Chapter 2 The Distance Between Us

Emily couldn't sleep.

She stared at the ceiling fan spinning slowly above her bed, counting each turn like it might somehow calm the storm inside her chest. Jason's face lingered in her mind - the way he looked at her in the car, that raw honesty in his voice when he said, "I don't want to lie anymore."

She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. Her bedroom, usually her sanctuary, felt like a cage tonight. The soft hum of traffic outside the window, the distant bark of a neighbor's dog it all felt far away, like the world was moving without her.

Downstairs, the creak of the stairs gave her away.

"Emily?" Her mother's voice was low and tired, coming from the kitchen. "Can't sleep?"

She hesitated at the bottom step before answering. "Just wanted some water."

Her mom sat at the kitchen table, a half-empty cup of chamomile tea in her hands. Her robe was wrapped tightly around her, hair pulled into a messy bun, worry lines etched deeper than usual.

"Sit," she said softly, nodding to the chair across from her.

Emily obeyed, sliding into the seat. The silence between them wasn't new it had grown over the years, like ivy creeping across their relationship, slow but steady. But tonight, it felt different. Heavy.

Her mother finally spoke. "You've been quiet lately. Even more than usual."

Emily looked down at her chipped nail polish. "I've had a lot on my mind."

"Is it school? Or..." Her mom paused. "Is it Jason?"

Emily's head snapped up. "What?"

"I saw the way you looked at him on Sunday. And how he looked at you." Her mother's voice wasn't angry. Just... sad.

Emily opened her mouth, then shut it. What could she even say?

Her mom sighed, placing her tea aside. "You know how his father and your dad used to be. Best friends. Until they weren't."

"Yeah," Emily whispered. "But that doesn't have to be our story."

Her mom reached across the table, her hand warm over Emily's. "Sometimes history repeats itself even when we don't want it to."

Emily pulled her hand back gently. "Or maybe we can stop it from repeating."

They sat there in quiet again, the tension stretching like a thread. Eventually, Emily stood, kissed her mom's cheek, and whispered, "Goodnight."

Back in her room, she reached for her phone. A message from Jason was already there:

Jason:

"You up?"

She smiled faintly. Her thumbs moved before she could second-guess herself.

Emily:

"Yeah. Can't sleep."

Jason:

"Same. Wish we could talk face to face."

She stared at the screen for a second before replying.

Emily:

"Let's meet. Tomorrow night."

There was a pause. Then:

Jason:

"You sure?"

Emily:

"More than anything."

The Next Evening*

They met in the clearing behind Whitmore Park the same spot they used to ride bikes as kids. The grass was longer now, untamed, and the old tire swing still hung from the tree, swaying with the breeze.

Jason was already there, leaning against his truck, hands in his pockets. His eyes lit up when he saw her.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey," she replied.

For a while, neither of them said anything. Just looked. It was strange, how different he seemed out here away from school, away from the pressure, the whispers.

"I keep thinking about that night," Jason said finally. "The party. What I said."

Emily looked down. "You didn't say anything I haven't thought about too."

He walked closer. "Then why does it feel so impossible?"

She let out a breath. "Because it kind of is."

Their eyes met, and it was like the air between them shifted - thicker now, charged. He reached for her hand, hesitated, then took it anyway.

"I don't care what our families think," he said. "I care about you."

She bit her lip, heart pounding. "But what happens when they find out?"

"Then they find out," he said simply. "And we deal with it. Together."

His confidence scared her. Not because she didn't believe him - but because she did.

She leaned into him, resting her forehead against his chest. His arms wrapped around her like a promise, and for a moment, the world disappeared.

But even in his embrace, Emily knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy.

*Across Town*

Inside the Walker household, Jason's father stared out the window, phone to his ear.

"Yeah," he muttered into the receiver. "I saw them. Tonight. At the park."

A pause.

"No, it's not just a crush anymore. It's serious."

Another pause. His jaw clenched.

"I won't let my son ruin everything we've built just because he's chasing a Carter."