“I wouldn’t go that far.” My smile fades as he holds out his hand. “Let me see the ring.”

I hold it out for him to see and just as I begin to pray that he won’t grab my hand, warm skin presses against mine. He rubs his thumb over my knuckles and the ring on my finger. “Hmmm, not what I would have picked for you.” My heart begins to pound and goose bumps betray me by popping up everywhere. Fuck fuck fuck.

“Jacob,” I plead, because I really couldn’t continue down this road with him. He’d said less than one hundred words to me in three years and I feel like I’m regressing back to the day he left me.

“Whitney,” he responds, holding my gaze and as much as I want to, I can’t pull away. There’s heat in his eyes and I feel my knees weakening under his piercing blue orbs. I bite my bottom lip on instinct but I immediately release it when I hear the sharp intake of air and the exhale through his nose.

“I—” I start when the door opens behind me. Yes! Finally. I let out a breath, grateful for the intrusion though Jacob looks like he’s about to rip the head off of whoever has interrupted us.

“THERE HE IS!” The voice of my father booms throughout the entire neighborhood and then he whisks past me and pulls him into a hug. “I fucking missed you.” I hear him. My mom comes running out behind me and I chuckle at both of them passing me to hug Jacob like he’s the prodigal son returning.

“Oh my God, you can’t leave me alone with him for three years ever again,” my mom says as she hugs him and gives him a peck on his cheek. “Mexico was good to you. You must have been beating the women off with a stick down there.” Her gaze shifts and her eyes widen. “Whit! OH, my goodness, hi honey!” She pulls me into a hug and kisses my cheek.

“It’s okay Mom, you see me all the time and I know JP was your and Dad’s first child.” I roll my eyes before moving into the house, grateful to be able to escape the awkward tension mounting between me and Jacob. I immediately find Chloe talking to Mason in a corner and I approach them both with a glare. “Not curious as to where I’ve been?”

“I thought you were still talking to Parker?” Chloe says. “Why are you all hyper?” she asks as she brings her glass of sangria to her lips and takes a healthy sip.

“Because JP is here. He arrived while I was still on the phone with my fiancé.” I say through gritted teeth.

Chloe chokes on her drink and begins coughing. “You’re shittin’ me. The man always did know how to make an entrance.” She giggles and I shoot her a look. “Well how did it—holy fuuuuuck,” Chloe whispers under her breath. I turn around when I hear my father announcing who was back from Mexico and when I turn back to look at Chloe her eyes are wide. “He looks gooood.” She takes another sip and thankfully the room is full of people talking so I’m sure no one heard her. “Yeah, you’re fucked. He looks like a man that came here to play zero games.”