“I’m saying that I think you’re in love with me too.”
I gape up at him, my bottom lip dropping as I suck in a gasp. “Are you sure?”
Jackson shakes his head. “I’m sure that I think you do, but I can’t answer that for you. You’re the only one who knows what’s going on inside your heart.”
I nod. He’s not wrong. Only I know what I’m truly feeling. “Come on,” Jackson says with a laugh, taking my hands and helping me down off the ledge. “Let me get you something to eat before you drive yourself insane thinking about it.”
“I…” I think it over.
The way he makes the butterflies go apeshit in my tummy.
The way he makes my skin tingle and burns from his touch.
The way I’m always searching him out in a crowd.
The way his ridiculous little texts have me grinning like a child.
The way he makes me feel like the most beautiful girl in the room.
The way he respects the fact that I have a past and has never once looked down on me.
The list goes on and I realize that the answer is so startingly obvious.
“Don’t,” he says, putting his arm over my shoulder and pulling me into his side, clearly seeing that I’m deep in thought. He presses a kiss to my temple. “Don’t feel like you have to answer me. When and if you ever feel like you want to, I want it to be from you, not because you feel like you should.”
I nod again as he reaches for the handle. “Wait,” I say, pulling back as he looks down at me. I step out from under his arm so I can look up and see those perfect eyes just right. “You’re right,” I tell him as my heart races and my palms sweat with nerves. “I don’t know how I never saw it before. I love you. You make me excited about waking up every morning and every afternoon when I have to leave school, this ache settles into my chest and has me wanting to run out onto that damn field and throw myself at you. I freaking love you, Jackson and I’m an idiot for not realizing it sooner.”
“Damn straight, you’re a fucking idiot,” he booms, grabbing me around the waist and spinning me around. I squeal out and hold on for dear life but before I know it, I’m back on my feet with Jackson stepping in to keep me safe. “But you’re my idiot.”
With that, his lips come down on mine one more time, and everything settles in my world and for the first time in my life, everything is right.
Epilogue
Jackson
Five Years Later
“Yo, fucker,” Jesse’s voice booms through the Bluetooth speaker in my car. “Are you guys still coming over tonight? Nate just dragged Tora’s ass home from Harvard for the weekend.”
“Fuck, yeah. I’ll just have to check that Elle’s feeling up to it, but if so, count us in,” I tell my best friend with a genuine smile. I haven’t seen Tora in ages. She left for Harvard at the beginning of the year and she’s been keeping her head down, determined to be the best damn criminal lawyer in the US, and in order to do that, she’s deemed that she will no longer be getting involved in any of our bullshit shenanigans. Though, I can’t possibly understand what she means by that. Jesse and I are never getting up to mischief. We’re good little boys, right down to the core.
“Awesome. I’ll let Kaylah know. She wants to know who’s coming so she can cook.”
My gut sinks. “No. Keep that wench out of the kitchen. Last time I ate her cooking, me and my wife ended up sick for days.”
“Come on, man. You and I both know you were sick because you guys ate from that shady Mexican stand the night before. Kaylah’s cooking is fine. I eat it all the time.”
“Stop kidding yourself, Jess,” I scoff. “Kaylah’s a big girl. She can handle a bit of tough love.”
Jesse sighs. “Alright, fine. Her cooking is fucking terrible, but don’t tell her I said that. She’ll castrate me if she knew.”
I choke back a laugh. ‘That’s fucking weak, man. What do you usually do when she cooks?”
Jesse chuckles before a brief silence, letting me know that he’s probably checking his back to make sure he’s well and truly out of hearing range. “I give it to the dog and then tell her I need to workout.”
“Workout?” I grunt.
“Yeah,” he laughs. “You know the overhead shelving I had built into my gym?”
“Yeah…?” I say slowly, already grinning, picturing the shelves he had installed in his new place last summer and what a bitch the whole project was.
“It’s filled to the fucking brim with snacks.”
I shake my head, really not surprised. Out of all the guys, Jesse’s the one to do something as stupid as hide his bad habits in the one place he goes to solve those bad habits. “Dude, do you have any idea how dangerous that is? If she finds that stash, you’re fucked.”
“Tell me about it.”
I pull into my driveway and enter the pin for the front gate. As the big fuckers open wide, inviting me in, I find myself staring up at the house that I never dreamed I’d ever be able to afford. Elle and I bought this place earlier this year after I was signed to the NFL and all our fucking dreams came true.
I still have a hard time believing it actually happened, but the long and hard as fuck training sessions are quickly helping me to realize that this is real. I thought college football was tough, but the NFL…This is a whole new playing field and it’s going to be the toughest, but most rewarding thing I’ll ever do. I’ve worked my ass off for this since I was a kid and to have all that hard work pay off and see my name on that contract was one of the best moments in my life, second to watching Elle walk down the aisle and becoming my wife, of course.
I kick my ass into gear and drive through the open gates before they start closing on my car and cause some serious damage. I try to snap back to reality and focus on what I’m doing and the second that happens, I notice Elle’s car parked out front, rather than tucked safely in the garage where it’s supposed to be, yet despite how frustrating it is, I can’t stop grinning at the sight.
Elle’s been off work for the past week and while I love that she’s killing it with her work, I also love coming home at the end of the day to find her here waiting for me. I’m so fucking proud of her. Three years ago, Elle officially became a professional choreographer and she’s been the best in the business ever since.
Her routines have won nationals for the past three years and she constantly has cheer squads, schools, dance academies, and colleges desperate to nail her down, but she remains freelancing because she absolutely loves it.
I park my car beside hers and make my way inside. It’s been a long day and I can’t wait to get lay down for a few minutes before heading back out to Jesse and Kaylah’s place for dinner, though I don’t doubt it’ll turn into drinking with the boys while the girls bitch and moan about us inside.
I guess nothing has really changed over the past five years.
As I walk through the house, I look around for my wife, only I can’t seem to find her anywhere. “Babe?” I call out, dumping my things on the kitchen counter as I pass.
“In bed,” she yells, her voice muffled by all the walls between here and there.
Bed? My brows furrow as I start making my way towards our bedroom. Why the hell would she be in bed? It’s only five-thirty in the afternoon. The only time she’s ever in bed at this time of the day is when she’s sick or sleeping, and even if she’s sleeping, it’s usually because she’s fallen asleep on the couch and I’ve had to carry her to bed.
I walk into our room and find her snuggled up on my side of the bed, cuddling my pillow into her chest and bending her head so she can rest on it too. “What’s going on?” I murmur with concern. “Are you alright?”
Elle’s head lifts up off the pillow and she beams at me. “Yeah,” she smiles. “I’m fine. Why?”
“You’re in bed. You’re never in bed.”
Elle snuggles back in as a guilty little smirk plays on her lips. “Your pillow smells like you.”
I grin at my girl
before walking around to her and dropping down on the bed beside her. “Are you telling me that you missed me?” I tease, sucking in a shocked breath.
“Shut up,” she laughs. “If you tell anyone, I’ll deny it.”
I roll my eyes and scoot in beside her, pulling her into my arms. The pillow is instantly pushed aside as Elle snuggles into my chest and lets out a soft moan. “I really did miss you,” she whispers.
I pull her in tighter and drop a kiss to her temple. “I know, babe. I missed you too. Every fucking day I miss you.” I feel her smile against my skin as I run my hand up and down her back. “How are you feeling? Are you up for dinner at Jesse’s place? Tora’s home for the weekend.”
“I’m down for that,” she tells me. “Though…you know I love your sister and all, but she’s not cooking again, is she? I don’t think I can handle that a second time.”
“Yeah,” I say with a regrettable cringe. “Kaylah’s cooking.”
“Shit,” Elle sighs. “Can we stop and get McDonald's on the way?”
“You read my mind.”
Elle raises her chin and looks up at me. “When do we need to leave?” she questions, walking her fingers up my chest as a seductive little grin appears across her lips.
“Trust me, babe,” I say, reaching out and grabbing hold of her. “There’s more than enough time for this.”
I pull Elle up so she’s straddling my waist and she leans forward, slowly lowering herself to kiss me as my hands roam up and down her back. She grinds down on me and just as her lips are about to come down on mine, she sucks in a gasp and shoots back up.
My hands tighten on her as I search her eyes. “What’s wrong?” I question in concern as I start to feel something wet beginning to seep through to my clothes.
Elle glances down at her extremely pregnant belly before flicking her gaze back to mine. “I think my water just broke.”
“What?” I breathe as my heart begins to race. “It’s time?”
A smile pulls at the corner of her lips but I see the fear within her eyes. “Yeah,” she tells me with a slight nod. “I think it is.”
I look up at my wife with pride. She’s so fucking incredible, and what’s more, we now have an incredible excuse to skip my sister’s dreadful cooking. “You can do this, babe. You’ve got this.
“Are you sure?”
I nod, running my fingertips over her soft cheek as I feel the wetness seep further into my pants. “Of course, I’m fucking sure.” Elle smiles and I watch as some of that fear slowly begins to fade. “Babe,” I say, hoping to God that I’m not about to offend her. “Being cockblocked by my baby is something I’m really going to have to get used to, but in the meantime, I’m going to need you to get off me.”
Elle glances down and takes in the sheer size of the puddle that’s forming over my side of the bed and gasps. “Oh, shit,” she says, trying to scramble off me, but the size of her protruding stomach means she’s actually going slower than a snail’s pace, yet I can’t find it within me to care.
I get up behind her and she holds onto my arm as we both look down at the bed. “Well, I think we’re going to need a new one of those,” she tells me.
“Don’t worry about it, babe. I’ll get it sorted.”
“Are you sure?”
I grin, unable to help myself. “Of course, you need to concentrate on pushing this baby out of that sausage wallet of yours.”
Elle’s mouth drops open as she stares up at me in disgust. “You did not just call my pussy a sausage wallet.”
“Sorry, banana basket,” I laugh, correcting myself.
Elle shakes her head and turns away, going in search of some new, clean clothes while doing her best to ignore me. “Jizz creek?” I call after her, peeling off my wet shirt. “Penis park? Cum bucket?”
Elle stops what she’s doing and glares at me over her shoulder. “Shut the hell up and find my hospital bag, you big turd,” she tells me, unbuttoning her shorts and letting them slide down her legs. “Besides, you and I both know that this is not a game you want to play with me because I’ll win every single time.”
“Bullshit,” I laugh, pulling on some new clothes before reaching for the ruined bedsheets. “You’ve got nothing on me.”
She shakes her head and I don’t doubt she’s about to fire off an epic list of crude names when she doubles over and groans. “Holy fuck.”
“What’s wrong?” I panic, rushing to her side.
“Contraction.”
“Shit. Okay. I guess it’s time to stop fucking around and get you to the hospital.”
“You think?” she grunts.
I hurry up to her side as she finishes dressing. “Hey,” I murmur, taking her hips and forcing her eyes up to mine. “We’ve got this. We’re going to be great parents to this little girl. We’re going to give her the world. I promise you, no other child could possibly be happier than what she’s going to be.”
Elle smiles with love shining through her eyes. “I know,” she whispers. “You’re going to be such a great daddy.”
I dip my head and press a kiss to her soft lips. “Only because I have a woman like you standing by my side.” She beams up at me. “Are you ready?”
Elle nods and I step away to grab her hospital bag “Alright. Then let’s do this.”
Where to Next?
Maxen – Broken Hill Boys (Novella 3)
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082MNLJHK
Brooke
He broke me.
Maxen Ryder tore my heart out, crushed it, and had me questioning my self-worth, and nobody but me gets that pleasure.
All I want is to move on and forget about the boy who opened me up to a world of hurt, but why is it that every move I make always has me going back?
He's not that boy I used to know. He's become a man overnight and I'm not sure I'm strong enough to resist.
Maxen
I screwed up and by the time I realized, it was far too late.
I have to make this right.
Brooke Logan has always been mine, at least that's the way I see. If you asked her, she'd deny it until she was blue in the face.
I don't know how but I'm going to win her back even if it's the last thing I ever do.
You better watch out, Brooke...I'm coming for you, and this time, I won't be letting you go.
Thanks for reading!
If you enjoyed reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it, please leave a review.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082MMDFM3
For more information on The Broken Hill High Series, find me on Facebook or Instagram –
www.facebook.com/sheridananneauthor
Author Biography
Sheridan Anne is a wife to a smart-ass husband, Mumma to two beautiful girls, twin sister, daughter, and friend who lives in beautiful Australia. Sheridan writes both romance and young adult fantasy books on a variety of topics and can be found on most days with her family or writing during naptime. To find out more or to simply say ‘hello’, connect with her on Facebook or Instagram -
www.facebook.com/SheridanAnneAuthor
Other Series by Sheridan Anne
www.amazon.com/Sheridan-Anne/e/B079TLXN6K
Young Adult / New Adult - Romance
The Broken Hill High Series (5 Book Series + Novella)
Haven Falls (7 Book Series + Novella)
Broken Hill Boys (5 Book Novella Series)
New Adult Romance
Kings of Denver (4 Book Series)
Denver Royalty (3 Book Series)
Rebels Advocate (4 Book Series)
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Jackson: Broken Hill Boys (Novella 2) Page 10