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,
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
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Jax grumbled, adjusting the sleeves of his billowing white shirt. I had to admit, Jax in a pirate costume was way more sexy than I had even anticipated. "It's Halloween next weekend," I defended, "and we don't have costumes! I'm usually very prepared." I reached up, adjusting my pirate hat. the costume itself was easy to get into so far, but I still had to put on the corset. "Oh yeah?" Jax questioned, "What was your costume last year?"I chuckled halfheartedly, "My best friend Mel and I went as Edward and Jacob from Twilight."He cocked an eyebrow at me. "What?""Twilight," I reiterated, "The vampire movie franchise? Don't tell me you're not familiar." He shrugged, turning his attention back to himself in the mirror. "I've heard of it, but I haven't ever seen it."I let out a gasp loud enough that Jax reached out to me, placing a hand on my shoulder as he surveyed our surroundings. "You haven't seen them!?" I asked. He let out an exh
I woke up to the sound of a phone ringing, only, it wasn't a tone I recognized as my own. Then, I felt something shifting beneath me. I had spend the night on the futon... with Jax. "Chief," Jax spoke into the phone, his voice gruff with sleep. I sat up off of him, feeling warm and tingly after having spent the night cuddled beside him. That was the best sleep I'd had in a long time. "You want her to what?" He asked, pushing himself into a sitting position. He ran a hand through his dark hair. More silence followed. "Isn't that risky? Pulling her out of hiding for this?" He said. Now my interest was peaked. I did not like the tone of his voice; I knew whatever it was wasn't good. "Yeah... okay," he agreed. "We will be on our way within the hour."He hung up then, sighing as he stood up off the futon. "What is it?" I asked, feeling impatient. He turned to me. "They think they caught one of the guys. Not the kingpin, but they think this is his right hand man. He's the one who we
A few hours later, we pulled up to the medical examiner's office where I'd be identifying the body. I looked at the medium sized building. There was nothing remarkable about the rectangular design and grey, brick walls, yet I wasn't sure I was prepared to go inside.I took some deep breaths, pressing my palms into my legs to keep from trembling. Jaxon was first to get out of the car. I waited, chanting affirmations into my mind. I can do this. I will not freak out. I was starting to feel better when Jaxon pulled open my car door, letting in a cool breeze. The sky was cloudy, and the entire scene just felt eerie to me. "Are you ready?" He asked me, offering me his hand. I nodded, placing my cold hand into his warm one, and allowing him to guide me off of the car seat. I kept his hand as we walked together towards the building, and he let me. "Put your hood up," Jaxon ordered as we walked together. I was sure it was to limit the amount of people who saw me, secure building or not
I didn't wake up again until I felt myself being lifted from my seat. My eyes fluttered open to reveal that Jaxon was holding me to his chest. He nudged the door closed behind him as he turned towards the hotel. "Jaxon?" I asked, "Why didn't you wake me?" "You've had an exceptionally taxing day. I figured I'd let you get some sleep." "But... you hate carrying me," I said with a yawn. "Correction— I hate carrying you when I'm pissed at you and/or you're drunk. This," he said, bouncing me up and down a little in his arms, "isn't half bad.""Well, I'm awake now, so feel free to set me down. Don't we need to go get the key?" "Nope, I already checked us in," he admitted. "You left me alone in the car?" I questioned."Oh relax," he said, "it was only for a minute, and I had eyes on the car the entire time."I chuckled as he continued carrying me towards the room. "What about our bags?" "I brought them in already.""Oh my god! You left me twice!" I teased. "Again, relax. I'm not gonn
"HANNAH!" I screeched as she stepped back into our dorm room for the first time in a week. She smiled, dropping her bag by her side as she gave me a hug. I had missed her a lot, and even with everything going on, I had been thinking about her often. She looked a lot better; her bruise had faded and she looked more refreshed than she had in a long time. "Oh, Sky. I've missed you," she chuckled. "How are you?" I asked, pulling away. "I'm okay," she said, picking up her bag and heading towards her bed. "It was really nice being around my family.""That's good," I said, "and... have you heard anything from... you know..."She nodded, "Yeah. He kept calling me and texting me, so I blocked his number before I even got home. You were right- there's no excuse for what he did to me. I didn't want to hear what he had to say.""I know it sucks," I said, "but I'm really proud of you." She smiled, flopping onto her bed. "Thank you. So, what's the plan for Halloween tonight?" "We are going t
"Hey, Blake!" Yet another man called out as the 4 of us entered the party.The townhouse was about a 5-minute walk from our dorms, and the stuffy temperature inside was a welcomed reprieve from the brisk, October night air. Jax had kept a strong arm draped around me to try and keep me warm on our way over, but he had since shifted so that he was holding my hand as we pushed our way through a crowd of dancing bodies. "Hey, man!" Blake replied, grabbing the hand of another "Man in Black." My eyes widened as I looked up at the man. Jax was a huge guy packed with muscle, but even he looked sort of small compared to the towering bodies of Blake's basketball friends. The man swung his gaze to mine. "Jimmy Mackelroy and Chaz Michael Michael's?" I smiled, giving him a nod. "Respect," he said, holding up a hand for a high-five. I had to extend to my tip-toes just to reach. I liked Blake's friends. They had all been really nice to us so far. "See?" I said, turning my attention to Jax, "t
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
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
"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
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
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
"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
“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
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
“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