"You wrote a book?" I exclaimed in astonishment. I sat on a stool by the counter as Jess tried to fix the broken coffee machine.

Jess had stayed the night as we made up for lost time and talked about what we had going on in our lives in the past six months. He was prying a screwdriver that we had found in one of the drawers, into one of the gears in the machine.

"No, I'm writing a book." He corrected me as he turned around briefly before looking back toward the broken machine. "I'm still writing it, it's not done yet."

Late into last night, Jess had told me how he was working at a publishing company -Truncheon Press- while he wrote his book. They had made a deal of some sorts that I understood due to my law course.

"I knew you could do it," I say proudly with my eyes trained on him as I leaned my chin on my hand. "You're so smart and you have such a way with words. It's about time you realised that."

Without taking his eyes off the coffee machine, he answered me, "It's nothing special, it's not like a Kerouac or an Austen," he says but I could see his cheeks heating up slightly.

"Yup," I agree with a wide smile, "It's gonna be better." I tell him with confidence. Maybe I haven't even read it yet, but I know that it's gonna be amazing. You can tell if someone's got it, and he did. Sometimes he really didn't know how smart he could be. And that frustrated me a lot.

"I'm only a couple chapters in, I don't even know if I can finish it. It might just turn out to be a waste of paper." Jess tried to explain to me as I shook my head.

"Don't say that," I chided. "You can do it, I know." I hopped down from my stool and walked up to him.

"Thanks," Jess mumbled as he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close into his side.

"So what's it about?" I asked him as I rested my head on his shoulder. Jess was using his free hand to continue to try and fix the machine. "Is it a Great American Novel?"

"It's a little less ambitious," he says without taking his eyes off from his work. I wait for him to continue but he doesn't say anything.

I tilt my head up at him as I untangle from his arms and lean against the counter. "And?" I ask, hoping for more content.

"And, I'm not telling you anymore." He answers with a smirk as I frown.

I wrap my arms back around him, hoping to change his mind. "Please?" I tried to persuade him to let me in on his little secret with a long kiss on the lips.

After a while, Jess pulled away and held my face in his hands. He looked at me lovingly but shook his head. "No, I'm not telling you." Jess repeats as I whine and collapse into him dramatically. "I want it to be a surprise."

"Does that mean it has something to do with me?" My head perks up at the little hint I had gotten.

Pulling away from me, he turns back toward the machine. "Stop it," he told me and I sighed in frustration. "Alright, try it now." Jess instructed as he took a step away from the machine.

I began to start up my usual routine of making my coffee as I mentally prayed that it would work. Pushing the button, I expected to hear nothing but instead I got the satisfying whir of the machine signalling it was working again.

"Yes!" I yelled happily as I jumped up and down in excitement at finally getting some caffeine in my system after what felt like years. I turned to Jess with a grin on my face as I gave him a lingering kiss. "I love you," I said for what felt like the tenth time. But no matter how many times I said it, it still felt to surreal.

It was silent for a moment before Jess spoke up again. "I love you too, Cherry." He said in a way that made my insides flutter and melt like ice cream.

Smiling up at him, I had opened my mouth to speak but was interrupted by the front door bursting open. Before I knew it, my mum was walking into the room with a loud, "Surprise!" I really wish I didn't give her that key. She was very much not supposed to be here. She had a smile on her face until her eyes landed on Jess, her look of happiness quickly vanished. I could practically feel my heart stop.

The three of us stared at each other in disbelief and our mouths hung wide open. I looked between my mum and Jess, who looked like he was made of stone. His face was calm and collected as his arm was still around my waist.

My mum on the other hand, looked like she had Kill Bill sirens going off in her head. "What in the name of Beyoncé?" My mum looked between Jess and I with a raised eyebrow.

"Isn't it what in the name of god?" I asked as I tried to lighten the mood.

"Same thing," my mother snapped out with a glare my way. "James Dean you mind leaving us?" She turns to Jess with a pointed look. I was about to pipe up that he didn't have to go when I got stoped with Jess pressing a light kiss to my lips. He gave me a reassuring look before heading out the door and closing it behind him softly.

I ignore my mothers questioning glance, if she wanted an answer she'd have to actually ask me one instead of just staring angrily. "Coffee?" I ask sarcastically with my back turned to her. "We just fixed the machine," I add as I fill up a cup for myself, knowing she wasn't in the mood.

"What the hell is he doing here?" She asked me with a few steps closer to me, the sound of her footsteps echoing across the hardwood floor.

Sipping on my coffee exaggeratedly, I turn around to face her slowly. "Look-"

As usual, she cuts me off when she's mad. "I mean, he left. And suddenly he's just back here?" She throws her hands up with a wild look in her eyes. "Playing house with you? Fixing up the coffee machine that I bought you?"

"Will you just calm-" I ran a hand through my hair stressfully as I get interrupted again, I was really getting sick of that.

She shakes her head at me and points her finger accusingly. "You didn't see yourself after he left," My mum says grimly. "It wasn't pretty."

"Will you just let me speak?" I ask her, trying to keep my patience with me. My mum opens her arms, letting me know that I had the floor. "He came by yesterday and we talked and one thing led to another," I half-lied.

She pinched the bridge of her nose before looking up at me. "Do you still love him?" I nod my head in reply. "And he loves you?" She questions but I could already see it in her eyes that she knew the answer.

"It's like a part of my life that's been missing is finally back. Can you try to be happy for me?" I ask her hopefully.

"If it's what you want," she tells me before hugging me lightly. "You always had a way of getting what you wanted anyway."

I hug her back tightly, happy that she didn't turn this into a big thing. It could've gone very wrong. "What're you even doing here anyway?" I ask her once we pull apart. "I thought I was only coming back home next week?"

"Well we missed you up there, kid." She says, "I thought I'd surprise you then we can go home together, I didn't know you had company."

"I was gonna tell you," I say honestly, "I was gonna call."

She pats my head lightly with a smile, "I know. So why don't you and lover boy spend a few days together? I'm staying in a hotel here anyway."

"Really?" I ask her, unsure of whether she was being sincere or not. Mums can be tricky, no matter how old you get. She nods her head, answering my question. "Maybe I can even convince Jess to come back with us," I couldn't see if this was a good suggestion or not.

"Yeah, if you can." She agreed. "I'll message you my hotel address, we'll leave tomorrow?"

"Alright," I said as she made her way to the door. She opens it to reveal Jess leaning against the opposite wall with a book in his hand. It's been a while since I've seen that sight. When he notices us he pushed himself off the wall. He looked between my mum and I cautiously, waiting for something to happen.

My mum takes a step toward him with a finger in his face threateningly. "If you hurt her again, I will end you."

"I'd let you if I do," he says truthfully. My mum bids me goodbye before Jess and I head back into the dorm.

Jess closed the door behind him as I plop into the sofa with a cup of coffee in my hand. I drank the bitter liquid down as I watched Jess pour himself a cup. He brings his cup with him and takes a seat next to me, his arm going behind the sofa.

"So?" Jess asked as I chugged down my drink. "What'd she say?"

"How do you feel about a road trip back home?"