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37| Shock
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Witness 38| They Know (pt. 1)
Since the "almost-kiss," a week and a half ago, the relationship between Jax and I seemed a little... off. The first day or two, he was glued to my side, ensuring that the coincidental fire was just that... a coincidence. Usually, I liked having him around, but he was behaving like he had when we first met. He was distancing himself again; not physically due to the potential threat, but definitely emotionally. We hadn't had any deep talks, he didn't give me any hugs, and he kept all conversations related to school work, weather, or other mundane things. Even more unfortunate, when Chief confirmed that the fire was just a freak accident and was 100% unrelated to the mob, he was able to distance himself even further. I hated it. I knew that kissing would be crossing a major line. He made it very clear to me that nothing could ever happen between the two of us. But yet... something almost had. I kept replying that night over in my mind. What if Hannah hadn't interrupted? Would he h
Witness 39| They Know (pt. 2)
Only a minute later, Jax was back, draping a blanket around my shoulders and crouching in front of me again. I must have been a little out of it, because I had completely forgotten that I still had my shoes on. I sat still as he gently removed my shoes and discarded them on the ground before settling in beside me. I knew that Jaxon and I had a sort of... complicated... client-bodyguard relationship; but in times like this, I wasn't sure how close I could get to him. I felt like I needed him; I needed to have him close to me. But at the same time, I didn't want any continued awkwardness. Without overthinking too much, I closed the distance between us, curling into his warm side. I felt him stiffen momentarily, but after a second, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me tighter to him as he leaned us back onto the futon. “Em, I know that you're scared, but I won't let anything happen to you. I will keep you safe. The fire was unrelated, so you don't need to worry. They don
Witness 40| Thinking Face
"Sky..." someone's voice drifted to me. "Skyler wake up," it sounded again. Only this time, someone's shoulder was moving beneath my head. My eyes immediately fluttered open. I was momentarily confused as I realized I was seated in one of the lecture halls, my head resting on Jaxon's muscular shoulder. I had slept through the entire Biology lecture, and people were already standing up to leave class. "Shit..." I mumbled, sitting up off of him, "why did you let me sleep through class?"He shrugged. "I tried to wake you at first, but you were really out, so I figured I would just let you sleep. Are you feeling okay?" I nodded. "Just really tired.""That's not really like you..." Jax pressed, grabbing both of our backpacks as he stood up. "Maybe you're getting sick.""Yeah," I yawned, taking my bag from him. "Maybe."I knew I wasn't getting sick. I was just tired because I hadn't really been sleeping well this last week. Ever since I found out that the mob knows I'm alive, my nightma
Witness 41| It’s Always Something (pt. 1)
A few hours later, Jax had kept his promise. I was feeling rested enough to get up and get to the library, where Jax and I had been for almost 2 hours now. "Jax... it's freezing in here," I spoke up after almost an hour of silence. "Wimp," he teased, turning the page in his textbook. "No, seriously," I complained, "I can't focus.""I don't have a sweatshirt for you," he said. "Can you go get me one?" "Do I look like your servant?"I shrugged, "Of sorts." "I'm here to protect you, not wait on you," he smirked, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. "Fine," I said, returning to my studies. It was so uncomfortably cold in here I just wanted to go home, but I knew that if I left to get my own sweatshirt, I would convince myself that I didn't need to be at the library. Which I did. I had a lot to get done for tomorrow. After another 10 minutes or so of suffering, a breeze from the fan hit my bare arms and I shivered hard, crossing my arms over my chest. "Are you being serious
Witness 42| It’s Always Something (pt. 2)
“Sky! Are you okay!?" Jaxon's voice rang out. Thank God. "Yes! I'm good; Go help Hannah, please!" I shouted. I watched from my spot on the ground as Jaxon ran past me, grabbed hold of Drayden, and shoved him forcefully away from Hannah and I. At first I was so invested in watching Jaxon that I was startled when a different set of arms scooped me up and hoisted me to my feet. I let out a soft whimper, and flinched as the skin on my scraped up knees straightened out."It's okay, I got you," Blake cooed. He must have been at the dorms, and I assumed Jax probably brought him as back up. "Are you okay? You're bleeding." "I'm fine... I'm just worried about Hannah," I answered as I leaned against his chest. "Mason, I think she was drugged!" I called to him. Blake snaked an arm around my waist as we watched Jax; Probably for the best, as I felt unstable and dizzy after hitting my head on the ground. "Drayden, stop," Jaxon commanded, holding him against the wall as he thrashed around. "Yo
Witness 43| It’s Always Something (pt. 3)
“Sit down, Ems. we need to clean you up," Jaxon finally said from behind me. He must also think Hannah is too far gone, or he never would have used my real name.I turned to face him, nodding my head as I made my way over. I was too nervous to speak, as I didn't want to say anything that would invite a lecture. He placed his warm hand on my lower back, guiding me to sit on the futon and helping to lower me down gently. He pulled up the ottoman next to me and gently set my legs across his lap. He reached behind him, grabbing a tissue from our mini fridge before dumping some water from his bottle on it. "This knee is pretty bad, so this may sting a little," he warned."Go ahead," I almost whispered. It did sting. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to keep my breathing steady as he dabbed at my wounds. "You okay?" He asked. I just nodded. He continued to wipe away at the wounds, picking my leg up by the calf as he wiped the excess blood from my shin. Now that he was off the worst pa
Witness 44| Time Away
Blake had only stayed long enough to drop off the first aid kit, but still, the moment had passed between Jax and I. As promised, though, Jax had spent the night with me; well, he spent the night in my room.Once Blake left, Jax had returned to his professional self. He finished up with my injuries and then insisted that I get into bed before I ended up falling asleep on the futon with him.Honestly, I had tried my very best to "fall asleep" on the futon beside him anyway, so that I could spend the night curled in close, but he wasn't having it. I guess there were just some lines he wouldn't cross. At least not yet. But, separate sleeping arrangement aside, I was grateful he stayed in my room. I was worried that Hannah wouldn't be okay. We had woken up every couple hours to make sure she was still breathing, but she appeared to be okay; passed out, but okay. She didn't end up waking up until morning. Jax had long since gone back to his room, and I was currently sitting at my desk,
Witness 45| Illusions
Honestly, I didn't really want to be at the gym today. Nothing about me was feeling motivated. I supposed I just had a lot on my mind. Not just about Hannah, but I was still freaked out about what Chief had told me a few weeks ago. There hasn't been an update, but still. The mob knowing that I was alive was the first step in them potentially finding me. What if they already had? What if they were on their way? At first, I was having a hard time clearing these thoughts from my mind as I walked on the treadmill, but then I found a welcomed distraction. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't staying on the treadmill this long so that I could watch Jax lift. I had never really been into watching men work out... but this? This I could get used to.It was damn near physically impossible for me to tear my eyes off of him as he curled humongous weights to and from his body, his veins popping out of his biceps; sweat rolling down the sharp contours of his cheekbones. I knew what it felt like to h
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Witness 67| Wake Up Call
I fixed my gaze on Jaxon’s. "Alright. Out with it." He sighed, running a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath as if to keep his cool. "What the hell were you thinking picking a fight with that guy?" I blinked at him. He really thought this was my fault? "I didn't pick a fight with anyone. He was the one who started it." "You should have just let it go! He was a drunk idiot, and you let it bother you!" "Me!? You can't be serious," I seethed, "He started it when he grabbed my ass! In case you forgot, that wasn't the first time someone's touched me like that against my will, so yeah, it bothered me. So what if I called him on it?" "We're supposed to be keeping a low profile," Jax said, placing a palm on his head in a frustrated gesture. "If you would have just walked away, none of this would have happened. I wouldn't have needed to step in." I glared at him. He was getting on my last nerve. How dare he place all the blame on me? "You didn't need to step in. I had it handled
Witness 66| Fallout
I was stunned looking at the man's unconscious body, but looking at Jax's expression, he was even more stunned than I was. He hadn't meant to do that. "We gotta go," he said, "Now." There was commotion starting around us, and I could see some of the man's buddies trying to push through the crowd to get to us. Jax was right... we needed to move. Jax grabbed me around the waist, guiding me quickly and somewhat forcefully to the front of the bar, walking out past the bouncers before they caught wind of what was happening inside. Unfortunately for us, Blake's friends were no longer on shift. On the bright side, as we exited, it appeared that we were in the clear, as one of the bouncers hit us with a very bored sounding, "have a good night." Once outside, Jax grabbed my hand, pulling me along with him at a sprint. "Mason, slow down! I can't go that fast in these heels!" I said, stumbling along after him. I was too drunk and too in shock for this, and these heels certainly weren't
Witness 65| New Years Eve (pt. 2)
"Why did you leave Hannah and Blake?" He asked, sounding kind of annoyed. "I needed another drink," I said. "You should have waited for me," he growled. "Sorry. I guess I didn't think it would be an issue," I said, taking a few big swigs of my new drink. I felt I needed it after what was an oddly sobering experience. Once we got back to Hannah and Blake, Jax grabbed my hips, spinning me so that I was facing him. I wrapped an arm around his neck while the other one held my drink, and took another sip. I could feel the tension of his shoulder muscles, and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed; his chisled jawline clenched. "Are you mad at me?" I asked. He shook his head. "No, sorry. Just annoyed by that asshole at the bar." I leaned in, placing a gentle kiss at the corner of his full lips. "He doesn't matter. Let it go, please." He nodded, leaning forward and placing his lips on my straw, taking a sip of my vodka lemonade. I giggled as he grimaced. "That's gross," he smiled
Witness 64| New Years Eve (pt. 1)
New Year's Eve has always been one of my favorite holidays. Mainly because it was one that I celebrated with my friends, not my family. The death of my mother and sister always loomed over me like a dark cloud, but I always knew they wouldn't want me to stop living either. And boy, did I plan on living tonight. Of course, I still missed Mel and my group of friends back at my old college, and I wondered briefly what they would be doing to celebrate. But, the wondering wasn't crippling me tonight. Tonight, I was surrounded by people who had become just as important to me as Mel was. Hannah was always so supportive and always knew how to make me smile, Blake always knew how to make sure everyone has a good time, and Jax? Well, I loved him. I wasn't sure when or if I was going to tell him, but I knew I loved him. I also wasn't sure if we would even be able to get in to the bar tonight, but once we arrived, I realized that Blake's basketball buddies worked here as bouncers, and the
Witness 63| The Perfect Outfit
We were not fast. 2 hours later, and Hannah and I still hadn't found an outfit. I was in the changing room, dealing with an exceptionally stubborn zipper when Jax texted me. Mason: 30 minutes in the dressing room? What are you guys doing? Sewing the dresses yourselves? Skyler: Is someone getting a little cranky? Finally, the zipper moved and and I shimmied out of the shiny, silver monstrosity. Only one more dress to try on. Mason: Correction, HANGRY Skyler: I'm almost done. I would be faster if you stopped texting me. I pulled the last dress off the hanger. I had high hopes for this one. It was a fitted, gold, mini dress that was covered in tiny little sequins. The best part was that it didn't even come with a zipper. I pulled the stretchy material over my head, giving myself a once-over in the mirror. Oh yeah... this was the one. My phone dinged again. Mason: Just pick something. I'm bored. I'm sure you look great in anything. I smiled. Last time I wore something even m
Witness 62| The Mall
"Happy New Years Eve, bitch!!!!" Hannah shouted, whacking me with a pillow to wake me up. She was back much earlier than I had anticipated; I didn't even hear her enter the room I had been sleeping so hard. I glanced at my phone, noting it was only 8:30. "Hey," I yawned, "you're home awfully early." She smiled, "I know! That's because we have a lot to do today to prepare for tonight." I sat up in my bed. "Oh yeah? Like what?" "Like going to the mall to find the perfect New Year's outfit, getting our nails done, and then we need to take a very thorough shower! Then, we will get ready, drink alcohol, and go to the bars to ring in the new year!" "Sounds exhausting," I yawned again. "Sure does," she agreed, "but we're doing it. Now get up, and get dressed! I'm gonna run to the dining hall quick and grab us some breakfast." I chuckled. I generally didn't have her energy this early in the morning, but still, it was contagious. I eagerly got out of bed, quickly changing into a pair
Witness 61| Christmas (pt. 2)
“You should slow down," Jax chuckled, watching as I finished my second glass of wine.We actually had a really nice Christmas so far. We went to the dining hall and ate our weight in bacon, then, on our walk back, it started to snow. Normally, I wasn't really into snow. It can be pretty... but after a while, it's just cold, wet, and turns to brown slush. But... I liked it today. It felt festive. Plus, Jax had kept a warming arm around my shoulders as we walked back to the dorm, and the large snowflakes were getting caught in his dark brown hair. I liked the look on him; he was just so beautiful. The soft, bright snowflakes softened his hardened features and made his ice-blue eyes look even more striking, if even possible. Then, when we were home, we watched Elf, and two other ridiculous Hallmark ones that I forgot the names of. Now, it was nighttime, and I was on my second glass of wine and halfway through my chicken Alfredo. "Oh come on; it's a holiday," I said, holding
Witness 60| Christmas (pt. 1)
Well.... it was that time of the year again. Christmas. I was prepared for how I would feel today, given how I felt on Thanksgiving. And, if I was being totally honest, I never felt like celebrating Christmas anyway. Nor did my dad. We actually made Thanksgiving a bigger celebration... Christmas was always too hard for us after the car accident. So, given that my dad and I often ignored Christmas anyway, today sucked, but I was feeling okay. At least, I was definitely feeling better than I did on Thanksgiving. Hannah and Blake had already gone home again, so Jax and I were alone. I knew he'd probably be coming in here to check on me soon, and I didn't want him to find me like he did last holiday. Instead, I pulled myself out of bed, grabbed my shower caddy, and headed to the bathroom. I took my time in the showers today, letting the hot water cascade over my body. It was quiet in here since everyone had family to visit during our two weeks off. Well, everyone but Jax and I. I
Witness 59| On the Ice
“You need to lace them tighter, Sky, or your ankles will wobble," Blake told me as I just finished my last knot. I cocked an eyebrow at him; they felt tight enough to me, but then again, what did I know about skating? "I'll help you," Jax said, walking over and kneeling down in front of me so that he had access to my skates. He hadn't put his on yet because the workers had a hard time finding a pair large enough to fit him. I thanked him, taking a moment to survey the ice rink while Jax retied my skates. It was a surprisingly nice space, and the large rink of ice looked smooth and shiny under the overhead lights. Despite it being indoors, there was a cool breeze coming from somewhere. I pulled my grey beanie hat further over my ears, smoothing my thick braid that hung loosely over my right shoulder. "You should be good now," Jax said, pulling me from my thoughts. He offered me his hands, holding tight as he pulled me up off of the bench. My ankles tried to wobble, but were
