Five
Once all members of the losing teams had finished their punishment for coming last, we were told to ‘hit’ the showers; terminology that needed no footnote. I looked down at my muddy clothes, realising that I hadn’t brought anything to change into. Great. I doubted Jaxon would allow me back in his posh car looking the way I did. A jolt of annoyance ripped up my spine for being so foolish and not planning for the unexpected. Something one should always do when dealing with the likes of my stepbrother.
I was just in the process of saying thank you to Christian before he left for the showers when Jaxon appeared beside us. I glanced up at him briefly, he looked ticked off as usual. Did anything ever please him?
He didn’t speak. He just stood there in silence, but I knew he was annoyed; his body language reminded me of a wild animal ready to pounce. I dragged my gaze away, a grin splitting my face as Christian’s eyes rocked back and forth between us. Could he also sense the tension?
“As I said, I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“You’re more than welcome and if you ever fancy a one-to-one workout, give me a call,” the big guy bellowed with a wink.
“I might just do that.” He’d been my knight in shining armour during the exercise and so I raised myself onto my tiptoes and pecked him on the cheek.
We both heard the slight intake of breath from Jaxon who had been examining the exchange with narrowed eyes.
As I drew back, Christian’s cheeks were tinged pink. Amazing, I had made a man who was built like a bear, blush!
“Your sister did well,” Christian gloated, nudging Jaxon with his elbow.
Jaxon snorted. “Are you deaf, she isn’t my sister.” He then lowered his disapproving gaze, his eyes roaming over my face. “You did do well Wynter, and yes, you wouldn’t have done it without Jacobs’ hand on your arse. ”
I remained silent but Christian shot us both a meaty smile, transforming into a smouldering flirt again. “What can I say, mate? It’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it. I like you Wynter, you’re alright.” He then sauntered off before I could answer, leaving me and Jaxon together as the others bustled past us. Christian’s carefree whistle suggested he was purposefully trying to piss Jaxon off. I wondered why.
“Did you give him your number?” Jaxon then snapped when his buddy was out of earshot. His tone suggested that he would be cross if I had.
Ignoring him, I motioned towards my mud-stained clothes. “I didn’t bring a change of clothes.”
Jaxon quirked his head to onside before folding his arms across his chest. “Well, that was stupid.” He was such a dick and completely devoid of empathy.
I took his words like a kick in the face. The man was relentless and my temper flared. “You didn’t tell me to dickhead!” I yelled, defending myself.
“Keep your voice down,” Jaxon commanded in a steely voice which brooked no argument.
“Well, you didn’t. What am I supposed to do now? Sit in the car naked?”
“If you like,” he replied in a deeper voice. He was probably imagining it, the pervert.
Jaxon then flicked a look up and down my body before running his tongue slowly over his full bottom lip. My eyes were drawn to the area, that familiar fizz shooting through me. Did he know how that gesture affected the female parts? Probably.
“ Why didn’t you tell me I’d need a change of clothes?” I huffed, planting my hands on my hips, and shaking my hair back; my ponytail fell between my shoulder blades.
“Surely, it’s commonsense Wynter.” His smug tone added more fuel to the fire. I so wanted to thump that perfect face.
“Not to me it’s not! I’ve never done anything like this before. ”
He then dared to smile at me. One of the condescending ones he had mastered so well over the years. I dropped my arms by my sides and curled my fingers into fists, needing to stop myself from doing anything reckless.
My eyes burned but I refused to cry. As a distraction, I turned and grabbed my rucksack from the bench behind me and settled it onto my back. “Now what?
Jaxon watched me in silence before he also lowered his arms and moved toward me, curling his fingers around the back of my neck.
“What are you doing?” I panted, staring up at him and attempting to ignore the way my skin flared at his touch.
His face lowered and he spoke against the cuff of my ear. “Escorting you to the reason you came here.”
I didn’t pull away and allowed him to steer me into the building. Jaxon pretty much frogmarched me in through the doorway and I had no option but to put one foot in front of the other. His fingers against my skin were firm but not painful; his actions were one of control. I knew it was wrong but I enjoyed the contact.
“Where are we going?” I asked as we made our way down a dimly lit hallway. There were numbered doors on each side.
“First, I’m taking you to my room,” Jaxon informed me lazily and anxiety pumped through my veins. I stopped and pulled his hand from my neck before turning to face him; my head was level with his chest, we were so close.
“What? Why?” My eyes searched his face but he just watched me with idle curiosity. Was he expecting a reaction? Some peal-clutching behaviour at his suggestion? He didn’t look at all predatory, but the thought of going to his bedroom still did strange things to my insides. I’d never even seen his bedroom at home.
Jaxon’s lip curled; he was amused and his dark eyes glittered with a silent promise which was at war with his words. “Not for the reason you think? For a virgin, you have a filthy mind. ”
He continued to watch me, lording down that blade of a nose wearing one of his sexy smirks. I snorted, purposefully ignoring his virgin comment. “Well, why then?” I prompted as he hadn’t answered my question.
“I thought you’d like to get cleaned up. You can borrow one of my T-shirts. Your bottoms are passable, but you need to change your top.” His eyes flickered down toward my chest which forced me to do the same. Shit. The material was damp and clung to my breasts, my nipples beaded against the surface. I hastily folded my arms to cover myself which forced a chuckle from Jaxon. His eyes then crawled their way back up to mine. “It’s a bit late for that,” he pointed out. “Here.” I uncrossed my arms as he held out a silver key; hesitantly taking it from him.
How I would have loved to have managed to summon an epic retort that would leave him speechless for a change.
“Room ten, twenty-one. Let yourself in, use the bathroom and clean yourself up. The top door of the dresser contains T-shirts, pick one. I’ll see you in the communal area when you’re ready. Down there at the end. And don’t forget to lock my door when you’ve finished.”
I shook bag my ponytail, suddenly feeling like a nuisance and peered down the corridor.
Realising how ungrateful I was behaving, I thanked him in a small voice and our eyes tangled for a moment longer. I flinched as he raised his hand and ran his finger down my nose; my brow creasing.
Jaxon smiled. “You have dirt on your nose.”
“Oh.” I raised my hand and rubbed at it.
“It’s gone.”
Jaxon stared down at me for a beat longer before turning away and setting off down the corridor. His strides were slow, he didn’t rush away and I watched how his backside flexed with each step. What the heck was that about? My emotions were all over the place. Jaxon disappeared into the room at the bottom of the corridor; I almost licked my lips, with an arse like that he should be wrapped in caution tape.
Rolling my eyes at my behaviour, I walked a few paces down the corridor and found his room. Inserting the key, I held my breath and pushed the door open, before shyly stepping inside. Butterflies were having a battle in my stomach. I was nervous to see where he slept.
Immaculate was the word that came to mind as I closed the door and observed the space. It was small and tidy with nothing out of place. The single bed was made up. It looked extremely hard and was covered by a basic dark green sheet. My skin prickled as I reluctantly stared at it, chewing the inside of my mouth. Dragging my gaze away, I spied the rest of the area. There were no pictures on the walls, just a dresser with cupboards, a wardrobe and a writing desk and chair. Pretty basic really. I could smell traces of Jaxon's musky scent and I inhaled, taking him into my nostrils.
A variety of books were standing on some shelves on the wall and I walked over to scrutinise the titles, astounded as I didn’t realise that he read. The Martian by Andy Weir was there and the boxset of James Herriot books almost floored me. I couldn’t imagine someone like Jaxon reading those types of stories. Mein Kampf was more like it.
Smiling at my joke, I revelled in the fact that I had unearthed something that had pleasantly surprised me about my stepbrother. Maybe he did have a personality I could climb on board with. One which didn’t stir up that urge to kick him in the nuts all the time.
I walked over to a corkboard which had various pictures pinned there. It didn’t take long for my gaze to fall on a picture of a beautiful woman. Her hair and eyes were the same as Jaxon's and Chris’s; it was a picture of their birth mother. The one who had died when Jaxon was younger. My chest squeezed tight and a surge of sympathy clutched me by the throat. He rarely spoke of her and I wondered if he missed her .
The other images were of his squaddie buddies and there was one of Jaxon at the gym with Nixon McKenna, my cousin Jenna’s husband. I had always thought Nixon was scary-looking, but he looked tamer in the image and he was smiling. Not something he did often. Jenna had explained that he’d been involved in a serious explosion when he’d been on tour. I fleetingly wondered if Jaxon had ever been injured. Yes, he was in the army, but he was part of the training core and so surely didn’t go to battle? Well, not as I knew.
It was at that moment that I realised that I had lived with him for around two years and still didn’t really know that much about his life. Was I a bitch for not investing in getting to know my new family? I pushed off the thought, accepting that ‘making an effort’ should work both ways. Jaxon had shown little interest in me and my mother. Whereas at least I had attempted to get to know his father and brother (even Molly to a certain extent). I probably would have done the same with Jaxon if he hadn’t been such a tool toward me. I let myself off the hook and directed the blame in his direction.
Walking away from the corkboard, I went to the bathroom, let myself in and freshened up. I’m not going to lie; I couldn’t ignore my inner compulsive streak, so I did rummage in a few cupboards. How could I not?
It was only when I unearthed a huge box of condoms (half empty) and was flooded with embarrassment that I told myself to stop being such a nosy cow.
Berating myself for feeling that need to quench my curiosity, I took off the damp top, shoved it into my bag and towelled myself off. I then pulled on a black tee of Jaxon’s I had found. It was fresh and the fabric softener was different from the one we used at home. It was dark grey and fell well above my knees.
My phone suddenly buzzed from within my rucksack which was on the floor by the bath and I rummaged inside and withdrew it. Sliding my fingertip across the screen, I had a WhatsApp from Dominic. He was asking about the interview which hadn’t happened yet .
It’s all good. Just about to go and meet two soldiers. I will call you later. I thumbed in.
Cool. Good luck and don’t take any of Jaxon’s bullshit. I smiled at that one and then the buffering icon to state he was still typing appeared.
Speak later. I need to talk to you as I’ve had an offer of an assignment and I’d like your advice. Dominic texted. Sounded ominous.
Cool . I replied before placing my phone back in my bag.
I checked my appearance in the mirror on the back of the door before exiting the room and relocking it. I then set off to find Jaxon and hopefully, the soldiers I would interview.
As I trotted down the corridor, I checked the front pocket of my rucksack and was relieved that I had packed my pencil and notepad.
When I entered the large room, Jaxon was speaking to a couple of soldiers. It was a common room as he had explained, with a kitchen at one end and an area for people to relax at the other. There were several weathered sofas, a flatscreen telly and a pool table in one corner.
I hovered in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt them but one of the soldiers saw me and smiled. This caused Jaxon to turn his head and as our eyes locked, heat jetted through me. What was going on with my body? That entire day it appeared to be detached from my head.
Beckoning me over, he introduced me to the two men. They were much older than Jaxon and I imagined they’d been in the army for quite some time.
Both explained that they thought that bringing mental health issues in the army out in the open was a good thing. They seemed keen and were extremely polite. They were perfect for my story and from the sound of things they had been soldiers long enough to have gained some baggage. Whatever that may be.
Jaxon thanked the men for taking part and told me I had an hour before we had to head back home. He then left us alone and they directed me over to the sofas. I declined their offer of a coffee as I was excited to get down to business and only had an hour to interview them.
Stuffing my rucksack onto the chair next to me, I pulled out my notebook and pen and my iPhone. I asked them if they were OK with me recording our discussion. I would still take notes, but it was good to have a backup. They were both in agreement.
And then we started the interview. I asked them questions, keeping things tame, nothing too intrusive at first. Just the usual, how long had they been serving and why did they sign up? They were both quite open and after around fifteen minutes, they told me about the harsher reality of serving in the military.
The subject both men returned to was that they had found being away from their families the hardest thing to deal with at first. Especially when they were newly recruited and hardly knew anyone. The isolation would make even the strongest of characters, feel lonely. They then explained the darker sides. The early starts and vigorous training regimes, the bullying and trying to fit in. Discipline was the main theme throughout each difficult theme. They spoke with passion about how they were drilled repeatedly, and trained to automatically obey an order no matter what they were instructed to do.
Sergeant Mitchell, the elder of the two explained that doing what you are ordered to do could be a case of life and death. I bit my lip at one point as both men explained how they’d been shot at during at least one of their tours. They had also lost friends, either due to injuries sustained whilst fighting or by suicide. I found it all extremely sad. Especially when the soldier named Sergeant Smith explained how he’d had to tell one of the families that both their twin sons had been killed in Beirut.
We ran slightly over but Jaxon didn’t interrupt us. He stood, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded over his chest and waited patiently until we had finished .
Pushing my phone, notebook, and pen into my bag, I thanked both men and asked them if they wished to see my piece once it was written. I explained that their stories would be shared anonymously.
The car journey on the way home was oddly quiet. Jaxon didn’t ask me about how the interviews went, but as we arrived home, he did remind me that he wanted to see my article before I submitted it.
I thanked him and was rewarded with a grunt as he locked the car. He then set off for the house, leaving me to shuffle along after him. His mood swings could give even the most tolerant person whiplash. I didn’t push it and when we got inside the hallway, we went our different ways.
Later that evening, I sat in my room at my writing desk and pulled out my notes. It took around an hour to finish my first draft. I reread it a couple of times, realising that it was in no way finished and that it was too one-sided. If I wanted it in the paper, I needed to document that I had explored all avenues of army life before my conclusion. The biggest thing I unearthed was that there wasn’t enough support in place for soldiers. The occupational health visits sounded mediocre and too infrequent to ensure that people in the military were looked after, both emotionally as well as physically.
I placed my glasses on the table and rubbed my eyes, just as my mother shouted up the stairs to say that dinner was in one hour. Again, another dinner together. What was going on? Were Daisy and Marcus on a mission to try and make us into a real family now they were expecting?
I had called Dominic earlier to fill him in about the interviews, but I could tell he was doing that active listening thing and that he wasn’t really listening to me. About ten minutes into the conversation, I found out why.
Dominic had been offered a photoshoot opportunity in Paris to cover fashion week. It was only one contract but it could lead to more work and the pay was excellent. His enthusiasm surprised me as he’d always slagged off that type of photography, stating that he was more into capturing gritty stuff and real life. I agreed that he shouldn’t turn it down. He explained that he would be away from the following Saturday for a full two weeks. To be honest, I kind of welcomed the distance as he had become quite full on the last couple of times we’d hung out in my room. He knew I wasn’t ready to have sex yet and the last time he’d thrown what I would describe as a mild man tantrum. Something I hadn’t liked. As I said before, I would not be pressured into having sex too soon. It just wasn’t happening.
Rolling my shoulders, I exhaled noisily; my body had started to ache in strange places. Physically I had stretched myself too far that morning, but I’d been so determined not to allow Jaxon to say I told you so. If I had failed, I’d have hated myself for it.
After showering, I put on fresh underwear, a pair of ripped jeans and a pale blue camisole. It was pretty and edged with lace along the neckline. My friend Melody told me the colour matched my eyes and the cut complemented my small but reasonable cleavage. I then pulled my long black hair up into a messy bun. I kept my face free of make-up, thinking that dinner would only include me, Daisy, and Marcus (and possibly Chris) so I didn’t feel the need for any protective war paint.
As I padded barefoot down the stairs and toward the dining room, I could hear a variety of voices. I strained to listen, as Marcus said something like. “Everyone on their best behaviour.” I couldn’t be sure, but it was along those lines. Great. That type of warning meant that Jaxon had to be there. Everyone else got on fine.
The smell from dinner was spicy and my tummy rumbled, I was starving. I checked my appearance in one of the mirrors which was set on the wall in the corridor leading to the dining room. I looked OK. A bit young without any makeup and my hair looked stylish if not a bit messy. I didn’t want to make it look like I’d dressed up at the end of the day. That would send out the wrong message. I quickly yanked my slightly damp hair from its top knot, knowing I felt better with it down. Pushing the hairband onto my wrist, I then soothed the strands down over my shoulders. Better.
As I turned the corner, the double dining room doors were open with various smells now lingering. The room was large with windows looking out onto the gardens. The dining table seated eight people and was made from polished oak. The walls were panelled with wood halfway up and the curtains and painted walls were a light grey to match the thick carpet. It was a traditional type of dining room and I usually did my work in there as the large windows let in loads of natural light.
I entered the room, curious to establish exactly who would be at dinner. My eyes darted around the space and I felt my heart sink as I saw that everyone was there.
Jaxon and Chris sat at the opposite side of the table, both slouched in their seats and Marcus and my mother were on my side. They were handing out crockery and placing food on the table from a trolly they had wheeled in from the kitchen. Daisy smiled as she saw me and I returned it.
As my gaze moved from Jaxon to his other side, my mood plummeted further. Molly fucking Andrews. Marcus’s stepdaughter and Jaxon's and Chris’s stepsister; aka the Antichrist. Her sudden appearance felt like some type of invasion; talk about a shock to the system. I couldn’t help but gawk across the table as I walked to an empty chair beside my mother.
Molly’s eyes were almost black they were that dark and I could feel them drilling into me as I dropped into my seat. She had been in conversation with Jaxon but had stopped talking as she saw me. Great, it appeared dinner was going to be long, drawn out and an extremely tedious affair. The way it usually was when we were all together. I pushed thoughts of the nightmare of last Christmas from my mind .
My mother and stepfather both greeted me as I placed my hands on the table and started fiddling with my placemat. They were still handing out plates and preparing to serve what smelled quite delicious.
“Chilli Con Carne tonight love,” Marcus said, passing me a plate. I noticed how Molly’s eyes narrowed at the endearment. I plastered on a smile as my stomach lurched. I had purposefully left the seat next to her empty and gone for the one next to my mother. I didn’t do it to make a statement, but I knew she took it as a snub as she eyed the empty seat and then me. Oh dear, had I unwillingly provoked the beast?
Molly Adele Andrews was slightly older than me at twenty-one and had hated me at first sight for some strange reason. My stepfather reassured me she’d come around eventually and that I wasn’t to take it personally. Supposedly she didn’t take well to strangers. Like a dog, I’d thought at the time.
I watched her slyly over the table, attempting to imagine her with a personality.
She ignored me which was a surprise and started speaking to Jaxon again. Molly usually looked at me like she was sizing up the competition. I’d never understood their relationship. It was obvious she fancied the pants off Jaxon, why wouldn’t she; she had a vagina. Part of me had wondered if they’d ever slept together which would have explained the weirdness I felt when in their company. Even if nothing had happened between them, they did not act like a regular stepbrother and stepsister. Rich I know, considering Jaxon and I didn’t either.
Molly had chosen a seat at the head of the table and was her predictable smug self. Insta-hate radiated from her. Those first few times we had met I had attempted to give her the benefit of the doubt but her constant poor behaviour had soon crapped all over my tolerance levels .
There was a strange quiet in the room which was only interrupted by clanging plates and the occasional mumbling as Marcus instructed Daisy where to put what from the trolly.
“Look who’s decided to come to tea,” my stepfather added, flicking his head toward Molly. He had obviously noticed that we hadn’t greeted each other. As if I hadn’t seen her with that new firecracker hair, she was fashioning. On this occasion, it was dyed a bright rich chestnut. She’d also had it cut and it sat on her shoulders looking as pristine as the rest of her. Molly loved changing her hair all the time. It was a shame she wasn’t as successful at changing her personality.
“Spicy or mild chilli sweetie? Or is that a silly question?” my mother asked. She knew I never went for the spicy stuff.
As rude as ever, Molly spoke over me. “Spicy for me please Daisy,” she interjected, holding out her plate. Yeah, like your personality, I thought.
“Let me guess, mild for you Wynter, oh and hello by the way,” Molly snarked. Pointing out that I hadn’t acknowledged her presence and in one fell swoop, making me look like the rude bitch. She was the reason God created the middle finger which I was fashioning from beneath the table.
Let the small talk commence. She then shot me a fake smile. She always made me feel like a loser. “Hi Molly, what a surprise. You look well.” A polite loser at least. “Yes, please mum, Molly’s right. Mild for me.” At my words, Jaxon grunted into his plate which had already been filled. Both he and Chris were waiting for everyone else to be ready to eat, dinner time etiquette and all that. When Molly had her plate back, she immediately started to roll the food around her plate with the fork. As usual, no one commented.
“You should go for the spicy for a change Wyn. Take a risk,” Molly laughed with an encouraging wink. Bitch, trying to make out I was dull.
“Wynter isn’t a risk taker, are you dear,” Daisy added as she lowered herself into her seat. She turned and shot me a grin before patting my arm. I knew she meant well but her words only added to Molly’s inference that I was boring and always went for the easy, safe option. In a way, she was right, but that didn’t make me a bad person, did it?
“You know what Marcus? I’ll have a bit of both thanks,” I stated, suddenly feeling confident.
Jaxon’s eyes met mine across the table, his lip curled at one side. He was amused by my decision.
Both he and Chris then picked up their forks and started to eat as Marcus filled my plate and got seated.
The atmosphere was strained, even though everyone attempted to fill the silence with manufactured yummy noises. Marcus then cleared his throat, saying how he was pleased that we were all together. He and Daisy then shared the news that their pregnancy had been a false positive. And a heavy silence fell into the room. I wanted to reach out and hug my mum, I knew she’d be upset but I couldn’t do it with an audience.
We listened intently as they explained about their trip to the doctor and what he had said. I caught Jaxon’s eye as Marcus spoke about it, taking my mother’s hand and holding it supportively. His expression was blank, he didn’t look relieved as I had expected. I gave my mum a sympathetic smile. She didn’t look upset. I imagined it was more of a disappointment. It wasn’t like they had lost a baby. It hadn’t been there to start with. I still felt another twinge of sadness for her.
A silence stretched after that news and I attempted to change the subject. “This is lovely Marcus,” I complimented him on purpose as no one else had done so. My words seemed to encourage others to do the same. I had yet to try the spicier side, it sat there on my plate staring up at me like a huge mistake.
“Yes, it’s delicious Daddy,” Molly cooed. Had she even tried it yet, she just appeared to be playing with it, pushing the meat around her plate. The fact that she called him daddy grated on my nerves .
After finishing off a mouthful of food, I turned slightly in my seat to address my stepsister, once removed in my opinion. “So, you don’t usually join us midmonth Molly. Where’s the fire?” I asked, trying to sound as friendly as possible.
Her eyes gleamed at me. “You know me. I’m all about surprises. Did you change your hair?”
“No, not since the last time you saw me anyway.”
“Oh, it looks shorter. Much nicer, I like it like that,” she added, blatantly ignoring the fact that I’d said it was the same. The twit, if anything it would be longer .
Molly always attempted her version of best behaviour in front of Daisy and Marcus and they usually fell for it. In front of the boys, she was her usual snotty self. My eyes narrowed as I noticed how her cashmere top pulled tightly over her huge chest. Next to Molly, I would probably be considered flat-chested. She was taller than me, and curvy in all the right places. A perfect hourglass. I wondered fleetingly if Jaxon thought she was pretty.
Hating myself for those thoughts, I glanced over at Christopher who shot me a knowing smile.
Remembering her comment about my hair, I replied. “It’s probably longer than the last time you were here.” My stepbrother Chris grinned into his plate and then helped himself to the pitcher of juice on the table.
“It’s very dark, isn’t it? It makes your skin look whiter. You’d look great with some highlights.”
After her comment, Marcus started to ask me about my article and how things had gone at the base. Chris, Jaxon, and Molly then started to talk to each other. Something about the movie Jaws and how they were showing it at the IMAX in Norwich.
With everyone chatting away noisily, it suddenly felt like a deranged version of The Waltons. I got distracted and spooned a mouthful of the hotter chilli into my mouth and that was it. BOOM! My mouth felt like lava. I would not spit it out, I would not! I managed to remain calm and lifted my glass of water to my lips, ignoring a trickle of sweat that ran between my shoulder blades and down my back. OMG, the stuff would probably take the enamel off my teeth. My eyes narrowed across the table as Jaxon shovelled what would have been the spicy version into his mouth like it was the mildest of dishes. Did the guy have an asbestos mouth or something? Nothing phased him. You’d occasionally catch him in the kitchen eating a raw chilli.
Thankfully, the water cooled down the fire in my mouth and I purposefully pushed the hotter food to the side of my plate. Jaxon noticed of course and rolled his eyes at me before going back to his stupid conversation.
As I spoke to both Marcus and Daisy about my time with the soldiers, I noticed how flustered my mother looked and I wondered if Molly’s appearance was planned. The girl must have wanted something, that could be the only reason for her unannounced appearance. The ‘something’ was usually money-related.
“You’re very pink Wynter,” Molly suddenly commented which brought my head up. She was right, my cheeks felt like they were on fire.
“Maybe you should have ignored Molly’s ribbing and gone with what you know,” Jaxon cut in with a smirk. I so wanted to jam my fork into the back of his hand. It sat there on the table just across from me; large and manly, with perfect fingernails. His shirtsleeves were pushed up, showing part of the muscles on his arms.
“Yes, Wyn. I was only kidding. I hope it doesn’t give you the shits.” I missed part of what she said, I was too busy removing my imaginary fork from the back of Jaxon’s hand. He must have seen where I was looking as he slid it from the table and placed the fork he held with the other on his plate.
“I’m sorry?” I almost stuttered .
“Let's hope not,” Jaxon put in as he watched me, a tiny tug at the corner of his mouth.
“Alright, enough both of you,” Marcus huffed.
As I continued to stare across the table, looking from one to the other, their meaning hit me. They were taunting me about the possibility of an upset stomach.
Jaxon mocked his father by shrugging his massive shoulders and then resting his elbows on the table. Bad manners which Marcus hated. I narrowed my eyes as his steepled fingers.
“Can we just eat and change the subject please?” Chris charged in, attempting to change the conversation and lighten the mood.
Pushing thoughts of the idea of Marcus’s chilli giving me the shits out of my head, I bit my lip, refusing to let them drive me to say something I shouldn’t. Especially in front of their father.
“You do look hot Wyn. Maybe we should get you some milk?” Forget my possible toilet drama come morning, the girl beside me had her own version of diarrhoea, the verbal kind. I also hated the fact that she thought she had the right to shorten my name.
“She looks knackered,” Jaxon countered in that gravelly voice of his, those dark eyes roaming over my face in an assessing manner. My skin prickled at the way he ran his eyes over me. Here we go. They loved to tag team it. After so much physical exertion that day, I was almost weary beyond repair.
Shuffling in my seat I raised an eyebrow, my eyes meeting my stepbrothers across the table. “And who have I got to blame for that?” I didn’t mean for it to come out quite as suggestive as it did, but my words got Molly’s attention and her face dropped.
A strange silence fell across the table before Marcus leaned over the crockpot of chilli and started to stir it enthusiastically. “Help yourself to more rice everyone,” he declared, cutting into the awkwardness which I had created .
“When does your course start, Chris,” Daisy jumped in but was immediately railroaded.
“What does she mean Jaxon?” Molly questioned, not allowing anyone to change the subject. There was a deep frown across her forehead. It was not a good look on her. Her teeth also looked extremely white against the contrast of her hair.
“Wynter’s talking about the workout I gave her earlier,” my stepbrother replied with a similar tone, jumping on board. He stretched and placed his hands behind his head, staring down his nose at me. His comment and the way he spoke forced Marcus to look between us with a not-too-impressed expression.
Chris tittered, his fork rattling onto his plate. “You’re such dick.” He announced whilst shooting his brother a smile.
“Christopher,” Daisy scolded with her head to one side.
“What are you talking about? What workout? I can’t see you in the gym,” my sort of stepsister snickered, leaning back in her seat, and wiping her mouth with a napkin. Why was anyone’s guess, she hadn’t touched her food.
I stared back at Jaxon as he watched me with an intense, brooding look as Marcus explained, “Wynter went to the base with Jaxon for training today.”
“Oh, why on earth would you want to take her to the base Jax?” Molly retorted wrinkling her nose, her focus switching back to Jaxon. She had her hands under the table. She was probably groping him under there.
“Wynter is writing an article about mental health in the army,” Chris put in. Everyone had finished eating now and it was like there was a stand-off occurring.
“Really? How boring. I can think of more interesting things to write about,” Molly snorted. I could well imagine what she was thinking. Fit guys in army fatigues no doubt. She was so one-dimensional.
“Can you even write Molly?” I questioned with my eyebrows raised. They were a contradiction next to the syrupy tone I used .
Jaxon released a bark of a laugh and lowered his arms, shaking his head, his eyes never leaving mine. My eyes had only flickered to Molly fleetingly but I saw the sour expression she shot him. Pissed off didn’t come close. Had I managed to score a point?
“Very funny. Just because I don’t have my head stuck in a book all the time like some people,” she sniped back. A pathetic come-back. It appeared I had taken the wind out of her sails.
“Enough, both of you. As Daisy said, Wynter was there for research and took part in one of the drills. End off,” my stepfather quickly announced. “And Molly is actually dining with us as she’s been promoted at work.” Whatever. As usual, Marcus was on my side for one second before he felt the need to blow smoke up his other stepdaughter’s arse. I felt Daisy squeeze my knee under the table, a reassurance thing and I smiled. It was a tired smile but one that would appease her.
Seeing the exchange and wanting to level the playing field Marcus added. “Jaxon told me you aced the course today Wynter, well done. And of course, congrats to Mols!”
Molly’s shoulders relaxed again as I digested his words. Did that mean Jaxon had said something nice about me?
“Thank you, daddy. I’m so pleased. It was a huge shock as I’ve only been there three months.” That hero-worshipping look she shot my stepfather made me feel sick. My stomach heaved as my chilli threatened to make a reappearance.
For some reason, Marcus seemed to think the sun shone out of her bum. But then why wouldn’t he when she was so good at pulling off the nice girl act? Again, she’d turned the tables on me.
“But of course, well done to you Wynter. Fancy someone like you, roughing it with rough army men,” Molly hissed in that fake voice of hers. She cast Jaxon a saucy look but his eyes were now lowered. Was he even listening? He too looked tired and I felt a stab of concern.
My brain was screaming at me to say something witty but I came up with nothing so I just delivered the facts. “Well, they’re not all men Molly,” I informed her, playing with the hot version of the chilli which still sat on my plate.
“Really?” God, she was an ignorant bint.
I wanted to smack my hand against my forehead. “Yes. There are women in the army,” I declared, suppressing a smile. My tone held only a hint of sarcasm but Jaxon must have noticed as he lifted his head to mine.
“Well, they don’t interest me,” she snorted.
“I’m sure they don’t,” I deadpanned.
Molly did the right thing by blowing me off; her attention was now back on Jaxon.
Chris then answered Daisy’s earlier comment about when he was due to start Uni and the conversations split as did that tension.
Molly started to whisper to Jaxon and I attempted to pull my gaze away. Were they talking about me? Her face was so animated and I didn’t miss the way she shifted her eyes at me.
Idle banter circulated the table, with Daisy and Marcus talking about Chris’s course before switching to plans to refurbish the pool house. Chris at that point was then pretending to listen. At one stage, Jaxon drew back his head and laughed. It was a good look on him. My envy at that point was almost painful. I wasn’t sure why I felt that surge of jealousy by the carefree way he and Molly spoke. It’s not like my relationship with either of them had ever been fulfilling.
Chris’s phone buzzed a few times which earned him a scolding from his father. “Put it on silent Chris. You know how I feel about phones at the dinner table.”
And then, as usual, our family gathering became the Molly Show. I had to bite my lip a couple of times as she banged on about her favourite subject; which was, of course, herself. She worked in fashion as a personal shopper and had been promoted once, so what?
Marcus asked if anyone wanted seconds. The boys both went for it but I declined as did my mother and Molly. My eyes bulged as I watched the size of the second portion Marcus dumped onto his plate. But I knew that all the Savage men had huge appetites.
Molly cleared her throat noisily; a tactic of hers to get attention which worked, drawing my gaze. She was squinting at me. “You should eat more Wynter. There’s nothing of you,” Molly insulted with an edge to her voice. Her tone suggested she was concerned, but I saw straight through her. I was mildly relieved that she was pulling the skinny card on me; that I could deal with.
I smiled sweetly and was just about to reply but my mum’s phone also buzzed and she pulled it out to check the message. Jaxon’s phone went off seconds afterwards to signal he too had a text.
Marcus’s comment also ruined Molly’s ploy to antagonise me. “What part of no phones in the dining room do you guys not get,” he said firmly, his eyes roaming over his sons as they both placed their knives and forks down. Jaxon ignored him and removed his phone from his jeans before swiping the screen.
The silence stretched as Jaxon continued to swipe his thumb across his phone.
“Oh dear, you appear to be swiping left a lot Jaxon,” I muttered in a needling tone. He raised his eyes, those cloudy grey pools locking on mine. “What are you on about?”
I knew there was no way someone like Jaxon would ever need to find a girl online but I felt the urge to mess with him. “I didn’t have you down as the type of guy who needs Tinder.”
Molly snorted and his eyes shot to mine. “Piss off Wynter. The fact that you know how it works suggests you do. What’s up, the boyfriend not cutting it in the sack? ”
“Jax, you’re so funny,” Molly giggled, playfully punching him on the shoulder. Please, someone pass me a sick bucket.
I should have been embarrassed but it was obvious no one else was really listening apart from Molly. It was also amusing that Marcus said nothing to Jaxon or Daisy who too sat there on her phone with her half-eaten chilli placed before her.
Jaxon’s brooding expression suddenly lightened as he read what must have been good news. He then flicked a glance at Daisy who was now grinning from ear to ear.
“My niece Jenna has had the baby!” she declared and my smile was automatic.
My mother waved her phone, sending a spark of excitement into the air. Everyone appeared pleased by the news apart from Molly who just sat there looking disinterested.
“Nix just messaged me. They had a girl,” Jaxon explained. “Great news.” I ran my gaze over his face with a smile. He was genuinely happy for his friend. It was only brief but as our eyes connected, a silent message passed between us. We were both pleased for Nixon and Jenna no matter about our differences.
“Well then, time to celebrate, I think! Dee, do we have some Champagne in the chiller?” Marcus chirped pushing to his feet and leaving the room. Great. Yes, I was pleased, but I was ready to run away and hide in my room. Champagne meant the evening in the same room as Molly would be lengthened. No, thank you. Maybe I could dash off and blame the chilli?
Daisy started to clear the plates and Chris stood to help her. Both Molly and Jaxon remained where they were with Jaxon texting on his phone. Once he’d sent his message, he lifted an eyebrow at me. “I’m going to the hospital tomorrow afternoon. I imagine you’ll want to come?” he put out there. Knock me down with a feather kicked in as I digested those words. Was he offering me a ride ?
My reply almost lodged in my throat. “Yes, please. That would be great,” I tried to keep the desperation out of my voice.
Our gazes remained locked and Molly just faded away into the background. It was like we were both part of something and this time, she was the outsider. My earlier bad karma evaporated and I couldn’t lie, I loved it.
The words I welcomed poured between Jaxon’s lips. “Fine. We’ll go together if you’d like.” At those words, I looked at him with the most appreciative stare I had ever been able to muster in his company.
I then sucked in what little oxygen I could get into my tight hopeful chest. “Cool.” If Jaxon hadn’t offered to give me a lift, I would have had no way of getting there. Unless I went with Daisy and Marcus.
Molly grunted, pushing her plate away and folding her arms. “But I thought we’d do something together tomorrow Jax. A movie and then some food or something. My treat, to celebrate my promotion?” she said with a hurt look; attempting to guilt-trip him. “That’s the only reason I thought I’d stay the night. We haven’t done anything for ages. I was going to book Jaws at the IMAX for us?”
“You could go with Chris?” he suggested which caused his brother to start choking. He recovered himself quickly.
“Yeah, I’m free Molly.” Yeah, whatever, more like backed into a fucking corner.
“I wanted us all to go. Well, just family. Sorry, Wynter, no offence.” She put in the latter part as an afterthought as Marcus came back into the room to collect the crockpot. I didn’t care that she didn’t see me or my mother as family.
“It won’t be the same if both my brothers aren’t there and besides. There’s something I must talk to you about Jax.” My God, talk about over the top.
Jaxon cast her a hooded look. “No can do now Mols. The only time I have to visit Nix is tomorrow.”
“Well, why don’t I come with you to the hospital? We could talk on the way? ”
“Why would you want to do that? You can’t stand Nixon or Jenna,” Jaxon grunted, his expression darkening. I found that revelation interesting as I didn’t know Molly disliked Nix and Jenna. It didn’t surprise me though as anyone Jaxon showed interest in was immediately the enemy.
“Look, you’re back the weekend after next. How about I make it up to you then?” he soothed, placing his hand over hers on the table. I watched in silence as he squeezed it. It was like I wasn’t even there. Molly glanced down and pouted. Like the girls do in those movies when they can’t get their way with a boy.
I started to help my mother clear away, needing the distraction before I screamed at them both across the table. Common sense told me to get the heck out of there before Jaxon changed his mind about taking me to the hospital. I was determined not to allow Molly to ruin my excitement at the thought of seeing Jenna’s new baby.
As I left the room with my hands full of dirty crockery, Chris materialising by my side to help, I heard Molly loudly whisper. “Well, I’ll make sure you make it up to me Jax. Several times.”
A lump the size of Norfolk appeared in my throat as I attempted to stomach her sexually suggestive comment. I so wanted not to care and so why did I feel such sadness at the thought of them together?
I bit my lip as anxiety settled in my gut. As I walked away with my original happiness at Jenna’s news fading, that question mark about the closeness of Molly and Jaxon’s relationship was answered with a deep, throaty response.
The promise in his voice and those following five words forced a tremor of pain through me. “I’ll look forward to it.”