21. Pictures + Plans

Part 2/2 for this update! If you haven't read chapter 20, go do that first!

I wake up the following morning to feel my feet being tickled. Confused and a bit irritated, I groggily sit up in bed, running my fingers through my hair to get it out of my face.

I realize with horror that the person responsible for waking me, the person standing at the end of my bed, was none other than Jayce Solis.

Jayce fucking Solis was currently in my bedroom, playing with my toes.

"What the hell?!" I screech, pulling the covers over my head to hide my morning appearance and curling into a ball. "Get out!"

He responds by laughing playfully, and I think it's probably the most magical sound I've ever heard.

"It's almost noon!" He proclaims. "Get your sleepy ass out of bed!"

I'm grateful that my blankets are covering my face, because I wouldn't have been happy if Jayce had been able to see the deep red color my cheeks are currently flushing.

He laughs himself out of my room and loudly makes his way down the stairs.

I wait several moments to make sure he's not going to burst back into my room, before violently ripping back the fluffy, white comforter and racing to my door, locking it as quickly as I can. My heart rate is beginning to return to normal as I step back and sleepily attempt to process what just happened.

Jayce was in my room while I was sleeping.

Aside from the fact that it feels a bit Twilight-y, especially considering that I don't know how long he was in here before I woke up, I can't help but smile and laugh a little. My stomach twists up into a knot as I realize that I'm actually about to spend the day with Jayce.

I hate that I'm genuinely excited for it. It would seem that regardless of how much I try to convince myself that he's a waste of time, I'm still drawn to him for some reason. Logically, I know that I shouldn't have any sort of relationship with him, and yet... All I want is to be near him and have his attention. There's so much about him that I don't know, but I want to, so so badly.

I slip on a white tank top and a comfy cardigan with a pair of ripped jeans and tan booties and head to the bathroom to attempt to make my hair and makeup somewhat presentable.

I put some mousse in my hair and do a quick makeup look, applying my eyeshadow a bit darker than usual since I'm supposed to be in front of a camera.

I had no idea what Jayce was wanting these photos to look like. I hadn't thought about it much until now, but I could feel my nerves growing as I swiped on several coats of mascara and spritzed a tiny bit of perfume on my neck and wrists.

I grabbed my bag from my room and at the last second, stuffed in the orange dress from Presley, just in case she was right and we did end up going to the damned Harvest party.

"Look at you, looking all model-y!" Jayce rises from the kitchen table as soon as I enter and his eyes sweep over me. "Ready?"

To my great chagrin, I realize that he's sitting at the table with both mom and Haven. Haven's face is set in a hard scowl and mom, who looks shockingly sober, is giving me a knowing look, her eyes glinting as she tries to hold back a smile.

"Yeah, let's go," I turn away from my family and Jayce, hoping none of them see the redness of my cheeks.

"You better be comfortable showing us every fucking one of the photos you take of her," Haven growls from behind me. "Fallon, pretend like I'm standing in the room with–"

I hear a small slapping sound, like mom had thwacked Haven's arm, telling him to shut up. "Have fun, sweetie!" Mom calls as Jayce opens the front door for me and we make our way onto the porch and into the cool autumn air.

I instinctively take a deep breath in, savoring the crispness of the afternoon, which was absolutely perfect coupled with the fiery orange-red trees and golden sunlight.

"So, what exactly is going to be happening today?" I question as we step off the porch.

Jayce gives me a smirk, which he should have trademarked by now. "Hop on," he says, swinging his leg over his bike.

I climb onto the seat behind him and shove the helmet on my head, wrapping my arms around his solid waist. Heat erupts over my body as I press myself against his back, my heart skipping beats in my chest as I cling to his solid figure.

He takes off down the street, wind whistling past us. I'm grateful for the warmth of Jayce's muscular body as I watch the town flit past. Soon we've made it through the hills and are pulling into the gates of his family's estate.

"I hope you know I've never done any sort of photoshoot before," I tell him as I pull the helmet off my head, my stomach in knots as I realize the truth in what I'm saying. "And I'm literally the most awkward person I know, so good luck trying to get a usable shot."

This is going to be so fucking embarrassing. Why the hell did I agree to this again?

Jayce tilts his head back and laughs as he helps me off the massive bike. "You'll be fine, Tink."

"I don't even know what you're looking for though?" I can hear the stress in my own voice. Ugh.

"You," he smirks down at me as we walk inside, his brown eyes more comforting than a warm mug of hot cocoa. "I'm looking for you."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I grumble as my stomach flutters at his words.

"It means you're a charming woman, and not just from the outside. That's what I'm wanting to capture," Jayce shrugs like what he said didn't just melt me on the fucking spot.

"Oh," I reply as butterflies pound at my stomach lining. "Right. Thanks."

"Sure thing," he leads me down to their basement, which I didn't even know existed until now.

He's got a makeshift studio set up with all sorts of lights and a black photography drape tacked to the wall. He saunters over to an aged armchair and picks something up out of it.

Walking back over to me until he's standing so close I can feel his breath on my face, he gently presses the items from the armchair against my abdomen and gazes down at me intensely. "Strip," he demands with mischievous eyes.

"What?" My voice comes out as a whisper, his presence taking the oxygen straight out of my lungs.

"I said, 'Strip,'" he gives me a little smirk. "Then put these on," he steps back and picks up his camera from a mahogany coffee table, beginning to fiddle with the dials.

Fuck. He looks so damn good. He's in a grey heather v-neck, distressed skinny jeans and his converse. His tanned, muscular arms look extra defined and his wild, curly hair keeps falling in front of his eyes as he focuses intently on his camera.

I tear my eyes away from his large arms and sharp jawline to look down at the jeans shorts and soft black shirt in my hands. I quickly hide behind a large wardrobe so that Jayce can't see me and begin changing, feeling my cheeks brighten as I beg the dull pulsing between my legs to let up.

I have no fucking clue what's about to happen. I've literally never done anything like this before, and I don't think I'm going to take very well to being in front of a camera, knowing someone is staring at me nonstop.

The bottoms are short and high-wasted, nothing I wouldn't wear normally. The top is made of a soft, stretchy material that's cropped above my belly button. It's got a deep v that exposes some of my upper back and the sleeves fall to just below my elbows. It fits me tightly but I don't feel self conscious as I step out, barefooted, from behind the wardrobe.

Jayce lifts his face and smiles when he sees me, looking me up and down with an approving gaze that's riddled with longing and unmistakable desire.

"I was right," he says with a satisfied expression, motioning for me to step in front of the black photography drape on the wall. "It fits you perfectly."

I feel my cheeks blush as I move to where I'm directed. "Jayce, what the hell am I supposed to do?" My stomach is in a knot but I can't help giggling at the entire situation.

He doesn't reply but pulls out his phone, "Name a song you love."

"I Like Me Better by Lauv," I say instantly, hoping he doesn't try to criticize me for the music I like. If he did, I'd have to be sure to ask him what it's like to have no taste.

Seconds later, the music begins quietly, playing through overhead speakers that I can't even see. He sets his phone on the coffee table and when the lyrics begin, he instantly starts lip-syncing with a massive amount of sass, causing my jaw to drop as I watch his bouncing brown curls. When the snaps start, he also begins snapping and strutting to the beat over to a large fan. He flips it on, causing my hair to blow back over my shoulders and the music grows louder and louder.

He walks back toward me while bobbing his head to the vocals and lip-synching like he's the star of a music video. I don't know if I've ever seen anything more adorable. My damn heart is certainly beating as if I haven't.

"You know this song?" I laugh in disbelief, having to raise my voice a little louder than usual to be heard over the music. "Aren't guys supposed to hate pop?"

"It's a good ass song," He shrugs with a grin, his brown eyes glittering. "I can get down to some pop, Tink," he tells me matter-of-factly.

"Okay, then," I laugh, even more unable to quiet my nerves as Jayce takes his position in front of me, mouthing the lyrics and moving dramatically, exuding confidence the entire damn time.

Ugh. He's literally made to undo me.

"Don't think about any of this too much, okay?" He says and smiles at me reassuringly. "I want you to just have fun with the music and be yourself. I've got a Pandora station going for you. You're going to be great, but if you're not feeling it, we can stop. I want you to feel comfortable and confident. Trust me, though, you already look like a model, Fallon." He raises his camera to his eye, effectively hiding any further expression before uttering three more words, "You're so stunning."

He got his wish, as his encouragement causes confidence to bloom through my entire body. I feel myself smile as I allow myself to soak in Jayce's opinion of me: he thinks I'm stunning. It's the first time he's ever directly told me that he thinks I'm pretty, and it's literally got me feeling like my feet aren't touching the ground.

Not that I needed his validation, I know I've got some good looks, but hearing the words from him, the guy in school who definitely knows a 10 when he sees one... that's some next level shit.

I smile at the camera but get instantly embarrassed and cover my face with my hands, doubling over in laughter as I feel my entire face turn tomato red.

"Hell yeah!" Jayce shouts encouragingly, still snapping away.

"Holy shit, this is terrible," I giggle and shriek. "I don't know what to do!"

"Give me the duck face!" Jayce directs.

"Oh god, why?" I laugh, but purse my lips at him anyway.

"Now give me a fuck face!"

"Really?" I deadpan, unimpressed. "Nice try," I can hear his shutter continuing to snap photos.

"This sass is really good," he informs me. "Look at me like you did when I spilled your coffee on you."

I try to keep myself from scowling too hard at the memory but still channel the annoyance I felt toward him that day.

"Yes!" He affirms, begging me to keep feeding him attitude.

Several songs pass as Jayce continues taking photos and giving me different scenarios to re-live. We laugh our asses off and dance around like lunatics, poking fun and encouraging each other the whole time. At one point, a slower tempo song came on and we ended up slow-dancing together, me with my cheek pressed against his chest while his cheek rested on the top of my head. It was approximately three and a half minutes of pure elation.

About two and a half hours later, he's ran completely out of film and I'm exhausted.

Who knew modeling could be so tiring?

"You did incredible," Jayce flashed his white teeth at me, lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat sheen from his forehead and revealing his olive v lines.

Damn.

Control yourself, Fallon. No drooling.

"How did you get into photography, anyway?" I ask to distract myself, hoping he didn't notice how glued my eyes were to his abs.

Jayce shrugs as he begins flicking off the studio lights. "I guess when I discovered dirty magazines, I realized someone had to take the pictures," he flashes me a devious smile.

"Ha-ha," I respond flatly.

"Nah," he grins. "But really, when I was a kid and the vineyard was getting really popular, magazines and studios would send reporters to interview mom and dad all the time. There was no one around that I wanted to hang out with, so I'd end up following the photographer around and ask them all sorts of questions. Eventually, one of them let me take some photos with their camera. They said I was really good and I guess it all stemmed from there."

"How'd you get into fashion though?" I gaze at him, ignoring the twist in my stomach at the mere sight of him. "That seems a bit random."

"Mom was the only person I had to take photos of," he shrugs as he sets his camera down and wanders back to me. "I loved how her different outfits almost seemed to make her embody different characteristics, if that makes sense. I don't know, it doesn't sound that lame in my head," he chuckles, towering above me, peering down into my eyes with sudden, intense heat. "I guess I've just always had an appreciation for capturing beauty."

I swallow and give him a small smile, not sure what reaction he was hoping to get out of me from that little comment. "So moving to Paris and working for that magazine is your ultimate dream, huh?"

"Not necessarily my ultimate dream, but it's definitely the first step," his voice is low and gruff and it's very difficult to not think about the things we could be doing in his basement.

"France would be so incredible to see," I sigh, stretching my arms above my head. I think I see Jayce's eye flit down to my exposed midriff.

"It's amazing," he says quickly. "Their bread and butter is the best thing in the world. And don't get me started on their wine, cheese and chocolate... not to mention their women," he raises his eyebrows and smiles like he's about to do something he knows will get him in trouble.

I roll my eyes at his piggishness. "What more could you need?"

"I can think of one thing."

I glance up and meet his eyes, which seem to be devouring me. I can feel my resolve fading with every breath we breathe in. He's too fucking electrifying. I don't want to keep resisting him. Yet somehow, I manage to rip my eyes away from his and nearly trip over my feet as I spin around to walk back towards my clothes.

"I'm going to change now," I tell him. "Go away."

He smirks, looks me up and down and I can tell that he's biting back a suggestive remark. "Come up to the kitchen when you're done."

I nod and he vanishes up the stairs, leaving me alone with my dirty mind and massive amounts of pent-up energy.

As I slip out of the clothes Jayce had picked for me, I can't help but think about how much I enjoy talking to him. He says what's on his mind, and I really appreciate that. Most people, myself included, try to filter what they say to give the "right" answer. But not Jayce. He says whatever the fuck he wants, regardless of what people may think of him. I admire that boldness.

I try to imagine what it would be like to just be friends with him. I'm not sure my heart would be able to handle constantly being around such gorgeousness without doing something about it. I have zero self-control. Ugh.

Shrugging my cardigan back on, I mosey up the stairs and attempt to find my way to the kitchen in the maze that is his family's home. I follow the smell of coffee and successfully reach the kitchen, where he's leaning against the counter next to a brewing pot of fresh coffee and running his finger down the page of a book.

I gingerly walk to one of barstools at the white marble island, not wanting to be close enough to get sucked into the tractor beam I'm convinced he has.

"Coffee smells great," I remark as I perch myself on the barstool.

"Figured we could use it after that," he mumbles, not looking up from scanning the book he's holding.

"Are photoshoots always that draining?"

"Leader," he ignores my question, his finger hovering above the page.

"What?"

"That's what your name means," he slaps the book shut and tosses it on the counter, turning to face me with a playful expression. It was a baby name book. "Fallon means 'leader.'"

"Sorry, but why the fuck do you have a baby name book?"

"My mom's weird about names," he shrugs. "Thinks their meanings have to do with the person's destiny or some shit, I don't know. I remembered that you didn't know the meaning of yours, so I figured I'd look it up for you."

"Well, I guess being a leader isn't too bad of a destiny. It's better than being 'a healing' or whatever yours means," I tease.

An expression I'm not used to seeing casts a shadow over his usually confident features.

It looks a lot like shame.

I remember that the same thing happened last time I was in this kitchen, when Celeste originally said what her son's name stands for. I'm about to ask him why he seems to hate the meaning of his own name when he turns his back toward me and pulls two mugs out of the cabinet.

"How do you like your coffee?" He asks with his back to me.

I take a few moments to appreciate the way his shirt hugs his back muscles as he moves and make sure I'm not drooling before responding, "I like my coffee like I like my men."

"What?" He turns around, his slanted smile and sparkling eyes having returned.

"I like my coffee like I like my men," I say again. "Black, strong and able to keep me up all night."

Jayce's eyes widen and he lets out a loud belly laugh that vibrates me to my core - I swear, it's one of the best sounds in the world.

"Is that right?" He asks through guffaws, the corners of his eyes crinkled in laughter.

"Absolutely," I nod, cracking a smile.

"So that's why you won't date me, because I'm Hispanic and Greek, and not black?" He grins.

His question jolts me and my eyebrows knit together. "Dude, I'm never going to date someone who has a girlfriend."

He exhales loudly, as if just now remembering that he's in a relationship. He pours the steaming brew into our mugs and walks to the opposite side of the island, placing the aromatic drink in front of me.

"You didn't make any other plans for today, right?" He asks, running his long fingers through his wild hair.

"That depends," I shrug.

"On what?"

"On if your plans for us are boring or not," I sass him, folding my arms over my chest and giving him a challenging look. "What did you have in mind?"

He raises an eyebrow, an intrigued smirk on his face. "I thought I could take you to the Harvest Party."

I make a retching sound in my throat. "The Harvest Party? Seriously? Aren't they supposed to be super lame?"

He tilts his head to the side a bit, reminding me of an inquisitive puppy. It's really fucking cute."You've never been to one?"

I shake my head no.

"It'd be pretty lame if you went by yourself. But with me?" He shoots me a devilish grin that causes butterflies to erupt in my belly. "I told you I could show you a good time, remember?"

"I remember, but I'm still not going to the Harvest Party with you. Especially not while your girlfriend is on the other side of the country!"

His eyes move over my figure. "I think I could get you to do whatever I wanted you to." His brown eyes lock onto mine and I feel my breath catch in my throat.

"Is that so?" My heart is thumping in my chest as he moves around the island, closer to me.

"Yeah," his voice is a slow drawl and his eyes are glued to my lips.

"And how would you plan on doing that, exactly?"

He's now standing right next to the barstool I'm sitting in. His eyes linger on my lips for a moment longer.

"Like THIS!" He shouts suddenly, causing me to jump as he wraps his arms around my waist and lifts me off the barstool, carrying me sideways as he sprints through the house with me at his side, screaming and laughing and forgetting about everything except the beautiful man that's holding me.

"Jayce!" I screech and giggle, taken completely by surprise as I cling to him, praying he doesn't drop me on the hard floor.

I swear, this boy and his ability to take me from zero to ten and back again... It's infuriating. But I love it. Which is bad. Shit.

It's not until we're in his bedroom that he finally stops running and puts me down.

"You're lucky I didn't think to punch you in the dick until just now," I tell him as I straighten up and adjust my tank top and cardigan.

"Damn, Tink, how often do you think about touching my dick?" He smirks with a victorious air.

I can't help but scoff and roll my eyes, hoping I don't start turning pink at the visual he just put in my head.

"Let me just put on a nicer shirt and then we'll head to the Harvest Party, okay?" He regards me with a cheeky grin as he vanishes into his closet.

I lock myself in his ensuite bathroom to change into the dress I had stuffed in my bag earlier, praying I could get the thought of handling Jayce's package out of my sinful head.

I'm not particularly excited at the prospect of going to party with a guy while his girlfriend is in another state, but at the same time, I am excited to spend more time with Jayce.

I mean, it's a friggin' Harvest Party, after all. What's the worst that could happen?

~~~

They're so fucking cute, I can't.

Sooo excited for you to read the next chapter ! I haven't written it yet, but the ideas in my head are fantastic and so yeah, I'm excited :)

ARE YOU SHIPPING JAYLON IS OR IS JUST ME BECAUSE <333 ugh I love them sm. Also is it Jaylon or Jallon???🤔

Also, I figured it might be a good idea to introduce myself, so this is me!

Hiiii, I'm Rachael (Ray or Rachie is what I grew up being called !)

I'm married to an incredible man (here's one of my fave pics from our wedding)

And we have 2 adorable lab-mix puppers -- Taz, the black one, he's 3. And Gryff, the brown one, she's 6 months. And yes, Gryff is short for Gryffindor, my fellow Potterheads ⚡️👓📚😍

Kayy, I love youu ! More is in the works, as usual. Have a great weekend 😘

💙READ ON SQUAD💙