20. Chapter 19
Psycho
“ Come on, Jax,” Ivy giggles, and I grin before I quickly take off my shirt and run after her toward the lake.
I’m playing with fire. She’s nineteen and my best friend, yet I can’t seem to care.
I want her, but I don’t want to hurt her, and honestly, if she hadn’t admitted to wanting to leave Rose Meadows, I probably would have made her mine by now.
As I get close, I grab Ivy around the waist, her heat sending electric sparks throughout me as she squeals in surprise and I throw her over my shoulder and run into the lake, making her laugh.
Music to my fucking ears.
“Brother, you need to wake up.” I hear whispered in my dream of Ivy, bringing me out of it a little, and I try to move, to answer Fury and tell him to fuck off, enjoying the dream too much but nothing works, my body not doing as it’s told.
What?
“Ivy needs you, Jax,” he continues, and I can feel my heart rate pick up at the thought of Ivy being hurt, but everything goes black.
“ Why am I your best friend?” Ivy asks and I look up at her in shock because what the fuck?
“Where the fuck did that come from?” I ask as I put my burger down and wipe my hands, a little perplexed with her words.
We’re at the club’s diner celebrating her passing her exams and not having to redo freshman year in college even though she won’t tell me what she’s studying. Which frustrates me and she’s been a little off, but I honestly did not expect that to come out of her mouth.
“You fishing for compliments, cupcake, because I’ve got a list as long as my arm as to why you’re my best friend and why I need you in my life like I need air to breathe.” I say with a smirk, and her cheeks heat.
Fuck I love that look on her…
I wish I could cup her cheek and kiss her like her life depends on it, but I know she wants to live away from the club for a while.
Soon, maybe she’ll return to me, and I’ll get my wish.
“Fuck brother, it’s been weeks, yet he hasn’t woken!” I hear Venom snap with frustration before a sigh echoes.
“Each time he hears Ivy’s name, his pulse quickens. Just keep bringing her up,” Blade replies, and Venom growls, “I’m going to lose her,” before their voices fade and everything silences again…
“I want to move to New York,” Ivy announces, and I look away from Misty towards the bar where she stands before her parents and brother, my mouth hanging open in shock.
What the fuck?
She is not leaving, no, no fucking chance…
“New York?!” her mother snaps, full of anger and Ivy nods once as Macky walks over to her and wraps his arm around her shoulders in support.
“Psycho,” Misty groans, not happy she no longer has my attention, but I ignore her and walk over to Ivy, my heart pounding in my chest at the thought of losing my best friend.
“What’s this about New York?” I ask as I stand beside Ivy, and Macky winces while without making eye contact with me she admits, “I want to explore, to see the world and not be known as Venom's sister or Psycho's best friend. I want to be known as me and to live a little away from the club.”
A lump builds in my throat, and words escape me.
She wants to leave the club…me.
“Hey sweet boy,” Mama whispers, bringing me out of a painful fucking dream before I feel a light touch on my head.
I try to move into it, but my body doesn’t comply.
What the fuck happened to me?
And will someone shut that fucking beeping up?
“We need you to wake up, Jax,” she says as she strokes my hair, “Your dad is lost, the brothers feel helpless, and Ivy, oh sweet boy, she’s barely holding on.”
My heart rate picks up, the beeping surrounding me goes faster, and Mama sobs, “Keep hold of that Jax, keep hold of the thought of Ivy, and come back to us.”
Everything goes quiet again, the thought of Ivy being hurt consuming me.
“Psycho, I am not going on the back of your bike!” Ivy snaps, glaring at me and I smirk, holding her brand new helmet in my hand.
“Now, why not, huh, cupcake?” I ask, holding the dark purple helmet up and declaring, “I bought you your own helmet.”
She shakes her head, her black hair swishing in the motion, and she reminds me, “Only old ladies go on the back of someone’s bike.”
I swallow hard because I know that, yet I still decided to do this, and I don’t know why.
“And my best friend,” I state, holding the helmet out and she sighs and takes it from me, making me grin before I climb on my Harley and start her up.
Ivy grabs hold of my shoulder and climbs on behind me before suddenly, shocking the shit out of me, I picture the future with her always on the back of my bike, and I shake my head.
What the fuck?
Sixteen, she’s fucking sixteen, what is wrong with me?
“Tanner, should we wake her?” I hear Mama ask.
A sigh echoes. “No, bumblebee, leave her be,” Dad whispers as something moves against my body. A warm heat fills me as electric bolts vibrate through my body.
Ivy…
“She might be uncomfortable, darling,” Mama whispers back, and Dad hums but denies, “No baby, she’s sleeping next to her best friend, the only place she wants to be.”
I hear a sniffle as my heart rate picks up, and Dad says, “See, he knows she’s here…” And everything fades again.
What the fuck happened to me?