconds, again and again. That’s not fair to Brad, to Jackson and not to you either.”

“Yup. Copy that, dad.”

“Don’t you blow me off, Bri. I mean it. Back when I was in college, Colton had something similar going on. Started long before college, first it was a girl we both liked, still young teen boys, long before I met your mother. Colton lived in Forgotten Hollow, I in Del Sol Valley and the girl in San Myshuno, so obviously Cole was closer and closed the deal with her. When I found out about it, he and I got into a terrible fight, and then in a lot of trouble from both our parents, cos I had given my best friend a shiner and busted his nose, and he my lip. That was a first and a last for us, we never fought before or after, not like that. Our friendship survived, their relationship didn’t, cos that girl ended up breaking his heart, she had more issues than Vogue magazine. He was still rallying from that when we started college, and not even a semester in he got his hand slammed in the next bad relationship cookie jar, when my cousin Leeora had the hots for him and he ended up succumbing to it a few times until he realized she was not only underage, but also REALLY bad news for a multitude of reasons. Well, it all left him in a bad way, on top of that his ex was suddenly at the door, your mom–she and I were a couple by then–Colton and I were living together in the same campus house you are living in now. Well, that girl was in deep shit and he was the only one left in her life to ask for help, we all pitched in, it got her the help she needed and also out of our lives again, but it had left Colton with old wounds reopened, his filter came off and he blurted out that he was in love with Hailey. Yeah …” my dad paused, clearly not a fond memory.

“Hailey?! As in … my mom?” I was shocked, and that was putting it very mildly. My honorary ‘uncle’, my dad’s best friend for longer than I have been alive, the man who helped raise me, had the hots for my mom?! WHAT!?

“Yup. Your mom. My Patches. Well, that was awkward, and he ended up nearly killing himself. I mean it, Cole went off the deep end, he was in the worst way, tried to off himself and nearly succeeded, your mom actually saved him, and together we nursed him back to something one could call normalcy. Our friendship survived and grew stronger yet. That was during the time you and your sister like to use as ammo when we bemoan that your grades could be better, because after all that went down all three of us almost failed out of college, just barely making it. Three sheltered 19-year-olds, far away from home, trying to start a band, get through college, while dealing with all I just told you, yeah, we sucked in class. Spoiler alert, all got better. Grades went up, band started being a success, Colton eventually met Maddie, even though he had trust issues, and it took forever for them to get together romantically, but she moved in with us on campus, and the rest, as they say, is well-documented history. Here we are, 30 years later, still four best friends. You see, life throws curves at everyone. It’s always about choices and integrity–and about not repeating mistakes you already made before. In case it wasn’t obvious enough, that was a big fat hint, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, hint taken. But wow. I literally had no idea! I cannot believe it took you 20 years to tell me that. Can I tell Iris?” I had to fight for composure to not sit there staring with my mouth hanging open.

“As if I could stop you. It’s not a secret, Bri, just not something we talk about for obvious reasons.”

“Does Maddie know?”

“Of course she does. Look Bri, Colton was just confused, I love him like a brother, trust him with my life, I am not worried, never was, and it was a lifetime ago now. He is long over Hailey, obviously and she would never run around on me just like I would never cheat on her, why would I? It was just an infatuation because his life went belly up and while I know I am very biased here, but how could someone not fall in love with your mother?” Dad looked over and winked at me with that sweet smile he usually reserved for mom. It made me smile too.

“Daddy?”

“Bri?”

“Who is the right guy for me? When I am with Jackson, I am so sure it’s him and nobody else. Then I am alone, I miss him like crazy, but remember how complicated it all is. I still don’t wanna live in Chestnut Ridge and he would NEVER move here. And as if that isn’t bad enough, I still really care about Brad, and when I am alone with him, I remember how nice and easy things were with him, if you take his meddling father out of the equation. I mean, he will ALWAYS live in Brindleton Bay, which will ALWAYS be my hometown, a place I love, a place I would LOVE to live in again after college, and I can’t help wonder if Brad and I both just got cheated and … well … I know I SHOULD know the answer to this dilemma, but honestly, I am still often wondering. It’s not a happy place, and makes me feel guilty.”

Dad didn’t look at me, pretending to be focused on traffic, even though not much had changed since the last few times he turned to me.

“That, my sweet baby girl, is not for me to say or decide. I am your father, no boy, no man, no person will ever be good enough for you or your sister. Personally, deep down inside, I hate them all and wanna beat every boy I think ever got near you in a certain way into a pulp. That is the dad in me. The man in me thinks that love comes in many forms. You may well love both, but I think one may be more the Sunday afternoon kinda love, and the other the real deal, but which is which is really not for me to decide. I can’t feel what you feel. If it helps, I knew right away something was different with your mom when I met her, she was so special. I did crazy things to be near her. And she did crazy things to be near me. We both sacrificed and we both won the lottery with each other. And we found middle ground. I never wanted to move to Brindleton Bay, but while looking for the best place to raise kids, your mom fell in love with this place and the rest of us just went along. Maddie and Colton had enough when Jas and you girls were still in high school, before we were always travelling so much with the band, once we ‘retired’ and disbanded, we all were home a lot more and they couldn’t take the conservative old-fashioned lifestyle in the Bay. That’s why they moved to Del Sol Valley. To your mom and you girls it’s home, so we stayed, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Love is amazing, a safe haven, but it’s also sacrifice, period. Both boys are good boys, but I will say that one has a father I don’t mind being around, who also happens to be your brother’s best friend, and the other has a father I would beat into a coma with sheer delight and growing enthusiasm, and I am not a violent person as you know.”

Dad now turned to me, winking, while wearing that boyish smirk he always had, and it made me laugh.

“Thanks daddy. That actually did help.”

It had. Without coming out and naming names, he was very clear on whom he thought I should be with and something inside of me instantly agreed. I understood him.

He steered the car into a parking lot.

“I can take it from here, dad. You don’t have to come in. Thanks for driving me.” I told him.

“I am going to see my daughter off in style. I will take you all the way to the check-in counter and then wait with you until they shoo me off because I don’t have a ticket. Hell, I might just buy one just to sit with you at the gate. I love you, sweetheart. No matter how old you are, you are and always will be my little girl.”

With that he exited the car, probably to not give me a chance to argue, which I wasn’t going to anyway. I met him at the trunk, heaving my luggage out, and I just hugged him.

“I need a guy like you, dad.”

“Maybe you already have him.” he said cryptically, kissing the top of my head as I snuggled into his warm embrace, making me feel safe.

Sulani
Main Island airport

The moment I stepped off the small plane at the tiny airport of the main island that made up the island group known as Sulani, I spotted him—tall, cowboy hat perched just right. Jackson’s flight had arrived a few hours before mine. In an instant I was wrapped in the same comforting hug my daddy had given me hours earlier when he saw me off back home.

“Ready for some of our old shenanigans?” Jackson’s Southern drawl rumbled through his chest, and I clung to him, burying my face in his shoulder.

“Bri? Everything okay?”

I nodded against his chest, finally pulling away looking at him, into his blue eyes so bright against the tan skin.

“It’s you. Always has been. It’s so crystal-clear now. We’ve both done crazy things to be together, just like they did. You’re my dad, and I’m my mom.”

Jackson’s puzzled expression deepened as he stared at me. “Bri, you might need some water and a whole lotta rest. You ain’t makin’ much sense, darlin’. Guessin’ the stress from them exams might’ve been a tad much.” 

“No, baby,” I insisted, my heart racing. “I’m A-Ok. Better than ever. I just had an epiphany, about you, about us. I feel great now! I literally can see everything so clearly now.”

He chuckled, his Southern drawl adding warmth to the moment. “Let’s go to our cabin so ya can rest up and freshen up, like ya girls like to do before we go explorin’ or maybe grab a bite to eat,” he drawled, stacking my bags.  
“Well now, darlin’,” he chewed on his bottom lip, “there’s a wee hiccup in our plans, just tellin’ ya now so ya don’t go thinking I got some ulterior motives or anything. Brace yourself—the cabana I originally booked for us got flooded during a bad storm last week, they’re still fixin’ it up. So, they’ve kindly upgraded us to the Honeymoon cabin. Only one available for the whole week…” 

That was it for me. Another vacation with a boy in another honeymoon cabin. Brad had pretended it to be an accident, to see how I would react, Jackson obviously didn’t since Jasper had been the one helping him book and I had seen the booking. This was serendipity, as if my dad magically somehow sent me another hint following our heart-to-heart in the car ride to the airport.
I burst into loud, echoing laughter and didn’t stop until we reached the cabin, where Jackson silenced me with a kiss, and suddenly, everything made perfect sense.
Jackson wasn’t the Sunday afternoon kinda love, as dad had put it. He was the real deal, he was the Chase to my inner-Hailey, now I was absolutely sure of it. I got that one last nudge I needed.