A/N: Hi hi! I know last week was a bit of a downer, but I hope this chapter will make it up to you? Enjoy!


Hailey stared out the window in disbelief. Jay was standing there on her fire escape holding a bouquet of roses as if he hadn't just been ignoring her the past three days. She didn't know what to think, and she certainly didn't know how he got up there.

She took another step toward the window and let her mouth gape for a second before going to push it open. "Jay?" she asked softly.

"Hi," he breathed, "Can we talk?"

Hailey nodded and stepped back for Jay to climb in just for him to hold a hand out and say, "Come here."

Raising an eyebrow, she hesitated before grabbing his hand and climbing out the window. "What're you-"

"I told you I'd show you romance is real," Jay interrupted softly, "And then I dropped the ball hard. You are…incredible and beautiful, and if I made you feel anything less than that, I am so sorry. Even if didn't, I still stayed away for far too long." He turned to set the roses down before grabbing her other hand. "Life got hard; life is hard, but that shouldn't mean that I give up the things that are important to me – the people that are important to me. I was wrong. I should have leaned on you instead of pushing you away. I can't…I can't stop living just because I'm losing…losing someone else."

Hailey swallowed and slowly shook her head. She didn't want Jay to feel so guilty, especially when he was standing in front of her near tears, but at the same time, she had been feeling less than wanted. The whole situation just sucked.

She'd completely understood why he needed to take a step back from their relationship even if that wasn't his intention. His mom was everything to him, and even she didn't want him to completely step away from Hailey. Cathleen had been right, though: Jay needed to process and grieve on his own schedule.

It stung.

The three days without Jay's texts to keep her company were lonelier than any she could ever remember, even ones before she'd even met him. It'd felt like he didn't care to reach out and attempt to mend the break he'd partly caused.

Here, with him on her fire escape, perhaps she was wrong.

No. She knew she was wrong.

He had to have cared. Of course he cared. He always insisted that he did. This bump in the road was not his fault. She'd meant that when she'd said it. It just hurt so badly to live without him, that she needed to find some reason.

Perhaps it was because she was angry at Jay or cancer in general. Maybe it was all Garrett's fault – even a year later.

Her gut kept telling her it was love, and that wasn't a pill she was quite ready to swallow.

So, again, she sniffled and squeezed his hands.

"You…" Jay trailed off and dropped her left hand to place his palm to her cheek. "You can tell me to leave," he said softly, "I wouldn't blame you, but I'm here on your fire escape-"

Hailey laughed slightly and looked around at the street below them.

Jay smiled and stepped closer to her. "To ask for you to give me a second chance. I understand if you can't forgive me because of things in your past, but I'd really like if you let me keep my mission going."

Closing her eyes against the tears beginning to prick her eyes, Hailey couldn't help but smile at his choice of words. He truly wanted to see this through: he wanted her to believe in love.

Like he'd done, she dropped his hand and closed the rest of the distance between them. Wrapping her arms around him, she whispered, "Of course I forgive you."

Jay froze in her arms and asked, "Really?"

Hailey nodded and buried her face in his throat. "It's your mom," she breathed, "I understood that going into this. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but it was going to be worth it. I felt it, and I'm not ready to let it go."

"Oh my god," Jay murmured, softening in her arms. He tightened his hold on her and said, "Thank you. Thank you."

Hailey trailed her hand down his back before fisting her fingers in the damp fabric of his t-shirt. He smelt the exact same as she remembered: a soft, whiskey type smell with a hint of laundry detergent. It always reminded her of spending one of their first days together in the laundry room. That day, he'd acted as a gentleman and showed her that a complete stranger could show her the upmost kindness out of the goodness of his heart. Now, she was grateful to say that she knew that heart, and knew that Jay's distance hadn't been completely intentional: it'd been a stressed out coping mechanism, and she'd, unfortunately, taken the brunt of it.

Jay kissed her temple and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"It's…"

The words faded at Hailey's lips. As much as she understood what had happened, she also knew that what had happened was not okay – he'd hurt her, albeit unintentionally, and it'd been an impossible pill to swallow. So instead of fighting Jay's apology, she nodded and whispered, "Thank you."

Jay nodded and pulled back enough to look her in the eyes. He hesitated causing her to shoot him a small smile.

"Go for it," she breathed.

Jay let out a watery chuckle before leaning closer and catching her lips in his. Her tears spilled on his cheeks, but the desperation to hold each other, to remember what it felt like to be appreciated and needed, outmatched any hesitation that may have existed a moment before. He gripped her waist in one hand while slipping his other in her hair. As his thumb knowingly brushed along the back of her ear, she gasped against him and dug her nails into his back.

She'd missed this.

Jay pulled back far too soon for her liking, but he still rested his forehead to hers and breathed her in. "Hi," he whispered.

"Hi," she weakly laughed. Her hand came up to brush along his cheek, catching one of his own tears that had managed to leak out.

Jay kissed her nose then broke their contact to pick the roses back up. "For you," he said, "The most romantic type of flowers, and the ones you said you'd like at your wedding."

Hailey smiled and accepted them. "Thank you," she said, "They're beautiful."

"Like you," Jay said. While Hailey knew he meant it, she still laughed softly when he winked at her and rubbed his thumb under her eye.

She let her eyes flutter close for a moment before finally asking, "How'd you get up here?" now that she'd accepted he was back and ready for her.

"Oh," Jay chuckled and stepped back. He pointed down at the ladders and explained, "Climbed. Balconies are where you're supposed to admit your feelings; Shakespeare taught me that."

Hailey couldn't hold back the laugh that bubbled in her throat. Rolling her eyes, she said, "That doesn't even surprise me."

"You're worth all the romantic tropes, remember?" Jay said with a smile, "I'm going to give you everything to make up for the mess I made."

Hailey's face fell and she shook her head. "You really don't have to say that," she said quietly, "Yes, I was hurt and upset, but I understood how painful everything was for you. I'm not minimizing that at all. It's why…it's why it hurt so bad to walk away, I think. I knew you needed that time, and I still know that; I needed to let go to let you realize you needed time too. I really do forgive you, Jay."

He nodded slightly, but still had a hurt look on his face. He didn't quite believe her, and yet she didn't mind: she knew he, again, needed time.

"You wanna go inside?" she asked softly, "I think we have a lot to catch up on, huh?"

Jay shot her a small smile then nodded.

Hailey tugged him toward the open window, smiling to herself when Jay pushed it up further so she wouldn't scrape her shoulder, then led him to her bedroom. A small part of her was slightly taken aback by the mess she'd made in the little space: her bed was practically a nest and her worn clothes had been tossed to the side amongst a pile of empty water bottles.

"Sorry," she mumbled and rushed forward to straighten the sheets.

"No, it's okay," Jay breathed. He appeared at her side to grab the flowers from her then set his free hand on her arm, effectively stopping her rushed attempt at hiding her mess. "It's okay," he repeated, "I don't need a neat bed or even sheets on it. I just want you right now."

Hailey looked up to meet his eyes then slowly nodded.

"Not a problem," Jay said softly before kissing her cheek. Stepping back, he said, "But I'll go put these in some water if that'll help you feel better, okay?"

Hailey smiled at him and nodded, watching him leave her room before quickly shoving her dirty clothes in her laundry basket. She was certain he understood what had happened here and why it'd been a mess; she just didn't like that he had to actually witness it.

Just as she was shoving her laundry basket in her closet, Jay returned to her room, his hands lightly playing with the button on his shorts. "I…I don't want to do anything certain," he began softly, "But I wouldn't mind holding you in bed. You okay if I…"

"Of course," Hailey breathed, but instead of letting him be the one to pull his shorts down, she stepped forward to slowly unbutton and unzip them for him before pressing down so the fabric pooled at his feet. She brushed her fingers along the edge of his shirt then stepped back to sit on the edge of her bed.

Jay hummed out a quiet laugh and shook his head. "You're something else," he said, "I just-"

"And I just want you comfortable," Hailey breathed, letting her eyes flicker over him. She tilted her head to the side before scooting backwards to settle within her pillows and blankets.

Jay let out a low breath then climbed onto her bed next to her. He easily wrapped her in his arms, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek once she was settled against his chest.

Breathing him in for the first time in forever, Hailey tugged the blankets over the two of them and happily closed her eyes. She could feel his heartbeat thump against her ear and didn't realize she would have missed a sound so much. It soothed an ache that had formed in her stomach without her even realizing it. He was like a spoonful of honey: warm, sweet, and just what she needed for a pick-me-up.

Part of her mind wondered if they were going to actually talk like she'd originally planned, but she was so content right now against him with his legs tangled with hers, she didn't want to move a muscle.

That was until Jay whispered, "My mom and I talked last night, but I want you to know that's not the only reason I'm here. She was just probably the catalyst in this situation."

"Talking science to me to get on my good side?" Hailey murmured in a weak effort to heed off the fluttering her stomach did at the thought of his mom being the reason he came back to her. She didn't want to think about his mom and how she'd surely disappointed the woman.

Jay chuckled, though, and kissed the top of her head. "Maybe," he breathed, "But maybe I just want to tell you the truth. I want to be open and honest with you."

Hailey nodded and pulled away enough to look up in his eyes. "And what did you two talk about?" she asked softly.

Jay let out a slight breath, it brushing against her skin as soft as the way his fingers were trailing through his hair. "Me," he finally said, "And how…how she doesn't want me to stop living my life because of what's happening to her. She said I can't put my life on an indefinite pause because of cancer – especially when I'm not the one who has it."

Hailey nodded again and reached up to brush the backs of her fingers along his cheek, realizing he'd once again shaved and looked very similar to how he had when they first met.

"She left this up to me," Jay continued, "She did not tell me to come back here to you, but she also did not tell me to not come back. Actually, what she said was that it was my life, but that she thinks you're too beautiful of a person to let slip through my fingers, and she's right. You're gorgeous inside and out. I've never had a girl connect with my family like you have. I've never even connected with a girl like this before you. You're different, and you're special, and I want you in my life."

Tears formed in Hailey's eyes, and she silently cursed them, but she also couldn't stop them from spilling over. Never in her life could she have imagined someone would say such kind words to her - words that warmed her heart and made her feel something other than just simple happiness. It felt like a match was lit inside of her. Perhaps this was what love was supposed to feel like.

Maybe it was happening.

Jay didn't seem to mind the tears. He easily wiped them away with his thumb as he said, "So you said you'd take me back, but would you agree to still being my girlfriend?"

Hailey weakly laughed through her tears and said, "Of course, you dork. I'd really like that. Though…" She trailed off and tried smirking at him. Wiping her eyes, she asked, "Will you agree to be my boyfriend again, too?"

Jay chuckled and kissed her softly before saying, "Yes, of course. I think we can figure this out; I know we can. I'm going to be better for you, Hailey, I promise."

Normally, Hailey figured the fire within her would flicker at those words – especially after having been cold and dark for the past few days – but today…today, that fire seemed to roar to life even more. She believed him. She knew he meant his words.

She also knew she could work to be better too. She could fight against her fears and her past and be the person Jay truly needed. She could figure this love thing out. It shouldn't scare her anymore.

It didn't.

It was still confusing and new, but it wasn't a monster. Love could be true and it could be real. Jay was teaching her that. His family taught her that.

"I believe you," she finally said aloud after having lost herself in the green of Jay's eyes and the brightness of his promise. "We can get through this together, I know we can."

Jay smiled and nodded. He kissed her again and whispered, "We're going to be okay."

Hailey nodded as well and set her hand on the side of his neck. Brushing her thumb along his jaw, she said, "I know. I believe in us."

Jay's smile widened. Pressing himself closer to her, he gently rolled on top as he caught her lips in his.

Hailey's hands slid up to grip his arms, sinking into the feeling and memory of him. She still wanted to know if he was moving back into the apartment and if his mom was mad at her, but right now all she could do was feel.

Jay's fingers trailing along her side until they hooked into the waistband of her sweatpants.

Jay's lips slipping along her jaw until they settled behind her ear, just like he knew she liked.

Jay's knee spreading her legs apart to press against her.

Jay's hips pinning her own down into the mattress until she was sure that fire within her from earlier would cause her to burst into flames.

Jay's heart thumping hard again beside her cheek as she struggled to catch her breath.

Like their first night together, it was overwhelming in the best way.

She shivered as the endorphins flooded her system and let out a soft moan before turning to press a kiss to the middle of his chest.

Jay hummed and flattened his palm against the small of her back. "Good?" he breathed on his way to kiss the top of her head.

Hailey closed her eyes and nodded because for the first time in days, maybe in weeks, the answer was yes. She was good.

She was back where she knew she needed to be.

In Jay's arms.


Hailey had herself pushed up on an elbow as Jay lied back on the bed. She drew senseless patterns on his chest while watching him slowly breathe underneath her. His eyes were locked on hers, only fluttering close when her hand would drift slightly lower and tease along his hip bones. At that, she always smiled and leaned down to kiss his nose until her blue was met with his green again.

As her random patterns turned into small hearts, she whispered, "Why's your mom call you 'bear?'"

Jay's cheeks flushed red, but he still chuckled and let out a breath. "Forgot you heard that," he said.

"I've been thinking about it ever since I left your house," Hailey admitted, "It was cute. I like nicknames."

"Yeah?" Jay asked and pushed up on his elbows, "What nicknames did you have growing up?"

"Hey," Hailey said quickly, touching her finger to his lips, "I asked first."

Jay hummed in agreement while holding her eye contact. Her stomach fluttered briefly and she was sure he felt it against his side, but he said nothing. He knew the question probably crossed the smallest of lines, but she also knew his response wasn't meant to hurt her – he was just as curious about her past as she was with his, and that was okay. It didn't upset her at all; it was just another thing to get used to regarding their relationship.

"You ever heard of that movie Brother Bear?" he asked.

Hailey raised an eyebrow and said, "Yeah."

Jay nodded then said, "I hated it. I wasn't ever able to watch it – it kind of freaked me out and also bored me. Will, though, he liked it a decent amount, so my mom would randomly throw it on for him. She started calling us her brother bears." He stopped to shrug and fall back on the pillows. "She eventually dropped the 'brother' part and just called us her bears," he continued, "So I guess it's kind of a shared nickname, but that's the story. It comes out when she's really worried about us or kind of babying us."

"Do you like it?" Hailey asked.

A smile crossed Jay's face, and he nodded. "Yeah," he said softly, "I do. It feels like an actual nickname, not just 'buddy' or whatever. It was just from her."

"Did your dad give you a nickname?" Hailey added, scooting closer again to him and setting her hand back on his chest.

Jay laughed and said, "He mostly stuck to 'buddy' and then when I played soccer, I was always One."

Hailey squinted her eyes and tilted her head to the side. "Sorry?" she said.

"One," Jay repeated with a laugh, "That was my number. I was always the goalie and goalie typically is number one, so he'd yell out stuff like 'Let's go, One,' and 'Come on, One, you can do better that that,' or whatever."

"Oh," Hailey said in understanding. She blushed at the fact that it took her so long to realize, but Jay didn't seem to mind.

Jay nodded and looked up at her. As her finger returned to drawing little hearts on his bare skin, he reached up to touch her cheek and asked softly, "You want to tell me your nicknames?"

Hailey's gaze flickered away for a moment. Slowly, she nodded because, yes, she did want to tell Jay. If she was going to swallow her fears and move forward with Jay, she probably needed to tell him more about her past. It might hurt in the moment, but perhaps it'd make her feel better in the end. Like Jay had said before, the best way to get past problems was to communicate. If he was ready to start communicating with her and return to her life, then she needed to respect that and try it as well.

"I guess mine comes from a movie too," she said while keeping her eyes on Jay's chest. Swallowing against her nerves, she said, "You know Princess Bride?" Instead of answering, Jay nodded and brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. "My mom really likes that movie," she continued without looking up, "She thinks it's hilarious, so when she was pregnant with me, whenever she was feeling down, she'd watch it to cheer herself up. She said she would have called me 'buttercup' no matter what I looked like, but my blonde hair sealed the deal."

"So it's buttercup?" Jay guessed softly.

Hailey nodded and looked up with a small smile.

"I like that," Jay said, "Perfect for you because you are a princess, and you're as pretty as a flower."

Hailey blushed and couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Very funny," she said softly.

Jay chuckled and reached for her wrist to place a soft kiss on her tattoo. "I mean it," he said, "I also think it's funny that your nickname came from a romance movie."

Hailey's jaw dropped and she looked up at his face. "It is not a romance movie," she said, "It's a spoof on romance movies."

"Which makes it a romance movie," Jay laughed, "It's cheesy and funny and all about love. It's a romance movie, and you're named after it. My I-don't-believe-in-love girlfriend has a nickname based on one of the most famous love stories of all time."

"Now that's a stretch," Hailey said.

"Maybe," Jay said through a smile. He squeezed her wrist gently and said, "No matter what, though, I love that your childhood nickname was buttercup. It's pretty. Maybe I should get you some buttercup flowers instead of roses."

Hailey jokingly rolled her eyes, but she still smiled and said, "I'd appreciate them, but I do love roses."

"I remember," Jay said, sitting up to set his hand on the side of her face, "I think about that night a lot."

"The night of the wedding?" Hailey asked.

Jay hummed his response and nodded.

Hailey's smile widened and she breathed, "Me too."

Jay watched her for a moment before climbing out of the bed and standing up. He quickly found his underwear that he pulled on then tossed his t-shirt to Hailey.

She caught it and raised an eyebrow, saying, "What?"

"I want to dance with you," Jay said as he pulled his phone out. He scrolled through it for a moment before adding, "If that's okay."

Hailey blushed, but still smiled and nodded. Getting out of bed herself, she tugged his shirt over her head then took a deep breath.

Just as the first notes of the song they'd first danced together to began playing through Jay's phone, he stepped over their discarded clothes to grab Hailey's hand. He pulled her against his chest just to rest his chin on the top of her head. Closing his eyes, he breathed, "I missed you."

Hailey wrapped her arms around his back as she repeated back the same statement: "I missed you too."

Together, they slowly swayed back and forth in Hailey's bedroom. They were barely dressed and the music was slightly muffled since Jay's phone was lying amongst the blankets on the bed, and yet it was just as perfect as it'd been the first time at the wedding. They had found each other again, and it was everything they both needed.

They were both whole again.


"Not that all I missed about you was sex," Hailey began, causing Jay to laugh loudly as he helped make her bed.

"Damn, so you're not just with me for my body?" he joked.

"Sorry, no," Hailey laughed.

Jay chuckled and waved her on.

Smiling, Hailey asked, "You wanna take a shower with me? I…I haven't been doing the best at taking care of myself since…well, you know…and…and I thought it'd be easier to do if you were there too before you headed home."

Jay straightened up from making the bed and stared at her for a moment as he seemed to struggle to find the words to say to her.

"You are going home, right?" Hailey quietly guessed.

"Um," Jay breathed. Sitting on the mattress, he looked down at his hands and shrugged.

Hailey sat next to him and took a deep breath. Taking his hand in hers, she squeezed it softly and said, "If you still want to live there, it's okay. I don't mind. We weren't living together and it's not like you need to be across the hall for us to date. Most people aren't dating their neighbors."

"I know," Jay said softly, "It's just…" He looked up at her and tried to smile. "I am going to move back here. I'll do it this weekend when I have some more time. I'm kind of nervous, but…but it's the right thing to do."

Again, Hailey squeezed his hand before brushing her thumb over his knuckles. "It has to be your choice," she said.

Jay nodded and swallowed a lump in his throat. "It is," he said, "Well, my parents want it too – they're the ones who suggested it, but that's whatever."

"Your dad too?" Hailey asked.

Jay sighed and huffed out, "Yeah."

Hailey chewed her lip for a moment then asked, "How'd that conversation go?"

Jay shrugged then said, "I don't know. I could tell he was uncomfortable. We talked at dinner last night. My mom did a lot of the talking, but he kept agreeing with her and told me to 'buck up' and come back here. Probably just wants me out of his thinning hair."

Hailey couldn't help but smile as she turned to kiss his shoulder. "I'm sure they've liked having you around; they just want you to return to your life."

Jay nodded and let out a long breath. "Want me to go to therapy too, and I'm not sure how I feel about that," he said.

Hailey's eyes widened and she asked, "Really?"

Jay met her eyes and nodded again. "Yeah," he said, "My mom thinks I should start talking to someone and 'process' or something, I don't know. I could tell my dad wasn't into it. He thinks it's stupid."

Hailey slowly nodded. Dropping his hand to slip hers around to his back, she lightly traced along his spine and asked, "And what do you think?"

Jay shrugged again and looked back down at his hands.

Personally, Hailey agreed with his mom. She could see how talking to someone – a professional – would help Jay work through the variety of emotions he was surely experiencing surrounding his mom's life and coming death. Cathleen wouldn't be able to listen to him forever; she shouldn't even have to listen to him forever. She wasn't a professional.

Hailey also wasn't a professional. She whole-heartedly wanted to support Jay and be there for him throughout everything, but she knew that she didn't have the real tools to help him through the pain he was surely experiencing. Seeing a therapist seemed like the right answer here.

So, taking a deep breath, she said gently, "I think it's a good idea, Jay."

She was watching him intently enough that she was able to see his head move the slightest of inches.

She was no idiot: she knew that it surely wasn't easy for men to ask for help, especially if said man's own father wasn't supportive of the idea.

Resting her head on his shoulder, she placed her hand on his knee and squeezed softly. "I'm here for you," she whispered.

"I know," Jay breathed and kissed the top of her head, "Thank you." He turned to wrap an arm around her and hold her tightly to his side.

"It's all going to work out, okay?" Hailey said softly, "You'll move back here when you can-"

"I already said I'm coming back this weekend," Jay said.

Hailey nodded and added, "I know, but I don't want us to put a timeline on it or force it to happen. It all needs to be on you, not me or Mouse or even your parents. This is your choice, just like the therapy thing. All of this is your decision. We can give our advice and suggestions, but our biggest job is to listen to you and let you make the moves. It's the right thing to do. I'm not your keeper; that's not…that's not what…"

Love is.

She wanted to say it.

It was on the tip of her tongue.

But she couldn't utter the words.

It wasn't that she didn't think they were true.

(Because she did.)

Or that she didn't believe in the statement.

(Because she was coming around to this idea, especially when it came to family.)

But because she'd spent so many years ignoring them, that it felt weird to actually say them and mean them with her whole heart.

So she settled on saying, "That's what real relationships do. We're being adults, right? And fighting for something real and deep? This is us doing just that. We're working together and letting the other be independent. I don't control you, and you don't control me. Can we agree on that?"

"Of course," Jay said, "Completely."

Hailey smiled up at him and squeezed his knee again. "So," she said, "What do you think about taking that shower and slowing down for the rest of today? Maybe we can head upstairs and see what our friends are up to. They've missed you, too, and I'd feel bad if I kept you all to myself."

"Hey, don't feel bad," Jay said and kissed her forehead, "I'm all yours whenever you need. Our friends can wait."

Hailey laughed and said, "That may be, but they're also on a schedule and I'd rather get to that shower before Vanessa comes home from work."

Jay laughed with her and stood up. Tossing her over his shoulder, he ran out of the room much to her enjoyment, stopping only to turn on the shower and pull her t-shirt off.


To Hailey's surprise, Jay's enthusiasm to get in the shower slowed down once they were under the water. Where he had been quick to get her shirt off, he was slow to run the loofa over her skin. His fingers carded through her hair until he reached for the shampoo.

She closed her eyes the second he tugged her hips closer to his own so that she was right up against him as he washed her hair for her. She'd meant it when she'd said she really hadn't been taking care of herself. Vanessa made her shower the day before, but she knew she'd done a poor job. By the time her hair dried, it still felt greasy from the conditioner she'd struggled to get out and her skin itched from the patchy shave job she'd done on her legs.

Feeling Jay physically take care of her after she'd told him she'd emotionally care for him…it was intimate in ways she hadn't felt before.

Not once did his lips touch her skin, but the softness of his fingertips surely felt just as good. The steam wrapped around the two of them and resulted in them being the only two people in the world – at least they were in Hailey's mind. All she could focus on was the way Jay's eyes looked as he scanned her over and made sure every inch of her was covered in soap. Not once did she feel like he was only doing this because of her body or because he wanted sex. He was moving slow and deliberate like he wanted to appreciate every fiber of her being.

He cared about her. He made her feel safe in the most vulnerable of situations. He was her person.

Even when he guided her out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around her and gently dried her off. It was followed by him searching through her cabinet until he pulled out a bottle of vanilla lotion. Kneeling in front of her, he rubbed the lotion into her legs, his slightly callused palms dragging against her skin in ways she hadn't felt before. Slowly, he stood up and let her towel fall to the side so he could have access to her sides and back where he continued soothing the lotion into her skin.

His fingers glided up her arms until they were resting against her throat. Finally, he tilted her head back and leaned down to kiss her lips.

"Jay," she breathed into the kiss.

He slid his hands down to her waist and began walking her backwards toward the door. "Beautiful girlfriend," he said softly, "Just want to show you."

"You already did," she replied.

Jay chuckled and shook his head. "Let me give you one more." He reached around her to open the door and lead her out into the living room.

She moaned as his own towel dropped from around his waist. Taking another step backwards, she clung to his arms and pressed herself against him.

Jay slid his hands down even further until they were gripping the back of her thighs. He was lifting her up to carry her the rest of the distance when the door to the apartment opened. Hailey was so lost in the feeling of Jay's damp skin against her own that she might not have noticed had she not then heard Vanessa swear loudly.

"You've got to be kidding me!" she yelled.

"What? Everything okay?"

Jay stumbled at Mouse's voice and dropped Hailey over the arm of the couch and fell on top of her, banging their foreheads together.

"Oh my god," Hailey groaned.

"Dammit," Jay breathed.

"This cannot be happening," Vanessa said loudly.

"Dude, I didn't know you were coming home," Mouse said.

"Just…back up!" Jay yelled, "Walk out."

Hailey closed her eyes and rested her head back. "Vanessa!" she yelled.

"No, no, don't ask for her," Jay hissed.

"I need a towel," Hailey sighed.

"I'm naked," Jay argued.

"Well, I already saw Hailey's little toy, so calm down," Vanessa said on her way over to them. She had a hand over her eyes, though, as she tossed the two towels they'd abandoned on top of them. "You have five minutes to get dressed, and then we're talking."

Jay sighed and buried his face in Hailey's neck.

"What're we talking about?" Mouse asked.

"Jay," Vanessa answered and pushed him out of the apartment.

Hailey and Jay lied still on the couch until he mumbled, "She saw my dick."

"And I'm sure Mouse saw mine," Hailey breathed.

"You don't have a dick," Jay said as he sat up.

"No, but you know what I mean," Hailey said and rubbed her forehead.

"You okay?" Jay asked.

Standing, Hailey nodded and grabbed his hand to pull him to his feet as well.

Once they were both back in the bedroom and pulling their clothes on, Jay said, "She called me 'little.'"

Hailey stopped from clasping her bra to roll her eyes and say, "Jay."

"Wasn't cool," he said under his breath.

"Jay," Hailey said through a laugh. She stepped forward to put her hands on his waist. "It was a joke," she said.

"Who laughed?" Jay replied.

Hailey smirked and shook her head as she watched him debate his words.

"I'm not-" he finally began.

"I know."

"So why-"

"It's Vanessa."

"I didn't miss her."

"You don't mean that."

Jay pursed his lips then looked away and said, "You're right."

Hailey laughed softly and reached up to kiss his cheek. "Come on," she said softly, "I'm sure our five minutes are almost up."

Jay closed his eyes for a moment before pulling the rest of his clothes on. Hailey went to go push open door only to stop when he said, "Well, now I know what my first therapy session is going to be about."

Hailey snorted a laugh and shook her head before pushing the door open and stepping out into the living room.

Vanessa and Mouse looked up from the kitchen table and nodded at her. When Jay stepped out from behind her, Mouse laughed and stood up.

"My man," he said, "You're home! And clothed, thank god."

Jay blushed, but still let out a laugh as he crossed the apartment so he could pull Mouse into a hug.

"You doing okay?" Mouse whispered.

Jay nodded and patted his back before stepped back.

Vanessa met Hailey's eyes and smirked, tilting her head to the side.

Hailey waved her hand and sat down at the table.

"Hello, Jay," Vanessa said cooly.

Hailey's jaw dropped and she spun to look at her. "Vanessa," she hissed.

But Vanessa held her own and wouldn't stop staring at Jay.

He tried to smile and said, "Hey, Ness."

Mouse chuckled quietly and took a long sip of his water.

Hailey wanted to pull Vanessa away and get her to lay off. She knew exactly what she was doing: intimidation wasn't necessary, though. His mom was sick; Hailey forgave him – it was time to move on.

She lightly poked Vanessa's leg and repeated, "Vanessa."

And finally, her friend relaxed and said softly, "You doing okay?"

Jay visibly relaxed as well and said, "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. Listen, I know-"

Vanessa shook her head and said, "I know. If she forgives you, so do I."

"Thank god," Hailey breathed. Rubbing her face, she sank in her chair and tried not to think about what would have happened had Vanessa chosen not to forgive him. It would have been the exact mess she hadn't wanted to happen when they first got together. She was also grateful that Vanessa knew her so well. With just one look, one glance into the apartment where she'd seen them walking naked to her bedroom, she knew what Hailey had decided. They were on the same page.

Just like her and Jay.

"How's your mom?" Mouse finally asked quietly.

"Uh," Jay hummed and looked down at the table. He traced his finger along the grain of the table before softly saying, "Physically, she's exhausted, but mentally, she's doing well. She's looking for happiness in every single day. She's strong. Stronger than me."

Hailey set her hand on his thigh under the table and squeezed softly.

"I'm sorry, man," Mouse said.

Jay shot him the smallest of smiles then nodded his thanks.

"I think you're strong," Vanessa said softly, "You're not giving up."

"But I did, didn't I?" Jay asked, "I ran away."

"It wasn't running away," Hailey assured, "You ran to your family. You went home, and there's nothing wrong with that. You followed your heart."

Mouse nodded and held up his water bottle: "Here's to that."

Vanessa smiled as well and added, "It was honorable."

"Thanks," Jay said quietly and tried smiling back at them.

Hailey scooted closer to him and kissed his cheek. "A good man," she whispered.

Jay's eyes closed for a moment, and he reached over her arm to set his own hand on her thigh. Brushing his thumb to her sweatpants, he squeezed his fingers the slightest amount then took a deep breath. Looking at Mouse, he asked, "You cool if I move back in?"

Mouse's face split into a grin and he said, "I'd have to swap out my sex swing for your mattress, but I think I can get it ready for your return."

Jay laughed and said, "Great, I appreciate it."

"Though I could leave it for you two," Mouse said, winking at Hailey.

She shot him her middle finger then stood up to grab their nearly empty bottle of tequila from above the fridge. "That never leaves this room," she said.

Vanessa and Mouse exchanged a look before Vanessa said, "It might have already left the room."

"Yeah," Mouse said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I might – key word might – have texted Adam and Kevin. Sorry."

When Jay and Hailey's faces dropped, Vanessa said, "We really are sorry, but you two were naked and Jay was home. It was a big thing."

Jay scoffed and mumbled, "Now it's big."

Mouse snorted while Vanessa rolled her eyes and said, "Shut up."

"Ridiculous," Hailey said before taking a sip of the alcohol. Shuddering, she passed the bottle to Jay and said, "I don't get-"

"Jay!"

"You still in there, man?"

"We need to talk, Jay."

Hailey sighed at her friends' voices on the other side of the apartment door. She couldn't help but smile, though, and shook her head before going to let them in.

Adam and Kevin immediately walked right past her to pull Jay into two tight hugs that Mouse happily joined. As they were saying their 'hellos,' Kim stopped in front of Hailey and whispered, "Everything okay?"

Hailey glanced over at Jay, now relaxed with a wide smile on his face, and nodded. "Yeah," she breathed, a smile on her own face, "It is."

Kim smiled as well and hugged her tightly.

Hailey closed her eyes and sank into her friend's arms for just a second before looking back at Jay. He met her gaze and nodded.

He was home.

To stay.


A/N: What'd you think? I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving! I know I'm thankful for all of you and how kind you've all been this entire fic. It's meant the world to me. Have a great week!