Chapter 18
eighteen
Jeremy
Hey stranger.” Zeke throws his arms along the edge of the hot tub, leaning back, and looking at Jaxon, who’s just made this way through the back door. “I thought you were staying down by your mom tonight.”
“Couldn’t miss spending time with our Tater-Tot when she’s only back for a week.” His smile doesn’t reach his eyes, and even though I know he’s trying not to, his gaze is fixated on Brinley. “I didn’t realize we were having a party.”
“Not a party, a pre-party.” Zeke takes a sip of his beer.
“Pre-party?”
“We’re going to the festival up the road, but felt like a nice little BBQ and hot tub moment was the move before we headed out.” Fletcher reaches over the back of the hot tub and grabs a beer out of the cooler. He tosses it in Jax’s direction, and he catches it with ease.
“Thanks.” His eyes are still on Brinley as he pops it open. “I, uh, have some stuff to do, but maybe I’ll join you guys in a bit.”
He fiddles with the beer bottle.
“Come on, man, go change,” Declan argues. “Maia is only hanging out with us for a little while longer because she needs to get to work, and it’s been so long since we all hung out like this.”
“And I promised Liv I’d go to her place later, so I’m skipping the festival, so it’s only fair you hang out with us now.” Brooks turns toward him. “We haven’t hung out like this for a good reason in a while. Whatever you need to do can wait, can’t it?”
Jax’s eyes find Brinley’s, but she’s still not looking in his direction. She hasn’t looked up at him since he walked outside.
“We all want you to.” Tate stands up, crossing her arms. “And like you said, you only have a week with me, so go change and join us.”
Brinley finally looks up at him and gives him a tight smile, her way of saying, “Stay.”
“Alright. I’ll do my thing later. Give me a minute, and I’ll be back down.”
“I need to pee.” Brinley stands up the second Jax is gone. “Anyone need anything while I’m inside?”
“I’m good.” I smile.
Honestly, I’m more than good. This heat feels great on my back. Even though I don’t do much at the rec center in terms of showing the kids things, between that and PT, my muscles are working in a way they haven’t in weeks.
I needed this rest.
“Anyone else?”
“Nope, all good.” Avalon leans into Zeke’s chest, closing her eyes as he wraps an arm around her.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Ember asks, standing up.
“Pretty sure I can find the bathroom in my brother’s house.”
“I know, I, never mind.”
We all know what Ember’s not saying. She wants to make sure Brinley is okay with Jaxon being here. I don’t really even know what’s happened between the two of them, just that Brinley’s really started keeping her distance within the last year, and even more so since she started dating Alex.
Brinley gets out of the hot tub and disappears into the house.
“You think she’s okay?” Maia questions. “I mean, they’ve seen each other in person only a handful of times in the last six months, and a lot of that was because—”
“My mom… and me,” Zeke finishes.
“I don’t know.” Tate shrugs. “I feel like there’s a lot of complicated and unresolved issues there.”
“So, they should talk.” Fletcher turns toward Tate. “Nothing will get resolved if they just keep going at the rate they are. Look at us, if you didn’t get this tour and we didn’t talk when we did, who knows what would’ve happened.”
“It’s not that easy, Fletch. I’m not saying I didn’t hurt you,” she turns toward him, “but our situation is nowhere near their situation.”
“Okay, but if they don’t talk then—” Zeke joins in, but doesn’t get a chance to finish.
“I know you guys love Brinley like a little sister,” Avalon cuts him off.
“And obviously she actually is your little sister.” She points to Declan.
“But you guys aren’t experts when it comes to this.
No matter how much you love both of them, you don’t understand what she’s feeling.
Hell, there’s probably a ton about what went down with Jax that you don’t even know about. ”
“You weren’t even here when everything first went down between the two of them.
” Declan crosses his arms. “Not that I don’t appreciate Brin having another friend in you, Avalon, hell, I appreciate all of us having a friend in you, but I’ve known Jax for most of my life.
And Brinley’s my sister, I think I understand the two of them a bit better than you guys do. ”
“But we’re girls, Declan.” Ember reaches up and grabs his face. “I love you, and I know you love both of them, especially Brin, but no matter what you know about the situation, you couldn’t possibly understand feeling what she’s feeling.”
“What’re we talking about?” All of us jolt in the direction of the door, where Jax is now standing.
“Nothing.” The word comes out in unison, which only makes this whole situation more suspicious.
“Okay.” Jax’s face falls slightly as he joins us in the hot tub.
“Really, it’s nothing. We were just talking about,” Ember scans the hot tub trying to find an excuse, but seems to be failing until— “Jeremy has feelings for someone.”
My eyes go wide. This was not something I was going to ever bring up to them. I don’t even know her name or anything about her. All I know is I haven’t been able to get her out of my head since I ran into her. Saying she’s taken over my dreams every night would be an understatement.
“Seriously?” I mumble, my lips pressed tightly together.
Ember shrugs as she mouths an apology.
“Really? Who’s the girl?” Jaxon slides into the water.
“I don’t know.” He raises an eyebrow, and I see a sea of confusion in front of me. “We haven’t even officially met. I don’t know anything about her, honestly, just—”
“That it’s totally fate.” Ember adds.
“Are we talking about Jeremy’s future wife?” Brinley asks, closing the sliding door behind her.
“She’s not my future wife. She’s not anything right now. Honestly, she’s just a mystery.” I scratch the back of my neck.
Brinley grabs a drink from the cooler before climbing up the steps to the hot tub. She doesn’t get in, though; instead, she sits on the edge and takes a sip of her drink.
“Well, when she picks up her brother from the rec center this week, talk to her. Then she won’t be a mystery anymore.”
“I don’t even know what I’d say to her.” I polish off my Gatorade. “Do I even mention meeting her outside of PT? Do I just introduce myself?”
“I think you just go with the flow.” Brinley leans back, resting on her hands.
“Holy shit, Brin. I knew your bruise was bad, but the picture didn’t do it justice.”
She chuckles, running a hand along her ribs.
“This is actually quite the improvement.”
Jaxon’s eyes follow her movements as her hand brushes against her skin.
“I don’t know why I still listen to my big brother; all he does is get me into trouble.”
“Hey, that one wasn’t my fault. The door, that one is definitely on me, but you should’ve been paying closer attention.”
“Couldn’t exactly see anything with the giant mattress I was carrying.”
“Honestly, this one is on me.” I grin. “You got hurt setting up my new room, so please know I appreciate your nearly broken ribs for the amazing mattress I have.” I chuckle. “I don’t think I’d be making progress without that mattress.”
Brin shoots me a wink.
“As much as I love this.” Maia stands. “I need to head home. I’ve got to take a shower before I head to work.”
She leans down and gives Ember a kiss on the cheek.
“Text me later.” Ember squeezes Maia’s hand as she walks to the stairs.
“Enjoy the festival, send lots of pics.”
“Always.” Tate winks.
“Love you!” Brinley screams as Maia sneaks back inside to grab her clothes.
“On that note, I think we should get dressed and head to this festival. What do you say?” Brinley pats her legs before throwing them over the edge of the hot tub and hopping down.
“Right behind you,” Ember says, following Brinley inside.
“Alright, Jere. Where do you want your chair?” Zeke spins my wheelchair in circles.
Honestly, the thought of getting out of the hot tub is a lot more daunting than the thought of getting in.
“If you could line it up with the stairs, the ones closest to the height of the chair, that’d be great.
” I lift myself out of the pool and throw my legs over the edge so they’re resting on the top of the stairs.
I grab the towel from Brooks and dry off my legs a bit before tossing Zeke the towel to put on my chair.
Leg by leg, I move slowly down the stairs. I might have more feeling in them, I might be able to wiggle my toes, but they’re nowhere near strong enough to lift them up without using my hands.
But they’re getting there.
I’m getting there.
It might be taking longer than I’d like. It might not be happening how I want it to.
But it’s happening.
And I have to be grateful for that.