Raegan

Walker head-butts my wet jean-clad leg as I watch Jax picking up his wallet and phone.

Something is happening. Everything feels like it’s shifting without my permission. Jax is being…nice. And, for some reason, the universe has been forcing us together. First, our project, and then tonight. Though I feel like Jax had more to do with tonight than the universe.

I’m letting myself enjoy it, but my head is begging me to get away from him. To step away and not get sucked into Jax Andrews when he reminds me so much of Travis.

I dip my nose into his sweatshirt and inhale. It smells like mint. Fresh and clean.

“Ready to go?” Jax asks, shoving his feet in his shoes.

I pick my wedges up off the ground, not bothering to put them back on, along with my purse. “Yeah.” I lift my purse over my head and place it on my shoulder.

We walk quietly back through the trees, our footsteps the only noise until we come out on the other side. I can faintly hear the movie playing behind us as we head in the opposite direction.

The tags on Walker’s collar clink together as he trots in front of us, leading the way, like he knows exactly where he’s going.

I never expected this night to go the way it has. Nathan let me walk away and straight into Jax.

I don’t know what’s happening, but Jax is giving me whiplash. His actions change constantly, and I’m not sure if I can keep up.

This friendship or whatever you want to call it can’t be anything more than this—two strangers thrown together by chance.

I peek at him from the corner of my eye. His wet brown hair drips down his forehead. His jaw is slack, and his eyes smile as he walks next to me, seeming content, like this is the most comfortable he’s been in a while.

I know, if I allow myself to fall into him, he would scar every inch of me without realizing it, leaving me ruined for the rest of my life. His captivating gray eyes would haunt me in my sleep, begging me to come back to him, even after he left me dying on the floor.

Call it intuition, or maybe I’m just being paranoid, afraid of getting hurt by someone all over again.

My bare feet pad against the sidewalk, and I dodge the rocks, not wanting them to stab me on the bottom of my feet.

“Why do you do it?” I ask, peering at him.

His brows pinch together. “Do what?”

“Act like a jackass and a player,” I say, stopping on the sidewalk.

He does the same, and I stare up at him, waiting for an answer, as droplets of water fall from his hair down the side of his clean-shaven face.

“What makes you think I’m acting?” he questions as Walker sits between us.

I let out a low chuckle. “Because, if it was real, you wouldn’t have taken the time to tell me you were sorry.”

“Maybe this is me faking,” he says, looking past my shoulder, avoiding eye contact with me.

The moon reflects off his irises, and I bite my lip to keep from gasping as they shine like the stars.

I free my lip and say, “It’s not.”

He stares up at the sky, and when he speaks, his voice cracks, catching me off guard, “There’s a lot you don’t know about me and not enough time for me to explain. What I can tell you is, everything isn’t as it appears. I do what I have to, to survive.” He blows out a breath. “Some things are meant to be hidden away from the world.”

I don’t say a word. What do you say to someone who believes that? My hand twitches at my side, wanting to reach out to him, but I don’t. I don’t know how to comfort him, to ease his mind from whatever is making him feel so defeated. It’s obvious he doesn’t have anyone in his life he trusts or can confide in, and my heart aches for him.

All I’ve done is judge him, but there’s more to the eye with him. There’s more than what he’s willing to show. I’m not sure I’m strong enough to break through his walls when I have my own surrounding me.

He walks ahead of me, Walker trotting by his side, and I jog behind them until I’m walking next to them.

Jax isn’t a knight in shining armor, trying to come to my rescue. He’s a star in the night, traveling far and wide, waiting for someone to understand the way he shines. For someone to catch him, seeing past the shield he hides behind.

Does that make me the one who’s supposed to catch him? Because, through his exterior, I see it. I’m not the one who needs saving; he is.

Walker guides us in silence down the street, and it’s the most comfortable silence I’ve ever experienced. While we each might be lost in thought, I’ve never felt more connected. And it scares the ever-living shit out of me.

Arriving at my house, I notice all the lights are on—seriously, every single light. I wish I knew why Arya loved having them all on.

My car sits in the driveway, but it’s not alone, like it normally is. I furrow my brows when I recognize the truck as the one Nathan picked me up in earlier tonight.

Why is he here? Was he suddenly concerned about me making it home? He shouldn’t have been.

“Isn’t that your date’s truck?” Jax grimaces as Walker sniffs the tires when we pass it.

I chuckle. “I think he’s my ex-date,” I say, sounding as confused as I feel.

When I swing open the door with Jax and Walker behind me, I see Nathan sitting on the couch with no one else around.

Where is Arya?

“Um…” I hesitate by the door, causing Jax to run into me.

His free hand clasps around my arm, making sure I don’t fall, and I have to force myself to stay upright and not sink into his chest.

Nathan focuses on me, hatred flaring in his eyes. “What’s he doing here?” He nods his head to Jax, shooting lasers into the hand on my arm.

“The better question is, what are you doing here?” Jax retorts, stepping in front of me and blocking me from Nathan’s view.

“I wanted to make sure she got home okay.”

Jax scoffs. “Had you wanted that, you would have taken her home instead of making her walk in the middle of the night…alone.”

Arya pops out of the kitchen, holding her phone to her ear, jerking to a stop when she sees me in the doorway. Behind Nathan’s back, she mouths, What the hell?

All I can do is shake my head with wide eyes. She hangs up the phone, dropping it on the table next to her.

“Look, I’m sorry,” Nathan apologizes to me, sidestepping Jax. He pauses mid-step as his eyes move from my wet hair down to my bare feet. His jaw tics as he brings his gaze back to my face. “It looks like he got to you since you’re wearing his sweatshirt. I guess I don’t have a chance with you.”

What does that have to do with anything? What a jackass.

I was going to give him the benefit of the doubt but not anymore.

“You lost that chance when you told her to walk home,” Jax huffs, his arms and back taut.

Nathan takes a step toward Jax, and Walker starts barking at Jax’s side before growling at Nathan.

I push Jax aside and block Walker’s view. “I can speak for myself.” I glare at both of them. “Nathan, you ruined your chance with me when you accused me of being with Jax just because I’m wearing his sweatshirt. If I were wearing Arya’s shirt, would it mean that I was involved with her?” I ask. “No, it wouldn’t. I’m home and perfectly fine.” I step out of the way, motioning to the open door. “You can leave.”

Nathan maneuvers around me, Jax and Walker, marching out the front door without so much as a word. I want to bang my fist into his back, but I don’t.

I slam the door behind him and exhale.

“Burned toast?” Arya asks, grabbing her phone from the table.

“Burned toast,” I confirm, throwing my shoes on the floor.

“What does that mean?” Jax asks.

I startle, as I forgot he was standing there.

I pull my hair out of the ponytail and run my fingers through it. “You know when you burn a piece of toast, and there is no way in hell you’re going to eat it because it’s disgusting? You throw it away and start over. So, yeah, Nathan’s burned toast.”

Jax howls, the sound reverberating through the living room. “You’re insane.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You know I’m right.”

Walker noses my hand, and I rub his head, ruffling his soft fur.

“She is.” Arya plops on the couch, tucking her legs under her. “Who eats burned toast?”

Jax takes a moment, thinking about it. “Okay, you might be right, but you’re still insane.”

I shrug. “Better that than a love-struck idiot.”

“Sure, now you say that,” Arya groans, shifting on the couch, propping her head on the back of the cushion.

“Shut up.” I narrow my eyes at her.

She smiles brightly, ignoring me. “I’m Arya by the way,” she says to Jax. “Raegan here doesn’t have any manners.”

I remove my purse from my shoulder and hook it over the banister of the stairs, ignoring the girl who is my best friend for some reason.

“Jax,” he replies, nodding his head in her direction.

“Oh, I know who you are.” She smirks.

I walk toward her, whacking her on the back of the head.

“Hey,” she complains, rubbing her head. “You’re lucky I love you.”

“Sure…lucky,” I mutter.

She lifts her head, pointing to me. “I was calling you like crazy when Nathan showed up.” She glares. “I thought you were dead.”

I grimace, shrinking into myself. I turn to my purse and pull out my cell, noticing the five missed calls. “Sorry.”

“She could have been dead if it wasn’t for me,” Jax pipes in, kneeling next to Walker.

“What?” Arya shrieks, lifting to her knees on the couch.

I scowl at him before I look back to Arya. “He’s being dramatic; ignore him.”

“Next time, let me know you’re abandoning your date. I’ll bring eggs, and we can throw them at his car.”

I blink several times. “Why would we do that?”

She shrugs. “Sounds like fun, and I’ve always wanted to do it.”

I roll my eyes at her, turning my attention back to Jax, who is leaning against the front door with his ankles crossed, holding Walker’s leash. His short brown hair is almost completely dry, and his damn gray eyes twinkle, even when he isn’t smiling.

“I’ll see you Sunday?” I ask.

He pushes away from the door. “I’ll be here, Red.” He reaches for the doorknob and slips outside.

I follow behind him and Walker, closing the door, not wanting Arya to eavesdrop.

He calls me Red when everyone else is so quick to shorten my name to Rae. I think back to what he said to Nathan earlier.

“How did you know I didn’t like the name Rae?” I ask because I never told him about my disdain for the name.

“You didn’t have to say anything. I saw the way your body locked up when Nathan said it.” He shrugs, like it’s not a big deal. “You were stiff and uncomfortable. I just knew, Red.”

I’m too stunned to say anything as he walks away, heading toward a truck that’s idling by the mailbox.

He glances over his shoulder at me before he jumps in after Walker and leaves me standing on my doorstep.

A gust of winds blows, and I shiver, hunkering down in my sweatshirt—in Jax’s sweatshirt.

Funny how everything has seemed to change faster than I ever thought it would.

My phone has been vibrating all damn day as I’ve been sitting on the couch, mindlessly watching the television across from me.

Travis has been calling and texting me since I woke up. More, I’m sorry, and, We can work this out. Blah, blah, blah.

I deleted every voicemail and text without responding to him. If he’s not going to give me Stella, then I’m not going to answer him. I haven’t figured out how to get her back yet, but I need to.

I rub my eyes as they begin to water. God, I feel like the worst owner in the world. I should have her back by now. Better yet, I shouldn’t have forgotten her in the first place, no matter how angry I was at Travis. Each day that drags on without her feels like an eternity, and the ache in my chest has grown, consuming my whole body.

Knocking at the front door startles me, my heart thundering against my sternum. I squeeze my eyes shut and inhale a deep breath, pulling myself together and pushing my misery aside. I stand from the couch, switching off the television, as Arya comes bolting down the stairs.

“Go away,” I hiss at her. “You know it’s for me.”

“I know, but I want to embarrass you,” she teases.

With my hand on the doorknob, I shoo her away. “Arya,” I snap.

She sticks out her tongue but runs up the stairs anyway.

I swing open the door, and Jax is standing on the other side with a lopsided smirk on his face, looking like he thinks he’s the world’s greatest gift. I’m not sure if I’d rather have this version of him or his alter ego. Neither seems like a good option when I’m already irritated.

“Let’s get this over with,” I sigh.

He steps inside, heading toward the couch. “Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed?” he questions. His rubs the side of his face as he sits down, taking up half of the couch as he props himself up against the armrest.

Yes, I did but only because Travis has been harassing me all day.

“No, I’m fine.”

“Liar. Wanna talk about it?” he asks, concern lacing his voice. He clears his throat, and a smile crosses his face, showing off his white teeth.

“No,” I deadpan as I sit on the couch adjacent to the one he’s lying on.

I open the laptop sitting on the coffee table and pull my classwork out of my bag. With me in a sour mood and cocky Jax sitting in my living room, I’m not sure how we’re going to get anything done.

“What’s your English paper about?” I ask him, digging through my bag for a pencil.

“The effect of dressing animals in clothes.”

My head snaps up. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Not at all,” he says, sitting upright. “Animals are forced by their owners to wear clothes. A majority of the time, the clothes serve no purpose, except to amuse the owner. Don’t get me wrong.” He holds up his hand. “If you’re dressing a Chihuahua in a sweater to go outside when a foot of snow is on the ground, that serves a purpose, but every other time, not so much.” He shakes his head. “So, what kind of damage does putting clothes on animals do to them? Something physiological has to happen to the animal because they never asked to be put in a frilly tutu to match a five-year-old’s ballerina outfit.”

I gape at him, wondering how I ended up with Jax as my partner.

He clears his throat, looking anywhere but at me. “What’s your paper about?” he asks when I continue to blankly stare at him.

I blink several times before saying, “The cause and effect of abandoning and rescuing animals.”

Jax bursts out laughing. “Isn’t that something? Somehow, we were partnered together when we have similar topics.”

You know what the weird part is? Our professor allowed us to write about anything. The only thing that was required was to write a cause-and-effect paper that was ten pages long. He didn’t care about the topic

How crazy is this?

I toss a pen and notebook on the coffee table next to my laptop and lean back into the couch.

I thought it was going to be a nightmare to merge our projects together. I figured Jax had written about the cause and effect of having sex or something insignificant that would make me want to puke.

“What’s your major?” I want to know more about him. Obviously, there’s more to him than I thought.

He swipes the pen off the table and twirls it in his hand. “All in due time, Red.” He shifts his gaze away from me, trying to hide…something.

I can’t figure him out for the life of me, but it’s better this way because I can keep my heart out of the mix. If I don’t know anything about him, I can’t get hurt. I can’t fall for a guy I have no business falling for if I don’t know anything about him.

We get started on merging our papers. Surprisingly enough, it turns out to be a seamless process. We go back and forth for hours, and even though his paper is a rough draft, I’m blown away by his talent. Not for writing, but the fact that he’s so passionate about his topic. He argues every side of it, leaving no room for questions.

I watch as he types away on the keyboard of my laptop, biting my lip as I rest my chin on my hand.

Maybe I misjudged him. Maybe he isn’t just a guy who bangs every chick who walks by him. Maybe, just maybe, he’s something else entirely.

My phone vibrates against my thigh, but I ignore it. Once the vibrating stops, I breathe a sigh of relief until it starts all over again…and again…and again. Glancing at my screen, I see the last text Travis sent me.

Travis: You’re such a bitch, Rae. I don’t want you back.

I blow out a breath. Good.

He can think whatever he wants about me. I no longer care about his opinion.

I’m about to toss my phone on the couch when it vibrates in my hand.

“Everything okay?” Jax’s gaze moves from my phone to my eyes.

No. “It’s nothing.”

When I read the words on the screen, I go stiff, clutching the phone.

Travis: I’m taking Stella to the pound today.

I throw the phone on the floor, my face burning.

“Are you sure?” Jax asks, his brows dipping together. “It doesn’t seem like nothing.”

Standing from the couch, I jerk his arm, causing him to stumble as he stands. “You’re coming with me,” I say tightly.

I’m done playing this game with Travis. I don’t care what it takes; I’m bringing Stella home, today.

“What? Where are we going?”

I drag him through the house and to my car without answering him, and he willingly follows me.

Flinging open the car door, I turn over the ignition. Jax stands outside the car, his eyes wide and brows disappearing in his hair.

I roll down the passenger window and yell, “Get in the damn car!”

He relents, sliding into the passenger seat without questioning me.

I back out of the driveway, shifting the car into drive when I’m in the road. I step on the gas pedal as hard as I can, tires screeching against the pavement as I head toward the other half of my heart.