"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
Since the Halloween party, Jax and I still hadn't kissed, but I was determined this time. Last weekend, I saw his resolve breaking, and I was hell-bent on taking advantage. All week long I had been trying my best to get Jax to kiss me, but to no avail.I had worn skimpy clothes, I bent over to "pick stuff up" in front of him a few times, I borrowed Hannah's pheromone perfume, I flirted with other guys to make him jealous... and still, nothing. I could tell that he still wanted me... but he was doing an excellent job and keeping his guard up. I was also pretty sure that he knew what I was doing, but I didn't care. I was going to get him to kiss me. I needed to. Today was Saturday, and Jax had promised me that he would teach me some self-defense today. After I finished braiding my hair into a Dutch French side braid, I borrowed an outfit from Hannah--a rather sexy spandex set that I was planning to use to my advantage at the gym later. However, it was cold outside, so for the time be
I was completely stunned. I had just been about to break the rules and kiss him, but I never expected that Jax would break them first.Our lips found a rhythm as they moved together, and pulsing desire shot through my entire body until all I could do was focus on Jaxon and his touch. I also never understood the phrase "weak in the knees" until this moment, because my body suddenly felt like it was made of lead as I struggled to stand on my jello legs. Jax released my forearm as he guided my arm to hang around his neck. I kept my lips on his, moving against him while I brought my other arm up. His strong body helped to support my weight on my wobbly legs.Jax's tongue jutted out, tasting and teasing before retreating back into his mouth, which left me craving more. I wound a hand up into his dark hair, giving it a tug just as I had done the other night while he dropped his hands from my waist, moving them so that he could squeeze my ass. I wanted to be closer to him; I wasn't sure h
“Are you sure you don't want to come home with me?" Hannah asked as I laid in my bed. I rolled over to face her, holding my thick duvet over my shoulders. "Yeah," I sighed, "It's fine. Mason and I are going to hang out on campus. But you have a good break; I'll see you when you get back."Hannah nodded, though she looked a little hesitant about leaving me here. Still, she slung her bag over her shoulder and gave me a quick hug before heading out. As much as I normally didn’t like the silence, I also felt a little relieved. I didn’t want her to see me wallowing all day. I was still in my pajamas, and honestly, I didn't feel like changing out of them. Instead, I grabbed my laptop, climbing back up into my bed to start a movie marathon of some kind. I didn’t want to think about my own life today.Thanksgiving was hard for me. It had been a hard time since my mom and sister died, and this year, it was even harder because I couldn't even spend it with my dad. I supposed I just didn't fee
Jax handed me a granola bar as we started onto the hiking trail, despite my insistence that I didn't want to go hiking, nor did I want to eat anything. I really wasn't trying to be stubborn... and I really did appreciate his efforts to cheer me up, but I wasn't feeling up for a hike. Especially a strenuous one. Jax had held onto my hand as we made our way up a steep trail before it finally leveled out. It was a hiking trail that was only a 10 minute Uber ride from campus. I wasn't sure how he even found the trail or where it lead, but Jax really wasn't giving me any option on whether or not I was coming with him. It was either come with him willingly, or he would drag me out himself. I decided on wearing leggings, a long sleeve shirt, and a light pink puffer jacket, which was just barely keeping me warm on this windy day despite the efforts from the hike. It seemed the higher up we were getting, the cooler the air became."You're awfully quiet," Jax said after a while. "I told you
What a week. With Christmas break fast approaching, Jax, Hannah, Blake, and I had been completely bogged down by papers and studying for finals. It was only Thursday night, and I was already exhausted, crawling into bed for the night around 9:30. Luckily, my classes didn't start until 10:30 on Thursdays, so I could kind of sleep in. I was prepared to have a full night of sleep, given how tired I had been, until I awoke to the horrible, horrible sound of thunder around 1:00 AM. At first, I wasn't sure what I was hearing that had woken me up, but when I saw the flash of lightning, I knew what was coming. The patter of rain drops hitting the dorm windows was nothing compared to the thunderous boom that erupted throughout the sky. I trembled in my bed, images of the initial crash flashing in my mind. I hated thunder. HATED it. I wanted to hide away under my covers, but felt almost too paralyzed by fear to do so. I had been lucky up to this point. Though there had been a few storms s
Despite the thunder, I was happy that I had been able to fall asleep. Still, this was not the restful night I hoped it would be. I woke up again in Jaxon’s bed, shaking with cold. He must have cranked the air up when I fell asleep and kept the air on max cool. I inched my way closer to Jax's sleeping body, pressing my own body to his warm skin. "What the!?" He said, flipping over to face me. "What?" I questioned, surprised by his reaction. "Fuck your hands are freezing," he whispered. "I'm freezing. Can I come closer to you again?" "Yes," he sighed, pulling me close so that I could snuggle him again. "Damn, you're high maintenance." "Am not," I argued. "Needy.""Stop it, I am not," I smiled, snuggling into his chest like the "needy" girlfriend he told me I was. "Can I ask you something?" He whispered, bringing his hand up to stroke my hair. "Of course," I replied. "Why were you embarrassed to come to me earlier? Have I ever made you feel like you couldn't come to me with st
"So what did you mean when you said, 'for now,'" Jaxon pressed as we returned from class. I really didn't feel like explaining at the moment. The English exam we just took was exhausting. Not only was my hand cramping from writing into tiny little blue books, but my head was pounding. Thankfully, it was our last exam... and it was Friday. I lead us into my empty dorm room, tossing my backpack to the side and settling heavily onto the futon. Luckily, we were clear to have this discussion- Hannah wasn't ever home on Fridays until later, but still, I was dreading it. "Come sit down with me," I said, rubbing at my temples, "then we can talk." "Fine," Jax said, staring at me. "Are you feeling okay?" I nodded. "Yeah- just a headache. I think it was from writing. I don't like having to look down for that long; it hurts my neck and gives me headaches." He nodded, putting his bag down and picking up the bottle of ibuprofen on my desk. "Here," he said, pulling the cap off and pourin
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