Page 83 of Wanna Bet?

"Myah." Jace tilted his head to the side and widened his eyes, letting her know he was annoyed.

Unlike his girlfriend, Jace did not enjoy attention.

"Still not hearing a problem."

The entire line seemed invested now. Wonderful. Exactly what he wanted. An audience.

"My boyfriend works at a record store."

Jace closed his eyes. "Myah, please."

"He has tattoos."

A woman in line gasped dramatically.

Jace considered walking directly into traffic.

Myah laughed so hard she nearly dropped a cup. The sound made his irritation evaporate instantly. Because it always did. That was the problem, the absolute worst part. He couldn't stay annoyed with her. Not when she looked that happy. Not when she looked at him like that. Not when she smiled.

Myah eventually slid a drink through the window. "Here."

Jace accepted it. "What is it?"

"Trust me."

The drink was somehow perfect. Of course it was.

"What is that?"

Her smile widened. "You like it."

"Maybe." Jace smirked, now teasing her.

"You do." The victory on her face suggested she'd just won an Olympic event.

Jace shook his head, completely and hopelessly in love with her.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

The record store became their second home. Or maybe third. Depending on whether Myah's apartment counted. Which it probably did considering half of Jace's belongings somehow lived there now. Not intentionally. They'd just… Accumulated. A sweatshirt here, phone charger there. A toothbrush, a favorite mug. Little pieces of him settling into her life. Little pieces of her settling into his.

The first time he'd noticed, his chest had tightened, not from fear but from something dangerously close to happiness.

Today Myah sat behind the counter while he organized inventory. Technically she wasn't supposed to be there. Technically.

But Issaky liked her and she had basically become best friends with Ellis.

"You know," she announced. "You look hot when you alphabetize."

Jace turned to look at her and nearly dropped a record. "Myah."

"I'm serious."

"No, you're not." Jace argued, “No one looks ‘hot’ alphabetizing records.”

She pointed at him. "You've got your serious face on and your arms are all flexed and shit."

"I always have my serious face on," Jace countered, purposefully ignoring the arm comment.