As Jace walked back into the kitchen, Amy looked up at him with curiosity in her eyes. "Who was that?" she asked, nodding towards his phone.
Jace hesitated for a moment, unsure how much to reveal. But something about Amy's gentle tone put him at ease, and he found himself opening up to her.
"It was my sister Rebecca," he said, setting his phone down on the counter.
"Your sister?, what did she want?" She asked taking a bite from her pancake and passing some to Jace.
"She invited me to her wedding." He said as he picked up a pancake.
Amy's eyebrows arched in surprise, and she took a step closer to him. "Your sister's getting married? That's amazing, Jace!,I'm sure you're thrilled."
Jace nodded, feeling a mix of emotions swirl inside him. He was happy for his sister, but the thought of returning to his hometown, of facing his family and his past, filled him with a sense of trepidation.
"Yeah, I am," he said, trying to sound casual despite the turmoil brewing inside him. "And I was thinking...maybe you could come with me."
Amy's eyes widened in surprise, and she took a step back, her hands flying to her hips. "To your sister's wedding? In your hometown?, Charlottesville?"
Jace nodded, his heart racing with anticipation. "Yeah. It would mean a lot to me if you could be there. My family...they can be a bit much sometimes, but I think you'd really like them. And I'd love to have you by my side."
Amy's expression softened, and she looked at him with a warmth and tenderness that made his heart skip a beat. "Jace, I...I don't know what to say."
Jace took a step closer to her, his eyes locked onto hers. "Just say you'll come with me," he whispered, his voice low and sincere. "Please, Amy."Amy's eyes searched Jace's face, as if looking for reassurance. "I don't know, Jace," she said slowly. "I've never met your family before. What if they don't like me?"
Jace's face broke into a warm smile. "They'll love you, Amy," he said confidently. "You're kind, smart, and beautiful. What's not to love?"
Amy's cheeks flushed at the compliment, and she looked away, trying to compose herself. Jace took another step closer, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Besides," he said softly, "I want to share this experience with you. My sister's wedding is a big deal, and I want you by my side. We can face whatever comes next together, okay?"
Amy's eyes met Jace's again, and this time, he saw a glimmer of agreement there. She took a deep breath, and a small smile played on her lips.
"Okay," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll come with you."
Jace's face lit up with joy, and he swept Amy into his arms, holding her close. "Thank you," he whispered into her ear. "I promise you won't regret it."Amy laughs
"I hope not, when's the wedding?" She asked.Jace grinned. "It's on Saturday. Just two days from now."
Amy's eyes widened in surprise. "That's so soon!,I don't have what to wear, do you have what to wear?, What's the plan?"
Jace chuckled. "I was thinking we could fly to Charlottesville. It's a short flight,8 to 9 hours max and it'll give us more time to relax before the wedding."
Amy nodded, looking relieved. "That sounds like a great idea. I don't think I could handle a long drive right now,from Manhattan to Charlottesville, Virginia is a long way, how much are the flight tickets ?."
Jace smiled, feeling a sense of excitement build inside him. "Don't worry your pretty self about that babe, I'll book the flights and make arrangements for a car to pick us up from the airport."
Amy smiled back at him, looking happy and a little more at ease. "Sounds like a plan."
"Since you already have everything planned out,can I please,be the one to get our outfits ready,I haven't really seen you in a tuxedo and I'd love to see you on one"Amy said making puppy eyes at Jace.
"If you insist" Jace said smiling.
"Now that everything's been settled,can we go back to where we left off?" Jace asked smiling mischievously and holding Amy close.
"Well,you'll have to catch me first Mr Prescott" Amy said shoving his hand off and running across the kitchen.
"Oh Amy,come here" Jace said laughing as they ran round the kitchen.
...
Amy sighed staring at the ceiling,she hasn't been able to sleep since she went to bed. She looked by her side and saw Jace sleeping peacefully looking handsome as always.
Although she was jealous that Jace could sleep, she still couldn't stop thinking about how lucky she was to have met him. Over the past few months,she had laughed more than she usually does, she had become a model just for him as he has taken a thousand pictures of her and she has even started writing again and it's going pretty well.
Amy couldn't help herself as she pecked his forehead "Thank you" She said smiling.
She stood up from the bed and picked up her phone.She looked at the screen and the time was just 12:33am. She walked to the kitchen,poured herself some wine and went to the balcony.
The night was silent but the streets were still shining. She let out a sigh and took a sip from her wine.
She sat down and scrolled through her phone,she saw a message from Sophie asking how her day was.
Amy replied with a sticker that says great.She took another sip from the glass.
At about 12:45,her phone buzzed and it was Sophie.
Amy was surprised that she was awake.
Amy:What are you doing awake girl?
Sophie: Work. Nobody told me that a promotion comes with a lot of stress.
Amy: At least you're getting paid for it.
Sophie: Not all of us have to stay up at night working.
Amy: I'm happy with my job
Sophie: I'm still at awe that you quit your job at Mays Marketing firm.
Amy: I wasn't really happy there.
Sophie: Amy,the pay was insane.I could never make that amount in 3 months.
Amy: (laughs) Life's too short to do things that don't make you happy.
Sophie: I love how free spirited you are. I wish I could be like that. My boss is an ass but it's hard to get another good paying job as this one.
Amy: Sorry about that.
Sophie: Why are you awake though?, boyfriend drama?
Amy:(rolls her eye) Hardly.
Sophie: What is the matter?.
Amy: Jace asked me to go to his sister's wedding with him this weekend.
Sophie: What?! That's so soon! What did you say?
Amy: I said yes. I know it's fast, but I really like him and I don't want to miss out on this opportunity.
Sophie: Amy, I'm worried about you. We still don't know much about Jace's past or his intentions. Are you sure you're ready to meet his family?
Amy: Sophie, I know you're just trying to protect me, but I feel like i can trust Jace. And besides, I'll be able to know him better and his family by attending the wedding.
Sophie: Okay, Amy. Just promise me you'll be careful and keep your guard up. And don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything.
Amy: I promise, Sophie. I'll be careful. Thanks for looking out for me!
Sophie: Anytime, Amy. That's what friends are for. So, what's the plan for the wedding? Are you going to stay with Jace's family or get a hotel room?
Amy: Jace said his family has a big house, so I'll be staying with them. I'm a little nervous about it, but Jace seems to think it'll be fine.
Sophie: Okay, just be prepared for anything. You don't know what his family is like, and you don't want to get caught off guard. Keep your phone charged and make sure you have a way to get in touch with me if you need anything.
Amy: Got it, Sophie. Thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to stay in touch and let you know how everything goes.
Sophie: Good.
Amy: And cut it down on horror movies,you sounded creepy. Keep your phone charged?, really?
Sophie: I take it you haven't seen that movie Get out.
Amy:Don't scare me please,it's already late(laughs)
"Hey babe" Jace said touching Amy from behind. Amy jolted in shock. She wasn't expecting Jace.
"Sorry,I woke up and couldn't find you" He said trying to make her relax.
"You scared me Jace"She said laughing.
"Sorry" He said again. "What are you doing out here though?"
"I couldn't sleep so I came out here for some air" Amy said as Jace sat across her.
"Just texting my best friend Sophie"She continued.
"Okay you can talk to Sophie later,Let's go to bed,you need to get some sleep and get ready for the flight tomorrow" Jace said standing up.
"Speaking of which,I think I need that sleep now"She said and texted goodnight to Sophie as she follows Jace to the bedroom.