The Space Between Us
712 Words
The morning sun didn’t feel as sharp today.
Ava stood by the kitchen window in one of Jace’s shirts, fingers wrapped around a mug of tea that had long gone cold. Her body still felt tired, but her mind was clearer than it had been in days.
She hadn’t meant to fall asleep on the living room couch, but she had — curled in a ball, emotionally spent after everything he’d said.
Now she was up before the house stirred, trying to understand how one conversation could undo so many walls.
She heard footsteps.
Jace entered the kitchen wearing grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt — simple, but somehow he still looked like sin in human form. His hair was still damp from a shower, messy and soft, and his eyes looked... unsure.
That alone was enough to shake her.
"You're awake early," he said, voice rough with sleep.
She didn’t look at him at first. “Didn’t sleep much.”
He leaned against the doorway, watching her. “Because of what I said?”
She took a sip of her tea, then finally met his gaze. “Because of how it made me feel.”
He nodded once, like he understood.
“I meant every word,” he added.
“I know,” she said softly.
There was a pause.
“Do you want breakfast?” he offered. “I can make eggs.”
Ava raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement slipping through. “You cook?”
He smirked faintly. “Barely. But I can try.”
It was awkward. Clumsy. Almost... sweet.
“I’ll help,” she said, setting her mug down.
---
Fifteen minutes later, the kitchen was filled with the smell of burning toast and undercooked eggs.
Ava laughed — a real laugh — as Jace looked at the pan like it betrayed him.
“This is embarrassing,” he muttered.
“No,” she said, grinning. “This is normal.”
He looked up. “I don’t do normal, Ava.”
She met his eyes. “Maybe it’s time you learned.”
They ate quietly at the marble island, plates a little messy, but something about it felt more intimate than any candlelit dinner. Jace didn’t try to talk too much. He didn’t try to impress her. He just sat with her.
Present. Open. There.
And that meant more than any grand gesture ever could.
---
Later, Ava found herself curled on the couch with a book, legs tucked under her. She hadn’t meant to relax, but it happened anyway. Jace walked in holding his phone, paused, then set it aside.
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “Just... trying to figure out where we go from here.”
He sat at the edge of the couch, not touching her. Not crowding. Just close enough to feel safe.
“You don’t owe me anything,” he said. “You can still walk away if this feels like too much.”
She studied him. “You think that’s what I want?”
“I don’t know what you want,” he admitted. “That’s the problem. You never say.”
She looked down at her hands. “Because I never knew what was safe to want.”
Silence.
Jace reached out gently and took her hand in his. His touch was warm, but not demanding.
“Then let’s figure it out together,” he said. “Day by day. No pressure.”
She looked at their fingers laced together.
“Do you ever think about what this could be,” she asked, “if it hadn’t started with a contract?”
He was quiet for a moment.
“Every day.”
Her chest tightened.
And just like that, the silence between them wasn’t heavy anymore. It felt full. Full of unspoken promises. Of chances. Of the beginning of something real.
---
That evening, as Ava climbed into bed, she found a note on her pillow in Jace’s handwriting.
> "I don’t know how to love properly. But I’m learning. And I hope you’ll stay long enough to see it."
Her fingers trembled slightly as she held the note to her chest.
For the first time since they married, she didn’t feel trapped.
She felt seen.
- Writer
