Everything Comes Back to You

by blairstory

It was the summer of 2004. They were seventeen and so in love.

2. Chapter 2

Summer 2004

"Are you guys ready to order?" The waitress interrupted the conversation she and Jay were having with their eyes, just staring at each other across the table with googly-eyed expressions on their faces.

"Yeah um," Jay looked through the menu and Erin just sat back, letting him take the lead. "Can we have the salmon belly sa...sashimi, um...chutoro—"

Erin just held in her amusement as Jay rambled through the order. She knew that he was out of his depth and his comfort zone here. Jay was surprising her with a sushi dinner in the city. She had been craving sushi for weeks now but there wasn't a sushi restaurant in sight in Tower Lakes. Jay, probably having heard her moan on and on, had decided to surprise her by driving them both into Chicago for a sushi dinner.

"That was impressive." She decided to boost his ego a bit after he ordered them a pretty good selection for dinner. A bashful grin came over his face and Erin squealed inwardly with how adorable he looked. She had thought Jay was cute in that boyish way since she first saw him but something changed after they became closer. He was still cute but now she was just so attracted to him. It was crazy because he didn't change overnight. He still had those adorable freckles and was still carrying a bit of the baby weight in his face. He still wore his hair the same way and he still dressed the same.

"Did you know that most sushi restaurants don't serve real wasabi? Real wasabi is rare and very expensive so the green stuff that they usually give out is just regular horseradish."

Erin lifted her eyebrows. "Really? I didn't know that. What else?"

Jay stammered. "Um..real wasabi isn't as spicy. I wouldn't really know because I've never really tried it before." The waitress returned with their food order and placed the plates of raw fish in front of them. Jay looked like he'd rather be anywhere else right now as soon as he saw the pieces of raw fish. He was really trying for her. He lifted the small plate of wasabi and brought it closer to his face, taking a sniff and grimacing. "I'm guessing this stuff is wasabi."

"Yeah." Erin watched as he tried to hold the chopstick but he was having a hard time with it. "Here, let me help. Just try to hold it a little higher up." She instructed him and showed him how to pick up a piece of fish.

"Fish, wasabi, soy sauce," Jay mumbled as he put a little dot of wasabi on the fish and dipped it in soy sauce, all the while trying not to let the slippery fish slip out of his grip. He took a deep breath. "Alright, here we go."

Erin wondered if he would actually take a bite and to her surprise, Jay actually ate a piece of the raw fish. "Well?" she asked, anticipating his reaction.

He swallowed and gave her a nod of approval. "Okay, that is much better than I thought it would be."

Erin beamed, happy that he actually liked it. "See, it's all about giving new things a try."

The waitress returned with the last of their order. "Alright, guys. I have your uni right here."

Erin's mouth watered at seeing her favorite. It was definitely an acquired taste but she just loved the creaminess of the sea urchin. "Oh, it's my favorite. You need to try this, Jay." She excitedly passed him a piece and Jay looked at the yellow color item questiongly. "Uni is—"

"Sea urchin." Erin gave him an impressed hum. He seemed to know a lot about sushi for a guy that never tried it before. "I..um...might've researched a little bit on the internet before we came here." He looked almost embarrassed to admit it.

"Aww," Erin gushed, touched that he would put so much effort into something she liked. "So you know that uni is like the best delicacy out there. Try it." She was trying to encourage him into trying it after seeing his less than thrilled expression after seeing uni in real life. She was the same way when she first encountered the delicacy but she would forever be thankful to Johnny for making her try it because she ended up loving it.

Jay took a deep breath and brought the uni up to his mouth. She nodded her head, giving him the go ahead. He put the whole thing in his mouth and chewed. Erin couldn't really decipher the expression on his face or whether or not he enjoyed it.

"What do you think?"

Jay was still chewing and after a few more seconds, he finally swallowed. "It's….interesting."

"You don't like it?"

"No, no," he quickly denied it. "It's okay. It's just...fishy. I feel like I just took a bite of the ocean." He scrunched his nose. "I'm sorry."

Erin laughed. "Why are you sorry? If you don't like it then you don't like it."

"It's your favorite."

"Doesn't mean it has to be yours," Erin countered. "I'm just happy that you're willing to try it in the first place."

Jay smiled. "The other stuff is not bad at all but the uni though." He shook his head and shuddered, causing Erin to laugh louder.

"But at least you gave it a shot." She reached over and held his hand. "I'm so proud of you," she gushed.

Jay grinned, looking pleased by what she said.

"It's an acquired taste." He nodded and his eyebrows rose, agreeing with her. "You should've seen it when I first saw it. I thought it was something rotten at first."

"Yet you tried it?" Jay teased.

She rolled her eyes. "It was at this fancy dinner and Johnny was trying to impress his business partner from Japan. My mom kinda drilled it into me before we even got there that we needed to make a good impression and if I refused to even try it, she would've been pissed at me."

Bunny was sensitive about things like that. Erin had a theory that it was because they weren't born into that world. Imposter syndrome or whatever it was called. That was why her mom felt the need to put on an image at all times— an image of a perfect family.

"Your mom is really into making a good impression, huh?"

Erin just chuckled. That was definitely an understatement of the year. "She just had a really hard life growing up. She didn't come from money and didn't have a lot of family to depend on. I mean, she was working double shifts at a dive bar, trying to raise me by herself, when she met Johnny."

"Is that where they met? In that bar?"

"It's crazy, right? Someone like Johnny in a dive bar?" Erin sighed. "I guess when it's meant to be, people from opposite worlds just meet."

Jay laced his fingers through hers. "Kinda like us." He held her gaze so intensely across the table. "I mean, you're this beautiful...perfect...amazing…."

"Go on."

"And I'm just me." He gave her a small shrug and a self deprecating chuckle. "My family's a mess. I have like $100, maybe just $10 after this dinner. I'm not going to college. If your mom finds out that you're dating me, she's going to flip."

Erin had no idea that those kinds of thoughts were in Jay's head. "I'm not that shallow, Jay. I don't care about things like money."

"Your mom does though, right?"

Bunny did. Erin couldn't lie about that. "You're with me, not my mom." She held onto his hand tighter. "I thought we were great. I thought we're having fun, being together."

"We are," Jay quickly responded. "I just…. I can't remember being happier than I am when I'm with you. Then I go home and reality just hits me in the face. You're going back to your world in a month or so and I'll still be here, with my drunk dad and my family that likes to ignore all of our problems."

Erin's face fell. "I don't like to think about when I'm gonna leave." To be honest, Erin had been ignoring the impending end of summer and her needing to go back to New York. In the short time that she had gotten to know Jay and be with him, she was so happy. This was certainly not the summer she thought she was going to have when she first came to the Voights weeks ago. Erin back then couldn't wait to get back to New York. Last couple of summer visits had been rough with Camille being gone and Hank and Justin still mourning and Erin had been expecting this summer to be somber also. But surprisingly enough, both Hank and Justin seemed more settled. Hank had been busy with his work as usual but the haunted look on his face wasn't there constantly and Justin had seemingly blossomed and grew into his own. Erin guessed having friends like Jay and Will helped. Olive probably helped a lot in that regard too.

And now she was dreading leaving.

She was supposed to be in the Hamptons by next week but she wasn't going. She liked the beach town and it was usually the highlight of her summer but she found something she liked a lot more here.

"Me too." Jay sighed. "Okay. No more sad topics for dinner tonight. This is supposed to be a fun date."

Erin chuckled, nodding. "Alright. What do you want to talk about?"

"Tell me more about yourself. I want to know everything."

Erin groaned. "I hate that question. I've heard that question a dozen times during my college visits. How do you even answer something like that? Am I supposed to tell you my sign, my favorite food, my favorite color?"

Jay laughed. "What am I supposed to get from knowing your sign?"

Her jaw dropped. "You don't believe in horoscopes?" Jay just shrugged. "Jay!"

"What?" He was such a boy. "It's just astrology."

She glared at him. "Let's see. Your birthday is coming up soon so you're a Leo. A lion." She ran over the common traits of a Leo in her head and she couldn't believe that she hadn't thought of it sooner. "Jay, you're like the ultimate Leo!"

He frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Leos are protectors, they're generous, compassionate, kind. They're natural leaders."

He snorted. "Okay, I'm not a leader. I don't even have more than three friends in school. How am I supposed to lead people?"

She looked at him, baffled. "Jay, you're the youngest of your family but you step up. You're taking care of your mom, you're giving up college so Will can go and not have to worry about money. That's natural leadership if I've ever seen one."

Jay blushed. Erin knew how he tended to do that whenever he was being complimented, like he didn't know how to act. Unsurprisingly, he changed the topic. "How about your favorite movie?"

"Easy. It's Mean Girls." Erin saw the movie so many times in the theaters and even bought it on DVD as soon as it came out. "I swear I can quote every single line in that movie."

"I haven't seen it."

Erin gasped, outraged. "You're kidding me!" Jay shook his head. "Ugh, you're so missing out, Jay. the movie is a classic."

"I seriously doubt that," he snorted.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Okay, so you're not only a music snob but you're a movie snob also?"

"I'm not a snob!" Jay exclaimed. "I just like good music."

"Uh-huh," Erin indulged him. She was just yanking his chain. Jay had good taste in music and he opened her up to a whole new world of music and artists that she never would've given a chance to before. "Okay, I know what we're doing for our next date."

"Watch Mean Girls?" Jay guessed, already knowing the answer.

"You're gonna love it!" Erin promised. Jay didn't look convinced. But Erin knew he was in for a treat.

---

Erin yawned for the third time this morning and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop her head from nodding off. Hank had tossed her annoyed glares every so often while he was making them breakfast. He knew the reason why she was so tired in the morning.

He placed the plate of pancakes in front of her with more strength than the task called for. Erin jolted up at the noise and looked up to find Hank's eyes on her.

"Sorry," Erin mumbled, holding in another yawn.

Hank just shook his head. "How can a 40 year old man have more energy than teenagers?" Hank muttered. "I can't get Justin out of bed and you're falling asleep in your coffee. Maybe if you two stop staying up all night on that IAM thing, then you wouldn't be so damn tired in the morning."

"It's AIM, Hank. You know, AOL instant messenger." Another glare from Hank told her that he didn't appreciate being corrected. Especially when it wasn't the main point. Erin had been staying up until early hours of the morning talking to Jay on AIM. She had to love technology and all its advances because it made it so much easier for her to talk to her boyfriend about anything and everything. Jay didn't have a cell phone and talking on a landline would just mean that anyone in Jay's family could overhear what they were talking about. But AIM allowed them to talk privately and for however long they wanted.

Hank sat down and a serious look on his face had Erin on guard. She had a feeling like she wasn't going to like what he was about to say. "You and the Halstead kid, you guys have been real close. You two together?"

Erin nodded meekly. "Yes."

He worked his jaw and looked conflicted. "Erin, you're only 17. I don't know if….getting all close to Jay is a good idea."

"I'm 17, Hank. I'm about to graduate high school and go off to college. I think I can make my own decision about who I want as my boyfriend," Erin stated, her nostrils flaring.

Hank just closed his eyes at Erin's usage of the word 'boyfriend'. But it was the truth. She and Jay were boyfriend and girlfriend. They were official. They had been dating for nearly a month before Jay had broached the topic about them going steady. He had been so cute then, all jittery and nervous about how she would answer.

Erin hadn't really understood why he had been nervous at first. She had thought she had made her feelings about him more than clear. They had spent everyday together and Erin was not the type of girl that spent time hanging out in computer repair shops for fun. But she had spent so much time there, keeping Jay company during his shifts, that his boss knew her by name and her life story already.

But Jay had opened up to her and let her know just why he had been unsure about her answer. It had everything to do with the topic that they had been trying to ignore and put on the backburner. The imminent end of summer and Erin going back to New York. Jay had known that Erin liked him but he just hadn't been sure if she had liked him enough for the relationship to extend beyond the little bubble of summertime and Tower Lakes they had made for themselves or if it was just a summer fling that they'd forget about by next summer.

They had been forced to confront the issue head on then, the unanswered question of what would happen past summer. Erin had made her intentions clear. It had taken her 17 years to finally find a boy that she actually liked, there was no way she was planning on letting him go anytime. Naturally, her impassioned reply had Jay breaking out in a huge smile before he returned the same sentiments to her. Then it had been made official— they were in a relationship.

Hank groaned. "You and Justin are too young to be getting into relationships. You have your whole life ahead of you."

Erin's eyes rolled to the back of her head. "Hank, you and Camille were engaged by the time you were like 20. You're telling me that I'm too young to have a boyfriend? A boyfriend, Hank. I'm not planning on eloping anytime soon."

Hank knew she had a point about her age but Erin had an inkling that it wasn't her age that Hank had an issue with. "Jay's family…." he started, finally being honest. "There's a lot of baggage there."

"Yes, there is," Erin stated slowly, trying to stop herself from getting riled up. "But it's his family. It's not him."

"It's the same thing."

She clucked her tongue. "Is it his fault that he has a shitty dad?"

"Of course not!" Hank denied vehemently.

Hank was ready to defend himself some more but Erin didn't give him a chance. "And you know what I don't get? You're a cop, a detective. No, a Sergeant! You know how his dad is and yet you've never done anything to help!"

Hank's face clouded over. "What am I supposed to do, exactly?"

"Something. Anything. Everyone on this block knows that his dad is an abusive piece of shit yet everyone's fine just watching from the sideline. Including you!" Erin knew she wasn't being fair exactly. But she just couldn't wrap her mind around how Hank can just stand by and do nothing knowing the troubles of Jay's family. Hank protected the City for a living yet he couldn't protect a family living on his very street.

"First of all, we don't know anything. Everything is just rumors and gossip at this point." Erin tried to interject but he held up his finger, shutting her up. "Second of all, what can I do when there are no records or calls to the police, reporting him? I can't barge into someone's home and go through their life, not when they're not asking for help."

"Jay's mom isn't going to turn against her husband," Erin told him. She wasn't going to turn her back on him at all. Jay's whole family had moved across many states just because of it.

"It's her choice. I don't like it but I can't stop her."

Her anger deflated. If Jay's mom wasn't going to leave her husband on her own, then Erin knew there was no way Hank or anyone else could convince her to do so. "I still don't think it's fair for you to judge Jay because of it," she muttered.

"I'm not judging Jay." Erin just gave him a flat stare. Hank sighed. "I like Jay. He's a good kid. He helped Justin out a lot." Erin's eyebrows lifted, intrigued. "I didn't want to get involved at first but now that I see that your relationship has gotten serious, I need to say this at least."

Hank looked uncomfortable. It was a strange look on him because as long as Erin had known the man— her whole life, basically— he never had a problem saying what he wanted. Then it dawned on her. "You're worried about what my mom would say."

The way he just pressed his lips together pretty much confirmed her theory. "Somehow I just don't see Bunny being happy that you're with someone like Jay."

Erin couldn't even get angry at his assumption because Hank was right. She knew he was right. That was why she hadn't told her mom about Jay at all. It was also why she had been dreading calling her and Johnny to tell them that she wasn't coming to the Hamptons and instead would be finishing out her summer here.

"I haven't told her about Jay yet," Erin confessed. Hank just looked like he already knew. "I haven't even told her that I'm staying until the end of the summer."

"Want my advice?"

She looked at him knowingly. "Do I have a choice?"

"You always have a choice," he retorted. Erin waved her hand around, waiting for him to impart his wisdom. "I wouldn't tell your mom about Jay just yet. She's in New York and you're here. No point in upsetting her. Well, at least no more than she's going to be when you tell her that you won't be celebrating Labor Day with her."

"Good advice, Hank." She patted his back and thanked him for the breakfast before he headed off to work.

She was finishing up the last of her pancakes when Justin finally woke up and came to the kitchen. Erin just looked at him, amused at his messed-up hair and wiping his drool.

"If Olive sees you like this, she's gonna run away screaming," Erin ribbed him. It was only her duty as a big sister.

He responded by flipping her off and grabbing some pancakes for himself. Erin watched in disgust at the way he was just stuffing his face. "What are you still doing here anyway?" he asked, mouth stuffed.

"Where would I be?"

He looked at the clock. "It's 11. Shouldn't you be with Jay already?"

"He's working today."

"It hasn't stopped you before."

She put her cup down. "Are you seriously judging me for spending too much time with Jay? You? Who I haven't seen all summer because you're always with Olive?"

He pursed his lips, knowing she had a point. "Okay, point taken. I guess we haven't spent all that time together this summer huh?" Erin shook her head. "We should change that. Do something."

"Yeah, that sounds good." She debated whether to ask Justin the next question or not but something that Hank said earlier had her interest piquing.

"What?" Justin beat her to it, seeing the conflicted look on her face.

"Um..Hank said that Jay helped you out before. I was just wondering how?"

Justin finished off his orange juice and wiped his mouth. "He was my tutor. You know that school's not my thing and after mom died, my grades just got worse. I wasn't going to graduate on time so dad was on my neck. I went to this tutoring thing they had at my school and Jay was one of the tutors. Turns out we live on the same street too."

"So that's how you guys became friends." Erin had always been curious about how two introverted guys like Jay and Justin became friends. "Are you on track to graduate now?"

Justin nodded happily. "Jay's fucking smart. Even got my chemistry grade up. I told him he should be charging people for tutoring sessions instead of working at that repair shop."

"He likes the repair shop. He likes being around computers," Erin argued.

"Whatever." He got up to do his dishes. "What are we gonna do anyway?"

"I don't know. What do you want to do?" In years past, she and Justin just watched movies and just lounged around whenever they hung out. "Hey, how about we go on a double date?"

Justin thought it over. "Do you mind that it won't be just the two of us?"

Erin shook her head. Jay and Justin were best friends and she wanted to get to know Olive a little. Double dates weren't really a thing she had done in the past but they all got along well enough. "Me and Jay are gonna watch Mean Girls when he gets off work. You want to join us?" He grimaced and mimicked a vomiting motion. "It's a good movie!"

He laughed as he wiped his hands on the kitchen towel. "Yeah, I'll pass."

"Jay doesn't mind watching it," Erin argued. So Mean Girls didn't have buildings exploding or people being killed off but it was such a good movie. Erin knew plenty of her guy friends who had the same reluctance about watching a "chick flick" but ended up loving it.

Justin smirked. "Yeah because he's trying to get in your pants."

Erin gasped in outrage and threw the nearest thing she could get at him. He expertly dodged the spoon coming his way, already expecting it. He laughed smugly and just shrugged, like what he said was the truth.

"You're disgusting."

"I'm a 16 year old guy. What do you expect from me?" he tossed back at her.

Erin just snarled, not even bothering to give him a reply to that pointless question. "Fine, no Mean Girls. What do you want to do?"

He leaned back against the counter and thought of things they could do on a double date. "Jay has a car now so we can go into the city more. We can go to the pier. I heard that they have a new roller skating rink there." Erin made a disgusted face at the thought of having to wear the same skates as strangers. "It'll be fun."

Erin wasn't sure about that. The last time she went roller skating was during her 10th birthday party. "I haven't skated in like 7 years. I'll just fall flat on my face."

"Even better then!" Justin declared. "We'll get a show too."

She grabbed a fork and held it up, glaring at him. "A fork is a lot more painful than a spoon," she threatened. Justin smartly darted his way out of the kitchen, guffawing loudly as he went.

---

It was the perfect day out. The worst of the summer heat was over and now it was just the nice warm sun shining down on them. There was even a nice breeze every so often, keeping them from getting too hot. The playground was full of laughing children and overprotective parents watching their every move but the grassy spot she and Jay were lying on at the park was peaceful and quiet. No loud shrieking noises or rambunctious children running around to distract them from the movie playing on her laptop.

"Suddenly Halloween is my favorite holiday," Jay commented, earning a snort from Erin. They were at the scene in the movie where Lindsay Lohan was explaining the rules of Halloween costumes in the girls' world. Despite his initial reservations about the movie, Erin could tell that he was getting into it. She felt his chest rumble against her with laughter several times throughout the movie already and it was only halfway through.

"I wonder why," Erin muttered snarkily, squealing when Jay poked her in her sides. She squirmed and tried to get away from his chest that she was resting on but his arms tightened around her, not releasing his hold on her. "You like the bunny ears then?"

"Shh." He acted like she was distracting him from the movie but in reality, it was him that was the distraction. With the way he was holding her as they were glued to each other— her back to his chest— and the way he would drop a kiss on her hair every so often or nip at her ear, all Erin had to say was that it was a good thing she had seen the movie dozens of time already because she had no idea what was going on with the movie right now.

Still, when another wave of a soft breeze brushed across her face and the shade that the tree they were sitting under kept the sun at bay, it was still the most blissful she had ever been. It was so peaceful that she was drifting off to sleep as Jay watched on. Only Jay's audible gasp of shock at the scene of Regina getting run over by a bus roused her awake.

"Okay, I wasn't expecting that," he admitted. "That's funny." She lifted her head up to watch his reactions, loving the amusement she found on his face. She thought Jay was at his handsomest when he was smiling and it didn't even need to be one of those teeth-baring, wide open big smiles. Just even a hint of a smile, like when the corners of his eyes were starting to wrinkle, his lips were just starting to turn up and his eyes were at their brightest, was enough to take her breath away.

When the movie was over, Erin leaned over to close her laptop but it wasn't long before Jay was tugging her back to him, not wanting her too far.

"What do you think?" she asked, playing with Jay's fingers that were wrapped around her waist.

"If I say I liked it, are you going to gloat?" he hedged.

"Duh!" She pulled her head up so she could see his face. "You loved it huh?" she asked, already knowing the answer. He nodded. "I knew it! Now you know that I'm always right."

He poked her sides again and when she tried to move, he trapped her with his legs and boxed her in. She didn't even attempt to fight him off, enjoying the close proximity that they were in. She sighed contentedly as they enjoyed the peaceful moment, her eyes on the kids that were seen in the distance playing on the slides.

"So it's my turn next, right?" Jay's question broke Erin's concentration on the carefree children.

"Hmm?"

"I get to pick the next movie that we watch, right?" Jay specified. Erin just shrugged. "It's only fair. I watched Mean Girls and the Notebook."

She sat up and turned her body around so face him. "Um, you chose the Notebook," she reminded him.

"Only because I knew how much you wanted to see it and I wanted to make you happy."

She had to admit that he was good. So good that she couldn't resist leaning in for a kiss. "I still say it was your pick," she mumbled against his lips.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine." Erin grinned at how easily Jay gave in but a glint in his eyes told her that he wasn't quite done yet. "But that means we both have one pick each so it's my turn again."

Erin ignored him and focused on taking the rented DVD out of her laptop and putting it back in the Blockbuster case. She had an inkling that after sitting through two chick flicks, Jay's choice would be more geared towards his taste, a.k.a hella boring action movies or worse, the Godfather. It was Johnny's favorite movie and all Erin heard growing up was what a masterpiece it was. Bunny wouldn't let her watch it until she was 16 after both Johnny and Erin had begged her. Safe to say, she had been disappointed because after Johnny hyped it up so much, she had been expecting it to be more…..exciting? Instead it had been incredibly boring and dull— too much dialogue and not enough action. She didn't mind action movies….if it had actual actions in them. Buildings exploding, guns firing, people dropping like flies and a hot action hero or two. Those were right up her alley.

"Have you seen the Godfather?" Dread filled her stomach and Jay saw the less than thrilled look on her face. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

She told Jay about her feelings about the so-called 'classic' and ended her rant with "please don't make me watch it."

He laughed at her passionate dislike of the movie. "How about Speed?"

"Ooh, 90's Keanue Reeves," she exclaimed. "Sign me up!"

A small pout formed on his face. "So that's the only reason why you want to watch it? Because of Keanue Reeves?"

She tsked and pretended to think it over. "Pretty much," she shrugged, chuckling. "Jay, I'm agreeing to watch an action movie with you. Just take it as a win."

He tilted his head to the side, taking her advice. "I guess. I have a feeling that a win is gonna be hard to come by in this relationship."

"You're with me, babe. Isn't that a big enough win?" she quipped, letting out a surprised yelp when Jay pulled her onto his lap before throwing both of them on the grass. He hovered over her, his eyes smiling as he gazed down at her.

He bent his head down just as Erin brought hers up, the two of them meeting in the middle for a kiss. She cupped his face in her hands and Jay held her sides and the kiss deepened. Erin was losing her ability to breath and she knew it was more than the kiss that was taking her breath away. It was who she was kissing— a boy that she had never expected to meet during her summer vacation and a boy that she was expecting even less to have fallen for.

But she had. She had fallen head over heels for a boy that was cute, smart, and had got her feeling butterflies in her stomach. A boy that made her feel like a giddy teenager that she was. A boy that she didn't want to leave behind when the summer was over.

---

The skating rink was crowded as a popular rap song blared out from the speakers. It was dark, the only source of light being the huge disco ball that was hanging from the ceiling. It was a new spot but it was quite popular already, with teenagers and kids filling out the small space.

Erin could kiss Jay because he had managed to convince the guy at the skate rental booth to find her a pair of new skates— never worn before by any sweaty feet. She had become more easy going and less likely to care about things like that the longer she had stayed in Tower Lakes but there were still parts of her that would always be innate. Thankfully, Jay didn't mind, indulging her and not making a big deal of it.

They skated hand in hand as 'Hey Ya' by Outkast played loudly in the arena. Even though she hadn't skated in so long, it was like muscle memory for her and she quickly adjusted. Jay, on the other hand, looked like he had never skated before. He had gripped onto her hand, Erin leading him, as they swerved around the other skaters clumsily. Jay had tried to hold onto the barrier for as long as he could but she had managed to finally convince him to let go and join Justin and Olive in the middle of the rink.

"Awesome, babe!" She gave him the much needed encouragement as Justin waved them over.

They congregated in the middle of the rink and Jay put his arm around Erin's shoulder, more to stabilize himself on skates than a show of affection.

"Isn't this place awesome?" Olive asked, yelling to be heard over the boisterous background noises. Erin leaned in closer, straining her ears, causing Olive to repeat her question.

"Yeah!" Erin shouted back. She didn't know the girl well, other than that she seemed to adore Justin. Erin was hoping that before the night was over, she could actually have a conversation with Olive and get to know the girl better.

A kid, looking no more than 5 year old and with no parents around him, slammed into Jay from behind. Jay nearly toppled over but Erin and Justin managed to catch him in time.

"Alright, I'm done," Jay declared, looking like he needed to be on stable ground. ASAP. The group took mercy on him and they skated to the exit.

Off the skates and back on his feet, Jay looked much more comfortable. She rewarded him with a kiss because she knew that he only agreed to the skating rink because of her.

"We're gonna go get some food for us," Justin said as she and Olive sat down at an empty table. Olive nodded and pecked Justin. It was weird to see Justin with a girlfriend but Erin guessed it was only a matter of time. They were all growing up, no longer kids. Even though she had a feeling that she'd always see Justin as the snotty faced kid who liked throwing tantrums to get attention from his mom. He had always been a mama's boy, which was why Camille's death had hit him so hard. But he seemed to be doing okay now and Erin had a feeling that the girl sitting in front of her had a lot to do with it.

Olive noticed Erin's eyes on her because she gave her a sheepish look. Erin just smiled back, not really knowing what to say to the girl. They weren't friends. They hadn't shared more than 10 words between them but here they were, sitting across from each other because of the boys that they liked.

"This is a nice place," Olive spoke first, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yeah, it is." After that, the conversation trailed off. Another awkward silence was exchanged. "So you and Justin…"

Olive blushed. "Me and Justin." Erin watched as the younger girl tucked her hair behind her ear. "I...I really like him."

It was written all over her face. "Okay."

"I know that Justin is really protective of you because he sees you like a sister so I guess you're protective of him too. I just want you to know that I really really like him."

"He really likes you too," Erin returned.

Olive beamed. "Yeah?" She dropped her head. "Sometimes it's hard to tell with him. I've always had a crush on him since middle school but he has always been so mysterious. I guess it just makes him more attractive."

"Justin's always been the type to keep his feelings inside," Erin said, feeling the need to explain Justin's personality. She knew that it had always been hard for him to make friends and break out of his shell. Camille had expressed her concern to Erin, hoping that Erin's more outgoing personality would break him out of his shell more. But it hadn't worked, at least not until Jay, Will and Olive came into his life.

"Yeah, I didn't think that we'd ever be friends, no matter how many times I've tried. Especially after," Olive paused. "After his mom died."

Erin pressed her mouth together. "Yeah it was a rough time for him. For all of us."

"I'm just really happy that things are the way they are now," Olive continued. "And we're all friends. Me and Justin are together and so are you and Jay." A grin took over her face and Erin braced herself, already knowing that she was about to be grilled about her relationship. "You guys are so cute together."

Try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from blushing at the compliment. And she knew Olive wasn't done yet.

"Jay and Will moved here last year. Will is so outgoing so he became popular right away. But Jay, he was more quiet, like Justin." Erin found herself leaning in closer, thirsty for any tidbits of Jay she could get. "I guess that's why they became really good friends. I've never even seen Jay be interested in any girls from school. So I was so surprised when Justin told me that you guys are together. I mean, no offense," Olive quickly added.

Erin chuckled. She couldn't blame Olive for her reaction, considering the less than pleasant first encounter that she and Jay had. But first impressions were often wrong. Hers was. She had assumed Jay to be one of those cocky, pretentious assholes that she knew in New York. She guessed Jay could be a little pretentious— especially when it came to his music taste— but he was so much more than that.

He was giving, generous as hell, funny, and nerdy about the things he loved. As quiet as he seemed, he could talk Erin ear off about his favorite topics— like computers and music. He was open minded and loyal, maybe to a fault.

Could people really find everything they were looking for in a person by 17? Because Erin felt like she had found it— found him.

"You must be bummed out that you're going back soon." Olive's words washed over like a bucket of cold water on Erin's inner monologue. "When are you going back to New York?"

"I'm staying until Labor Day," Erin replied. She hadn't exactly told her mom yet about staying until the last possible day she could. Erin knew she had to do it soon. Bunny and Johnny were expecting her at the Hamptons in a couple of days.

"Have you guys talked about what's gonna happen after summer?" Olive asked.

"Sort of," Erin replied honestly. They hadn't talked in detail yet. All they knew was that it was more than a summer fling. The odds were stacked against them, they knew that much, but so were the odds that she would become attached to someone this quickly. But it happened so there was no reason to think that she and Jay couldn't make it.

"It must sucks to know you have to leave soon," Olive mused but stopped herself after seeing Erin's face. "I mean, long distance isn't so bad, I guess." Erin just pressed mouth into a tight line. "Erin, I may not have known Jay for that long but I know that I've never seen him like this."

"Like what?"

Erin followed Olive's eyesight to the two guys in their lives they were crazy about, laughing at something while they waited for the food. A smile automatically came over Erin's face when seeing Jay like that. She was a sucker for his smile.

"Happy," Olive replied. "He looks happy."

Olive reached over to give Erin's hand a squeeze and Erin smiled back at the younger girl, knowing that they were in the same position.

They were in love.

---

Erin pushed the cart down the aisle while Jay checked off the list in his hand to make sure he had everything. Erin couldn't remember the last time she had been to a big box store like Walmart. Definitely before she and Bunny moved to New York because Bunny would never be caught dead in a store like this now, where cheaply made furniture was sold, aimed at college students on a budget.

Hence, the reason why she and Jay were at the store today.

With Will moving away for college soon, he needed things for his dorm room. A lot of things. With his scholarship check not coming in yet and Will being strapped for cash, Jay had stepped in and volunteered to buy the items Will needed with some of the money he had saved up from his job.

Erin wasn't sure how to feel about Jay's sacrifice so Will would have an easier time. She didn't want to say anything because she didn't want to overstep her place in Jay's life. She was his girlfriend of only a month and a half. Will was his brother for nearly 18 years.

"He's gonna need a mini fridge, right?" Jay asked as they came to the aisle that was geared toward back to school.

"It's not on the list," Erin pointed out.

"He's gonna need a fridge," Jay repeated.

Erin frowned. "I think Will will survive without a fridge in his dorm, Jay."

They already had a cart full of things and she knew it would run Jay a couple hundreds of dollars. Jay had worked hard for the money, picking up shifts at the computer repair shop whenever he could. He had been saving as much money as he could. Erin had caught onto that quickly in their relationship, which was why she had been requesting Jay to take her out on dates where they didn't have to spend a lot of money.

She didn't even bother trying to pay for their dates, knowing it was a futile fight. Jay wouldn't have that. Jay had already splurged on her by surprising her with the sushi dinner. So the next best option was to get creative and come up with dates that were free. Not that it was a bad thing. It turned out how much money one spent on a date didn't matter in the end. It was about spending time with him and getting to know him.

Movies in the park had quickly become their favorite thing. There was a cheap place that rented movies for one dollar and they had Erin's laptop. So underneath the shade of a big tree, on a grassy field, was their spot. They could lay there for hours, even after the movie had long been watched, and they'd just talk. Okay, they'd make out too. But they were two hormone fueled teenagers, it was already a given.

Erin had shared more about herself than she had ever before in her life and in turn, she had gotten to know Jay. His worries and his biggest fear— the day his dad would lay a hand on his mom. Stories of him back when he was living in North Dakota. She shared with him about the little tidbits she remembered about life before Johnny and New York. Her theory of why her mom was so adamant on keeping up appearance. How her visits with the Voights every summer was the only thing that kept her grounded and stopped her from completely being engrossed in the shallow and competitive lifestyle of the wealthy in New York. How she felt the need to do whatever her mom told her to do because she was afraid of going against Bunny and ruining everything Bunny had worked so hard for to give them a better life.

He looked between two mini-fridges that were on the shelf. "Yeah but it'd be so cool to have one of these in your dorm room, just stock it with whatever you want. You don't have to go to the cafeteria whenever you're hungry, you'd just have it in your room."

Erin listened as Jay went on, the excitement clear on his face about what he thought college dorm life would be like. She couldn't help but become saddened by the fact that it would be something that Jay wouldn't get to experience. Because he was unwilling to leave his mom alone with his dad, because he knew that his family didn't have enough money to put both sons through expensive college, and his dad had destroyed whatever good credit he had for them to get any loan.

"Let's get him one," Jay declared. Erin didn't stop him and just nodded as he placed the box in the cart.

"He'll like that," Erin said quietly.

"Yeah, maybe he'll even invite me to one of the dorm parties," Jay mused, his eyes clouding over at the realization and acceptance of his situation. "Come on, let's finish out the list and we can go."

Erin started pushing the cart again, her heart heavy and hurting for her boyfriend. Jay came up behind her, his hands on either side of her as they continued pushing the cart together.

It was a quiet ride back home, a twinge of sadness in the atmosphere. Jay had made up his mind about not going to college and had come to peace with it but Erin knew that there would always be sadness and perhaps even regret for him. Erin just wished that Jay could see the potential he had and the future he could have— one that he was giving up.

It was no secret that Jay was smart. He was the one that tutored Justin and he had taught himself about computers well enough to get a job repairing them. Erin didn't know the extent of his family's financial situation but she had researched enough to know that there were options for financial help out there— scholarships, grants, loans.

The main problem seemed to be his complete reluctance to leave his mom behind. Erin had told him once that he was definitely a Leo— a lion that was protective over the people he loved. He was protective over his mom, especially considering how his dad was. Erin wondered how his mom would feel if she knew why Jay was forgoing college.

---

After Jay's surprise sushi dinner for her, it was now Erin's turn to surprise him. So on Jay's day off, she borrowed Hank's spare car and whisked Jay away to a mysterious destination.

"There is a house way down in New Orleans, they call the RIsing Sun…" Erin sang along to the song that was playing.

"Wait, you know the Animals?" Jay seemed impressed and in disbelief.

"Mother was a tailor, sewed my new blue jeans." Erin continued to sing along, thinking it was enough to answer his question.

"Okay, just when I think I can't like you anymore than I already do, you go and prove me wrong," Jay commented, leaning over to give her a peck on the cheeks.

Erin smiled. "I love this song." She moved her head along to the melody of the guitar and the piano playing together.

"House of the Rising Sun, it's a classic," Jay stated. "Don't take it the wrong way but I'm still surprised that you know about the song and you know about the Animals."

Erin glanced over at him. "I might've researched some classic rock bands after listening to Queen," Erin confessed, playing it off as though it wasn't a big deal. But the truth was that after the mixed CD that Jay had made for her, Erin had gone on the internet to look for more bands that were similar to Queen. She had come across several that she really ended up liking, the Animals included.

"Aww, I'm so proud of you," Jay gushed, repeating the same words she had said to him at the sushi restaurant with the same playful tone.

Erin scrunched her nose, pretending as though she didn't love hearing Jay tell her that. But secretly, she did. Jay seemed so cool and impressive being all knowledgeable about 'classic' music that Erin had wanted to branch out from her usual musical taste. But what had started as a mission to impress Jay had turned into Erin finding bands and music that she actually really ended up loving. It was like he had opened up a whole new world for her when it came to music.

"I have the coolest girlfriend in the world," Jay spoke, more to himself than anything as he looked out the window. Erin took another peek at him and the good mood he was in. Good, because she had a feeling that it might not last long when he found out where Erin was taking him.

---

After an hour and half drive, they were finally arriving at the destination. Erin knew her surprise wouldn't stay a surprise for long since there were signs and banners with the name of the place she was taking him to posted everywhere.

"Erin," Jay called her name, his voice unreadable. Erin knew Jay had seen where she had brought him to. "Why are we at Northwestern?"

Erin looked at him sheepishly. "Because I heard the campus is beautiful and I want to see it for myself?"

He returned her look with a flat one of his own. "Erin."

She pulled the car into a visitor parking lot and parked. As she snuck another peek at him, Jay's eyes were still on her, waiting for her answer.

"Don't be mad but I just thought that we should just check the campus out. See what it's like."

Jay's jaw worked back and forth. "You mean you're trying to get me to change my mind about not going to college."

"Is it so bad of me to do that?" she asked quietly.

Jay groaned and threw his head back on the headrest. "Erin." Erin knew he wasn't happy by how tense his jaw was. This was the opposite of the smiley Jay. "I'm not gonna change my mind."

"You haven't even seen the campus yet," she countered.

"I don't want to see the campus," he immediately retorted. "I don't need to see it. Okay? Especially since I know that it's not in my future."

She shifted her body towards him. "But it can be in your future, Jay! Will's going here this fall and maybe next fall, you can join him. I know that you have the grades for it. You're smart as hell. If it's money you're worried about, there are scholarships and government assistance. Loans."

"I told you that my family's credit is terrible. I can't take out a loan, at least not without a ridiculous interest rate."

"Scholarships then."

He shook his head. "I have the grades, sure but that's it. Erin, I'm not Mr. Popular at school. I'm not in any clubs. I don't play any sports. The only extracurricular activity I have is tutoring and that's not enough to get me any scholarship. And before you say government assistance, I've looked into it. Yeah, I can get some money for school but it's not enough. Not even if I commute an hour and half every day instead of living on campus. Not enough for tuition and forget about books and everything else."

"You have a job," Erin pointed out. "People work while they go to school."

"I told you that the money I've saved up is for Will."

Erin pursed her mouth, trying to hold her frustration in and choose her words carefully. "I get that you love your brother, Jay but he's the older brother here. You work and so can he. He can save up his own money."

He shook his head, dismissing what she said. "He's gonna be in pre-med. With his course load, holding down a job is nearly impossible."

"People do it everyday—-"

"How would you know?" Jay snapped, Erin rearing her head back. Jay immediately realized what he did and he closed his eyes. "Erin, I'm sorry."

"I'm just trying to help," she returned, hating how small her voice sounded. She heard the implications behind his words loud and clear. How would she know about the struggle of people that weren't as well off as her and Johnny? Erin knew she would never have to worry about where the money for her college tuition was coming from. Ivy League wasn't cheap yet Johnny never even blinked at the six figure price tag. She wouldn't have to worry about scraping money together for a place to live on campus, for books and for everything else that came with being a college student.

"I know you are." Jay slowly reached for her hand, like he was expecting her to pull her hand back, out of his reach. "I know you're only doing this because you care about me."

Erin wanted to say that she more than cared about him. She was coming to the realization just how deep her feelings for this boy in front of her. It was a new world for her. Erin, who only had one boyfriend before— one that she dated not because she actually liked him but just so she would have a boyfriend— was in love for the first time in her life.

"Hey, Jay," she prodded gently, wanting him to look at her. As soon as he met her eyes, she saw the contrition in them so she gave him a small smile to let him know that she didn't take it personally. "No pressure, okay? I'm not saying that you have to enroll today or that it has to be Northwestern at all. I just think that we should look around the place, see what it has to offer."

He bit his lips and thought it over, exhaling when he seemed to have made up his mind. "Yeah, okay."

They exited the car and Jay came around over to her. She stayed quiet as he held her by the shoulders, his thumb pressing gently into her skin. "I'm sorry," he told her again.

She brought her head up to meet him in a kiss. She had already said that it was fine but he was still beating himself up for his comment. So maybe a kiss— a small display of affection— would convince him better. His lips lifted up and he pecked her forehead before taking her hand and crossing their fingers together.

They spent the next couple of hours walking around the huge campus and exploring. They weren't on an official tour so they were free to roam about and take their time. They visited the student center and saw several people scattered through the large hall. Erin surmised that the place would be more packed when classes actually started.

The first college tour that Erin went on was Dartmouth last year. It had been set in stone since she was ten that she would be going to college no matter what and the college would be an Ivy League or a private university at worst. It was the normal trajectory that people around her had— private primary and secondary education before jetting off to an Ivy for the post-secondary one and eventually taking over the family business. Erin had never questioned it or fought it because it was all she had known. It helped that she was actually interested in Johnny's business that included a publishing house and an empire of bookstores.

So last year, she and her friends had started visiting colleges. The first time she had stepped onto a college campus, Erin had felt so grown up for the first time. She couldn't really explain the feeling. If she had to try, then a mix of excitement and freedom would be the best description. Like there was a whole new life waiting for her past high school and New York.

She kept her eyes on Jay, gauging his reaction to being on a college campus. Despite Jay's adamant argument about not wanting to go to college, she could see the excitement and awe on his face— similar to the one she had on her first visit. He was trying hard to contain it, brush it off as something that didn't matter so it wouldn't hurt so much later. Erin kept quiet, not calling him out on it. She had already pushed him enough for the day by bringing him to Northwestern in the first place. She didn't want to barrage him more. This was something he needed to work out at his own pace. It wouldn't help her to push.

After the student center, they headed over to the part of the campus where the STEM buildings were congregated. Erin let Jay lead the way and he made a beeline to the computer science building. Jay had told her once that he didn't know what he wanted to do for a career but this was clearly his interest and Erin just wished that he allowed himself to dream instead of deferring them for other people. He placed Will's dream and ambition of being a doctor above his own.

The next visit was the library. Jay whistled when they got there, impressed by the sheer size of it. There were tables and chairs everywhere so students could just come in and study. Several rows of computers were lined up by the windows, ready to be used to complete assignments.

"I think I can spend the whole day here," Jay commented and Erin chuckled at how in awe he looked. Erin had been used to seeing buildings like this when she went on her college tour last year and after the third college, the buildings had started to blend in together into one big brown mess.

He was still going on about the library even after they were back outside, walking hand in hand to another part of the campus. They bypassed a group of people— both young and old— most likely on a tour and Erin saw Jay's eyes cloud over at the group of people around their age looking at brochures in their hands and chattering with one another, all excited about attending a beautiful campus like this.

Erin squeezed Jay's hand, silently letting him know that it was okay for him to want that for himself. That it was okay for him to be envious of them. Jay tilted his head down to look at her and while he didn't say anything, Erin felt him squeeze her hand back, again silently letting her know that he was okay.

They continued walking around, Jay breaking their joined hands so he could bring his arm around her shoulder and pull her closer to him. Erin smiled when she felt him kiss the side of her head and she wrapped an arm around his waist.

---

"Thanks." Erin stopped mid-bite to look over at Jay. Erin placed her veggie sandwich back onto her plate and waited for Jay to elaborate. "I...um...I know I wasn't really into the idea at first but I'm glad that you pushed me to look around the campus."

Erin pressed her mouth into the beginning of a smile. "You're not mad anymore?"

"I don't think I was ever mad, Erin," Jay clarified. "I was annoyed, maybe. But not mad." He took a sip of his soda and swallowed. "How can I be mad when I know that you were only doing it because you cared about me? I think mom would call it looking a gift horse in the mouth or something like that."

She scoffed, her eyebrows furrowing. "What does that mean?"

"Be grateful? I think? I don't really know." They laughed at Jay trying to come up with an answer. "Mom explains it better."

"Maybe I'll have to ask her then." Jay nodded. "She's still coming to Hank's birthday party, right?"

"Yeah. She's excited about making the cake and the desserts. She's been planning for it for a week now," Jay told her.

Erin smiled, already seeing the image in her head. "That's so cute. I have to thank her again for agreeing to do it."

"I should be thanking you," Jay countered. "I haven't seen her this excited about something since we moved. I think she misses the bakery and the life she had back in North Dakota and doing the dessert for a big party just reminds her of it."

Erin had only met Jay's mom a couple of handful of times and only when she was over at Jay's house. In fact, Erin had never even seen his mom leave the house on her own, like she was trapped there. It had to be unimaginably lonely to be by herself, stuck in an unhappy marriage. But his mom, Evelyn, had always been nice and kind every time Erin had interacted with her. Erin wondered how she managed to stay that way after everything that life had thrown at her.

"I can't wait to have a taste of her cake," Erin said. While she tried to maintain a healthy diet, dessert was her biggest weakness. And Jay had made his mom's cake sound so freaking good that Erin was already salivating in her head.

"Oh, it's the best," Jay groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. "I can eat the entire thing by myself."

She gave him an impressed hum. "And you keep that hot bod?"

He held his arms out, proudly showing off his body. "It's not easy but I guess I'm just blessed."

"Uh-huh." Her eyes lit up with mischief. "I'm surprised that they haven't casted you in those Bod commercials yet," Erin teased, referring to those Bod men body spray commercials that were always on television, the ones with the shirtless men and their six packs.

"You want my bod?" Jay returned, using the same 'sexy' voice that the women in the commercial used.

Erin just cocked her eyebrows and smirked, letting her eyes run down over his body.

"I feel you undressing me with your eyes. Am I just a piece of meat to you?" Jay asked, pretending to be offended.

She shrugged. "Like you haven't done the same to me," she tossed back, daring him to refute her claim. She had caught Jay checking her out plenty of times before, ever since the first night they met each other. She just never said anything because honestly, she liked the way he looked at her. He didn't look at her like a piece of meat or a conquest like most of the guys at her school did. Like she was a challenge— the last virgin in her group of friends.

Erin felt beautiful when Jay looked at her because even though his eyes might linger on her breasts and ass for a bit like a typical teenage boy, they always came back to her eyes and that was where they spent the most time.

"Well, I do have a perfect 20/20 vision and look at you," Jay replied, turning on the charm.

She blushed and just shook her head, unable to resist smiling at the cheesy line. "Damn, come here," she wagged her finger over, Jay happily leaning across the table to kiss her.

---

Erin sat down on her bed and took a deep breath. Her phone was in her hand, her mom's number already pulled up. All she needed to do was just press 'dial'. But she couldn't. Because pressing that button would connect her to her mom and Erin would have to tell her that she wasn't going to the Hamptons and she would spend the rest of the summer in Chicago.

Erin hadn't really talked to her parents or her friends since she had been here. Her friends were off in various countries vacationing so it was only natural that they wouldn't really have a chance to talk. But her mom had tried to call her several times and Erin had always made an excuse to cut the conversation short. She was afraid that if she stayed on the phone with Bunny too long, her mom would hear Erin's feelings for Jay in her voice.

It was a ridiculous notion but Erin couldn't help it. She was just so happy with Jay that she couldn't contain her feelings to herself. Justin had already made fun of her several times already for gushing over his best friend and sounding like a giddy school girl in love. She had caught Hank making a couple of faces at seeing her and Jay together. If Justin who was usually oblivious to these things could tell, then Bunny would know in a second.

Erin was safe in her little bubble right now, here in Illinois and far away from New York. But she couldn't stay in it forever, not if she and Jay planned to be together beyond the summer. Bunny needed to know about Jay, just maybe not right now.

With the picture of a future with Jay in her mind, Erin gathered up enough courage to give her mom a call.

"Hi, mom." She stayed quiet while Bunny went on about not being able to reach her and when she could expect Erin at the beach house. "Mom," she interrupted, needing to get the words out before she lost her courage. "I'm not coming to the Hamptons."

Bunny took it exactly as Erin thought she would.

"It's just we're having a birthday party for Hank in a couple of weeks," Erin lied, knowing that Hank's party was in a day, not weeks. "I helped plan the whole thing so I really think I need to stay for it." Erin wasn't sure if her mom was buying that excuse since she knew when Hank's birthday was. "He's just been really busy at work so we had to push the party back. I know you're disappointed, mom but it's Hank's birthday."

Her fingers played with her comforter, needing something to do while Bunny ranted about Erin changing her plans.

She smacked her lips in annoyance. "So I won't see the beach this summer. You know they have beaches here too." She rolled her eyes. "Yeah it's not the same but it's not the point. Mom, I'm not coming back to New York until after Labor Day. I have a day before school starts." More angry replies from Bunny but she seemed to realize that Erin wasn't changing her mind. "Tell Johnny that I'm sorry, okay? And I'll see you both soon but I just….I want to be here right now. I love you, mom."

She hung up the phone and let out a huge sigh of relief. Bunny hadn't been thrilled but really, it could have gone worse. Besides, this was going to be a way easier conversation to have than the one they were going to need to have when Erin tells her mom that she was dating Jay.

Now that was a conversation Erin was not looking forward to having.

---

It was finally the day of Hank's birthday party and she, Jay and Justin spent the whole morning setting everything up. This was the first block party that Erin had planned or even been to so she didn't know what to expect. But apparently, what was to be expected was the whole street being closed off and the neighbors coming together to contribute to the party— setting up game booths and fun activities for the kids, not to mention the tables full of food and drinks. Basically all the things Erin hadn't thought of.

Even though Erin went through the trouble of getting a caterer so guests wouldn't have to bring anything, she quickly found out that it was unnecessary. Jay was right. The block party had turned into a potluck party, with people bringing their most 'famous' dish. Evelyn's three-tier chocolate cake sat proudly in the middle of the desserts table, with various platters of other treats she made.

"The cake looks amazing, Mrs. Halstead," Erin said to Jay's mom. The older woman beamed and waved the compliment away. "Everything looks so good."

"Thanks. And Erin, I told you to call me Evelyn."

Erin just nodded, not entirely comfortable with using her first name. Evelyn was a total sweetheart but she was still Jay's mom. She was easily the most important person in Jay's life and Erin wanted to make a good impression on her. That meant showing her respect.

"You can't have a slice until the guest of honor blows out the candles but how about having a slice of my apple pie in the meantime?" Evelyn asked, ready to cut Erin a piece.

Jay came up next to her and handed her a drink, giving her a quick peck on the side of her head. Erin noticed that he did that a lot, kissing her whenever he could. Just a little peck here and a quick kiss there but the side of her head seemed to be his favorite spot— aside from her lips. Erin always smiled whenever he did that, loving the display of affection he showered her with. But with Evelyn standing in front of them, watching them with a knowing smile on her face, Erin felt her face get warm.

"And after that, you should try her chocolate chip cookies," Jay said, picking up one of the said cookies and quickly devouring it. "They're the best."

Erin laughed at how fast Jay inhaled the cookie. "I see that."

"Oh, Jay can put them away like no one's business. One time, I mistakenly made more than I needed to for an order and I was worried that I would have to throw them away. Should've known I didn't need to worry because it was gone in minutes," Evelyn recalled.

"How many more did you make?" Erin asked.

"Two dozen," Evelyn replied and Erin's jaw dropped.

"You ate 2 dozens cookies in one sitting?" Erin turned to Jay who just had a guilty look on his face.

"In my defense, it wasn't only me. Will ate some too," Jay defended himself.

Erin just looked at him knowingly. "Sure. How many did Will eat? Six?"

"3," Jay mumbled under his breath. "Okay so I ate most of it."

Erin and his mom laughed. "He's the cookie monster in the family." There was so much love in Evelyn's voice as she teased her son and Erin couldn't help but smile. It was clear just how close Jay and his mom were. "Oh, I should tell you about Jay's 5th grade bake sale."

"Okay, that's enough embarrassing stories about me for the day, mom," Jay cut in, pulling Erin away from the table before his mom started divulging his deepest and darkest secret.

"I want to hear the story, Jay," Erin whined, laughing as she let herself be pulled away. Erin waved goodbye to Evelyn and promised the older woman to hear the story later.

Jay led them over to a couple of empty chairs and they sat down, getting some time alone for the first time at the party. Both of them had been running ragged trying to get everything done that they couldn't get a minute to themselves until now. She was grateful to Jay for working so hard for the party for Hank, driving her all over the town to pick up things they needed and setting up the chairs and tables— all without a single complaint.

"So what happened at the 5th grade bake sale?" Erin asked.

"Nothing," Jay replied a little too quickly. "Nothing at all."

Erin looked at him suspiciously. "You know that I can just get the full story from your mom later, right?"

He narrowed his eyes on her. "Don't you dare."

Erin laughed. "Just what happened then that you're so scared about me hearing?" The more Jay didn't want her to know, the more curious Erin got.

He groaned, dropping his head to his chest. "Nothing. It's no big deal."

"If it's no big deal then you don't have to worry about me listening to your mom tell me," Erin countered, needling him. She was thoroughly enjoying his reaction. It wasn't as though anything his mom told her could change Erin's feelings for him.

"Okay," Jay sighed. "It's just a really embarrassing story okay?"

"How embarrassing?"

"Too embarrassing. Enough that you might not like me anymore after you hear it," Jay stated.

"Aww," Erin cooed, bringing her face closer to his. "I promise you that'll never happen."

A small pout formed on Jay's face. "You promise?"

Erin just had to kiss the pout away. "Promise. I like you too much to let some embarrassing story drive me away," she whispered against his lips. She saw his eyes crinkled at the corners, like the way she loved.

Love.

That was a word she hadn't dared to utter out loud just yet. Being in love for the first time in her life was terrifying yet exhilarating. It was an emotion that was so new to her. New for them both. Jay hadn't told her that he loved her yet either but somehow, Erin already knew. It was in the way she would catch him looking at her. He'd have this look in his eyes— soft and penetrating— like she was the most beautiful and precious thing. And the way he would hold her, gentle at first before tightening his hold at random intervals— almost as if he was afraid she would slip away and he would lose her.

Erin started to pull away but Jay's hand rested on the back of her head and pulled her back towards him. He kissed her again, a deeper kiss than the one she had given him seconds ago. Erin's hands came to cup his jaw and she opened her mouth to let his tongue in. Erin moaned softly into the kiss, until she remembered just where they were. She didn't need to be mortified if and when Hank caught them making out.

So with a string of quick pecks, Erin pulled away, giggling when Jay's lips followed her anyways.

"As much as I want to continue making out with you, babe, I don't think neither of us want a lecture from Hank," Erin explained and pointed to where Hank was standing with Al and his friends by the grill. He hadn't seen them….yet but it was a chance they didn't need to take.

"You think we can leave without anyone noticing?" Erin shook her head. "Yeah, that's what I thought." He sighed wistfully.

Erin cradled his face in her hand. She wanted alone time just as much as he did but the party was just getting started and there was no way they could sneak out without anyone noticing. A sound of laughter grabbed Erin's attention and she searched for the source. A smile took over her face when she saw where it was coming from. Jay's mom was still at the dessert table but this time she wasn't alone. There were a couple of other women around her age at the table and they seemed to be having a good conversation, if the laughter was any indication.

"Babe, look!" Erin patted Jay's knees and pointed to where his mom was. Immediately, an expression of pure happiness took over his face. Erin knew that Jay was worried about his mom not having any friends and being alone so seeing his mom like this, interacting with other people and starting to make friends, made him ecstatic.

"You were right," Jay breathed out.

Erin looked at him, confused. "I usually am but what am I right about this time?"

"How you said that people will be dying to be friends with mom because of her desserts," Jay reminded her. "You were right." He sighed. "I haven't seen her talk to anyone her age since we moved. It's….good."

Erin reached over and covered his hand that was resting on his thigh with hers. "She looks happy."

Jay nodded, intertwining their fingers together and giving her hand a squeeze. Erin switched her eyes between Jay and his mom, her heart warming at how both of them looked happy.

But of course, all good things didn't last forever.

The party went on and everyone was having a good time. Erin never realized how many people lived on the block until everyone showed up at the party. The whole street was in full swing. She and Jay had even gotten a couple of turns in some of the carnival game booths that were set up. It might've been Hank's birthday but he still wanted to man the grill. There was a long line with people waiting to get a taste of his food with the enticing smell of hamburgers and hot dogs in the air. But Erin had managed to use her special privilege to sneak some food for her and Jay.

They were sitting in the corner when Erin spotted Will finally arriving and she waved him over.

"Damn, that's a huge ass line," Will said, sitting down next to Erin and Jay. "Hey, Erin. Do you think you can sneak me a burger or two?"

Erin glanced over at the line of people waiting. "Sorry, Will. I think they'll actually kick my ass if I cut the line again." She barely escaped the first time without people coming for her and Erin knew that she wouldn't be so lucky a second time.

"It's your fault for coming late," Jay chimed in, taking a huge bite of his burger.

Will huffed. "Excuse me for having plans with my friends, I guess." He tried to steal some food from Jay's plate but Jay smacked his hand away. Will winced. "Sharing is caring, bro."

"That's fucking hilarious because I don't remember you saying that when I wanted to borrow your things," Jay retorted. "It was all 'my stuff, don't touch' so now it's 'my burger, don't touch'."

Will turned to Erin. "Do you see how selfish he is?" He shook his head. "He'd rather let his older brother starve than give him a bite."

Jay flipped him off, muttering something under his breath. Erin watched in amusement at how the two brothers interacted. Jay and Will were a lot like her and Justin— always trying to mess with each other, joking around and teasing.

Erin took mercy on Will and handed him half of her burger and he took it with glee. "You're the best, Erin," Will exclaimed. He took a bite, nearly eating the whole half in one bite. "What do you see in him, anyway?"

Jay shot daggers at Will who just shrugged and grinned because he knew he got under Jay's skin. It was very entertaining for her.

"You know I'm much better looking," Will continued, trying to rile Jay up even more. "I got the looks in the family." Will scooted his chair closer to Erin and elbowed her gently. "And I'm single so if you want to trade up, I'm available."

"No, he's not," Jay interjected. "On the account that Will's gonna be dead in like 2 seconds."

Erin placed her hand on Jay's thigh and smiled sweetly at Will. "Thanks for the offer Will but I already got the best Halstead brother."

"That's my girl." Jay wrapped his arm around her, grinning proudly at her before sending a smug look at Will. Will just rolled his eyes and pretended to gag.

"Get a room," Will jeered. Erin glanced over at Jay, lifting one of her eyebrows and Jay's throat bobbed, enticed at the insinuation. "You guys know that I was just joking, right? Don't start tearing off each other's clothes in front of me," Will pleaded.

"Then leave," Jay advised. Erin snickered at how easily Will turned red when he blushed. She hadn't had a chance to get to know Will much since he was spending most of his time with his own friends before they had to depart for college and go their separate ways. But she had been around him enough to know that she liked him. He was a lot more easygoing than Jay and carried himself as if he didn't care about anything or had any worries in the world.

A lot of times Erin thought that the only thing Jay and Will had in common were their parents. They looked vaguely similar enough that when they stood next to each other, she could tell that they were brothers. Jay inherited his looks from his mom while Will seemed to have gotten his from his dad. Will was goofy and didn't seem to take anything seriously while Jay, while having his moments where he was a complete goofball, was more serious and grounded. Erin assumed that their opposite natures balanced each other out over the years because they were close.

"The line seems to be dying down," Will noticed as he looked over Erin's shoulder to the food line. "Gonna go grab myself another burger before they run out." He stood up and touched Erin's shoulder. "Do you want anything?"

Erin shook her head. "I'm alright. Thanks, Will."

"What about me?" Jay asked, holding his arms out. Will replied with his middle finger before walking off. "Asshole," Jay muttered but the smile on his face told Erin that it was a term of endearment more than anything.

They got back into their conversation, making plans for the rest of the summer. There were still so many things they wanted to do before Erin had to go back to New York, especially since they knew that they wouldn't be able to see each other for months. Erin had already invited Jay to come to New York during the winter break and they'd already decided on Erin coming back for Spring Break.

They were making plans for the future— one that they both desperately wanted together and all the plans sounded so perfect.

Until a car slammed through the plastic cones that were used to close the street off for the party, capturing everyone's attention. Jay's hands immediately came up in front of her protectively. They got up from their chairs to see who was driving and as soon as Jay saw the car, he blanched.

Erin's heart immediately seized when she also realized who it was.

Jay's dad.

Erin settled her hand on Jay's arm when Jay tensed when his dad got out of the car and slammed the door loudly, not even caring that he had crashed through the barriers and nearly slammed into people with his car. By the way he was teetering and swaying as he walked, it was obvious that he had been drinking, which would also explain why he had crashed into the plastic cones and didn't even notice.

Jay's mom was still by the dessert table and even from where Erin was standing, she could tell that Evelyn was shaking. And judging by how pale she looked, Erin knew it was out of fear rather than anger. Jay's dad snarled when he looked around the party, everyone's eyes on him like he was a wild animal.

"What the fuck is going on here?" he roared, outraged like he owned the street and everyone was the intruder. "Get the fuck off my street!"

Hank stepped forward with his hand out. "Mr. Halstead, you're drunk," he said, carefully approaching the drunk man. That made Pat even madder and he set his anger on Hank.

"Who the fuck are you?" he barked, swinging his hand around.

Hank took a breath, trying to control himself. "I'm a Sergeant at the Chicago Police Department," Hank replied, trying to see if saying his title would click with Pat that Hank wasn't someone to mess with. But it went over Pat's head. "I live on this block and you're interrupting my birthday party."

"Fuck you," Pat spat, pointing his finger in Hank's face. "I don't give a fuck if you're the fucking President. This is my street and I will not be barred from entering like a damn intruder!" Before Hank could reply, Pat set his sight on Evelyn and started heading over to the dessert table. "Bitch, get the fuck over here!"

Jay was fuming and Erin was having a hard time holding him back. His father wouldn't listen to any reason right now and it was a bad idea for Jay to step in. Erin saw Evelyn hesitate and when other women that she was talking to surrounded her like a protective wall, Pat flew off the handle.

"Did you fucking hear me?" he screamed as he started to charge faster toward her. "What the fuck is this huh? Did you wait until I was out working to provide for you useless people to have this party?" Hank and Al were quick to stop him and they pushed him back. Jay was shaking with rage at this point after his mom was openly insulted in front of people. Erin knew it was a losing fight to try to hold him back when his mom was in trouble so she loosened her hold on him and he made a beeline to her.

"Jay." Evelyn touched Jay's arm and Will joined them, two Halstead brothers protecting their mom from their dad.

"Dad, you're drunk. Just go home," Will pleaded and tried to calm the situation down. Pat fought off Al and Hank's grip and he turned to the nearest table and pushed every plate off the table, all the food and the platters crashing to the ground in a loud bang.

"Am I calm enough for you now?" he raged, trying to get closer to where the rest of the Halstead family was standing. Hank and Al stepped in the way again, barring him from reaching them. "Get away from me. That's my family!"

"People don't treat their family like that," Hank stated, not moving. "You need to go home and sober up."

"Don't tell me what to do. I don't have to fucking listen to you," Pat spat.

Hank growled as he lost his patience. "Yeah you do. I'm the police and we have many witnesses that saw you driving drunk and crashing into the cones. That's a D.U.I right there. I can haul your ass into jail right now and not even feel a little bit bad about it." Hank glanced over at Jay and his family. "But you're lucky that I like your family so I'm giving you a chance. A chance that I'm not going to give again. Go home and sober up or we can go down to the station right now. Your choice."

Erin walked over to Jay and his mom and everyone waited in dead silence to see what Pat would do. To see if he would smarten up and take the chance that Hank was offering or if he would just make a bigger mess of things.

Pat wasn't backing down and he just sneered. "Go to hell," he hissed and he stalked back toward his car and got in, slamming the door. Hank and Al tried to stop him but couldn't get there in time before Pat drove off, hitting more cones in the process. All they could do was watch as Pat drove down the street, still drunk.

"Oh my god," Evelyn cried and dropped her face in her hands. Jay hugged his mom, stroking her back. He looked pissed and worried. Will had the same look on his face. They were both red as tomatoes at how their dad just humiliated them and now he was off, driving under the influence.

Hank and Al came over to where they were standing. Jay and Will began to apologize but Hank waved them off. "It's not your fault. But we need to find your dad before he gets into an accident and hurts someone else."

Jay nodded. "Yeah." He looked torn between going to search for his dad or staying with his mom who was humiliated and crying. Erin stepped up and held Evelyn gently.

"Go, Jay," she encouraged him. "I'll stay with your mom."

The torturous look didn't leave his face but he and Will thanked her before they followed Hank and Al to go search for Pat before he hurt himself or another innocent bystander with his drinking and driving.

"Are you alright, Evelyn?" Other concerned neighbors came up to check but Evelyn feigned a small smile, one that everyone saw through. Erin knew Evelyn needed to leave before she completely fell apart in front of practical strangers.

"Everyone, just go back to the party and enjoy, okay?" she announced, trying her best to stay cool and collected so people would just resume what they were doing. "I'm gonna take Mrs. Halstead home."

The women surrounding them nodded understandably and moved so Erin and Evelyn could get through. Erin helped Evelyn back to her house and stayed with her in the kitchen until they could hear back from the men.

Erin busied herself getting a drink for Evelyn while the older woman sat in a chair by the kitchen table, looking off into space in shock. Erin's heart clenched at the look on her face. Just when Evelyn was finally making friends and not being alone for the first time in a long time, Pat just had to come and ruin everything. Almost as if he had some sort of radar that went off when his family was happy and he was ready to put a stop to it.

"Here you go." She placed a cup of hot tea and sat down next to Jay's mom. "It's camomille. It'll help calm you down."

Evelyn's hands were still shaking when she lifted her cup and took a sip. "Thank you, Erin."

Erin waved her thank you off, telling her that there was no need. Then both of them stayed quiet. Erin wished she knew what to say to make the situation better but she was at a loss. How did one approach another when the other's husband was a drunk and abusive piece of shit?

"I can't believe that actually happened," Evelyn broke the silence and it wasn't long before she broke down, sobbing as she buried her face in her hands. Erin scooted closer and gently stroked her back, trying to provide any sort of comfort she possibly could.

"I'm really sorry," Erin offered, feeling useless.

Evelyn shook her head. She finally lifted her head up and wiped her face. "He's going through a hard time and I'm trying very hard to be understanding. But I don't know how much longer I can take it."

Erin was pretty surprised to hear Evelyn say those words. Jay said many times that his mom was determined to pretend as though nothing was wrong and that her husband didn't need any help, he just needed time. But today was just another incident that proved her wrong.

"I thought he was out of town," Erin said. That was why all three of the other Halsteads were excited about the block party. Pat was scheduled to be out of town today but somehow he came back early, already hammered, and he wasn't happy to see neighbors and his family having a party in his absence.

"He is." Evelyn wiped her eyes some more. "He wasn't supposed to be back until tomorrow."

The implication that something must've happened for Pat to come home early hung in the air. Maybe Pat got fired or maybe he never even made it to his destination in the first place and had spent the last couple of days on a bender somewhere else. Erin didn't want to point any possibilities out and make things worse.

Erin stroked Evelyn's arm and gave her a small smile. "I'm sure they'll find him and he'll be okay." Because despite everything Pat had put her and his family through, Evelyn still loved him. That was why she still hadn't left him.

Evelyn went quiet and Erin followed her lead. She wouldn't have known what else to say anyway. So they sat in silence and Erin watched the clock, waiting for Jay and the rest of them to come home with Pat in tow. She thought if something bad happened, they would call to let her and Evelyn know.

"I know you might not understand why I'm still with him," Evelyn spoke again out of the blue, the silence broken once again. Erin furrowed her brows in confusion at the sudden turn in topic. "No one understands why I won't leave Pat."

"You love him." Even though she said it, Erin wondered if love was enough in cases like this. Was love strong enough to get them through the troubles or was it just a hindrance, a roadblock to real happiness? Jay told her that his parents were in love and happy once. Before the tragic accident with Tommy and Pat becoming consumed by his guilt. After that, everything had fallen apart for the Halsteads and they had to move across multiple states to get away from their old life. Wasn't it just easier for Evelyn to leave Pat even if she loved him because love didn't seem to be enough anymore?

"Pat wasn't always like this." Erin realized she was still defending her husband. "He was the kindest and funniest man I've ever known and I fell in love with him on our very first date." She let out a dry chuckle. "I had everything I've dreamed about once. But overnight, it just went away. No matter how hard I tried to hold onto it, I couldn't stop it from slipping through my fingers."

Evelyn was being vague because she didn't know that Jay had already told Erin about what happened in North Dakota. But if they were going to have this heart to heart conversation, then she needed to know that Erin already knew. Still, Erin needed to approach the subject carefully.

She ran her tongue over her lips. "Um...Jay told me about what happened in North Dakota." Eveyln didn't seem to be expecting that. "It's tragic, what happened all around. I'm really sorry."

Evelyn gave her a tight smile. "It wasn't his fault. Tommy fell and it was an accident, a very unfortunate one but Pat had nothing to do with Tommy falling."

"I know" Erin repeated the phrase and held Evelyn's hand, letting her know that she agreed. Carpentry was a dangerous occupation and Tommy falling was an accident.

"Pat is still carrying so much guilt about that." When she wiped a tear away, Erin handed her a tissue. "At first, it was just a drink. Then one of Tommy's friends ran into him at the market and they got into an argument. After that, it became a bottle. Then 2 and before anyone could stop it, he fell straight into a hole and it was too late. The more he drank, the angrier he got."

Erin held Evelyn's hands, giving her as much comfort as she could. It seemed to be the only thing Erin could do for her right now, aside from lending a sympathetic ear.

"Jay and Will tried to get their dad to stop drinking but they were just young boys," Evelyn said.

Erin pressed her mouth together before asking her the question she had on her mind. It was definitely a loaded subject. "Jay told me that his dad punched him in the face once."

Evelyn snapped her head up and her teary eyes landed on Erin. "I….If you…" She was at a loss for words before her face completely crumbled again. "He lost his temper. He didn't mean it. If he was sober then he would never lay a hand on his children."

Erin actually felt herself getting angry when Evelyn started babbling excuses for her abusive husband. She understood loving a husband and staying with him through rocky times but to stand by and do nothing but make excuses when a father lays a hand on his kids? Erin would never understand that.

"Except he wasn't," Erin stated, trying her hardest to keep her voice even. While Erin didn't necessarily blame Evelyn, she was still Jay's mom— she was supposed to protect him, not his abuser. "He was drunk and he hit Jay. And it wasn't the only time."

Evelyn's mouth opened and closed. "Yeah." She sighed, no longer trying to make excuses. "We moved here, thinking that getting away from that town and everyone in it would help."

"Did it?"

"I thought so. It helped a little." A sad smile formed on her face. "I actually thought that things would go back to the way they were before. When we first got here, Pat stopped drinking for a little bit and he didn't lay a hand on Jay again. He just stayed away from his sons, even Will. I assumed it was the guilt at first, of him finally realizing when he had done. But he started pulling away more and more, not just from the kids but from me too. He came home one day and just told us that he got a job as a salesman and the job would mean he would be traveling a lot."

"How often does he travel?" Erin asked.

"He's gone most of the month," Evelyn replied. "I hated it at first because I wanted to work on our problems but he was gone. Then the longer he was gone, the more I realized the easier it was for me to breathe."

"Can I ask you something?" Erin asked and Evelyn nodded. "Why don't you divorce him?"

Another smile came across Evelyn's face. This one was more wistful than sad— like she was thinking of the good times of the past— good times that no longer existed. She sighed. "Because I love him. No matter what, I still love him. I can't make myself stop loving him or stop hoping that one day this nightmare will be over and I'll get the man I love back."

Erin remained silent, still trying to wrap her mind around the answer Evelyn gave her. Evelyn saw the look on Erin's face and she exhaled.

"I know I sound stupid and I look like a fool, especially when Pat is not going to get better or he's even trying. But no matter what, I just can't seem to make myself give up on him."

Erin placed her hand over Evelyn's. "He's so lucky to have someone like you and he doesn't even realize it. The fact that he has you and Jay and Will who despite everything he has done, you guys still love him. I just hope that he sobers up and gets some help before he loses everything."

Evelyn dropped her head. "I think he already lost his sons," she admitted. "Will is going off to college and even though the college is an hour away, he can't wait to leave and live away from home."

"Will said he just wants to experience college life," Erin rationalized, even though she knew it was a lie. She knew there was more than that for why Will was so eager to get the hell out of Tower Lakes.

Evelyn looked at Erin and Erin knew she saw through the lie. "I just wish Jay would do the same too."

"Jay's not planning on going to college."

"He told me. Broke my heart that day because I know the real reason why he's not planning on going." Evelyn grabbed Erin's hands again and strengthened her grip. "That's why I was so happy when I heard that you took him for a visit to Northwestern."

"He told you about it?" Erin wasn't sure how Evelyn would react to Erin trying to convince Jay to give college a second thought. Especially since it would mean that Jay could potentially leave home just like Will and leave Evelyn alone with Pat.

Evelyn nodded. "He tried to play it off as it wasn't a big deal but I could see how excited he was," Evelyn recounted, smiling. "I haven't seen him that excited and happy in a long time. Jay is a sensitive boy and he thinks that he has to keep everything inside and put the weight of the world on his shoulders. Even though he's the youngest, he wants to protect me and Will."

"He's….he's the most amazing person I've ever met," Erin confessed, her voice getting that dream-like quality when talking about her feelings for Jay.

"You love him," Evelyn realized. Erin tried to refute her claim but knew that she couldn't. Even if she wasn't ready to tell Jay how deep her feelings went for him, she still couldn't lie and pretend otherwise. "Have you told him yet?"

Erin shook her head. "No. I wanted to, many times but I always chicken out at the last second."

The older woman laughed and Erin couldn't help but see the resemblance between Jay and his mom right then. It was in their smiles. "Well, if I may say something to lessen your nerves, I know that he has the same feelings for you too."

Erin smiled widely. "You think?" She couldn't stop herself from sounding like a hopeful lovesick girl.

Evelyn noticed and she laughed. "I won't sell my son out completely but let's just say I've never seen him like this about a girl before. He just lights up whenever he talks about you and I know he must love you if he actually agreed to look at Northwestern with you."

Erin's smile slipped off her face. "About that," she started, feeling the need to apologize. "I'm not trying to make Jay leave you here alone. I just thought that he might want to look at different options he has for college."

"Erin, Erin, Erin," Evelyn stopped her from babbling. "It's okay. I'm not mad. I'm grateful to you actually." Erin looked at her, confused. "I know why Jay is staying at home instead of going off to college. I tried to convince him to go before but he wouldn't. I chose to stay with Pat. I made the decision. Jay and Will didn't and I don't want Jay to stay here when he has so much potential to do anything he wants out there."

Erin nodded, agreeing with Evelyn. She saw the same potential in Jay and knew he was destined for great things. But the only thing that was stopping him was his unwillingness to leave his mom alone at home with his dad. And after what happened at the party, Erin wasn't sure Jay was wrong to worry.

"I was really happy when I heard about the visit to Northwestern. I know he really enjoyed it too and I'm hoping that it'll spark enough excitement in him to leave and focus on his future."

"What about you?"

Evelyn chuckled. "What about me? I'll be fine. I know Jay worries about me living here alone with his dad. But he really doesn't need to. Pat has never laid a hand on me and besides, he's off, traveling for work most days anyways."

"Pat...Jay's dad. He was supposed to be on a work trip today too," Erin reminded her. "Yet he was here." Erin wondered why he came back a day early and where he had been to show up drunk. Evelyn didn't reply but instead just gave Erin a look. A look that said entirely too much without saying anything at all— that Pat hadn't been honest about where he had been when he went on these work trips.

---

She and Evelyn remained in the kitchen, still waiting even after a couple of hours had passed. This was another reason why Erin wished everyone had cell phones so worried people who were waiting in the dark could get updates instead of letting their mind conjure up all the horrible scenarios that could be happening in their mind and driving themselves crazy.

She and Evelyn shared a look and she knew they were both feeling the same way. "No news is good news, right?" Erin tried to calm Evelyn down. The older woman was a nervous wreck. It was her family out there while she was left sitting at home. "Hank is an amazing cop and he'll make sure that your family is safe."

Even though Erin said it, she knew that she couldn't really promise Evelyn anything. Her statement was true— Hank was a great cop and he would protect Jay, Will and even Pat. But the reality was that Pat was drunk and he drove off in a fit of rage. That was a recipe for disaster. If they didn't find him in time, before he ended up hurting someone or himself….

Erin shook her head, trying to wave that thought away. There was no use in making herself go crazier than she was right now. She needed to repeat what she told Evelyn back to herself. No news was good news.

Four hours later, she was proven wrong.

It was nearing midnight and the block party had been long over. The street was deadly quiet now and so was Jay's house. Evelyn offered to make them something to eat. Erin wasn't hungry but she agreed because she knew Evelyn just needed to do something to distract herself. So as they picked at the sandwich more than they were eating it, their eyes constantly shifted over to the phone.

There had been no news or updates for hours that when Jay and everyone minus Pat suddenly came home, they were both startled. Erin jumped out of her chair and went over to Jay. He looked exhausted. They all did.

"What happened?" Evelyn asked. "Where's your father?"

Jay's face was tense and his jaw twitched back and forth as he tried to hold in his anger. Erin looked to Hank for an answer.

Hank swiped at his nose before he gave them an answer. "He's in lock-up." Before the two women freaked out, he held up his hand. "He's physically fine."

"He's in jail?" Erin asked, her eyes darting between Jay and Evelyn. Jay's mom looked devastated and terrified. "Jay, why is your dad in jail?"

Jay didn't say anything. Instead he broke both of the women's hold on him and stalked over to the sink, slamming his hand on the kitchen counter several times. Erin rushed over and stopped him before he broke his wrist. He was angry but he didn't need to be hurting himself in the meantime.

Jay was too worked up to be giving them the information they needed so Evelyn went over to Will. He sighed, his eyes remained on the floor. "Dad got stopped by a cop and they noticed that he wasn't sober."

"He got a D.U.I?" One look at Hank and he confirmed Erin's guess. "Oh my god." She wasn't totally sure what a D.U.I entailed but knew enough about them to know that it was a big deal. Pat was in deep trouble.

"What does that mean? What can we do?" Evelyn asked frantically, scared for her husband. "Is he going to prison?"

"Not like he doesn't deserve it," Jay muttered under his breath but softened when he saw the look on his mom's face. "Mom, I'm sorry."

"So you all just left him there in prison?!" Evelyn asked angrily.

"He's in the drunk tank, mom, because he drove while drunk!" Jay exploded.

"He made a mistake!" Evelyn shouted right back. "But it doesn't mean he deserves to be in prison!"

Jay stared at his mom like she had gone crazy. "Are you kidding me? He made a mistake? No, he didn't just make a mistake. He could've killed someone. He could've killed himself!" He slammed his hand again. Erin flinched at the loud noise. She got why Jay was furious, she just didn't want him to get hurt.

Evelyn cried, "he's your father, Jay!" She whirled her head around to Hank and Al. "Can you do something to get him out?" She went over to them and grabbed their shirts, pleading. "Please. He can't go to prison. He's a good man, he just made a mistake."

Both Will and Jay looked away from the scene, unable to stomach their mom begging for their dad. Hank gently loosened the grip Evelyn had on his shirt.

"He's in jail, not prison, Evelyn," Hank began to explain, his voice more patient than usual. "He's going to need to spend the night in jail until he sobers up. Then you can bail him out."

"He will have to go to court for the D.U.I," Al added, breaking the hard news. "The officer that picked him up is from another district and he isn't the type to look the other way."

Evelyn started crying. "Oh god, what's gonna happen if…."

"If he's convicted of a D.U.I, then he can go to prison for a year," Hank answered.

Erin closed her eyes and shook her head. She felt horrible for Jay and his family. Pat, not so much. He was driving a car when he was drunk. He needed to be punished. He was just lucky that he didn't end up hurting an innocent bystander or the charges he'd be facing would be much worse.

"A year?" Evelyn cried. Will went over to his mom and held her in comfort. Jay remained in his spot, not moving. Erin tentatively placed her hand on his back, just silently letting him know that she was there for him. She half expected him to brush her off but was grateful when he didn't.

"It's only if he gets convicted," Hank added. "The best thing for all you guys to do is just to get some rest. Al and I will get your dad tomorrow and we'll bring him home."

"You also should look into getting a lawyer to defend him," Al advised. "It'll help him out tremendously."

"Alright. Thank you. Really. Both of you," Will said.

Hank patted his shoulder. "Get some rest, okay?" He glanced over at her and Jay. "Erin, can I talk to you for a quick second? Alone?"

Jay must've sensed her reluctance to leave him alone because he gave her a small nod, letting her know that he'd be okay. Erin followed as Hank and Al walked out of the house and Al continued on his way, leaving Hank and Erin alone. By the look on his face, Erin felt like she already knew what he wanted to talk to her about. Probably to leave Jay and his family drama alone. For her to not get too invested in it.

"Hank," Erin said, wanting to preempt him. But he stopped her from saying more.

"Jay isn't doing well right now," Hank said suddenly. "He and his dad got into it again at the station before his dad got dragged off into a cell."

Erin exhaled, her heart aching for Jay. "They had another fight?"

Hank nodded. "It got pretty intense. He's gonna need you tonight."

Erin stared at him in shock. She was already expecting Hank to drag her home by her hair and warn her to stay away from the Halsteads but here he was, telling her that Jay needed her tonight. "Does it mean that I can stay here with him?"

He huffed. "I'm not happy or thrilled about it. But you are a smart girl and I trust you. I also know how important he is to you so yes." Erin brought her eyes up to the sky just to make sure that pigs weren't flying because Hank just gave her permission to spend the night with Jay.

"Thank you," Erin said, quickly. She didn't need him changing his mind because she opened her mouth. He squeezed her shoulder and headed back to his house.

---

When Erin got back inside Jay's house, it was only him and Will left in the kitchen.

"Mom went to bed already. She said she wanted to be alone," Jay explained after he noticed Erin searching for her.

"Okay." She and Jay gazed at each other, Erin studying his face and trying to gauge his emotions. Will got the memo that they wanted to be alone so he came up with an excuse and ran out of the kitchen.

Jay rocked his head back and forth, like he couldn't wrap his mind around everything that had happened. Erin approached him and waited for him to make the first move. It didn't take long before he tugged her to him and nearly crushed her body against his. Erin hugged him just as fiercely, just relishing the closeness. She wanted to feel his heart thud against hers, she wanted him close. She just wanted him to know that no matter what he was going through with his family, she was here and she would stand by him through anything.

Erin didn't know how long he held her but they stayed in their embrace and tuned out the rest of the world. She wanted him to feel safe in her arms, for him to forget about everything else— even if it was just for a second.

He finally let her go after a while but Erin stayed in his arms. Erin couldn't stop herself from caressing him and just tenderly running her hand over his face and his arms. Jay looked drained and quite devastated. He was taking it very hard and Erin couldn't blame him.

"Can I get you anything? Something to drink or eat?" she offered but he refused, moving his head back and forth. "You haven't eaten anything since the party and it was hours ago."

"I'm alright, Erin. I just want to crash and just forget about all this shit for a minute."

Erin rocked back on her feet back and forth awkwardly. She didn't know if he wanted her to go or stay. "Okay," she muttered. "Um...do you want me to go?"

He dropped his hand from where he was pinching his nose and met her eyes. "Can you stay? I...I need you."

Those three words fueled a storm of emotions in her. She had never heard Jay sound so vulnerable before and she knew how difficult it was for him to say those words to anyone. So for him to tell her that he needed her, there was no way Erin could refuse him.

"I'll stay," she whispered against his neck when he pulled her into another hug. "I'll stay as long as you need me."

---

He brought her to his room and Erin took a look around the space for the first time. The first thing she noticed was just how much cleaner it looked than a typical teenage boy's living room. There wasn't a messy bed and half eaten food everywhere. Instead his bed was made, a stack of CDs were lined up in a shelf against the wall, next to a desktop computer and a laundry basket with folded clothes on a chair.

"What is it?" Jay asked, sounding nervous like Erin was going to say his room was beneath her or something. "I know it's probably too small, compared to your room…"

"No, it's great," Erin said, reaching for his hand. "I was just thinking how clean everything is. You're a neatfreak, aren't you?"

"Isn't everyone's room like this?" Jay asked.

Erin snorted. "No. You should see my room. Not the one here because Hank will chew my ass off if I don't clean it every couple of days. But the one in New York," she shuddered just thinking of how messy she could get.

"Hmm," he hummed, the tone of his voice cryptic.

Erin narrowed her eyes at him. "What was that?" Jay gave her an innocent look. "That sound that you just made. What was that?"

He shrugged and hooked an innocent look on his face. "I just thought you'd have maids to clean your room for you."

She scrunched her nose. "We do," she admitted quietly. "But Johnny always jokes that they should hire a maid just to clean my room only."

Jay let out a laugh, surprising her. "Just how messy are you?" he asked as he sat on his bed.

"I work better in chaos!" Erin retorted, crossing her arms. "It's an actual thing!" Erin added after Jay just laughed at her claim.

She was pouting when he pulled her closer so she was standing in between his legs. When she was this close to his laughing face, Erin knew she couldn't even pretend to be mad. So she uncrossed her arm and fixed her hands on either side of his shoulder, keeping him in her embrace.

"Hurricane Erin," he whispered affectionately and held her around her waist. Erin just rolled her eyes at his nickname for her before bringing her head down closer to meet him for a kiss. She kissed him gently and tentatively at first, waiting for him to deepen it. His hand came up to her neck and he tangled his fingers into her hair, straining his neck so he could kiss her harder.

It wasn't long before he was tugging her body and Erin straddled him, Jay holding her securely to him. She moaned softly into the kiss, especially when Jay slipped his tongue into her mouth. A thought flashed in her mind that this was Jay trying to distract himself from what happened with his dad but Erin knew that Jay would never use her that way.

He proved her right when he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against her, still breathing heavily.

"What?" Erin murmured against his lips, giving it one more peck. She brought her back so she could look at his face and he was looking at her with so much emotion— gratitude, tenderness but most of all, love. She lost her breath when she saw the look in his eyes, it was easy to recognize because it was the same look she saw in the mirror every time she thought of Jay.

The words 'I love you' almost burst out of her but she held them back. As much as she wanted to tell him how she felt, she wanted to wait for a better time. Not when Jay was hurting and worried about his father.

"Thanks for being here," Jay breathed. "Today sucks and tomorrow probably will too but having you here with me, you have no idea how much it helps."

Erin smiled. "Like I said before, I'll stay as long as you need me to." She pressed her lips against his. "I'm not going anywhere," she promised against his lips.

---

After the tumultuous day and night before, Erin knew Jay would have a hard time falling asleep. It was nearing three in the morning when Jay had finally fallen asleep, Erin only letting herself follow right after. But surprisingly, they actually had a pretty good sleep, too exhausted and tired out from everything.

They shared Jay's small bed, Erin facing the wall while he spooned her from behind and their intertwined hands resting against her stomach. By the time the sun had claimed its spot in the sky, Erin started getting too warm and woke up. She blinked to get her bearings and remember just where she was. She shifted slightly, trying not to wake Jay up. But she knew she failed when he nuzzled into her neck from behind, tickling her. She smiled when he pulled her closer even though they were already flushed up against each other.

"Morning," he mumbled into her skin.

She elbowed him gently so he'd loosen his hold on her. As soon as he did, she twisted her body around so she could see him.

"Hi," she whispered right back, her eyes raking over his face immediately to gauge how he was feeling. He looked like he could use a day of sleep but other than that, he looked just as cute as ever. "How are you doing?"

He exhaled softly. "I don't know." That was an honest reply. "I just want to stay here with you as long as I can."

She hummed. "That sounds perfect." She wanted the same. She wanted to stay wrapped up in his arms and for them to stay together in this bed, their own little cocoon. They both knew what would be waiting from them outside the door. Hank and Al were going to bail Jay's dad out of jail this morning and bring him home. Then his family would need to deal with the fallout of Pat's D.U.I charges. So for as long as they could, Erin wanted to ignore the real world waiting for them outside.

But a call on her cell phone threw a wrench in her plans. Jay passed her the phone from his night stand and she answered after seeing her mom's name on the caller ID.

"Hi mom." She gestured for Jay to be quiet. Bunny still didn't know about Jay and the last thing Erin wanted was for her to find out when Erin was in bed with him. "I'm just getting up." She sat up and tried to sound more alert. "Mm? Sorry, I didn't hear you….no, mom. I still haven't changed my mind about the Hamptons." She looked at Jay and rolled her eyes. "Mom, I don't care if the Severides are going to be there. Tell them sorry that I couldn't make it, I guess." She huffed, annoyed. "Kelly is not going to care if I'm there or not. Okay? You know what, I hear Hank calling me for breakfast. You know how he gets when his calls go ignored. I gotta go. Love you, mom. Tell Johnny the same."

She hung up and threw her cell phone back on the bed before slumping back over on the bed. Jay chuckled. "Good call?"

She tossed him a half-hearted glare. "She's still on my case about me coming to the Hamptons. Apparently, the Severides will be there and are dying to see me, as if they're not there every summer."

"Who are the Severides?" Jay asked, propping his head on his elbow.

"Business friends of Johnny's. Have you heard of Pioneer Prints?" Jay nodded. "They own it."

"So your dad owns a publishing company and he's friends with an owner of a printing company?" he asked, knowingly. "They must be great friends," he commented sarcastically.

She chuckled. "I'd say it's a mutually beneficial relationship," she joked back. "They've actually been friends for decades, apparently. Johnny and Cal, that's his friend, they went to the same college and were in this society thing at Yale. Bunny and Janice, Cal's wife, became good friends when we moved to New York."

"So is Kelly their daughter?"

Erin should've known the question was coming. "No." She paused for a beat. "Kelly is their son."

Jay's eyes fell on her. "Their son. Huh."

"You know you're really infuriating when you make that noise, right?"

"What noise?" Jay asked innocently.

"Huh," Erin mimicked him. Jay usually did it when he had something he wanted to say but knew he shouldn't. "Yes, Kelly is a boy and he's the Severides' son and before you ask or get carried away, we have never dated."

"I wasn't even going to ask," he said, looking pleased by what Erin told him. She just shot him a look. "I just want him to be okay. You know, all alone in the Hamptons with you not there."

Erin guffawed. "Kelly is going to be wrapped up with his own fangirls to even notice if I'm there or not." She shifted on her sides and scooted closer when Jay's hand came to rest on her back. "My parents and Kelly's parents— they got this idea in their head that we're perfect together. They're delusional given that me and Kelly haven't said more than ten words to each other the entire time we've known each other."

"So no great love story there, then."

"Please," she scoffed. Kelly wasn't a blip on her radar. Bunny had tried and failed many times to play matchmaker between them but there was no chemistry. Kelly had his hordes of girls—different ones every time Erin had seen him— and she had her own group of friends. They were too different.

"Good." He gave her that smile that she loved.

"Besides, I have my own great love story here," Erin voiced, halting when she realized what she said. Her eyes were wide and she held her breath to see if Jay heard her. She really hoped that he didn't because this was not the way she saw herself telling Jay that she loved him for the first time.

Jay must've seen her uneasiness because he brushed off her comment like he didn't hear it. Instead, he kissed her forehead, lingering there for a beat longer. Erin closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down.

Erin thought she heard Jay whisper 'you're mine too' into her skin but he said them so faintly that she couldn't be sure. Before she could even really think things through, Will was knocking on the door.

"Dad's home."

---

Pat looked like a mess. A pathetic mess of a man as he sat on a kitchen chair, scowling. Like the world owed him a favor. Erin never hated a person before but for the first time in her life, something akin to hate took over at seeing the man. She had sympathized with him when Jay told her about his dad's downward spiral. But after seeing Pat take his anger and guilt out on his family one too many times, Erin's sympathy was gone. The only thing left was disgust and apathy.

Evelyn made him a cup of coffee and placed it in front of him but he just pushed it away like a petulant child.

"You need to eat something. You haven't eaten all day. Let me make you breakfast," Evelyn said as she got busy trying to find a pan and food in the fridge.

Pat grunted. "Don't put an act in front of the company now." He sneered at Hank and Al standing in the kitchen. "It was your damn fault that I was in the fucking drunk tank!"

Jay stepped forward. "Our fault? We weren't the one that poured alcohol down your throat and we didn't put you in the car!" Jay hissed, in no mood to coodle his father.

Pat stood up so fast that the chair got knocked over. He charged towards Jay, his height towering over his son but Jay didn't even flinch. "You got a mouth on you, huh? You want another go again? You want me to teach you another fucking lesson, about who's the father here and who's the fucking brat?"

Jay straightened up to his full height, not letting Pat intimidate him. "You haven't been acting like a father in years."

Pat pushed Jay with so much force that Jay slammed into the fridge. Evelyn yelped as she moved out of the way, Jay nearly missed crashing into her. Erin started to head toward Jay but Al pulled her back, stopping her from getting in the middle of the physical fight. He pointed so she could see that Hank was already there to step in between Jay and Pat.

"Mr. Halstead, you just got bailed out of jail. Do you want to go back?" Hank asked in a deceptively calm manner.

Pat regarded Hank with disdain. "I don't know who the fuck you think you are to be interfering with my family business."

"Dad, he's the one that bail you out of jail," Will spoke, grimacing apologetically to Hank. "He's been helping us."

"I don't need his damn help! I just need him to get the fuck out of my house!" He turned to Al. "You too! And take that bitch with you!"

Jay advanced towards his dad after he insulted Erin, pushing and trying to get past Hank holding him back. "Don't call her that!" he roared, turning redder than Erin had ever seen him. Pat just sneered again, not even fazed by Jay's thunderous anger.

"Let's all just calm down." Al's usual dulcet voice chimed in and he looked around at everyone in the room. He was the furthest one from the situation and seemed to be the only one that wasn't overly emotional right now. He stepped closer to Erin. "Why don't I take you home and let them deal with this?"

Erin looked at him like he was insane. She wasn't leaving, not when Jay wanted her to stay. "Al."

"Come on. You can eat breakfast and freshen up," Al tried again but Erin wasn't budging. Her eyes traveled towards Hank for support for her to stay but his mouth twisted in a frown and Erin knew he agreed with Al.

"Jay wants me to stay," Erin argued defiantly, feeling vindicated when Jay nodded in agreement.

"Erin, go home," Hank ordered more sternly. "The less people here, the better."

Erin wanted to argue again but stopped. She knew she wouldn't win. Hank had already been understanding enough by helping Jay's dad and letting her stay last night. If she continued to push, his generosity was going to run out.

"It's okay, Erin," Jay reassured her, sharing the same thoughts as her. "I'll be fine and I'll call you. Go home and get some rest."

She wasn't happy but knew she had no choice. "Okay." She deflated, accepting her fate. "Walk me out?"

She and Jay followed Al out before the older man quickly excused himself, giving some alone time with Jay. She wrapped him up in her arms, trying to send all the support she could before she left.

"Call me if you need me, okay?" Erin voiced as she held him. "Anything, okay?"

She felt Jay nod and his hold on her strengthened, like he didn't want to let her go. "I'll be alright."

When he finally let her go, he held her by her shoulders. She saw the look of dread on his face, knowing what kind of storm was waiting for him inside. But one that he couldn't avoid forever.

"I know this is gonna be difficult but don't let your dad get to you," Erin advised him. Jay and his dad had always been like oil and water. But right now, they were more like gasoline and a match— volatile and combustible. One of them needed to keep a calmer head and everyone knew that it wasn't going to be Pat.

Jay nodded. "Yeah, I know. I need to keep a cool head about this. Not for him," Jay spat with disdain. "But for my mom and for Will."

She rubbed his back comfortingly. "It'll all work out. Everything will be fine." She couldn't promise him that, no matter how much she wished she could. But Jay was sinking right now and he needed a buoy before he completely drowned.

He just let out a dry chuckle. "I'll talk to you later."

He laid a kiss on her forehead before he went back inside and closed the door. Erin sighed, a heavy feeling in her heart consuming her at what Jay and his family was going through. What Pat was putting them through. But there was nothing she could do so she just turned around and went home.

---

She laid on her bed, looking up at the ceiling, as she waited for her cell phone to ring. It had been over five hours and it was now past noon but there had been no call from Jay or anyone else. Hank wasn't even home yet. She had been looking out her window over to Jay's house but she couldn't see anything. It was frustrating being left in the dark while the person she loved was going through a hard time.

"Dad's not back yet?" Justin's voice at her door broke her staring contest with the ceiling. She sat up and shook her head. Justin noticed the troubled look on her face and he walked into her room. "Pretty rough day, huh?" Erin just snorted at Justin's understatement of the year. "I've been friends with Jay for over a year and yesterday was the first time that I've seen how bad his dad can get."

"You've never seen him drunk before?"

"Oh I've seen him drunk and I've seen him yell at his family but never in public like that," Justin recalled. "The Halsteads are a very private family. It just sucks that the first time Jay's mom tries to make friends, his dad has to ruin it."

Erin nodded, completely agreeing. "I know."

"Hey, why don't you come with me and Olive and grab some lunch?" Justin offered. "You look like you can use a distraction."

"It's okay," Erin replied, giving Justin a grateful smile for trying to cheer her up. "I'm not really hungry. I'll just stay here and wait in case Jay calls."

Justin nodded and left her alone. Erin laid back on the bed and resumed her staring contest, gripping her cell phone in her hand and willing it to ring.

By the night fall with still no call from Jay, Erin knew that she wasn't going to be hearing from him that night. She pushed the feeling of annoyance aside even though she hated not knowing what was going on. Jay was occupied and had a lot to deal with. She wasn't the priority and she needed to understand that.

But as soon as she heard the front door open, she raced down the stairs to see who it was.

"Oh." A disappointed sound slipped out when she saw it was just Justin coming home from his date with Olive.

"Dad's not home yet?" Justin asked as he put away his jacket on the hanger. Erin shook her head. "What can they be doing that's taking the whole day?"

Erin shrugged. "I don't know. I'm in the dark just as much as you are."

"I'm sure they'll tell you what's going on as soon as they can," Justin reassured her. "They're probably just busy."

As soon as Justin finished his sentence, the door opened again and Hank finally came home. Erin and Justin crowded him as soon as they saw him, Hank holding his hand up to get himself some space.

"What happened? Is Jay okay?" Erin asked in a rush.

"He's fine," Hank replied. "Can I at least get inside my home properly before you guys bombard me with questions?" Erin and Justin backed off and followed him into the kitchen. He took a huge sip of water from the glass before his eyes fell on the two overly curious teenagers and he huffed. "Jay's fine," he repeated, knowing that Erin and Justin's main concern was Jay.

"What happened with his dad? Is he going back to prison?"

Hank sat down on a stool. "Not if he gets himself a good lawyer," he said. "It's his first incident so there's a chance that the judge will give him some leniency. If he gets himself a good lawyer, he might be able to get away with a hefty fine but no jail time."

"So he's just gonna get away with it?" Erin asked. "He was drinking and driving. He could've hurt or killed someone."

Hank's eyebrows creased. "You want him to go to prison? Jay's dad?"

"He hasn't been Jay's father in a while, Hank," Erin spat bitterly. "He's a drunk and miserable man who takes his anger out of his family."

"He's still Jay's father."

Erin's jaw stiffened as she conceded. Hank was right. At the end of the day, Pat was still Jay and Will's father and Evelyn's husband. No matter what he did or what he deserved, he was fortunate enough to have a family that loved him and was loyal to him. One that she knew would do anything to help him.

"Where are they gonna get the lawyer?" Erin asked.

"I've recommended a couple of names but the problem is the cost." Hank shook his head. "Just the cost of a lawyer alone is gonna be a couple of thousands, that's not including the fine."

Erin's mouth dropped at the cost. She knew the Halsteads didn't have that much money lying around. "Oh my god. Where are they gonna get the money?"

Hank shrugged. "I don't know but they're gonna need to come up with it quickly."

"Poor Jay," Erin whispered, rubbing her face with her hand. She just already knew that the burden was going to fall on him.

Hank patted her back. "Don't stress yourself out," he said. "It's for them to deal with and they'll be fine. You just gotta believe that everything will work out."

Erin just looked at him, frowning. Hank had always been a pessimist— a realist, according to him. But here he was, telling her that everything was going to be okay? Hank being all optimistic for her sake worried her more, frankly.

"I'm gonna get some sleep. You should too," he said pointedly, the order that she wasn't allowed to see Jay tonight went unsaid, before he retreated upstairs. Justin just shrugged and squeezed her shoulder before following his dad upstairs.

Erin retreated to her room and laid on her stomach on the bed, her laptop opened in front of her. She logged into her AIM so Jay could see her online status if he wanted to talk. But the icon next to his username stayed gray. He wasn't online. And her cell phone stayed silent. No call from him, either.

She searched on the internet about costs of a lawyer and the result was just as Hank said. A cheap lawyer would cost at least a couple of thousand dollars at the lowest and it wasn't even including the cost of the fine. All in all, it could wind up to be at least $10,000. It would've been chump change to Johnny but to the Halsteads, it was money that they didn't have. Money that they'd need soon.

She was so caught up in her thoughts and worry for Jay that she didn't even see when he had come online. Her heart leapt out of her chest when the icon turned green and she immediately clicked on it. In retrospect, a 'hi' was a lame way to begin their conversation, considering what was going on but she really had no clue what to say.

Jay typed back a 'hi'. That was good, Erin thought. He was responding. So Erin asked him if he was okay. It took a little while for him to type back that he was alright. Erin knew that was a lie. Before she could even type back a response, he wrote that he was tired and would talk to her tomorrow before logging off.

Erin sighed, dread filling her at Jay pulling away. She wanted him to come to her and she wanted to support him but she couldn't if she couldn't even talk to him. She closed her laptop and pushed it away, face planting herself into the bed.

How was it that just 2 days ago, they were happy and laughing and looking forward to the future? Now, everything felt like a mess and Erin felt helpless, desperately wanting to make things better but knowing there was nothing she could do.

She'd just have to wait and hope that Jay would come to her.

---

To her surprise, her wish came true sooner than she expected.

Erin woke up to pebbles being thrown at her window and she got out of her bed and looked groggily out her window. All the sleepiness went away when she saw Jay standing on the ground with a couple of pebbles in his hand. He waved when he spotted her and she opened up her window and sat on the ledge.

He gave her a sheepish smile, like he had done something bad and was asking her for another chance. But Erin wasn't mad at him for not wanting to talk last night. She was worried as hell about him, but she wasn't mad.

Erin gestured for him to wait there and she ran out of her room, not even caring to grab her robe on the way down. She ran into his waiting arm as soon as she reached him, Jay lifting her up and hugging her. Erin wrapped her legs around him and just held on.

He buried his face in her neck like it was his safe space and Erin played with the hair on the nape of his neck, just letting him hold her as long as he needed to. He sighed a couple of times before he set her down.

"Hi." It almost felt like a mundane thing to say but she didn't know what else to say. Her eyes studied his face, trying to make sure that he was alright. He looked exhausted as she expected but what broke her heart more was just how he looked like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. And right now, he must've felt like it was.

"I'm sorry I didn't call you last night." She shook her head, wanting him to stop apologizing. "I just…"

She cupped his face. "Hey, it's okay. I get it." She wrapped him up in her arms again until he understood that she wasn't angry with him. "I was just worried."

"I know." He sighed as he rested his forehead against her. He breathed out. "I'm sorry."

She took his hand and led him to the swinging bench on the porch that Hank had installed for Camille years back. They sat down and rocked slowly back and forth.

"Did Mr. Voight tell you what's going on?" Jay asked.

She wet her lips. "Yeah." He nodded, expecting her answer. "So what are you gonna do right now?"

He shrugged. "Find a good lawyer?" He chuckled dryly. "It seems to be the only thing we can do. Find a lawyer that'll get him off and find a way to pay for it somehow."

"Hank said that he gave you some names?"

"Yeah. Each one more expensive than the last." He turned to her. "Do you think it's a bad idea to just call one of those ambulance chasing lawyers that advertise on television?"

Erin chuckled softly, recalling all those lawyer commercials that constantly played on television, telling people to call them if they got into an accident or a D.U.I. "I don't know if they'll give you the best chance to win."

"Yeah," he breathed out.

"How's your mom? And Will?"

"They're….they're doing what they do best. Pretending as though everything is fine." He rubbed his face. "Mom has locked herself in her room and she won't come out. Dad didn't come home last night and we have no idea where he is. And Will…." he shook his head, anger taking over him. "He's actually making plans to leave for college 2 weeks earlier than he needs to," he spat.

She frowned. "He's leaving early?"

"This week," Jay confirmed. "He's crashing with a friend. Can't wait to get the fuck away from here, I guess."

"You're kidding!" She scoffed in disbelief. His family was falling apart and Will's first thought was to run away.

Jay didn't even seem surprised, like he had already accepted it. "There's nothing for him to do here anyway. He's starting college and he should focus on that."

"What about you? He gets to go away and leave the problem behind for you to deal with?" she asked, angry on his behalf. "What about you, Jay? You're about to start senior year. It's an important year."

He gave her a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. More to calm her down than anything. "I'll graduate. Senior year is just...it's just like any other year." He was so wrong. Senior year was the year most high school students looked forward to. There was homecoming dance, the prom, graduation, senior activities and trips before going off to college. "I already have most of the credits I need to graduate so my classes will be a breeze. That'll give me time to pick up more shifts at the repair shop and save up money."

She didn't want to pop his bubble but someone needed to. "Jay, I don't know if an after school part time job is going to be enough for the lawyer's fee and the fine. Does your dad have any money saved up? Or maybe your mom can get a job?"

He shook his head. "My dad...there's a good chance that he's gonna lose his job." Erin's eyes widened at even more bad news. "The car that he was driving...his company bought that car and he got arrested while he was in it. They won't take kindly to that. And my mom, what is she supposed to do? Work as a cashier and stand on her feet for 10 hours a day? No, she has a health problem with her feet."

"So everything falls on you like usual?" Erin snapped. "What about college? You said you were giving college another thought." Their visit to Northwestern had started to change Jay's mind about going to college. He was excited about it and it wasn't only Erin who thought that. His mom saw the same excitement that she did. But now….

"College was never in my plan in the first place anyways. I guess this is just life's way of telling me that I was right."

"No, it's life's way of saying how unfair it is," she countered, anger taking over her voice.

His arm came around her shoulder and he shook her gently. "Hey, it's okay. I wasn't into the idea of college anyway. I'll be fine as long as you don't mind being with a guy that fixes computers for a living. I mean given the way you treat your laptop like it's a personal punching bag, I'd say I can come in pretty handy," Jay teased, trying to lighten up the mood.

Erin didn't know how he could be joking right now but she knew that he was doing it for her benefit. So she wouldn't be angry and upset on his behalf. Jay. the weight of the world on his shoulder yet he was the one trying to cheer her up.

She twisted her body so she could place her leg on his thigh. His hands immediately found home on her hip as she gently held his face in her hand before bringing their faces closer and she kissed him.

"I don't care what you do for a living, Jay. I just want you," she voiced, looking him in the eyes as she said it so he'd know how serious she was. She didn't need him to work a fancy job or have a fancy title. She wasn't trying to convince him to go to college so she could show him off or to please Bunny. It was because she saw how much potential he had to do anything he wanted. If Jay decided that if he wanted to fix computers for the rest of his life, Erin would support him 100%.

He deepened the kiss, his thumb brushing against her jaw. Their tongues danced as his hand on her hip gripped her more. She was nearly on his lap when a throat being cleared interrupted them.

Jay almost pushed her off the swing in shock when they spotted Hank at the door. Jay immediately stood up. "Sir," Jay greeted Hank, clearing his throat.

Hank looked like the last thing he wanted to do this morning was to catch them making out but he just put on his jacket like he didn't see anything. "Halstead," Voight returned gruffly.

"Good morning, Hank," Erin chimed in, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. "Going off to work already?"

He just grunted. "I'm thinking about taking a day off now. Stick around at home."

Erin cringed inwardly, knowing that he was just doing that so Erin couldn't sneak Jay up to her room while Hank was off at work. "You should go in. Lots of crimes to solve and people to save."

Jay coughed, having understood what Hank was implicating too. "Sir, I'm actually going to be leaving soon."

"You are?" Erin asked at the same time as Hank's eyes fell on him, his eyebrows lifted.

Jay scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah. I actually have a few things to take care of. I just came here to fill Erin in."

That answer seemed to please Hank. "I'm off to work then. Be careful," he warned before walking down the steps of the porch and heading to his car before driving away.

Erin hooked her finger on Jay's belt loop. "Now that he's gone," Erin whispered, pulling Jay back to her. He didn't put up much of a fight and he sat back down, tugging Erin onto his lap. They resumed their kiss that was interrupted, Jay tangling his fingers into her hair.

She bunched a handful of his shirt in her hand and gasped softly when he plunged his tongue into her. Her head was in a tizzy, the sensation of being kissed like this early in the morning was almost too much. She clung onto him while he gripped her thigh, tethering her to him. The further Jay's hand traveled up her thigh, the more excited she got. They forgot about the fact that they were on the front porch in the morning where anyone commuting to work could see the display of teenage lust. They didn't care. They were just too consumed with each other.

It was a long time coming. They had been tip toeing around the topic of sex for a while now. They started out tentative and timid in terms of physical intimacy but as their relationship grew serious, so did their feelings. And now, the attraction that she felt for him was so intense and . strong. There had been many times that they almost crossed the line and went all the way but held themselves back, even though it was hard as hell. She wanted him, that was clear. Erin was just scared about everything else.

Erin had heard from her friends that sex changed things between couples, either for good or bad. Her friends had more experience in this department than her ever since Erin had decided that she was going to wait until she was sure she was ready. It wasn't easy especially since all of her friends were already having sex even before Erin had gotten her first boyfriend. But the idea of sleeping with a boy she didn't even like just for the sake of losing her virginity wasn't her idea of a special first time.

Now though. Now that she was with Jay, even if they had only been together for a short time, she had never felt like this before. He was special, she was sure of it. And she was sure that he was the one she wanted her first time to be with.

Jay's lips trailed down to her neck and Erin leaned her head to the side to give him more room. It felt too damn good and she moaned so he'd know just what his mouth was doing to her. And when his finger brushed across the side of her breast, she shivered.

"I'm sorry," Jay muttered, thinking that her reaction was a negative one. Erin latched herself back onto his lips.

"Don't be," she panted. "I like it." Her words had him kissing her again, his insistent mouth prying her lips open. They could've sat there all day, just making out and forgetting all about the world but eventually, reality came knocking.

This time it was in the form of a phone call and Erin reluctantly got up from his lap to answer it. It was Will trying to see if Jay was there. Erin brought the phone over to Jay and just stood to the side, listening to see what was going on. Judging by Jay's expression, it wasn't good.

"Do you have to go?" Erin asked even though she already knew the answer. Jay got up from the swing and stuck his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah," he nodded his head. "I don't want to but I have to...we have to go meet with a couple of lawyers."

Erin went over and stood in between his feet, her hands on his chest. "Yeah, I understand." She rubbed her hand over his heart. "Just let me know if you need anything. Even if it's to vent. I'm here."

He responded with a small smile and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "I know you are." He cradled her face in his palm, Erin leaning into the touch. "I'll see you as soon as I'm done."

Erin nodded and stepped away so he could go. She wished there was more she could do for him and his family. But all she could do right now was to stand by and watch as Jay walked down the steps and down the street back to his house.

---

Erin tried to keep herself busy throughout the day, doing anything to keep herself from being bored and calling Jay. She didn't want to be the needy girlfriend and bother him when he was busy. So she read, played games on her laptop, and even watched daytime television. In the middle of All My Children, a realization hit her. This was how she would've spent her summer here in Tower Lakes if it hadn't been for Jay. Just lounging around, bored out of her mind yet unable to tell the Voights that she wanted to leave early, doing absolutely nothing.

Meeting Jay had changed her summer and her life. As Erica Kane blabbered on about something on screen, Erin thought back to everything she and Jay had done this summer. The bike trips, the beach, the drive-in, watching countless movies on her laptop in the park, the Northwestern trip, and the block party— the good part anyway—and even just hanging out at the computer repair shop while Jay worked, they had done so much in so little time. They had spent nearly every waking hour together and she had gotten so used to being with Jay at all times. The thought of being apart from him when the summer was over and she had to go back to New York weighed heavily on her heart.

How was she going to adjust to not having him there everyday?

She was deep in her thoughts, already missing Jay even though she had just seen him hours ago, when she heard a knock on her door. It was Jay at the door, his hands tucked into his pockets.

"Hey," Erin greeted him, pulling him inside the house. "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "I just got back from meeting with a couple of lawyers for my dad."

"How did it go?"

He scratched his forehead. "Pretty good. Most of them think that they can get him off with a fine."

"Have you decided on a lawyer, then?" she asked, crossing her arms.

He shook his head. "Not yet. Still weighing options and thinking of ways to come up with the fee for the retainer."

"How much is it?"

"$1,000." Erin winced at the number. "And it's just for the retainer. The final cost is going to be more. Much more."

She reached for his hand. "What are you going to do?"

He exhaled. "I don't know. But right now, I just want to put everything aside and just be with you."

Erin brought her arms around him and Jay melted into the hug. She stroked his back, running her hand up and down his spine. He was so tense, just stressed out over everything. He needed to relax. So she led him up to her room and directed him onto her bed.

"Are you sure I can be in here?" Jay asked, looking around her room. "I don't want to get shot if Voight catches me here."

Erin laughed as she joined him on the bed, sitting side by side with him. "He's at work and Justin is out with Olive. Both of them won't be home for hours," she drawled as she got on her knees behind him. "I think what you need right now is a massage," she said as she began massaging his shoulders.

Jay groaned in pleasure and tossed his head back with his eyes closed. Erin continued massaging the blades of his shoulders before moving down his back, pressing her palms onto the pressure points. "That feels so good, Erin," Jay moaned, dropping his head on his chest so Erin could work on his neck.

Erin kneaded the nape of his neck, her lips following every move of her finger. She felt goosebumps on his skin from her touch and she bit her lips before kissing his ear. When she started to flicker her tongue over the skin and nibble on it, she swore she heard him growl. Erin yelped in surprise when he looped his arm around her waist and hauled her on his lap, her arms immediately going around his neck.

"Have I told you how important you are to me?" Jay asked suddenly, his eyes growing serious as they regarded her. Erin found herself breathless at the question and she shook her head. "You are," Jay whispered. "I don't know how I would've gotten through the past couple of days without you."

"I didn't really do anything," she replied back.

His eyebrows furrowed. "Are you kidding me? You're the only reason why I'm still standing today." He dropped his head on her shoulder. "I'm not going to lie to you, Erin. These past few days have been hard as hell and I feel like I'm caught in a storm in the middle of the ocean, just kicking as hard as I can to survive. Everytime I feel like I can't fight anymore and I'm about to drown, you're there, throwing me a lifeline."

Erin's eyes started to glisten. "I'm just grateful that you're letting me be there for you, Jay."

He nodded, his hair tickling her chin. "I don't know how I got so lucky to get to have you in my life," he continued, his eyes looking into hers. "These past couple of months have been the best months of my life and it's all because of you." Their noses brushed against one another with how close their faces were. "You're my lifeline, Erin."

Erin closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his, her heart taking in his confession. Jay sounded so vulnerable, raw and honest that she felt tears beginning to gather in her eyes. Here they were, just the two of them in her room, just being real and honest with each other.

Jay held her face and lifted it up slightly so she was looking at him and the intensity of his eyes on her was too strong for her to look anywhere else. His thumb brushed across her chin and her lips before his mouth followed, kissing her so softly that Erin couldn't help but whimper.

"I love you, Erin," Jay breathed against her lips. "I'm in love with you."

When she met his eyes after his confession, he held her gaze, looking completely sure and confident about what he just said. There was no doubt or regret. He said what he said and he meant it.

"Jay," Erin whispered, cupping his jaw. She couldn't believe that Jay had told her that he loved her. Jay was in love with her. Even though she had suspected it before he uttered the most beautiful words in the world, hearing him say those words was entirely different. It was worlds better.

"Erin," Jay called, breaking Erin out of her reverie. Since she had been quiet for a few seconds, a new look had made it onto Jay's face. Vulnerability. Like he thought Erin didn't feel the same as he did.

She pressed her mouth against his in a chaste kiss, their noses nuzzling against one another. Erin took a deep breath before telling him the words she had been wanting to say for a few weeks now. "Jay, I love you too." She found herself laughing, wanting to say those words over and over again now that she had told him. "I love you."

Jay bent his head down and crashed his lips onto her. Erin felt herself being lifted up in his arms and she held on before Jay dropped her gently in the middle of the bed. Her chest was heaving with heavy breaths as she propped herself on her elbows and waited for Jay to make his next move. He was still standing by the edge of the bed, his eyes darkened with lust and want. She trailed her eyes down his body, swallowing heavily when she saw that he was already hard.

Despite the obvious evidence that he wanted her, Erin knew that he wasn't going to push her to go further if she wasn't ready. Jay had never pressured her or made her feel like she wasn't giving him enough or moving fast enough. That was why it made it so much easier for her to trust him. And she did. She knew she trusted him with her body. Most importantly, she trusted him with her heart.

She sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed so she could reach for him. She rested her hand on his chest, feeling just how hard his heart was beating, before letting her hand travel down to his stomach and the top of his pants. Jay gulped, his eyes looking at where Erin's hand was before looking back at her. She nodded, silently letting him know what she wanted.

She was ready.

Jay hovered over her as she laid back down on the bed, their mouths connected the entire time. They had been here before— teetering back and forth between 'will they' or 'won't they?' but this time was different.

The kisses were more intense and so were the touches. Like they knew what was about to happen. Jay broke the kiss and peered down at her.

"Are you sure?"

Erin nodded. "I'm sure," she whispered, bringing her head up to meet Jay in a kiss. This was a major milestone for them both. They were about to have their first time and there'd be no going back after this. But there was no trepidation or hesitation on Erin's part. She completely trusted Jay to be gentle and careful with her. She trusted him to keep her safe.

And as she pulled his shirt over his head before their mouths crashed onto each other again, the only thought that was left in Erin's mind was that there was no one else she'd rather lose her virginity to but Jay.

---

Erin closed her eyes as she rested on Jay's chest, just listening to the sound of the waves crashing in front of them. The rocks on the beach weren't entirely comfortable and were nothing like the sandy beach of the Hamptons but there was no other place Erin would rather be but here in Jay's embrace, his arms around her as they enjoyed the last remnants of summer.

She sighed contentedly as he played with the ends of her hair, dropping a kiss on her head every so often. She had never felt close to another human being like this. As cliche and cheesy as it sounded, Erin truly felt like she and Jay were now one and the same, like they shared one heart.

While she had no regret or doubt that she and Jay were meant to share their first time together, there was a little bit of worry in her about what would happen afterwards. Her friends had warned her that having sex for the first time changed everything in a relationship and not always for the better. Some of her friends had broken up with their boyfriends because bringing sex into a relationship complicated things.

But all it did was make her and Jay closer. After they made love for the first time, they laid on the bed, all wrapped up in each other for hours. Erin thought she would've been more scared and nervous about letting another guy see all of her but Jay made her feel nothing but safe and loved. They didn't know everything they were doing and there were moments of clumsiness and awkwardness but in the end, it was everything Erin was expecting.

"Look at that boat right there," Jay said, pointing to a boat in the distance. "Wouldn't it be nice to have one of those and just take off in the water and go anywhere you want? No one waiting for us, nothing tying us down. Just the two of us, going anywhere we wanted."

She shifted her head so she could see him. "Is this your way of telling me that you want to be a nomad?"

He laughed, tucking her head under his chin. "I'm just saying, it's a nice thought."

"It is a nice thought," she hummed, agreeing with him. "Just the two of us."

"And the ocean," Jay added.

She chuckled. "And the ocean. I'll bring lots of sunscreen. More for you than for me because I know you get burned easily."

"And I'll make sure to have a laptop and a copy of 'Mean Girls' on hand," Jay returned, remembering her favorite movie. "Gotta keep my girl entertained."

Erin laughed, shaking her head fondly at her boyfriend. "Don't forget food. Enough burgers to last us for a while."

"Of course. How can I forget?" He laid a kiss on the side of her head before he broke in quiet laughter.

"What's so funny?"

He moved his head back and forth, a grin on his lips. "I'm just thinking of how you were when I first met you. You wouldn't eat anything but a salad and now look at you, demanding hamburgers."

Erin couldn't help but laugh along with him. He was right. She had changed so much in the past few months. "I'm a foodie now and it's all your fault."

"Oh, should I apologize?" he teased.

She sat up from where she was lying on his chest. "Uh-huh," she responded back, rolling her eyes. "I know who'll be happy with the change though."

"Definitely not your mom."

"No, definitely not," Erin replied. "But Johnny will be happy. He's always trying to get me to eat more. He worries that I'm too skinny."

"He really loves you, huh?"

She nodded. "He never treated me like I wasn't his real daughter." She hedged, thinking to herself if she wanted to bring up the topic. "Um, Johnny is a great man. He's kind and generous and he's very wealthy."

Jay seemed confused as to where she was going with her statement.

"I also know that he wouldn't mind lending you guys the money you need for your dad," Erin said, holding her breath for Jay's reaction.

As expected, Jay immediately put a stop to her offer. "No."

"Jay, it'll be just a loan and you can pay him back when you can," Erin explained, trying to convince Jay. "He really won't mind." Erin hadn't asked Johnny yet but she knew that if she was the one asking, Johnny wouldn't say 'no'. The problem was to convince Jay to actually take the help.

"I'm not taking your dad's money, Erin," Jay stated. "I'm not."

"Just think about it, Jay. You need the money, Johnny has it. And you're not taking it, you're borrowing it. It's not a big deal."

"It is to me," Jay argued, sternly. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Erin, I appreciate you trying to help but I'm not going to take money from your dad."

She knew Jay had a lot of pride and he was stubborn but he was also pulling his hair out, trying to come up with the money. This was such a simple solution to Erin. She had no clue why Jay wouldn't at least think about it.

"What's the harm in just thinking about it?" Erin tried again.

He held her by her shoulders. "I don't need to think about it." When Erin tried to move her head away, Jay reached for her and cradled her face so she was looking at him. "Erin, it's not about me being too proud to take you up on your offer. It's not about that, I promise."

"Then why?"

"Because you are the most important person in my life. You are the one good thing I have in my life and there is nothing I won't do to protect you, protect what we have," he proclaimed. "I won't jeopardize what we have by bringing money into it. I love you too much to lose you."

Erin's annoyance evaporated because when Jay put it like that, she understood where he was coming from. Despite people's best intentions, money was a touchy subject and it could complicate things, even if the people involved never meant for it too.

"Okay," Erin conceded. "But if you need help, just tell me."

He smiled and connected their lips. "Thank you," he murmured. "I love you for trying to help me. But I'll figure something out. I can skip out on college, I can work double shifts until I come up with the money. I just can't lose you."

"I can't lose you either," Erin returned, holding onto his wrists that were holding her face. "I love you." and the last thing she saw before she felt Jay's mouth on hers again were his smiling eyes that she absolutely adored.

They spent hours on the beach, just talking and watching the water. But when it started too cold, they knew it was time to head home. Jay drove them back and they parked a couple of houses down from Hank's house since the street was full.

"Here." He covered her with his jacket as they started walking back to Hank's house, hands intertwined. Erin leaned her head on his shoulders, just soaking in all the memories with him. Pretty soon, nights like this wouldn't be possible. At least not until winter and spring break. Erin couldn't wait until she graduated high school and college so she could finally get her life started, preferably with Jay.

Until then, she'd just have to content herself with his forehead kisses.

She was so wrapped up in thinking about what the future for her and Jay could look like that she didn't notice a new car parked on Hank's driveway. Not until Jay was about to kiss her good night on the porch and the front door opened.

"Erin."

Erin turned her head towards where the voice was calling her name, her eyes growing bigger in shock when she saw the upset expression looking at her and Jay.

"Mom."

---

AN: Please tell me that you guys remember those 'Hot Bod' commercials with the half naked guys, or am I just aging myself here? Lol.