A New Kind of Love

Jess groaned as she buried her face in the couch pillow. Her head throbbed, her mouth was dry, and the world felt far too bright. She had barely opened her eyes when she smelled something—coffee, eggs, and… was that bacon?

She pushed herself up, rubbing her temples. The record player had stopped at some point during the night, and now only the soft hum of a morning in progress filled the air. The scent of food drifted from the small kitchen, where Ryan stood at the stove, flipping pancakes like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Jess let out a weak groan. "You weren’t kidding about breakfast."

Ryan turned, smirking. "Nope. Figured you’d need it. How’s the head?"

"Like someone ran me over with a truck. Twice."

He chuckled and set a mug of coffee in front of her. "Drink this. Food’s almost ready."

Jess took the cup gratefully, sipping the bitter liquid. "You make a dangerously good caretaker."

Ryan shrugged, plating the pancakes and setting them on the small table. "I have experience. Two older sisters. You learn to deal with hungover people fast."

Jess shuffled over, still wrapped in the blanket from the night before, and sat across from him. She toyed with her fork before finally looking up. "So… are we going to talk about last night?"

Ryan met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "Yeah."

Jess swallowed. "And?"

He sighed, rubbing his jaw. "I don’t know. I mean, I believe you. I don’t think you’d lie to me, and honestly, I don’t think you could make up something that crazy. But it’s still a lot to process."

Jess nodded, pushing a piece of pancake around her plate. "I get that."

"It’s not just that you were Jason," Ryan continued. "It’s that… you had a whole different life before this. And now, you’re here. And I’ve spent months getting to know you as Jess. That’s who I know. That’s who I—" He stopped himself, exhaling sharply. "It’s just a lot."

Jess swallowed. "If it’s too much, I understand. If you need space—"

"No," Ryan said quickly. "That’s not what I want."

She blinked. "Then what do you want?"

He hesitated, looking at her, really looking at her, as if seeing her for the first time all over again. "I want to figure this out. With you."

Jess’s chest tightened. "You do?"

Ryan gave a small, almost self-deprecating smile. "Yeah. I mean, I like you, Jess. That hasn’t changed. If anything… I think I admire you even more now. You went through something impossible, and instead of breaking, you adapted. You’re still you, even if you don’t always know who that is."

Jess let out a soft laugh. "I don’t deserve you."

"Probably not," Ryan teased. "But I’m here anyway."

Jess stared at him, something deep inside her shifting into place. She had never felt this way before—not with any of the girls she had dated as Jason, not with any fleeting crushes she’d had since becoming Jess. This was different. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once.

She was falling in love.

The realization hit her all at once, leaving her breathless. She set down her fork and reached across the table, lacing her fingers with his. "Ryan."

He looked at their hands, then back at her. "Yeah?"

"I think… I think this is the first time I’ve actually been in love with someone."

Ryan’s expression softened, his thumb brushing gently against her hand. "Then I guess we’re both figuring this out together."

Jess smiled, a warmth blooming in her chest. For the first time in a long time, she wasn’t just surviving. She was living.