Breaking the Act

engels maak dit af The words lingered between them, heavier than anything they had said before.

Then stop pretending.

Jax was still staring at her, his expression unreadable, like he was trying to figure out if she really meant it. If she was just saying it in the moment or if this was something real.

Grace's heart pounded in her chest.

She had no idea what this meant—what they meant—but she knew she didn't want to go back to pretending. Not when everything about Jax had started to feel so real.

Damon cleared his throat, clearly enjoying the tension way too much. "Alright, well, this is cute and all, but if you two are about to have a dramatic, romantic moment, I'd rather not be here for it."

Jax blinked like he had forgotten Damon was even in the room. He rolled his eyes. "No one asked you to be here in the first place."

Damon smirked as he stood up, grabbing his keys from the counter. "And yet, you called me." He turned to Grace, giving her an easy grin. "It was nice meeting you, Grace. Try not to break his heart, alright?"

Jax groaned. "Get out."

Damon just laughed, sending Jax a wink before heading toward the door.

And just like that, it was quiet again.

Just her and Jax.

Jax exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "So..."

Grace crossed her arms. "So."

A slow smirk tugged at his lips. "You just agreed to be my girlfriend."

She arched an eyebrow. "Did I?"

He stepped closer, his voice lower. "That's what it sounded like."

Grace tilted her head, her pulse quickening. "And if I did?"

Jax studied her for a second before shaking his head with a quiet laugh. "You're gonna make me work for this, aren't you?"

Grace shrugged, but there was a small smile on her lips. "Maybe."

Jax sighed dramatically, leaning against the counter. "You're impossible."

Grace smirked. "And yet, here you are."

Jax chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah... here I am."

The air between them shifted, something unspoken settling in the silence.

It wasn't fake anymore.

It wasn't just a contract or a deal.

Whatever this was—it was real now.

And that was terrifying.

But also kind of perfect.

Jax's smirk softened as he watched Grace, something unreadable in his eyes. It was the first time in weeks—maybe ever—that they didn't have to pretend.

No more fake smiles. No more staged moments.

Just them.

Grace could feel her pulse in her throat. "So... what now?"

Jax hesitated, as if he hadn't thought that far ahead. Then he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess... we figure it out?"

His voice was careful, like he wasn't sure if she was going to change her mind.

Grace exhaled slowly, her arms still crossed over her chest. "I don't want this to get messy, Jax."

Jax scoffed. "Grace, everything about us has been messy from the start."

She let out a small, reluctant laugh. "Fair point."

Jax studied her for a moment before taking a cautious step closer. "But I don't want to screw this up."

Grace felt something in her chest tighten.

Because she didn't want that either.

She glanced down at her hands, suddenly feeling unsure. "I'm not really good at this whole... relationship thing."

Jax smirked. "Well, that makes two of us."

Grace met his gaze again, searching for any sign of doubt. But there wasn't any.

Just him.

Waiting.

Letting her decide how far this would go.

She swallowed. "Okay."

Jax raised an eyebrow. "Okay?"

She nodded, exhaling. "Yeah. Let's... figure it out."

Jax's smirk returned, but this time it was softer. "Good. Because I wasn't planning on letting you go anytime soon."

Grace rolled her eyes. "You're so dramatic."

Jax grinned. "And yet, here you are."

Grace sighed, shaking her head. But she couldn't fight the small smile tugging at her lips.

Because despite all the chaos, despite how insane this entire thing had been...

She wanted this.

She wanted him.

Jax's grin softened as he stepped closer, his eyes lingering on Grace's lips for a moment before he met her gaze.

"Grace..." he began, his voice lower now, "I know we just figured things out, but... would you stay with me tonight? Just... sleep. We don't have to rush anything, but I don't want to be alone right now."

Grace felt her pulse quicken at the words. She had spent so much time pretending, but now everything felt different. Real. She had always been a little unsure, but in this moment, with Jax standing before her, she felt like she could trust him.

She nodded slowly, her throat tight as she spoke. "Yeah... I'd like that."

Jax's expression softened with relief, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Good. I promise I'm not trying to rush anything. I just... want to be near you."

Grace swallowed hard, stepping closer to him. "I don't want to rush either."

They stood there for a moment, the silence comfortable between them, until Jax gently took her hand and led her to his bedroom. The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the soft glow of the streetlights outside.

Without a word, Jax climbed into the bed, pulling the covers back. Grace hesitated for a moment, then slipped under the blankets beside him.

It felt so natural, so right, even though everything was still new. They didn't speak, but they didn't need to. The warmth between them said everything.

Jax turned slightly on his side, facing Grace. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering for a moment against her skin.

"Goodnight, Grace," he whispered softly, his eyes locked with hers.

Grace smiled, her heart thumping in her chest. "Goodnight, Jax."

They both closed their eyes, the quiet rhythm of their breathing filling the room. For the first time in a long time, Grace felt at peace, knowing that no matter what tomorrow brought, tonight was real.

And that was enough for now.