Jason

  “Janica…”

  Her name slipped from mylips, soft, instinctive.

  Before I could feelanything, before I was even fully awake.

  And then ughter.

  Sharp, unfiltered, and waytoo loud for my half-conscious state. My eyes snapped open, adjusting to thebright morning light, and there they were. Ash, Jone, and Aaron grinning likethey had just caught me red-handed.

  Ash leaned in, barelyholding back another ugh. “Who’s Janica?”

  Jone smirked. “You calledher like she was right here, man.”

  Aaron didn’t say anything,but the way he raised his eyebrow said enough.

  I rolled my eyes, buttheir words stirred something in me. Janica had been here. She had seen me likethis. I tried to piece together the st thing I remembered her voice, the wayshe had looked at me, something unspoken in her eyes.

  “She was here,” I said,more to myself than them.

  Jone raised an eyebrow.“She real, or just a fever dream?”

  “She’s real,” I saidfirmly.

  The room fell quiet for amoment. Not because they didn’t believe me, but because they could tell that Iwasn’t joking.

  Ash sighed, shaking his head. “Man gets hit by acar and wakes up thinking about a girl. That’s some next-level dedication.”

  I let out a breath ofughter. “You’d understand if you met her.”

  Aaron leaned forward, hiscuriosity getting the best of him. “Alright, no more dodging. Who is she?”

  Ash nodded, crossing hisarms.

  I sighed, running a handthrough my hair. “She’s… someone I met on the bus.”

  Aaron blinked. “Thebus?”

  Jone whistled low. “Damn.Must’ve been one hell of a ride.”

  I chuckled, shaking myhead. “It was… I don’t know how to expin it.”

  Aaron smirked. “Try.”

  I leaned back against thepillows, eyes drifting toward the ceiling, exhaling slowly. My chest tightenedat the thought of her. The way she looked, the way she sounded, the way shemade me feel.

  And then, as if mythoughts had summoned her, I saw a movement at the doorway. She was here!

  A wave of relief crashedover me, stronger than I expected. She was here. Safe. Real. Denise besides herscanning the room like she was sizing up the guys.

  The boys didn’t miss athing. I could feel their stares drilling into me, the silent exchange ofsmirks.

  I ignored them. Janica’seyes met mine, and in that instant, nothing else mattered.

  “Hey.” I said, my voicelower than intended.

  She swallowed then nodded.“Hey.”

  I cleared my throat,pushing past the warmth pooling in my chest. “Uh… guys, this is

  Janica.”

  They exchanged a lookbefore grinning.

  “The Janica?” Aaron asked,dragging out the words like he’d just uncovered some grand secret.

  I sighed. “Yes, Aaron. TheJanica.”

  Denise raised an eyebrow,clearly unimpressed with their theatrics. “And I’m Denise, by the way.”

  Jone smirked. “Sorry we’rea little distracted by the fact that our guy here woke up whispering her namelike some tragic romance film.”

  Janica’s cheeks tinted theslightest shade of pink. I shot them a warning look, but they justughed.

  “Nice to meet yougirls.”

  Janica gnced at me, lipstwitching like she was fighting a smile. She shook their hands.

  The room filled withlighthearted teasing and ughter, the tension melting away. Ash kept throwingjabs my way, exaggerating every little thing I had said about Janica or whatthey thought I had said.

  Janica handled it well,rolling with their jokes, even giving back a few witty remarks of her own.Denise, on the other hand, seemed less amused, arms crossed, her expressionunreadable.

  Ash had been unusuallyquiet, nodding along to the jokes but not adding much. And then I noticed hiseyes barely left Denise.

  He wasn’t making itobvious, but I saw the way his gaze flickered toward her every few seconds, howhis usual pyful smirk softened just a little.

  Interesting.

  I filed that thought awayfor ter, but for now, I just let the conversation flow, stealing gnces atJanica every now and then just to make sure she was still real.

  The conversation was stillflowing when the door opened, and a nurse stepped in, clipboard in hand.

  “Alright, Mr. Morara,” shesaid, giving me a professional yet kind smile. “Let’s see how you’redoing.”

  The room quieted as shechecked my vitals, asking a few routine questions. After a moment, she noddedin approval. “Everything looks good. You’ll be free to go by tomorrow, as longas nothing changes.”

  Relief washed over me. Asmuch as I appreciated the care, I was ready to get out of here.

  Ash grinned. “Good. Wewere starting to think you just liked being pampered.”

  I rolled my eyes, but mygaze flickered to Janica. She hadn’t said anything, but there was something inher expression. Something thoughtful, almost hesitant.

  I tilted my head slightly,silently asking if she was okay. She caught my gaze and gave me a small smile,but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  Denise, still unreadable,finally spoke. “That’s good news,” she said, though her tone was neutral. Shelooked at Janica for a brief moment before shifting her focus back to thenurse. “Does he need anything before tomorrow?”

  The nurse shook her head.“Just rest. If anything feels off, let us know, but he’s recovering well.” Shegave me one st look. “Try not to move around too much. We want you walkingout of here, not needing another night.”

  I smirked. “Noted.”

  As soon as she left, theteasing picked up again, but my mind was still on Janica. Something was on her mind. I could feelit.

  She was still engaged inthe conversation, responding when Ash threw a joke her way, but there was aslight dey to her reactions, like she wasn’t fully present.

  “Hey,” I murmured, justloud enough for her to hear.

  She blinked, as if I hadpulled her out of deep thought. “Yeah?”

  “You okay?”

  For a second, shehesitated, but then she smiled a little more real this time. “Yeah. Just… a lotto take in.”

  I nodded, understanding.We barely knew each other, and yet here she was, visiting me in a hospital,surrounded by my friends, navigating the chaos. It was a lot.

  “Thanks for coming,” Isaid softly.

  Her gaze softened. “Ofcourse.”

  I wanted to say more, toask what was really on her mind, but before I could, Ash finally broke hissilence.

  “So, Denise,” he said, hisvoice too casual. “How long are you in town?”

  Denise raised a brow athim, clearly catching the shift in energy. “I live here.”

  Ash blinked, clearly notexpecting that answer. “Oh. Right. Cool.”

  Aaron and Jone immediatelyexchanged a gnce, barely holding in their ughter.

  Denise just leaned back inher chair. “Why?”

  He opened his mouth, thenclosed it, like he was reconsidering his words. “No reason,” he finallymuttered.

  Janica smothered a ugh.I couldn’t help but grin.

  Janica

  Ash, Jone, and Aaronfinally decided to leave.

  Ash stretched slightlybefore gncing at Jason. “I’ll see you ter, man.”

  Jone gave a small nod.“Take it easy.”

  Aaron patted Jason’sshoulder. “Get some rest.”

  Ash turned to Denise justbefore stepping out, something expectant in his eyes.

  “See you around?” His tonewas casual, but there was an edge to it, like he was hoping for somethingmore.

  Denise didn’t answerimmediately. Instead, she let the silence stretch, her lips curving into asmall, unreadable smile. “Maybe.”

  Ash chuckled, as if he hadexpected that response but still found it amusing. Then, with a final gnce,he followed the others out.

  Denise lingered for asecond, then turned to me. “I’ll be out waiting.”

  The door clicked shutbehind her, and suddenly, the room felt different. Quieter. Smaller.

  Jason shifted slightly,adjusting himself against the pillows. The easy banter from earlier was gone,leaving something heavier in the air.

  Jason’s lips curledslightly “Will you come to see me out?”

  “You think I won’t?” Iasked dramatically.

  Jason shrugged, a smallsmirk pying on his lips. “Didn’t know if you’d be busy.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ll behere. I’ll call my boss.”

  “Really though. Are youokay?”

  Jason hesitated, just fora second. Then he nodded. “Yeah. Just… processing.” He let out a breath. “It’sstrange. One minute, I’m getting on a bus. Then I meet you. Then an accident.And now we are here.”

  The way he said it sent ashiver down my spine.

  “Life is weird like that,”I murmured.

  He studied me for amoment. “And you?”

  I blinked. “Me?”

  He tilted his headslightly. “You’ve been quiet.”

  I swallowed. I wasn’t surehow to put everything I was feeling into words. This strange pull toward him,the way things had changed so fast, the fact that I didn’t know where this wasgoing.

  So I settled forhonesty.

  “I guess I’m stillcatching up,” I admitted. “Everything happened so fast.”

  Jason nodded as if heunderstood. Then, after a beat, he reached for my hand.

  I barely had time to reactbefore his fingers brushed against mine, warm and steady.

  “You don’t have to have itall figured out,” he said softly. “I’m just gd you’re here.”

  Something about the way hesaid it made my heart stutter.

  I looked down at ourhands, at the way his fingers were just barely touching mine. I could pullaway. I could make a joke, change the subject. But I didn’t.

  Instead, I let my fingerscurl slightly, just enough to acknowledge that I was here, too.

  The room felt warmer now,like the air between us had thickened. Jason’s fingers were still brushingagainst mine, his touch light, almost uncertain.

  His breath caught. Hiseyes locked into mine, searching. “Janica.”

  I swallowed. “Yeah?”

  “I don’t want this to bejust a moment,” he admitted. His voice soft, but the weight behind it wasundeniable. “Not with you.”

  My pulse roared in my earsas he slowly sat up, his movements careful. I should’ve told him to lie back,to rest, but I didn’t. Because suddenly, nothing else mattered except the wayhis eyes kept dropping to my lips.

  And the fact that I wasn’tstopping him.

  I leaned in first, justslightly, just enough for him to know.

  Jason’s breath cameuneven, his hand moving from my fingers to my wrist, then up my arm, slow anddeliberate.

  Then, finally, he closedthe space between us.

  His lips met mine,everything else faded.

  The kiss wasn’t rushed. Itwasn’t frantic. It was like he wanted to memorize the way I felt, like he wasafraid to break whatever was building between us. His lips were warm, soft butfirm, and when he tilted his head slightly to deepen the kiss, I let myselffall.

  My hands slid up, oneresting against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath myfingertips. His hand moved to cup my face, his touch both careful anddesperate.

  I had no idea how long westayed like that, lost in each other, lost in something neither of us hadpnned for.

  But when we finally pulledaway, breathless, Jason’s forehead rested lightly against mine.

  His eyes stayed closed fora second before he whispered, “Yeah… I definitely want you here tomorrow.”

  I ughed, my fingersstill tangled in his shirt. “I already said I’d come.”

  The air between us wasthick, charged with something undeniable. My breath was still uneven, myfingers still curled into the fabric of his shirt, as if letting go would breakwhatever had just happened between us.

  Then, slowly, his handmoved. His fingers traced the side of my face, and before I could process it,his thumb brushed against my lips.

  Soft, teasing, like he was memorizing the feelof them.

  A small, breathy ughescaped him. Not amused. Something else. Something raw.

  His eyes flickered tomine, and for a second, he just looked at me. Like he was still trying tobelieve this was real.

  Then, almost like hehadn’t meant to say it out loud, he murmured, “I love you.”

  The words hit me like ashockwave. My heart stuttered.

  He had said it so simply,so effortlessly, like it was a truth he had always known.

  I swallowed, my lipsparting, but no words came out.

  Jason watched me,searching my face, his fingers still resting against my lips. “I know it’ssoon,” he admitted, his voice softer now. “But I don’t care.” His thumb tracedmy lower lip again, slower this time. “I love you, Janica.”

  I felt it. The way hiswords settled deep, how they fit into a pce inside me I hadn’t even realizedwas empty.

  I didn’t look away. Icouldn’t.

  Because, somehow, Ialready knew that I loved him too.

  The words hung between us,heavy and unshaken.

  Jason’s thumb still restedagainst my lips, his eyes searching mine, waiting. Hoping.

  I opened my mouth, but nowords came. Instead, a slow, shaky sigh slipped out. A release of something Ihadn’t realized I’d been holding in.

  Relief.

  Not because I had ananswer. Not because I was ready to say it back. But because, somehow, I knewJason meant it.

  His expression softened,his fingers brushing my cheek before lowering back to his side. He didn’t lookdisappointed, just… understanding.

  I swallowed, gatheringmyself. “I’ll come over tomorrow,” I said, my voice quieter now, steady.

  Jason’s lips twitched intoa small smile. “Yeah?”

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  Something shifted in hiseyes, something warm. He didn’t push for more. He didn’t need to.

  He just reached for myhand again, squeezing it lightly. “Good.”