Chapter 22 Twenty-one

• Jackson and Megan finally made their way back to Princeton after he stopped to get her some food. The ride back was filled with a thick silence, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts he couldn't shake. Every bite of food and every glance at Megan felt like a cruel reminder of the reality he now faced.
• She suddenly turned to face him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Without warning, she leaned in and pressed a quick, unexpected peck on his lips. Jackson didn't even have a chance to process what just happened before she pulled away, a sly grin spreading across her face.
• He wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, the lingering taste of the kiss doing little to settle his racing thoughts. Seven more months of this. Seven months of obligation, responsibility—and beyond that, an eternity of challenges. It felt like a prison sentence he never signed up for, and the gravity of it gnawed at him.