22. Jaxon
22
JAXON
My eyes connect with Logan’s across the short distance as he bursts from the back of an SUV and takes off running toward us. Something’s not right. His expression is positively unhinged. “Well, fuck. What the hell?” I grit out under my breath.
Beside me, Rya whispers, “Oh, no,” before letting go of me to run toward Logan. He catches her when she flings herself at him, long limbs winding around his body. I can’t tell if he’s speaking to her or not because his face is burrowed deep into the crook of her neck. The way they cling together has me questioning what I’ve missed. I told him we were cold. That I was nervous about the car. That we were fine.
I frown, feeling like I should pat myself down and make sure I’m whole. Striding briskly over to join them, I catch a fragment of what Rya murmurs. Something about not meaning to put him through that. The frown on my face tugs further into a scowl. I don’t like being out of the loop. Exhaling hard, I lay a careful hand on Logan’s upper back at the same time I put an arm around Rya, gripping her waist and squeezing.
Fuck me . My stepbrother’s blue eyes hold unshed tears. I’ve never seen him fucking cry before, so it feels odd. Significant. And I know I should say something, but it escapes me for several seconds exactly what that might be. Finally, I settle on, “We’re okay. My car’s not, but we’re good, man. Promise.”
He swallows hard, shaking his head, his gaze skirting toward my sedan, which had come to a stop some twenty yards off the side of the road.
“We went over that rough terrain right there. That stump might’ve ripped up something on the undercarriage.” I shrug, tipping my head to the side as I study him.
Logan wets his lips as Rya drops her legs back to the ground and pats his chest as she eases from his hold. His voice comes out a croak, eyes first focusing on Rya, then on me. “You’re sure.” Not a question. More of a clipped statement. He exhales hard as he rakes his hand through his hair. “What the hell even happened?” His eyes are still way too wild. I’m missing something. I’m convinced of that now.
My brows dart together at his accusatory tone, but I let it slide for the moment. “I told you. The tire blew.”
He exhales, stalking toward the car, throwing over his shoulder, “You could at least check your tires before you take the damn car anywhere.”
Okay, hold it . I shoot Rya a grimace, irritation beginning to overtake me—I can physically feel myself about to fly off the handle. Because the last thing dickweed is going to accuse me of is not knowing how to perform standard vehicle maintenance.
“Jaxon, wait,” Rya whispers, but I’m too worked up.
I shake my head before shouting over to him. “I fucking did. Just the other day. I topped off the tires with air because we had that weird warm spell, and then the temp dropped again and they all seemed low. Not one of them specifically, though. Not like there was a leak or anything. Believe it or not, I know enough to pay attention to that sort of shit.” Coming to a stop next to him, I find him breathing hard, his face pale. A moment later, he’s bent over, clutching at his thighs just above the knees.
“I don’t know how it happened. But we’re fine.” I crouch down beside him as Rya joins me. “The fuck is going on with you?” I whisper roughly.
“Jaxon, give him a second.” Rya’s pleading voice definitely catches my attention. My brows tug together as I swing around to look at her. Where Logan is pale, Rya is practically green. I still have no idea what’s going on, but the tow truck pulls up a minute later, and I force it out of my mind while I talk to the guy about where to take the car.
I cringe. “Some place that won’t charge me an arm and a leg, preferably.”
“I can do that. I’ll take it to the garage about five miles up the road. They do reliable work. Do me a favor and wait until I have her on the truck, then we can meet there. They’re about to close for the night, but they have an overnight key drop if we need to use it.”
Turning on my heel, I join Logan and Rya. “He’s gonna tow it to a place just down the road.”
Logan juts his chin toward the guy. “Did he say how much the tow is going to cost?”
“No,” I grunt, “I’ll figure it out with him when we get there.”
Sucking in a breath, Logan growls, “I’ll cover it. And I’m guessing it’ll need at least two new tires. They never like to replace just one if they can help it.” He’s got this weird look on his face that I don’t think has anything to do with the fucking car, but I can’t pinpoint what’s causing it. He grips the back of his neck. “I’m happy to put it on my card.”
“Look,” I snap, “I don’t need you to cover shit for me. I said I would handle it.” Irritation bubbles up inside of me, knowing that the card he’s referencing likely has a sky-high limit on it. Because my father foots the bill. “Must be nice to have a stepdaddy who will take care of everything for you.” I flip him off with a nasty smirk. “I’ll deal with it, thanks.”
A strangled noise, almost like a sick moan slips from Rya’s lips. “Jaxon…”
I’m busy trying to figure out what’s in her eyes when Logan hits me square in the chest with the palms of both hands, shoving me backward. I stumble a few steps but regain my footing only to find him seething, his body heaves as he stares at me with cold eyes. I cross my arms, aiming a lethal look of my own at him. “What the fuck, dickweed?”
Digging into his pocket, he pulls out the credit card in question and slaps it against my pec, his eyes sparking with anger. “Fucking fight me on it later. I want to get us off the goddamn side of the road.” His jaw works to the side for a second before he spits, “At least you still have a father who is alive and well.” He turns on his heel and stalks a good thirty paces or so away, finally stopping in the middle of the field and sitting down on the ground and dropping his head into his hands.
Rya drags her gaze from Logan’s back to meet mine. “Jaxon, I was trying to warn you from saying anything else.” She presses her fingertips to her temples, slowly shaking her head as she murmurs, “Logan’s dad. He died after he was in a car accident.”
I frown. Wait, what? “He was a cop. I thought it was a line-of-duty kind of thing.”
“It was. He was in a high-speed chase when some lady on her cell phone swerved into the lane as he was passing. After he crashed, he was able to call Jamie and speak to her and Logan. Um.” She sucks in a wet breath, blinking rapidly. “He died a few minutes later. They had no idea his injuries would be fatal.”
Oh my god . My heart gives a violent, ill lurch in my chest, then plummets into my gut. Fuck . And suddenly, Logan’s reaction to getting Rya’s call, the way he’d come out of that car, it all makes sense. His face had been the most frantic I’ve ever seen it, the sole exception being the ten seconds when we thought Rya could possibly have been dead in the Tri-Beta basement bathroom. I feel sick about what I said to him.
I exhale hard. “Stay here. I’ll say something to him.” At the nervousness in her eyes as they slip over to her best friend, I feel the need to tack on, “I get it. I was a dick. I’ll make it right. I’ll apologize.”
Rya nods, sighing. “Okay. Good idea.” She wraps her arms around herself, shivering against the cold. “And then we can get the fuck out of here.” She juts her chin toward the tow truck, where it seems like the driver is simply making sure my shitty old car is secure.
With every step I take toward Logan, I agonize over what to say. But in the end, it’s kinda simple. Dropping to my knees beside him, I rest my hands on my thighs. “I’m fuckin’ sorry. Rya filled me in. I never knew how your dad died, I just knew he was gone. It was thoughtless of me, no matter what your relationship is with my dad.”
He glances at me, his jaw working to the side as he studies me. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he shrugs. “It’s whatever.”
“No. It’s not. No matter the circumstances, I shouldn’t be fucking taunting you about taking shit from my dad. It’s not your fault he’s a dick to me. It’s his.” I let out a huff of air. “If I had known how your dad died, I would have?—”
“You would have what?” he bites out, shaking his head. “You’ve hated me for so goddamn long, I expect crap from you. No harm done.”
My eyes crash shut at the hurt in his tone. Something inside me twists, and I’m left unable to fucking breathe. I shift, sitting on my ass beside him, and swing an arm around his back, gripping the shoulder farthest from me. I squeeze when he doesn’t respond, tilting my head near his. I suck in a harsh breath that feels like I’m pulling in that air over razor blades. “I’m so sorry. Getting a call like you did today must have been fuckin’ scary. Me and my problems with my loser father aren’t your fault. If I admit something… you promise not to use it against me?”
At that, Logan turns his head, rolling his eyes. “You make me fucking nervous sometimes.”
My lips twitch, curving on one side. “It’s jealousy. That my own fucking dad treats me like a second-class citizen and he’s good to you.”
Logan smirks, then makes an uh-oh face. “Well, I bet I fucked that all up at dinner.”
Brows darting together, I cock my head to the side. “What?”
“I basically told Eric what I thought of how he treats you. So, do me a favor, let’s use his goddamn money while we can.” His brows lift as I stare at him, bewildered.
“Why did you do that?”
“Because it’s wrong. And I see it more clearly now than I ever have before.”
“Logan? Jaxon? The car is ready to be towed.”
We turn to see Rya waving us over, and I scramble to my feet, then hold out a hand to help Logan up. His remains in mine a little longer than it requires, and I inwardly smile. Jaxon, you fuck up a lot of stuff, but maybe you haven’t fucked this up. Yet.
Joining the tow truck driver, he gives us a brief nod as he flips a few pages on his clipboard. “It’ll be fifty bucks to tow. By the way”—he pauses, gesturing to the back right tire—“your valve stem is damaged. Now, I’m not normally one who hazards guesses, but I’ve never seen anything quite like that. So, it’s possible it was tampered with, and that’s what caused the blowout.”
We don’t get back to the dorm until after nine. I watch Logan take Rya through the heavy double doors to the wing they both reside in, and finally, for the first time since spotting my father at the ball game, allow myself to catch my breath. What a fucking shitty evening this has been . But also, enlightening in more ways than one.
I run my hand over my stomach as I turn away. It’s pleasantly full of a burger and fries from Big Judd’s, like I’d originally planned hours ago. At least the Uber driver hadn’t given us shit when we asked him to drive by the diner to get food for Rya and me. It probably helped that Logan bought him a burger for his trouble on top of the extra cash he’d apparently promised him to get him to wait for us on the side of the road.
I hate that taking Rya to get food turned into a misadventure that neither of us was prepared for. Hate even more that we put Logan through all that. But I am glad to know a little more about what makes my stepbrother tick. I wish I could have fuckin’ been a fly on the wall at that dinner with my father.
Halfway down the hall, I stop, spinning on my heel, and head back in the other direction. I don’t have a fully formulated idea of why I’ve done it, but there’s something inside me that isn’t going to rest until whatever’s prodding at my brain comes out.
As I throw open the door, I’m greeted by an empty hallway, so Logan’s either gone into Rya’s room with her or he’s in his already. It doesn’t much matter to me either way, I simply have this feeling in my gut that I have something more to say. It’s fucking weird, but whatever. With a shrug, I stop at his door and rap lightly.
I wait impatiently, my heart having some sort of seizure in my chest while I listen for footsteps on the other side of the door. Sure enough, a moment later, the door swings open.
Levi stands there, rumpled and bleary-eyed. “Hey. I turned down my music.”
My brows draw together, confused by his statement, as there’s no music playing in the room. Giving myself a quick shake, I hold up a hand. “I don’t give a shit about whatever noise you’re making.” I peer over his shoulder. “Have you seen Logan?” Maybe he stayed with Rya, after all. My gaze wanders down the hall toward her room before returning to him.
“Yeah.” He stops to yawn, then gestures with a tip of his head. “He’s right there.”
I shift, twisting around to find Logan staring at me, toothbrush and toothpaste in his hand. “Oh, there you are.” I press my lips together and shoot him a tight smile.
“Yeah. I’m right here.” His head cocks to the side. “Did you need something?”
“Sorta.” I grimace. Logan’s pale-blue eyes search mine, but I imagine it’d be hard for him to figure out what the hell I want to talk to him about, seeing as how I don’t know myself.
The soft chuckle Levi lets loose has us both turning our heads. He juts his chin. “I’ll leave you all to it.” Ruffling his hand through his sandy-blond hair, he shrugs. “Be back in… twenty. Is that long enough?”
My brows dart together as I step aside to let him pass. Logan nails him with a fist to the bicep that has Levi straight-up cackling as he walks away.
“What the fuck is with him?” Following his retreat, I shake my head.
“Who knows. Come on.” He waves me into the room, shutting the door behind me and putting away his toiletries before propping his hands on his hips. “What’s up? You’re acting fucking weird.”
My forehead pinches as I stare at him. I don’t know how to begin to navigate the confusion in my head. Clearing my throat, I go for something easier first, even though I wish it wasn’t anything we had to talk about at all. “I wanted to know what you thought about contacting the campus police to let them know what happened with the car. I can’t see how it’d be linked, but…” I throw out a hand. “I don’t know. It’s just a thought.” I can almost see the wheels turning in his head as he tosses what I’ve said around in there.
Logan combs his fingers through his hair. “Shit, I don’t know. Let’s see what the shop says about the damage and then decide.”
Looking up at him from under heavy-lidded eyes, I nod. “Yeah. Okay.”
There’s a strained pause. I don’t know that I had another reason to track him down after we just spent the entire afternoon together, but here we are. My chest tight, I’m on the verge of leaving when he clears his throat.
“I, uh. I talked to my mom. Your dad was taking a phone call, so he isn’t aware of any of this. Can I trust you not to say anything to him?”
I huff out a laugh, giving him a wry smile. “That’s a stupid fucking question.”
The grin he shoots back at me is lopsided. “Yeah. Sorry.” He exhales hard, then shakes his head. “Jax… I really don’t think she knew the divorce wasn’t final.”
I stare at him for several long seconds, then, as if I have to remind my lungs to function, all the air whooshes out of them at once. Several more breaths exit audibly as I attempt to gather myself, unsure what I should say. My eyes crash shut.
I’m still trying to process when suddenly Logan has his arms around me, holding me fiercely while I shake in utter disbelief. How can everything I’ve ever believed about my stepmother have been so terribly wrong? How can my anger have been so misplaced?
And how is the guy I hated with everything in me capable of setting aside all my bullshit? How does he want any-fucking-thing to do with me?