Ch. 35 – Jax
O kay. What?
Like, seriously, WHAT?
Had the universe just turned Jax’s life into a cheesy sitcom? She could almost hear a fake studio audience cackling as she scrambled to pull her shirt over her head.
“Whoops, I didn’t mean to interrupt anything,” Haley said, a wicked grin curling her lips. “Don’t mind me. Carry on.”
Where were the damn armholes of her shirt? Jax floundered, yanked it on, and noted it was inside out. Didn’t matter. “You’re supposed to be in rehab for another month,” she accused her roommate.
Haley leaned next to the front door and crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, well, I got bored. My parents were sooooo pissed when I checked myself out, but I’m an adult so . . .” She shrugged.
Rico’s eyes flicked from Jax to Haley and back to Jax again. With obvious regret, he pulled himself into a sitting position. Jax immediately missed the warmth of his body, the solidness of his weight pressing into her. She’d felt something else pressing into her and knew he’d been more than happy with how things were progressing .
“Seriously,” Haley continued. “If you two want to keep on keepin’ on, I can come back in—whaddya think, cowboy—twenty minutes?” She winked at Rico.
A part of Jax wanted nothing more in the whole wide world than to shove her roommate out the door, then stick a kitchen chair under the doorknob. But another part of her, secret and sick, was glad for the interruption. Because even as much as she wanted Rico, black, inky fear filled had oozed into her chest cavity. It sloshed with every kiss and every rock of her hips, threatening to overwhelm her.
With guilty eyes, she caught Rico’s gaze. He winced, reading her expression even before she spoke. “I think it’d be better if we raincheck this.”
Rico nodded and not so subtly moved his hips, adjusting himself.
“Bummer.” Haley bounced through the living room and squeezed onto the couch with them. “Jax, are you sure? ’Cause you could use the practice.” Haley nudged Rico with her shoulder. “Seriously, I was worried she was off men permanently.”
Rico stood, making Haley list to the side. “Um, I should go.” He ran a hand through the black waves of his bedraggled hair.
Jax stood, hopping on her good foot. She reached out to him, needing his touch again, and he enclosed her in his strong arms.
She breathed in his cologne of moss and pine, and the fear began to drain from her rib cage. “I bet I can get a break in our story before you do,” she teased.
He smiled, touched his forehead to hers. “Just you try.” He dipped his face and brushed her lips with his. “You torment me, Jacklyn,” he breathed.
And didn’t those words just turn her vagina into a Slip ’N Slide.
“I’ll call you tomorrow.” He released her and, with a smoldering smile, left the apartment .
As soon as the door closed, Haley whistled. “Oh my God, what an absolute hunk of man meat. And that ass. Chef’s kiss, Jax!” She kissed her fingers and grinned. “Sorry to vagina-block you there. If I’d known, I would’ve gone to a movie or something.”
She hopped off the couch, knocking over one of Jax’s crutches. Glancing down at the crutch, Haley frowned, then seemed to notice Jax’s swaddled ankle for the first time. “What happened to you?”
“I tripped on my shoelace and fell,” Jax hedged. No need to add that she’d been fleeing from a possibly dangerous pursuer who was also likely the town’s mayor.
“Ha!” Haley meandered into the kitchen and began banging open cabinets. She looked as thin and beautiful as ever in a white crop top and tight, high-waisted jean short cutoffs. “That’s ’cause you always wear those hideous boots. Please , borrow some of my sandals, I’m begging you. I’ll even paint your toenails for you.” She pulled a box of cereal—Jax’s cereal—from the pantry, then ducked into the fridge.
Hopping over to the couch, Jax pressed a hand onto the armrest as she awkwardly bent to pick up her crutch. “Seriously, Haley, what are you doing back?”
“I told you, I was bored.” Haley tipped a carton of milk into her bowl of cereal. “All they wanted to talk about were my feelings and my childhood and how my actions were a cry for help. Whatevs.” She leaned against the counter and shoved a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.
“But are you really better?” Jax pressed, because she just couldn’t fucking get back on the Haley merry-go-round again. If Haley was still using, if she overdosed again . . .
“Oh my God, yes!” Haley put down the bowl. “I swear, Jax. I’m done with the hard stuff. I actually did learn some valuable shit at rehab. Like about habits and triggers and how I use drugs to stifle my emotions.”
Jax wanted to believe, but fear twisted in her guts. Haley had made promises before, so many promises.
“Jax, I’m clean. I swear, and I’m going to stay clean.” Haley moved through the kitchen and stood in front of Jax. Her blue eyes were wide and serious. “What happened at the winery, when I . . .” Her voice trembled. “When I overdosed. That’s never going to happen again.”
“What about Tristan?” Jax asked. Would Haley’s douchebag boyfriend and drug dealer set up semi-permanent camp on their couch again?
Haley scoffed. “No. Ugh. I hate Tristan. He hooked up with some skank while I was in rehab. And he was sexting with me the whole time.” She rolled her eyes. “Like, I have Insta, Tristan. I see all your pics with your hands on her tits. Get a clue, asshole.” Haley grabbed Jax’s hands. “You were the only one who ever really cared about me.”
She pulled Jax into a hug. For a moment, Jax stiffened. Worries and doubts churned in her stomach, a familiar case of Haley acid reflux.
“And from now on, you’re the only friend I ever need,” her bestie added.
Jax sighed and relaxed into Haley’s embrace. The acid inside her stomach started to ease. She’d missed Haley so much. Their bond had been tested so many times, but it always held.
“Styles!” Haley released Jax and hopped with joy as the kitten cautiously re-entered the living room. “OMG, you’ve gotten so big.” Haley clamored over to him and scooped him up into her arms. The cat struggled as Haley showered his head in kisses.
“And look at this new cat tower and all these toys.” Haley rocked the cat back and forth and spoke in a baby voice. “Auntie Jax has been spoiling you, hasn’t she? Thank you, Auntie Jax. ”
Jax forced a tepid smile. Right. Styles was Haley’s cat. Why had she forgotten that inconvenient fact over the past few weeks?
Styles scrambled out of Haley’s grip and raced into Jax’s bedroom. Haley huffed in disappointment, then seemed to remember her cereal. She returned to the kitchen and picked up her bowl. Her blue eyes glinted with interest. “So, tell me everything about your smoking hot boy toy.”