Free Pep Talks (Pepper Jones #4) by Ali Dean Page A

soft smile that takes over his face sends a strong rush of relief through me. His expression is radiant and I’m so happy he hasn’t shut down this piece of him. This sweet and loving side he reserves for me. I was worried it’d be a long time before I was able to bring it back.
    “Hey, you,” I greet him, returning the smile. I start to sit on the couch beside him but he pulls me into his lap.
    “You look beat,” he remarks, nuzzling that favorite spot underneath my ear.
    “Yeah, Coach kicked our butts today at practice.”
    “I miss your butt,” he rumbles, letting me know exactly what’s on his mind.
    Playful Jace carries me into his room and tosses me on his bed before shutting the door behind him. He’s attentive and loving with every touch, and though he doesn’t say the words, each caress feels like an apology. He doesn’t let himself go until he’s watched me look into his eyes. The wall he threw up yesterday is gone, and he’s showing me just how deeply his emotions run. But they aren’t about him or Annie. They are about us. Me. It’s regret and tenderness in his eyes and the ferocity of it rips through me. For a brief moment I wonder if he’s trying to tell me I matter more than his mother. We matter more. Because I’ve always been here for him. And she hasn’t.
    Jace keeps his body covering mine afterward and brushes his lips along my cheeks and forehead. He doesn’t have to say anything.  He handled things badly yesterday. And he doesn’t need me to tell him I forgive him. Wrong or right, I can’t help but forgive him.
    “Are you hungry?” he asks.
    “Actually, I’m craving brownies. Gran and Lulu were talking about baking some when I left.”
    “You were at Shadow Lane?” Jace refers to my home with Gran as the street that we both grew up on. I like that he does that. It means that our home is the same place, in a way.
    “Yeah, I had dinner there.”
    Jace nods. “I didn’t make it to Chapman. Stayed late working out to make up for yesterday.”
    “You haven’t eaten?”
    “Course I have. There’s no way I was doing my homework hungry.” Jace grins and raises a dark eyebrow. “You, on the other hand, I will do hungry, tired, sick…”
    I shove him and he rolls over, pretending to fall off the bed before pulling on a pair of sweatpants. “Brownies, huh? Let’s hit up the Union. It’s open late and they’ve got burgers and brownies.”
    “Burgers? I thought you said you ate dinner already?” I search around the floor for my clothes and Jace finds them first, taking pleasure in helping me get dressed.
    “That was my first dinner. Come on, Pep, you didn’t meet me yesterday. I’m a two-dinner guy.”
    He finishes dressing me and I tease him about being like a hobbit with his multiple daily meals as we make our way out the door. This time when I cross the quad, my fingers intertwined with Jace’s, I’m at peace.  The loneliness and homesickness that assaulted me on this walk last night has disappeared as quickly as it arrived. The reality is that Jace is a piece of my home, and when things aren’t right with him, it doesn’t matter whether I’m in my hometown, I’ll still feel off. Even in the warmth of Gran’s kitchen, my heart and mind remain unsettled without him. This truth doesn’t frighten me like it once might have. It just is. And perhaps I’m okay with it because I know it’s the same truth for Jace too.
    When we get to the Union, it’s packed with students. I’ve only passed through here a couple of times, and I’ve never seen it so crowded. We order food at the counter and as we search for a spot to sit, my eyes land on Gina, who is alone at a high table in a far corner. The small round top is piled with food, and Gina’s eyes are glued to an open book in her lap as she shoves French fries in her mouth. If Lexi was afraid Gina’s dieting was too extreme, she doesn’t need to worry. Of course, binge eating is a well-known element of some