Re: Rooftop.
Jack didn't push her away, or cut the kiss off. He let her move in, let her kiss, let her have that moment, because god knew she clearly needed it. Just because he couldn't be what she wanted him to didn't mean he couldn't encourage her down the road to taking more chances and more things for herself, where she didn't need to flash manipulative the way she had with Luke and Wren. She was beautiful and bright, and it would have been so nice if he could have simply thought she'd realized that and come into her own all of a sudden. But he wasn't a fool. He knew the hand Ivy had in this, and he could think only of what she might learn from it all when she eventually came back to herself.
The kiss was cool, but he did kiss back, slow and gentle, before finally pulling away. "I'm glad you feel safe around me," he said, feeling the bite of irony and guilt at his heart. Those bruises still shimmied darkly under her skin like phantoms. "And I wouldn't hurt you. I want happiness for you, Brielle. But I don't think I can be that happiness." He tipped his head. "I'll do everything I can to help you, you know that. But for what you need right now, I am ill suited."