The kiss they shared at the corner of 42nd and fifth felt like a universe exhaling.
The chaos of Manhattan swirled around them, taxis rushing past, the blur of headlights, steam rising from underground grates, but all Amy could feel was Jace's mouth on hers, the taste of something longed for and finally found.
When they broke apart, their foreheads still touching.
They both laughed, their breaths fogging the cool spring air.
"Come on," she said, pulling him gently by the hand. "Sophie's probably wondering if I vanished off the face of Manhattan."
They made their way back to the café, her heart racing with the kind of joy that felt a little dangerous. The windows glowed softly against the gathering dark, and inside, Sophie was holding the same novel, scrolling her phone like she wasn't expecting anything new.
The bell above the door jingled.
Sophie looked up.
And then her jaw dropped.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Amy barely managed to say anything before Sophie shot up, grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh my God, you two kissed, didn't you?"
"Hey Sophie" Jace chuckled.
"Hey" Sophie smiled.
Amy blushed. "Long story," Amy said, shaking her head. "Short version,we're okay."
"I knew it," Sophie said, grabbing her things. "And on that note, I will now remove myself so the lovebirds can fly free. Also, I left my heating pad on, so…"
Amy nodded understandably.
They stepped outside together and were greeted instantly by a heavy gust of wind and then, the soft tap of rain.
"Of course," Sophie muttered, zipping up her coat. "It would rain during your reunion. Rom-com writers would be jealous."
Amy laughed. "You sure you're okay getting home?"
"I've got an umbrella and a subway card. You two? You go… do whatever you do."
She winked, hugged Amy, gave Jace a playful nudge, and disappeared into the early evening.
Amy turned to Jace, drops already falling into her hair. "We should probably..."
But he was already pulling her close, hands warm against the small of her back.
"Run?,Not yet."He said.
They kissed again, right there on the wet sidewalk, as the rain started coming down harder. She squealed and laughed when he tugged her down the block, their hands still locked, their bodies soaked within seconds. They ran for a few minutes and Jace even carried her at some point. They were both laughing in the rain like teenagers who just confessed their love to each other for the first time.
By the time they made it to his apartment building, they were both drenched and breathless from laughing.
Inside, the elevator was warm, humming as they rode up in silence, their fingers interlocked and not letting go.
His apartment was on the twelfth floor and when he opened the door, Amy paused.
"Wow...i almost forgot what this place looked like" She said.
The space was understably large but not cold, a few framed black-and-white photographs on the walls, warm lighting that made everything feel intimate. A record player sat quietly by the window, and there was a faint scent of cedar and clean linen.
"Remember when I first came here and I said you live like someone who owns matching socks," she said, stepping in, dripping water onto the hardwood.
"Well I used to," he said, closing the door behind them. "But I lost half of them. Guess I'm a fraud."
She turned to him smiling, hair wet and clinging to her cheeks.
And then they were standing inches apart.
He reached out, gently pushing a strand of wet hair behind her ear.
"I missed you," he said, voice low.
Amy looked up at him, her eyes softer now. "Show me."
And he did.
He leaned in, kissing her slower this time not the desperate kind from the street corner, but something deeper, something that spoke of days missed and futures imagined. His hands settled on her waist, then slid around her back as he walked her slowly toward the bedroom, their wet clothes trailing droplets across the floor.
The lights were dim in the room. The rain pattered gently against the windows.
Clothes came off one by one.... damp shirts peeled away, jeans falling in lazy, wet thumps onto the floor, breathless laughter tucked between kisses that deepened, lingered.
Jace kissed her collarbone, her shoulders, her neck like he was relearning her shape, memorizing the map of her.
Amy pressed her palms against his skin, feeling his heartbeat thud in time with hers. She breathed him in his scent, his warmth, the gravity of him pulling her back into something whole.
They didn't rush. They didn't speak.
She shivered slightly.
"Come on," he said, nodding toward the bathroom. "Let's warm up."
The bathroom was just as understated and beautiful as the rest of his place, soft lighting, clean marble, and a deep glass shower that steamed up quickly once he turned it on.
The water slid over their skin as they stood facing each other, silent at first.
Then Jace reached for her, brushing soaked strands of hair behind her ears.
She leaned into his chest, arms circling his waist, letting the steam and heat wrap around them. He kissed her forehead, then her cheek. Their mouths met, slow and close, the kind of kiss that carried more than longing.... it carried everything they hadn't said, everything they feared they'd lost.
They stayed there a while rinsing away the city, the past few days, the tension. Just water, warmth, and the quiet space they'd found again.
Later, wrapped in one of his large towels, Amy wandered into the bedroom. She pulled open a drawer and smiled when she found a soft, oversized shirt clearly his favorite, the fabric worn thin in the best way.
"Is this okay?" she asked as he stepped in, now in a clean pair of joggers and a fitted tee.
Jace smiled, watching her pull it over her head. "It's more than okay."
She removed the towel, wore the shirt and climbed into bed, curling under the thick duvet as he joined her.
Outside, the rain softened into a whisper. Inside, everything slowed.
Amy leaned her head against his chest, her legs tangled with his.
"How's your mom?" she asked, her voice gentle.
"She's doing better," Jace replied. "She kept asking about you."
Amy exhaled, relieved.
"And Becca?" she asked.
"She's good," he said. "She stepped up more than I expected. Told me to stop being a coward and fix things with you."
Amy smiled. "Smart woman."
They were quiet for a moment.
Then Amy asked, "And your dad?"
Jace's jaw tightened slightly, but he didn't look away.
"He showed up at the hospital. Said he wanted to make things right"
"And?" Amy asked expectantly.
"We haven't crossed that bridge yet" He said. Amy reached for his hand, holding it tightly.
"I don't know how to handle it," Jace said. "Everything fell apart after Emma died and I… I don't think things would ever go back to the way it used to"
"It will if you let it, he's trying to make amends, I know you see it too but you're still brewing with anger"
"He caused the anger that made me push you away,you were the one good thing in the middle of that chaos, I didn't want you to see me like that."
"But I would've stayed regardless," she whispered as she brushed her lips across his shoulder. "I wanted to."
"I know that now," he said, brushing his thumb over the back of her hand. "And I'm so damn lucky you're still here."
She leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, then his jaw. He smiled faintly, eyes closing as he rested his head against hers.
They stayed like that for a long time,no more need for apologies or explanations.
Just silence, heartbeats, and the comfort of the person who stayed.
Eventually, her breathing slowed, deepened. She fell asleep there, curled against him.
Jace watched her;the rise and fall of her back, the faint curve of her mouth, the strands of hair splayed across the pillow like golden threads.
He kissed her forehead.
"Goodnight, Ames."
He rose quietly, slipping into a pair of Crocs and stepping out into the soft light of the living room. The apartment was still, the only sound the hum of the refrigerator and the faint whisper of rain against the windows.
His phone buzzed on the kitchen counter.
Gina:
Seeing you again today… I didn't expect it to hit me like that. It's lonelier without you than I thought. I just needed to say it.
Jace stared at the screen with a very surprised look on his face.Then let it go dark. "Why is Gina texting him?". It's been so long they spoke to each not until at the hospital today.
And even with that he didn't type a word.
....
The sunlight came in slow and lazy, painting golden lines across the sheets where Amy still slept.
Jace stood in the kitchen barefoot, whisking eggs with one hand and flipping toast with the other. He poured fresh coffee, sliced strawberries, and plated it all with quiet care.
Just as he placed the tray on the nightstand and turned to wake her, his phone buzzed again.
Another message.
Still Gina.He glanced at it.Didn't open it.
Didn't even let his face change.
Amy stirred, blinking at the scent of butter and cinnamon. Her eyes landed on the tray, then on him.
"You cooked?" she asked, voice husky from sleep.
He smiled. "You brought me back to life. Least I could do."
She stretched, sat up, pulled the blanket tighter around herself.
His phone buzzed again.
Amy noticed.
"Someone's persistent," she said lightly.
Jace picked up the phone, cleared the notification. "Just spam."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You sure?"
He looked her in the eye. "Positive."
Amy nodded, not pressing further, and pulled him back into bed beside her.
And as she took a bite of toast and leaned against him, he knew what he wanted was here. Not in old memories or familiar names but in this messy, beautiful, real morning beside her.