Fighting Ever After (Ever After #3) (27 page)

One kiss
could so easily destroy this tenuous friendship, and as much as I wanted to
taste her lips on mine, her place in my life now meant more to me than one
kiss. I wasn’t willing to give it up, and that was the only thing that kept my
hands at my side when they were aching to reach out and take her.

When that
episode was over, we were both quick to call it an early night, neither one of
us willing to risk the consequences of where the night was headed if we stayed
out here together. It wasn’t the last moment we had like that, and over the
next few days they became more frequent and harder to walk away from. I started
pushing myself harder and further on every run just to release some of the
extra tension. It didn’t help though, when times like today I came in, stripped
off my sweat drenched shirt and then walked into the kitchen to find her
already in there. Her eyes devoured my bare chest as I walked over to the
fridge to retrieve a bottle of water. If she didn’t cut that out I was going to
have to turn right back around and go run another seven miles. I’m not even
sure if she was aware of how hard she was staring at my mouth as I wrapped my
lips around the bottle and drained it. She frowned and gave her head a quick shake,
pulling her eyes away from my face.

I couldn’t
stop my mouth from twisting in to smug grin as I lowered the almost empty
bottle of water. “Problem Princess?”

She didn’t
bother trying to come up with a response. Anything other than how badly she
wanted her lips to be where that bottle had just been would be a lie. She just
picked up her own glass of water, taking a gulp and scurrying out of the
kitchen.

When I
passed by the living room on my way to the shower, she was seated on the couch
with some of the guys. Spade was trying to shove a controller into her hand. I
was tempted to stand and watch how that turned out, but I needed a shower.

When I
walked out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, they were all laughing and
talking animatedly, drawing me toward the living room to see what was going on.
I silently laughed when I realized they were trying to teach her to talk trash
over the headset.

 “I
don’t know what to say,” she protested nervously.

“Just say
whatever you want, first thing that pops into your head,” Spade instructed her,
and then the guys proceeded to offer up insults that were regularly spouted
over the game.

 “I
can’t say those things, that’s really mean and messed up,” she argued and then
called out, “
Oooh
nice shot,” over the mic.
 Marcus gave her a funny look and Spade chuckled.

“Jax, you
don’t tell the bad guys nice shot when they shoot your teammates,” Ace scolded
her.

I shook my
head. “Princess, what were they thinking giving you a mic?” She
glanced
my direction, realizing for the first time that I’d
been standing there. Her mouth parted slightly and she looked like she was
about to drop the controller. It might have had something to do with the towel
that was the only thing wrapped around my waist. She wasn’t even trying to be
subtle about checking me out. Her eyes blatantly looked up and down every inch
of me, and if we were the only two there, I might have dropped my towel just to
see her eyes bug out of her head. As it was, there was a little too much
stirring happening beneath the towel as my other head wanted to get a peek at
her. The things that girl did to me with just a look. It was a good thing I was
better at masking my expression than she was. It was time for me to get out of
there, but not before I gave her a wink.

If I had
known the trouble she was going to get herself into with that headset, I might
have stuck around to witness it. Hearing about it when I came out was almost as
entertaining. We were in the kitchen – everyone was home and Bas had come over
– and Spade was recapping it for the second time.

“Then she
says, ‘I don’t mind it rough. That makes it more exciting,’ and they lost it.”

“They were
easy pickings after that, they were so distracted. I think that should be our
new strategy. Unleash Jax on them and they won’t even see us coming,” Ace
suggested.

“I agree. We
need to just give her a mic and let her loose on ‘
em
every time we play, won’t know what hit ‘
em
.” Chris
agreed. Jaxyn just huffed, not as amused as everyone else was at her expense.

 “I’m
pretty sure half of them were hard just listening to her talk, and then after
she said that, I don’t even think they cared that we were picking them off like
flies,” Ace added, ruffling a hand over her hair.

She batted
it away. “It’s not like I meant to say that, or, well I didn’t mean it like
they took it. It’s not my fault they’re depraved, that you’re all depraved.”

“That’s kind
of the point Jazz. You don’t know what half the shit you say does to guys
because you’re too cute and innocent for your own good sometimes. Couldn’t even
tell you how many guys’ faces Chris and I had to get in back in high school to
keep them away from her.” I could only imagine what Bas and Chris must have
dealt with back in high school.

 “What?
I don’t remember you having to get in anyone’s face for me.”

 “He’s
telling the truth Tink. I’m pretty sure I had to threaten most of the guys on
the football team. After practice a lot of them would stand around and watch
you girls finish your soccer practice. I finally had to tell Bas that he needed
to steal all of your damn short shorts when you weren’t paying attention just
because I was afraid I was going to get into a fight if they kept checking out
your legs and ass.”

 “That’s
where all my shorts went?” She cried and I just laughed. “I thought Janine was
taking them out of my bag because she was mad I made varsity and she didn’t. It
totally makes sense now why you kept offering to loan me your extra shorts
every time I said I needed to go buy new ones.”

Listening to
them share stories from high school and even as far back as middle school
provided a lot of entertainment the rest of the night. Pretty soon we were
sitting around the living room, pizza and beer spread out on the coffee table
while everyone offered funny and embarrassing stories from their past.

Jaxyn had
worried that she was inconveniencing us, disrupting our lifestyle, but I don’t
think anyone was wishing they were out partying, or regretting that we were
just hanging out at home. It was one of the better nights I could remember, and
there had been a lot of them these past couple weeks that she’d been here.

“Why the hell
is she here?” Ace got in my face, nodding toward Kaylie who was grabbing a
drink across the kitchen.

“Do we
really have to do this? You know why she’s here.” I started to move around him,
but he blocked me.

“Damn, I
really thought these last few weeks had brought you to your senses. Why would
you settle for that one, when there’s another girl –
the girl
– in the
other room just waiting for you to pull your head out of your ass and make a
move?”

“I don’t
think she knows what she wants.” The last week had been the most confusing. The
back and forth between me and Jax was making me dizzy and it had been going on
long enough. One minute we’d be laying on the couch, watching movies with her
snuggled up to my side, and just as I would start to think
‘hmm, maybe’,
 she
would bolt and avoid me for two days. Then I would catch her watching me
workout, or playing my guitar with this look in her eye. One that made me want
to believe in more than just maybe, and then round and round we would go like
that.

“I think she’s
just afraid to want it, and so are you.” He walked away and joined the crowd in
the living room. This weekend we’d decided it was time for a little bit of wild
fun. We’d had another meeting at the label this week and everything was looking
like it was moving forward perfectly. Our agent was just negotiating some of
the final terms of our contract and after that whole process it sounded like
everything would just take off from there.

Just about
everyone we knew and considered a friend was here and then some; the house was
packed and everyone was having a good time. Not Jax though, she’d shut herself
in Chris’ room earlier, and except for an arm darting out the door to pull Vi
in when she’d arrived, I hadn’t seen any other sign of her.

“Hey.”
Kaylie sidled up to me with two beers in her hand. I took the one she held out
to me and settled my other hand on her hip. “Why don’t we go out back where
it’s a little quieter,” she suggested and I didn’t object. Contrary to what I’d
told Ace, I wasn’t really sure what she was doing here. In a moment of
frustration, I’d texted her and invited her. After a few weeks of barely
speaking to her, she jumped on my text and here she was.

I followed
her out the back door and onto the deck. There were a few people sitting on the
low wall that wrapped around it. I nodded at my buddy Aaron and then took a
seat at the old patio table. Instead of sitting in the chair beside mine,
Kaylie lowered herself onto my lap.

“I don’t get
you,” she said.

“What don’t
you get?” I humored her.

“Three weeks
ago we agreed to carry on with this casual relationship, and then after that
night every time I tried to see you or make plans to hook up, you blew me off
with some excuse. Now, this is the first night we’ve seen each other since, and
you haven’t even tried to drag me off to the basement or your room.”

“We never go
to my room,” I pointed out.

“I know, I’m
just saying,” she huffed irritably. “I know she’s staying here. Are you with
her now?”

“No.” Now I
was the one starting to get irritated.

“Then what
gives? Any other time, you’d have had my dress off by now.” She had a point, I
was just choosing to ignore it, just like I was choosing to ignore the reason
why getting her out of that dress appealed to me very little.

“Just later,
Kaylie, okay. Try to have a good time.”

“Fine.
Whatever, it’s not that big of a deal. I’m just surprised by
you. You’re really different lately.” I didn’t have a response for that, not
one that either of us wanted to hear.

Aaron came
over and dropped into the seat across from us, which was about perfect timing.
We bullshitted for a while, catching up, and after that, Kaylie complained that
it was getting chilly out and she wanted another drink.

On the way
inside we almost bumped right into Jaxyn on her way out with
Vi
,
Lissa and the girl Marcus invited. She wouldn’t even look up at me, just kept
her eyes forward until they had slipped out the door. That was all I needed to
remind me of why Kaylie was here. My mood took a dive from there, and it didn’t
go unnoticed by Kaylie.

“Want to
tell me what’s got you in such a pisstastic mood tonight?” she grumbled fifteen
minutes later after I’d denied her second attempt to scoot into my lap on the
couch where we were sitting in the living room with a group of our friends.

“I’m going
to get another beer.” I stood up.

“Fine, I
might not be waiting for you when you get back.”

One could
only hope. I took my time getting that drink in hopes that she would take off.
I already knew tonight wasn’t going anywhere with her, or anyone else for that
matter. I was five minutes away from saying to hell with this night altogether
and hiding out in my room for the remainder of it. Unfortunately, before I
could, Kaylie came waltzing into the kitchen toward me.

“I thought
you weren’t going to wait for me.”

She stopped
and threw her hands up. “What the fuck did I do? The two of you just need to go
lock yourselves in a damn room and work out whatever the hell this is instead
of lashing out and taking all
your
pent up sexual
frustration out on me.”

“What do you
mean the two of us?” I asked taking a step closer to her.

“I mean you
and that girl who’s living here. She just attacked me outside the damn
bathroom.”

I raised a
shocked eyebrow. “What do you mean attacked?”

“I mean she freaked
out on me, calling me a slut and telling me to stay away from you. She’s a
fucking psycho and I don’t appreciate being put in the middle of you two.” I
didn’t even take the time to get more information from her. I slammed my bottle
down on the counter and went to find Jax. It was about time we settled this
shit once and for all. I found her standing in the hall outside the bathroom,
talking to Ace. She saw me coming and tensed.

 “I
know you’re not Kaylie’s biggest fan,” I sneered, “but could you keep the
jealousy bullshit to yourself. You’ve had a tough couple weeks, but did you
really need to start shit with her tonight? If you want something from me,
let’s just go in the bedroom and work it out and leave her the fuck out of it.”

Her mouth
fell open in shock and I could practically see the steam coming out of her
ears, but it was Ace who let me have it.

“Are you
being serious right now, man?” He was pissed, but he needed to stay out of
this. It was between me and her.

“Yes I’m
being fucking serious. I’m tired of this hot and cold. One minute you’re
looking at me like you want to jump my bones and the next you’re acting like
you don’t want anything to do with me, but calling everyone who does a slut.” I
glared at her, just daring her to deny it.  “I’m done with it. Either
let’s just fuck and get it over with, or restrain
yourself
when it comes to Kaylie.”

“You don’t
know what the hell you’re saying Ky. It’s your bitch who needs to be
restrained, and if either one of you says one more thing to Jax, I will knock
you on your ass.”

I snapped my
head in his direction. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I don’t
know what that skank told you, but you should know better man,” he spit out.
“She’s the one who attacked Jax, and it wasn’t the first time it’s happened.
You should have heard the shit she said about Jaxyn’s mom when you brought her
to the house to pick me up that morning. She’s lucky I don’t hit girls.”

If I hadn’t
just reacted and actually thought about what Kaylie was telling me, instead of
just rushing out here to confront Jax, I think I would have realized that
something was off about what Kaylie was telling me. In fact, I’m not even sure
that I had believed her. I knew it wasn’t
Jax’s
style
to pick a fight with anyone, except maybe me. I’d just wanted a reason to make
her stop ignoring me, but I’d handled it all wrong.

“Princess?”
I looked at her hurt and angry face, but her eyes were
stubbornly fixed on the carpet, and it reminded me of how she’d refused to look
at me earlier, and all the times this week she’d hurried out of a room any time
I entered, rushed through meals so that she wouldn’t have to be around me any
longer than necessary and made up excuses every time I suggested doing
something together. I clenched my jaw and exhaled through my nose, biting back
my frustration.

“Look at
me,” I demanded impatiently. Slowly she raised her chin and her eyes found
mine. That’s all I’d wanted for days now. I’d come to realize in the past few
weeks just how perceptive she was, and she’d spent so many moments watching me,
and even though it filled me with anxiety, it was also a relief to feel like
someone really saw me, that she wanted to know me beyond what I let her see,
beyond the mistakes I’d made. Then she took that away by hiding from me and
avoiding me, and I hadn’t been prepared for the way that would hurt. Her silver
orbs penetrated mine, boring into me and making me feel guilt and shame for how
I’d just treated her. I could see the emotions swirling in them, mostly hurt and
disappointment, but a lot of anger as well, just like I was sure she could read
everything I was feeling right now.

“Is it
true?” I asked her.

She shrugged
indifferently, which only increased my frustration.

“Why the
hell wouldn’t you tell me she was harassing you?”

 “Maybe
because you’ve been an ass and keep throwing Kaylie in her face. Can you really
blame her for not coming to you?” Ace butted in again and I really wished he
would just leave. I cursed under my breath though because he was right. This
wasn’t all her fault. If she’d pushed me away, then it was probably because I’d
given her plenty of reasons too. Hadn’t I been doing the same thing before? I’d
been the one to bring Kaylie into her house.

I looked at
Jax again who was waiting for me to say something. “I didn’t know what she was
doing. I thought you really were jealous. I thought – fuck, I don’t know what I
was thinking.” I’d wanted her to be jealous. In that moment when Kaylie said
that Jax told her to stay away from me, it hadn’t really been anger that I
felt, but hope. I was embarrassed by it now and couldn’t stand to let Jax see
it on my face so I looked away.

“Ky, baby,
are you coming?” Kaylie appeared behind me and I whipped my head around so
fast. She wore a smug smile until she saw my face. Then her expression fell.
That’s right.
Busted.
I don’t know how she thought
she’d get away with it, but that definitely wasn’t happening.

“What the
fuck do you think is wrong,
baby
?” There was no trace of affection in my
words.

“What did
she say
Ky
? Is she feeding you more lies trying to get
you to feel sorry for her? It’s all an
act,
she’s not
as innocent as she pretends to be.” Her voice trembled just slightly, but it
was enough that even if I hadn’t already known the truth, it would have given
away that she was full of shit.

“Shut your
fucking mouth. I don’t want to hear you say one damn word about her.” I stalked
toward her and she visibly cowered. “You seriously said shit about her mom?
After I told you that she died?” That’s what got me. I knew Kaylie could be
cold and conniving, but I never thought she was completely heartless. “That’s
low even for you. You’re a disgusting, spiteful bitch and whatever you think we
had is over. I’m done with you and I want you gone,” I spat at her, “like
fucking now.”

She couldn’t
even muster a tiny explanation or anything to defend her actions, not that it
would have mattered if she’d tried. With shoulders slumped and head bowed, she
turned and walked out of the house in humiliation. Maybe my temper had gotten
the best of me, but it was no more than she deserved, and maybe all of this is
exactly what I deserved for being an ass for so long. There were a few things I
was finally ready to admit; I just needed to convince the person who needed to
hear them, to listen long enough for me to say them.

I turned to
face her, trying to figure out what I could say to her that would stop her from
walking away as well. I ran a hand through my hair and glanced at Ace who was
still standing there watching us. I could tell he didn’t want to leave me alone
with her, but I gave him a pleading look and he slipped away. And then there
were two.

“Can we
talk?” I asked her softly.

She
surprised me by nodding.

 “Not
here. I don’t want to be interrupted.” I took her hand and pulled her inside my
bedroom. I was pretty sure I was having heart palpitations as I shut the door
behind us. I wasn’t even this nervous when we’d walked into that first meeting
with the record label. So much more was riding on the conversation we were
about to have, and one way or another, everything was about to change. That
scared me to death, but it also thrilled me a little.