All Chapters of Decisions I made : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

While dinner finished cooking, Jack made himself at home in the kitchen.Not in an annoying way.Just comfortably.Like he'd been there before.He grabbed two glasses from the cabinet after I told him where they were and started making drinks.I watched him from across the kitchen."You're awfully comfortable."He smiled."You invited me.""That doesn't mean you get cabinet privileges."He laughed."Too late."A few minutes later he handed me a glass.Captain Morgan and Sprite.Simple.Exactly how I liked it.I took a sip.Perfect."Okay."He grinned."What?""You make a decent drink.""I'll take that.""Don't let it go to your head.""Too late."I shook my head and went back to cooking.A few moments later I heard him behind me."What can I do?"I immediately laughed."Nothing.""What?""I got it."Jack folded his arms."You always do this?""Do what?""Refuse help."I pointed my wooden spoon at him."Absolutely."He laughed."Why?""Because nobody knows where anything goes.""I'm st

The water fight eventually slowed down.Mostly because we were both laughing too hard to keep splashing each other.I floated near the deep end, trying to catch my breath.Jack wasn't much better.His hair was soaked.His shirtless shoulders glistened beneath the pool lights.And the grin on his face hadn't disappeared once all evening.The backyard had become quiet again.The only sounds were the gentle movement of the water and our occasional laughter.For a few moments, neither of us spoke.We simply floated there.Comfortable.Content.Happy.I couldn't remember the last time I'd had this much fun.No expectations.No drama.No pretending.Just fun.Real fun.The kind I'd almost forgotten existed.Jack drifted closer.Not enough to make me uncomfortable.Just enough that I noticed.The smile on his face softened.For the first time all evening, he looked nervous.Actually nervous.I found that oddly adorable."What?" I asked.He laughed softly."What?""You're thinking.""I always

After my sister finally left with the kids, the house became quiet again.I sat by the pool for a few minutes replaying the conversation.Part of me felt guilty.That's what happened when you spent most of your life putting everyone else first.The moment you finally said no, somehow you ended up feeling like the bad guy.But another part of me knew I had done the right thing.I already had plans.Plans I was excited about.And for once, I wasn't canceling them to make someone else happy.That realization felt surprisingly good.I grabbed my phone and noticed another text message.Chris.Of course.I sighed before opening it."Hope to see you at the game tonight. A few clients and I will be there."I stared at the screen.Then laughed.Actually laughed.A week ago that message would've ruined my entire day.I would've spent hours worrying.Wondering where he would be sitting.Wondering if we'd run into each other.Wondering what he would say.Wondering how awkward everything would be.

By Sunday afternoon, I was still paying for every bad decision I had made the night before.My head was pounding.My stomach was still a little uneasy.And every time I thought about vomiting in Jack’s car, I wanted to crawl under a blanket and stay there for the rest of my life.I never got that drunk.Ever.Not like that.I was the one who usually had it together. The one who watched everyone else make bad decisions. The one who made sure the right people got home and nobody did anything too stupid. That was me. At least it normally was.But last night had been different.For the first time in a very long time, I hadn’t felt like I was just standing next to someone looking pretty while they entertained everyone else. I hadn’t felt like the quiet girl smiling politely while her boyfriend drank too much and made her feel like some accessory he got to show off. With Jack and his friends, I had actually felt included. I felt like I belonged there. Like I was part of the fun instead of j

The second we stepped out into the parking lot, the warm night air hit me and I felt lighter than I had all weekend.Maybe it was finally being over the hangover.Maybe it was the spumoni.Maybe it was the fact that Jack had just casually asked me to go away with him for the weekend like it was the most natural thing in the world.Whatever it was, I felt good.Really good.Jack reached for my hand as we walked to the car, and I let him, our fingers slipping together so easily that it felt like something we’d been doing for years instead of weeks.He opened my door, waited until I was settled, and then walked around to the driver’s side.The second he got in, he looked over at me and laughed.“What?”“You’re smiling.”“I am not.”“You absolutely are.”I looked out the window, trying to hide it, which only made him laugh harder.“This is why I don’t like you,” I muttered.“That’s a bold lie after tonight.”I laughed and shook my head as he pulled out of the parking lot.The ride home st