Chapter 34 Last Chance to Back Out
Jaxon
ONE WEEK LATER
I stood just off to the side of the covered wall, hands tucked into the pockets of my leather jacket as I scanned the crowd gathered inside Westfort Medical. The new pediatric wing stretched behind me—bright and open, with my art about to be the first thing people saw before they walked in.
Voices filled the space, low murmurs and quiet anticipation, until the vice chair stepped forward, heels clicking with purpose as she approached the podium.
“Pleasant good morning, everyone,” she began, her voice carrying easily through the room as the crowd settled.
I straightened slightly, my jaw tightening just a fraction as attention shifted forward. My eyes scanned the crowd, looking for one person in particular.
“I want to thank you all for joining us here today to celebrate the full remodel of our pediatric wing! We all know this project has been in the works for a year now, and it was time well-deserved. Our goal for this wing is to bring comfort, warmth, and a sense of escape to our little patients who are going through the hardest moments of their lives.”
A round of applause erupted from the crowd.
“And we are incredibly honored to have collaborated with an artist whose work not only captured the beauty in design, but also the emotion—someone who understands how powerful visual storytelling can be in spaces like this.”
Smiling lightly, I gave a nod and continued to scan the crowd, spotting Benji and Jesse standing to the right.
“This piece,” she continued, “stands as a symbol of hope, resilience, and imagination. A reminder that even in places of healing, there is room for wonder.”
My eyes scanned the crowd, working across every face until I finally landed on hers.
There's my trouble.
Standing beside Nerissa, Savannah was smiling up at me, looking as beautiful as ever. Her hair was down and swaying gently in the chilled breeze, a knitted beanie sitting on top of her head. She was bundled in a dark green coat and a cream-and-brown plaid scarf.
There was no explaining the wave of peace that washed over me when I looked at her or the calmness that settled in my bones. I just felt my shoulders relax and my next breath was easier to take.
I winked at her and her smile widened, sending a jolt through me.
God, I am so in love with this woman.
“Mr. Cage, on behalf of this hospital, I offer my gratitude. And without further adieu , I’d like to invite our president and board chair to join us for the unveiling.”
Another round of applause and loud cheers came from the crowd as a male figure stepped through. I raised a brow at the sight of Adrian Maddox walking toward me.
Of course.
He moved with the kind of quiet authority that didn’t need to announce itself—tailored suit, controlled expression, presence that shifted the room without trying.
His gaze met mine briefly and I stepped forward, extending my hand just as the cameras started flashing.
“Mr. Maddox,” I greeted, polite enough for the setting.
“Cage,” he returned smoothly, his grip firm.
We turned slightly for the cameras, shoulders angled just right. I kept my smile in place as I leaned just enough to murmur under my breath, “You’re everywhere, you know that?”
His lips barely moved, but I caught the hint of a smirk.
“Trying to own it all?” I added quietly through my smile.
“What’s the point of having money,” he murmured back, “if you can’t buy the world?”
I huffed a quiet breath through my nose.
“Now the reveal!”
We stepped back as the vice chair gestured toward the covered wall, and together, we reached for the fabric.
“One, two—”
The cloth dropped.
And the room filled with applause. I let my gaze lift to the mural fully for the first time today, even though I knew every line, every color, every detail by heart.
Vibrant ocean blues stretched across the wall, deep and immersive, where the water felt less like a void and more like a sanctuary.
Light broke through from above in shimmering beams of gold, as if the sun was reaching down to touch the very heart of the reef.
And scattered through it—
Pieces of wonder.
A great whale glided through the silence. Sea turtles drifted on unseen currents. And, of course, I had to include a few jellyfish for Lyra. Bright bursts of coral bloomed like wildflowers across the sea floor, and schools of gold-flecked fish were weaving through the water like quiet magic.
It was a world without a shore, where every corner held a hidden pulse of life.
It was peaceful, hopeful, and everything my sister loved about the open seas.
I stepped forward when they handed me the mic, the applause tapering off as I faced the room.
“I appreciate everyone being here. And I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of something like this.” I glanced back at the mural briefly before looking forward again.
“This piece…” I paused, choosing my words carefully. “It’s more than just art to me. I created it in remembrance of my sister.”
The room quieted even more than before.
“She loved the ocean,” I continued, my voice softer as a warm smile found my lips.
“Loved the beach. Said it was the only place where everything felt…
endless. Like nothing can touch you there.
And it's exactly what children need to feel when they walk through these doors. So, thank you again for the opportunity to showcase this piece.”
I handed the mic off while the applause rang, lingering even as I stepped away.
“Now, how about we all go inside and take a look?” The vice chair waved everyone across, and one-by-one they filtered through the doors.
I gave a few polite nods and a couple handshakes as they passed me. My eyes caught Savannah’s across the room, noticing that her and Nerissa joined Benji and Jesse. Ari was, of course, trying to flirt with one of the nurses.
Murmurs faded into the background as they all disappeared inside and I strode over to the group, only to have a familiar reporter and her cameraman block my path.
“Jaxon.”
Katie Clarke stood a few steps away, already smiling like she knew she’d caught me mid-escape.
“Hi, Katie.”
“Hey,” she said, pointing her thumb to the mini camera behind her. “Have a second for a quick interview?”
I glanced past her briefly—at Savannah—before looking back.
“Yeah,” I said, nodding once. “Yeah, of course.”
Her smile widened, clearly satisfied. The cameraman shifted into position beside her, light adjusting slightly as she angled herself toward me.
“Alright,” she said smoothly, slipping into that polished on-air tone. When the camera guy waved a hand, she started. “We’re here at Westfort Medical for the unveiling of this incredible mural by Jaxon Cage.”
She turned to me.
“First of all—congratulations.”
“Thank you,” I replied simply.
“This piece has already gotten a lot of attention, and very well deserved, too. It's stunning! Can you tell us a bit about the story behind it?”
I exhaled quietly, my gaze drifting for a second—past the camera, back toward the mural.
“It started with my sister. She was a huge lover of the water, and whenever we would go down to Sunset Creek, she'd spend her days in the water.” I glanced back at Katie. “So when they asked me to do something for the pediatric wing…” I shrugged lightly. “That’s where my mind went.”
“To her?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “To her. And to what she felt when she was there.”
Katie tilted her head slightly. “There’s a noticeable sense of calm in the piece. Was that intentional?”
“Definitely,” I said. “Kids in hospitals… they don’t get a lot of control over what’s happening around them. So I wanted to create something that gave them an escape. Even if it’s just visual.”
She smiled softly at that. “That’s powerful. It's no wonder you were chosen by the hospital.”
I didn’t respond to that, just gave a small nod.
“What do you hope people take away from it?” she asked.
“I'd say a bit of relief through the chaos. We can spin it all we want, but no one really likes hospitals.” I smirked at her, and she giggled. “I wanted to give a bit of peace to the kids and families… to anyone walking through here. Sometimes you don’t need something big. You just need something that makes it a little easier to breathe.”
Katie held my gaze for a second longer, then smiled again—more genuine this time.
“I think you’ve done exactly that.”
I huffed a quiet breath. “I hope so.”
She turned slightly toward the camera again, wrapping it up with a few polished closing lines.
“Jaxon Cage, everyone—owner of the Cage Ink Studios and creator of the new Westfort Medical mural.”
The camera cut and her smile widened.
“Thanks for that. You're a bit of a hot topic since the last interview we did. I'm glad I caught up,” she added, lowering the mic.
“Anytime,” I replied, already looking past her again.
“If you ever need anything, I don't mind doing some more interviews. Boosts both our images and all, you know?”
“I might definitely take you up on that. Our studio was blowing up after the first one. If you keep working your magic, then I'll have to start expanding soon.”
She laughed and nodded, sweeping a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Bet. I've got to head inside and see what else I can cover, but if you're free later on…”
I chuckled.
“What? A girl's gotta try.”
“Katie, I appreciate the effort, but I really am not interested. And…” I glanced behind her again with a smirk, seeing Savannah’s back to me as she spoke to Benji. “My girl's right behind you.”
“Figures.” Katie breathed out a laugh. “Worth a try, though. Come on, let's see what we can cover inside,” she threw over her shoulder to her camera guy before they both moved to the doors.
Shaking my head, I walked over to the group and wrapped my arms around my girl, pulling her back into my chest. Benji was standing to my right and he raised his hand to fist-bump me. To my left, Jesse and Nerissa had their backs to the wall while Ari was on Jesse's right.