Chapter Text
Chapter : 4
———
Jade’s POV:
It had been a week and a half since that night at the bar, and things between them had shifted—gently, tentatively. Jade wasn’t sure how to describe it. There was no grand declaration of feelings, no dramatic arguments or confessions. Instead, it was a quiet kind of understanding. They had started spending more time together, but always in the safe, neutral spaces where they could avoid the weight of their complicated history.
And for the first time, Jade found himself trying not to overstep. He didn’t bring up their past, didn’t talk about what they could have been. He kept his feelings tucked away, buried deep beneath the surface where they couldn’t complicate things further. It wasn’t easy. Every time he saw her, he felt that pull, that familiar ache that reminded him how much he loved her. But he wouldn’t push it. Not now.
Instead, they became… friends. Best friends, if he was being honest.
The realization struck him during one of their walks to the clinic, where Tabitha was dropping off supplies for Kristi. Jade had offered to help carry the load, not because she needed him to—Tabitha was perfectly capable—but because it gave him an excuse to spend more time with her. Their conversations had a rhythm now, easy and unforced. They talked about little things—the kids, the weather, the peculiarities of life in this strange town. It was safe, normal, and it grounded him in a way nothing else could.
“You know, Ethan’s been working on this elaborate fort in the house,” Tabitha said with a soft laugh, her voice warm and light. “He swears it’s monster-proof. It’s basically a pile of chairs and blankets, but he’s so proud of it.”
Jade smirked. “Sounds like a budding engineer. Maybe he’ll take over the town’s infrastructure one day.”
Tabitha rolled her eyes. “Right, because we’ve got such a booming infrastructure here.”
Her sarcasm made him laugh, a genuine sound that startled even him. He hadn’t laughed like this in weeks—months, maybe. And it was because of her. It always came back to her.
As they reached the clinic, she glanced over at him, her expression softening. “Thanks for helping out today. You didn’t have to.”
He shrugged, playing it off as nothing. “What else am I going to do? Invent a new way to lose at cards?”
She smiled, and for a moment, the world didn’t feel so heavy. But then she turned toward the clinic, and the moment was gone. Jade stood there, watching her walk away, his chest tightening in that familiar, painful way.
He knew what he felt for her, but he also knew he couldn’t act on it. Not now. Maybe not ever.
———
Later that evening, as they sat on the porch of the house Tabitha shared with Ethan and Julie, Jade found himself drawn to the quiet comfort of her presence. The sun was setting, casting warm hues across the sky, and the air was filled with the sounds of distant cicadas. They sat side by side, their chairs angled slightly toward each other, but not quite touching.
“I forgot how much I missed sunsets,” Tabitha murmured, her gaze fixed on the horizon. “Back home, we were always so busy. I didn’t take the time to appreciate them.”
Jade glanced at her, his chest tightening again. She looked peaceful, the golden light softening the lines of her face. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him, how every moment with her felt like a gift, but he bit his tongue. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and nodded.
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “Sunsets here hit different.”
They fell into a companionable silence, the kind that had become more frequent between them. It wasn’t awkward or strained. It was the kind of silence that felt safe, like they didn’t need words to understand each other.
Jade found himself stealing glances at her when he thought she wouldn’t notice. The way the light played on her skin, the faint smile that tugged at her lips—it all made his heart ache. He didn’t know how to reconcile his feelings. How could he love her so deeply, so completely, while still respecting the space she needed to grieve? How could he be her friend when every part of him wanted to be more?
Tabitha turned to him suddenly, catching him off guard. “What are you thinking about?”
He froze, his mind racing for a plausible answer. “Just… the fort,” he lied. “Wondering if Ethan would hire me as his assistant.”
She laughed, and the sound was like music. “I don’t know, Jade. He’s pretty particular about his design team.”
The corners of his mouth lifted in a small smile, but he didn’t say anything else. Instead, he let the silence take over again, his thoughts swirling as he tried to push aside the feelings that threatened to overwhelm him.
When the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky turned a deep shade of indigo, Jade stood and stretched. “Guess I should head back.”
Tabitha glanced up at him, her expression unreadable. “Thanks for stopping by.”
“Anytime,” he said, and he meant it. As he walked away, he could feel her eyes on him, and it took everything in him not to turn around.
———
Jade had never been good at keeping things to himself, but this… this was different. He couldn’t tell her how he felt, not when she was still healing. Not when the shadow of Jim lingered so heavily between them. So, he buried his feelings and focused on being her friend. It wasn’t what he wanted, but it was enough.
For now.