17. Divulge + Date

🔥🔥 10k+ reads in 22 days?!?? 🔥🔥 We were at 5k less than a week ago! How the hell is this even possible?? Ahh 😭😍 I'm so freaking amazed and soooo grateful for you!! 🥰 you're beautiful and amazing and deserve all the goodness in the world 🤗🧡

I've got another double update ayeeee:) Here's part 1/2!

"You brought snacks?" I practically shove Jayce aside at the prospect of food, brushing off his attempted compliment. He should know by now that I'm not just a snack, I'm an entire fucking Thanksgiving dinner.

He chuckles in response, producing an array of junk food from his backpack - all kinds of candy bars, gummies, chocolates and even a tub of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food. "I know girls usually like sugar when they're upset, so..."

I give him a quick glance, "Well, sugar and alcohol," I say, not wanting to show how thankful I am for the confections currently on my kitchen table. "But props for getting halfway there."

He then smiles and pulls out a huge bottle of Duende Vineyards wine, placing it on the table with a thunk. "I know how much you enjoyed this on the roof a couple weeks ago," he lifts his cap to ruffle his curly brown hair, his exposed biceps flexing with the movement.

I'm about to rip into the candy when I remember why he's here. Damn him, using candy as a peace offering and nearly succeeding in completely distracting me.

"So," I start, folding my arms over my chest and taking a step back to look at him accusingly. "Start talking."

He lets out a big sigh. "Have I ever told you that I like photography?"

"You've honestly never told me shit about yourself, Jayce."

"Well," he laughs guiltily, his nervous white smile nearly blinding against his tanned skin. "I'm a photographer. It's what I love. I think you saw some of my photos on accident when you locked yourself in my darkroom," he raises an a accusatory eyebrow.

I stay silent and keep my expression placid, still waiting to understand how the fuck this connects to him dating Layla and using me. He definitely has my interest peaked, though. Maybe I'll finally learn something about him other than what any reasonably knowledgeable gossiper can report.

His eyes meet mine and I feel the skin over my entire body begin to heat up.

"My dad has never liked it. All he cares about is the winery and if he had his way, he'd be grooming me to take it over one day."

"Then what do you want, if you don't want to take Duende over?"

"I don't want his life."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Yes, I did."

"Then what do you want, Jayce?"

He smiles cryptically. "That's the question of our lifetimes, isn't it?"

"Seriously?" I spew, ready to kick his ass out the damn door. "If you're still not willing to answer my questions, get out of my house right fucking now. I don't have time for your mysterious one-liners and bullshit guessing games."

He raises his eyebrows, probably taken aback by my frankness. "What do I want?" He repeats my question and his face falls slightly, his eyes peering toward the ground. "Don't... Don't laugh, but I want to be a fashion photographer."

My mind quite literally explodes.

"What?" I giggle, bewildered as fuck. Jayce Solis wants to be a... A fashion photographer? I guess that would explain how he was able to correctly guess my dress size only after a brief collision in the school hallway.

"I know," he plops down in one of the kitchen table chairs and hangs his head. "It's a pussy hobby, not a career path. That's why my dad says, anyway."

"Well, damn, why are you acting like you're diseased?"

His eyebrows scrunch together. "Do you realize how much it fucking sucks to have your own parent against you? All he wants is for me to take over Duende, and I make it clear that I don't want that, so he makes it clear that I'm a disappointment to him."

I lower myself into the seat across from him. I want to reach out and comfort him, but I resist. "I'm sorry, Jayce... That sucks."

He shrugs and flashes me a half-assed smile. "Anyway, my dad told me that if I took Layla to the charity ball and made her my girlfriend, that he would get me a phone interview with the Director of Photography for À La Mode, which is a French art, food and fashion magazine that the vineyard does a lot of work with."

I take in this information, totally stunned that Jayce's dad was actually this much of a manipulative douche. "Your dad bribed you to date Layla? Why the fuck?"

"He's obsessed with power," Jayce taps the table top rhythmically with his fingertips. "He loves money and influence more than anything else, and Layla is the niece of GHS's principal and the mayor's granddaughter, so he thinks that me being with her will get him some connections or something. I don't know, his head is fucked."

"Wait, wait," I crinkle my brows together, trying to imagine Jayce giving in to anything. "And you said yes to him?"

"He offered me a huge step toward the future I want, Tink. For the first time ever, he was doing something to help me, even if it wasn't out of support. I couldn't just ignore that. Dating Layla seemed like a small price to pay at the time."

My voice is small and hitched in my throat. "And what does it seem like now?"

Jayce's tapping stops and he looks up at me, misery in his brown eyes. "Now, it seems like I fucked up. I hurt you, and I hate that more than you realize," he heaves a large sigh and buries his head in his hands, his muffled voice barely audible. "But I also don't want to pass up such a huge opportunity just to chase after someone who has made their feelings for me very clear."

I feel my whole body stiffen at his words. "Jayce, I..." The words can't seem to come. It's extremely fucking frustrating because I want him so damn bad. I want to know him, discover every hidden desire in his heart, every thought in his mind. I want to feel his skin, feel his body pressed against mine and figure out what drives him wild.

I want him in a way that scares me. In a way that I didn't even know was possible. The craziest part is, I met him just a few weeks ago, and yet I feel like I've known him my entire life.

I'm shocked by how much personal information I'm getting right now, but it's really nice to see that there is more to Jayce Solis than smoldering stares and shameless flirtation.

He suddenly straightens up and smirks at me, completely composed again. He leans back in his chair so that only the back two legs are on the ground. "It's okay, Fallon," he gives me a reassuring smile, lifting his cap to ruffle his hair. "This really does make it easier. After I graduate, I can go to Paris and a year later you can go to Brixton, and neither of us will have to give up our dreams to start some lame, long-distance high school romance that would never last, anyway."

"Paris?" I choke out as I register what that means. After he graduates, he wants to move half-way around the world. I'm happy that he's going after what he loves, but it also sucks because it means that he's completely right. He's currently proving to me why something between him and I could never work out. It would only end in hurt.

"Yeah."

"Your dad actually delivered on his promise? You talked to the Director?" I remember seeing Jayce's photos in his darkroom. Any magazine would be foolish to turn him down. He's seriously got a gift.

"About an hour ago," A smile spreads across his plump lips, his brown eyes gleaming. "He wants to see my portfolio."

"Jayce, that's amazing!" I sputter, letting genuine happiness spill out. "You're really, really talented. You deserve it."

"Thanks," he smiles at me and it warms my insides like a blazing fireplace. "I'm excited. Aside from the fact that I'd be working at fucking À La Mode, apparently the French are much less scrupulous," he winks at me. "Particularly the models."

"Oh, so girls are the main motivation for your career choice! It all makes sense now," I tell him smugly. "After a few shoots, you'd have, like, a practically endless spank bank! You are truly brilliant, Jayce Solis."

He throws his head back and erupts in laughter, looking at me with those shining, crinkled brown eyes. His laugh is probably the best sound I've heard in a long time.

God, he's so handsome. Bronzed, muscular in all the right places and a smile that makes my insides turn to goop.

"Hey," he holds up his hands, "I'd never do that to my clients. But, being surrounded by stunning women all day definitely wouldn't hurt, either." He gives me his signature smirk, which somehow still causes illicit thoughts to dance around my head.

"At least you have some sense of respect," I roll my eyes, trying not to focus on the beautiful, smiling specimen in front of me that I really want to straddle. "Thank you for sharing all of this with me, by the way," I smile at him, wishing mine had the same effect on him that his smile has on me. "I think you're pretty damn brave. I can't imagine having a dad that hates what you love."

One corner of his mouth flicks up into a grin. "I've never talked to anyone about this stuff before. It's really nice. Thanks for listening."

I think he scoots a bit closer to me, but it was too small of a movement to be certain.

"Anytime. I like learning about you."

He studies my face for several silent moments.

There's that damn sexual tension again. Fuck.

"I truly am sorry for using you," he says slowly. "I wasn't thinking straight. If it means anything, I didn't purposely try to cheat on Layla... In that moment, she was literally the last thing on my mind," he looks at me pointedly, causing my heart to skip. "But regardless, I should've been paying more attention. I fucked up, and I'm sorry."

"Surprisingly, I believe you, and I forgive you," I tell him, wishing he hadn't brought up our rendezvous, because thinking about it is so not helping me right now. "And thanks for coming in clutch with the sugar and booze."

"No problem," he leans forward, plucks up his backpack and stands to his feet. "I really appreciate you letting me explain all of that, really. I should probably head out though, before one of us says or does something we shouldn't."

We walk to the front door and I try to pretend that I can't smell his overpowering, wild scent of clove and perique. "What do you mean?" I step onto the porch, closing the front door behind me.

He turns to look at me and his eyes seem to be tracing my curves. He takes a sudden step forward, causing me to gasp and step backwards, my back pressing flush against the closed door as Jayce hovers impossibly close to me. He's not even touching me, but every hair on my body feels like it's standing on end.

"Would you ever be my muse?" His eyes dart between my eyes and lips, and I can feel his hot breath over my skin.

"What?" I exhale, unsure if I'll ever be able to breathe properly again.

"Would you ever let me take photos of you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Not like that," he scoffs, rolling his brown eyes and lifting his cap to run his fingers through his hair. "My portfolio needs something special before I send it off to À La Mode, and I can't think of a better crowning jewel than you," his eyes are looking deeply, intently into mine.

"M-me?" I stutter stupidly, hating myself for it. I wouldn't be surprised if Jayce could hear how loud my heart is currently beating.

"Yes, you. You're more radiant than the fucking sun, Fallon. You're perfect."

My lips part at his words and I want so badly to kiss him. My hands are shaking at my sides as I force them to not tangle themselves in his hair.

"Perfect for-uh-for my portfolio, I mean," he suddenly steps away, shaking his head and taking the suffocating tension with him. "Your hair is like gold, which is one of À La Mode's main colors. So, yeah, it-um. It would work nicely, I think," he looks at the ground and lifts his hands to rub the back of his neck. "If you're willing, that is. No pressure, of course. It's totally cool if you don't want-"

"-Jayce!" I laugh, cutting off his awkward and adorable rambling. "I'd be honored to be your crowning jewel," I can't help but smile at the terminology he chose to use.

I'm fucking stunned that he even suggested it. The fact that he asked makes me feel like a million bucks though, that's for damn sure. It's one thing for your friends to tell you that you're pretty, but when the hottest guy in school wants to take photos of you because you're "more radiant that the sun..."

That's an entirely new level of confidence-inflation. Damn.

He smirks and looks me up and down one last time before saying, "Good. It's a date."

With that, he steps off my front porch, climbs onto his bike and zips off into the night.

~~~

Ooh la la 🇫🇷🥐🌹

Is romance ~blossominggg~?? Or are they both more committed to their futures?? Such good lil beans.

Tap that star like it's Jayce's a$$$$.⭐

Then... READ ON SQUAD. xx

♥️