ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ | ᴊᴀʏ ʜᴀʟꜱᴛᴇᴀᴅ

𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝.

✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*

Staring up at him with wide eyes, Mia opens and closes her mouth several times, not knowing what to do, or say, or think. She licks her lips, eyes flicking down to his mouth without thought, and she meets Jay halfway when he leans his forehead to rest against hers. A shaky breath escapes past her lips, and she closes her eyes, warmth running through her veins at his touch. Mia lifts her hands to grasp around his waist, clutching the fabric of his jacket tightly between her fingers. Jay sighs out her name, hot breath tingling against her lips and sending a shiver down her spine.

The sound of the front door opening behind the pair breaks them from their trance, and Mia immediately steps back and wipes her tear-stained cheeks with her palms. She forces a small smile as she glances over her shoulder, eyes landing on Austin as he steps out of the house. He makes his way towards them with crossed arms and a stern expression, his body almost shaking as he tries to suppress his anger. "It's after midnight; I was worried about you," he grits out.

"Sorry," Mia mumbles, still trying to catch her breath and find her voice.

Austin's eyes flit to Jay where he stands a few feet away, angled slightly away from Mia with his hands shoved in his pockets. He narrows his eyes, instantly recognizing the man from old photos currently buried in some drawer inside his house. Stepping closer, Austin straightens and extends a hand, "Austin James. I'm Mia's fiancé."

Jay tenses at the reminder of that little tidbit he learned during the interrogation but didn't want to believe, couldn't believe. His eyes flick towards Mia, but she avoids his gaze, hugging herself around her waist. She bites her lip, and all he wants to do is tug it free with his thumb and soothe the pain with his lips. Jaw ticking, he extends a hand and squeezes just a bit too hard – it's out of his control at this point. "Jay Halstead."

"Well, thanks for getting my girl home safe," Austin offers a smug grin, "But I think I can handle it from here."

Narrowing his eyes at his tone, Jay suppresses the urge to knock his teeth out. "I think she can handle herself," he forces through clenched teeth. When Austin takes a threatening step forward, he raises both brows and almost laughs at the guy's nerve.

Before anything can escalate, Mia steps forward and breaks the tension, tugging Austin back a step with a hand wrapped around his forearm, "Thank you for the ride, Jay."

Glancing her way, Jay's expression immediately softens when he meets her pleading eyes. All he wants is to take her by the hand and whisk her away, away from this city and everything in it. All he wants to do is be with her again. Hear her laugh again, see her smile again, touch her body again.