Chapter 55
Chapter Fifty-Five
Lauren
The Deatheaters
Callie
Olivia, Rhett, and I are here. Where are you Lo?
Me
I just pulled in. Jax should already be in there somewhere. He had to talk with his boss
Callie
Hurry! You’ve already missed the first hour!
It’s been a long day
Callie
Well the good news is I bribed the DJ so he’s going to play some Shania for us. It should be coming up any song now
You did NOT
Olivia
She did! She flirted her butt off for that
Callie
I think you mean I flirted my sweet bottom off for it
Olivia
Ew NO!
LOL
Jax is waiting for me when I step out of my truck. He rushes up, opening me door. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
My stomach is doing a series of twirls, but it’s nothing compared to the way my heart flutters at the thought of no longer needing to hide our relationship.
“I’m ready. Are you?”
“I’m so ready. I’ve been waiting for this moment for years.” The lopsided grin that appears on his face makes me melt.
He laces his fingers in mine before pressing the doors of the Long Neck open. The bouncer eyes our clasped hands but doesn’t say anything as he gives us the nod to go in.
The dance floor is covered from wall to wall with gold and white decorations: balloons, tassels, and streamers. Lights are strung overhead and fill empty champagne bottles on the center of the picnic tables. There’s even a new golden disco ball overhead.
“Wow, did y’all buy out the Dollar Store for this function?”
Jax adjusts his ball cap. “It’s a lot, huh?
Decorations weren’t my responsibility. I’ve never been good at that kind of thing, but I’ve been trying to decrease my involvement in the bar anyway.
” He leads the way toward our friends. “I think Tony knew all along. He wasn’t even the least bit surprised when I told him I was putting in my two weeks. ”
“But he was okay with it?”
“He was more than okay with it.” He presses a kiss to my cheek, and I try to ignore the murmurs that immediately ensue in response to the action. “I even offered to help out any time he needs an extra person for the next few months.”
“Good. I don’t want him to think I’m stealing you.”
“He’ll be fine. Besides, I kind of want him to think you’re stealing me.” He wraps an arm around me, pulling me close and planting a kiss behind my ear just as Callie and Olivia come up to us.
“Ew, PDA!” Callie announces, pointing at us.
“Oh stop.” I lower her arm.
“We have a table over there. Rhett is holding down the fort. Come join us.”
We make it two whole steps from where we were when a new song comes on. Callie grabs Olivia and I by the hand, dragging us out onto the dance floor. “This is my request. We have to dance!”
I glance back at Jax as we are whisked away. He’s laughing. “I’ll help Rhett hold down the fort. You three have fun.”
The smile on his face, paired with his assurance that he wants me to have a good time, makes me feel so loved, like everything is right in this world. We are finally free to just be.
Once we’re out on the dance floor, I register the song. It’s “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under.”
Callie and I share a look and burst into laughter before matching the footwork of the crowd.
“What are you two laughing at? Is it my dancing?” Olivia doesn’t look up as she tries to follow along to our movements without bumping into us. “I’ve been practicing, but I still suck.”
“No, it’s not your dancing. Callie blasted this song for Austin when we tried to take his dog.”
Olivia frowns. “I still can’t believe you two got into trouble without me again.”
“You’re not exactly the trouble-making type,” Callie offers as her feet shuffle to the beat.
“Neither is Lauren, but she’s been included in the trouble twice now.”
“To be fair, both times were because of my terrible love life.” I step my right foot forward and back. “Be thankful you’ve had Rhett to keep you out of that mess.”
“I guess,” she grumbles.
“I’ll tell you what, next time we’re going to do something stupid, we’ll stop to make sure you’re not out of town and call you if you aren’t with us.” Callie smiles.
“Are you mocking me?” Olivia stops, placing her hands on her hips. The motion causes Mrs. Liens to bump into her.
Callie tugs Olivia to get her back in the right position. “No, I swear we’ll include you next time.”
“Okay.” Olivia smiles as she accidentally grapevines in the wrong direction. She throws her head back groaning. “One of these days I’m going to nail a line dance.”
As we scuff our boots and turn to a new wall, I glance over at the table where Jax and Rhett are watching us carefully. Rhett has a look in his eye that makes it abundantly clear he is so in love with Olivia, even if she falters the steps.
“Well, whether you do or you don’t, you have a whole lot of people who love you.”
She stops trying to dance, glancing from me and Callie over to Rhett with a soft smile. “I know. So do you.”
I nod.
The song ends, and we clear the dance floor, but when the opening line of the next song comes over the speaker, I instantly recognize it as John Michael Montgomery.
Reaching out to Jax, I ask, “Are you ready to make our debut?”
“Hell yeah.”
I laugh as he leads me out onto the dance floor while John Michael Montgomery sings about how his lover’s belief in him is the reason he continues to get up and try to do things he believes are out of reach.
Jax’s hand finds my waist once we’re out on the dance floor, setting loose chatter around us. It makes me laugh. “People in this town can be so nosey.”
“I’m just glad they finally know you’re off the market. I’ve been terrified someone would come and sweep you out from under me.”
“You have not!” I laugh, giving his chest a gentle push.
“I have.” He twirls me around in a circle and then returns to swaying with me from side to side.
“You must know by now I’m completely gone for you. I’m not going anywhere.”
He smiles. “Yeah, I do. But just because I know you’re gone for me doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying to impress you each and every day or stop fighting to be worthy of your love.”
Without hesitation, I wrap my arms around his neck, pressing my lips to his.
Words don’t feel like enough to express the way I care for Jax.
I need him to feel how much I love him, and I want everyone else in this town to see it too.
Jax isn’t going to be my secret anymore.
I don’t care what anyone else thinks of us.
Being this close to him, sharing this moment of intimacy, the rest of the world quiets. There’s no more music, no more people whispering about us, just the two of us happily in love. It’s incredible.
“I guess everyone knows now,” Jax whispers, his forehead pressed against mine.
“I knew it!” Austin stumbles across the dance floor. “He was always pining after you and trying to steal you out from under me. It makes sense you’d end up with trash like him. You have no sense of self-worth.”
Jax swivels on his heel toward a very drunk Austin. “You don’t get to talk to her like that.”
“I can talk to her however the hell I want. Stay out of this, Greer.” Austin turns toward me, but it’s clear he’s keeping an eye on Jax.
He may be a drunken jerk, but he’s not stupid.
“Where was I? Oh, yes, your lack of taste, your lack of self-worth, and your overall inability to do anything on your own.” He throws his head around as he says the words.
“You couldn’t even handle your job at Copper Hill without feeling overwhelmed.
I bet the ranch is falling apart without me. ”
Jax lunges at Austin, but I grab on to his arm. “Don’t.”
“He doesn’t get to treat you like this. Apparently, he needs to be taught another lesson.” He turns from me back to Austin. “Don’t you dare talk to her like that.” He shoves him back. “Hell, don’t talk to her at all.”
I tug Jax back again, pressing my palms to his cheeks. “I love that you want to stand up for me, but I need to fight this battle on my own. I’m ready to stand up to him and let that pain go, just like you did with your dad. Will you allow me to do that?”
Jax laces his fingers in mine. “Yes, but I’m going to be right by your side while you do it.”
“Thank you,” I whisper. As I turn back to Austin, I notice all the nosey Roots residents who have fallen silent around us, congregating to watch the show. “Let’s talk outside.”
Austin stares at me, his eyes glistening. He sways a little before finally saying, “There’s nothing to talk about. You never deserved me. I was always too good for you.”
I feel Jax’s body go rigid as he physically restrains himself from knocking Austin out cold. His restraint only lasts a few seconds because after a beat, he grabs Austin by the collar of his T-shirt and drags him outside.
“She said she wants to talk,” Jax grits out.
I hate to admit it, but it’s really satisfying to watch Austin get dragged out like that, especially after he tried to tell me he’s too good for me. Tell me, Austin, are you still feeling too good?
The second the crisp winter air hits me, I begin rambling, desperate to get this over with before I overthink it or lose my nerve.
“You don’t get a say in who I’m in a relationship with, Austin.
You’re the one who cheated. You don’t get to care about what happens after you chose to ruin our relationship. ”
I take a few steps closer to him as my anger builds.
“I spent years of my life thinking I wasn’t enough.
You trained me to believe my feelings were invalid, that I was weak because I couldn’t carry the weight of the world on my shoulders.
” I take another step forward, poking him in the chest. “You conditioned me to think it was selfish to want things for myself and that I shouldn’t even bother asking for them.
I’ll admit, I was weak back then, but it was only because I put up with your crap. ”
Austin draws back as if I’ve hit him. I’m sure it’s weird to see me stand up for myself after I failed to do it time and time again in our relationship. It feels a little foreign to me too, but the pride in my chest as I tell Austin off after all this time is addictive.
I step forward again, covering the distance he just put between us. “I’ve always cowered when you put me down, but I’m not that girl anymore. You cheating on me was the best thing that ever happened to me. It helped me learn how I don’t want to be treated.”
He drops his gaze from me, not meeting my eyes, but it doesn’t matter.
I’m on a roll. “Now I know how to go after what I want and how to ask for help without being apologetic. Me standing in front of you right now, telling you off with Jax by my side, is in big part because of you. So, thank you for finally setting me free because I’ve never been happier. ”
It finally hits me how close I am to Austin, so I take several steps back. Austin looks like a scorned child as he stands there, watching me.
I hold a finger up in the air. “Oh, and one more thing. You don’t get to talk to me like this anymore. You don’t get to call me or text me or show up out of the blue. You don’t have any claim over me, and you never did. So please leave me alone.”
I swivel on my heel to head back inside, leaving a gaping Austin behind.
Jax follows, lacing his fingers with mine again. He leans into my ear, whispering, “That’s my girl.”
When I glance over my shoulder, Austin is already gone, and Jax says, “Do you realize you just checked the last item off your list?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You just did something for yourself and no one else. Telling off Austin was for you, not for me, and definitely not for him. You did it the way you wanted to because you needed it.”
The pride on his face slowly morphs into humor, and he snickers.
“Why are you laughing?”
“I’m picturing Austin’s face when you told him off.” He doubles over as he keeps laughing, gasping for air before adding, “And leave it to you to then ask him to please leave you alone.”
I join him in his laughter. “Hey, I’ve grown a lot over the last few months, but I haven’t forgotten who I am.”
“I love that about you.”
“I love everything about you.” I wrap my arms around his neck. “Thank you for sticking by me through it all.”
“I’d rather stand in the rain with you than enjoy the sunshine with anyone else, Freckles.”