Chapter sixteen
Jax drives with me to my condo. He waits in the car while I change into shorts and a tank top. We arrive at the bonfire together with the plan that he’ll take an Uber back to the hotel at the end of the night.
We arrive at the beach, and I watch as everyone’s eyes skip me and settle right in on the new guy.
“Shark bait!” Benji yells, obviously well into the rum by now.
Jax steps back as Benji attempts to give him a hug. His hands are up to keep the wobbly Hawaiian away.
“Ah,” Benji says with realization. “The burn. Give me some love.” Benji holds up his fists, which Jax, reluctantly, pounds. “’Cause of you, I’m forty beans richah.”
Jax looks at him questionably. “Aren’t you the guy who tried to kill me?”
Benji laughs a big, loud, crazy laugh. He then places an arm around Jax’s shoulder—as high as he can get on Jax’s arm—and walks him toward the bonfire. “You need to meet me bruddahs!”
Jax peers over his shoulder at me as he’s pulled away. At least he’s carrying the beer we bought so he can start drinking.
“He’s here with you!” Lani squeals in my ear.
“Don’t make a big deal about it.”
“Nice necklace.” She fondles the rose pendant around my neck.
I roll my eyes despite the smile on my face. “The guy spent the day looking for it—the least I could do was invite him here for a drink.”
“Invite who for a drink?” Kelli comes up behind us. Up until this very moment I forgot she was going to be here.
“Olivia Benson,” Lani replies to Kelli and, for once, I’m thankful she uses his ridiculous alias.
“The Law and Order chick?” Kelli asks in confusion. Her crop top is cut just beneath her boobs leaving her tummy fully exposed.
“It’s a long story.” I sigh, mostly because I know she’s going to have a very colorful opinion on Jax’s sudden appearance in my life again. “One I need to tell you about.”
Kelli’s face lights up. “Sounds juicy.”
“Sure,” I start. “You can say that. So, remember how last year—”
“Who is that?” Kelli interrupts me, her attention not on me at all. She bends he body all the way to the side, looking around me toward the fire where Jax is talking to Isaiah, Benji, and Kal.
Lani bends with Kelli. Together, they must look like a totem pole – one character on top of the other. “That’s Olivia Benson.”
Kelli whistles. “Why the hell is a hot as hell man named Olivia? I’d still do him.”
“His name is Jax,” Lani says his name with a sexy undertone.
Kelli stands up. “I love that name. Jax.” She rolls the word off her tongue. “It reminds me of Sons of Anarchy. It’s so manly—hunky, delicious. Jax. It’s short for Jackson, right?” She fakes a shiver. “Like that asshole you dated in high school. He ruined the name Jackson for me. Until now at least because that man is gorgeous. Who wants to introduce me?”
“You dated a Jackson in high school?” Lani raises, her dark, doe eyes now alert in keen interest.
Kelli brushes her off. “Yeah. Some douchebag who broke her heart. We do not talk about him.—at all.”
With wide eyes and a jutted-out chin, I visually scold Kelli for bringing it up, while on the other side of me, Lani stares at me with a tilted head and beaded expression.
“I need a drink,” I announce and head toward the bonfire. I grab a Long Board beer from the six-pack between Jax’s feet. Without missing a beat in the conversation with Isaiah, he takes the bottle from me, opens it, and hands it back.
“I see you’ve met my friends Isaiah, Benji, and Kalino. Gentlemen, this is Jax.” I don’t miss the grimace Kal gives me from across the fire.
“He’s maika`i,” Isaiah says to me with his bottle in the air.
“Yes. Jax is good people.” I give him cheers in confirmation.
“He’s promised not tah sue da hotel, so we’re good,” Benji explains.
Jax turns to me, his perfect grin shining. “He didn’t kill me, so it seems pointless. Now had he stabbed me in the eye, we’d have a problem.”
Benji holds up a knife and twirls it between his fingers. “Nah. I’m an expert. Wanna see more?”
“No! One show was enough.” Jax chuckles. I find myself staring at his Adam’s apple and the way it bobs with the pull off his beer.
I take a long swig of my own, needing to cool off from the fire burning before me.
“We were just about to tell him about the night marchers,” Kal says. My attention is pulled to the other side where Kal is staring hard at Jax.
“We were?” Isaiah asks.
Benji’s hands rub together. “Haha! Da’ night marchahs!”
Jax looks at me for clarification. I’ve never heard of the night marchers, so I just shake my head.
Kal leans forward into the glowing light of the fire. “They’re ghosts of the ancient Hawaiian warriors who roam the island at night visiting the old battlefields.” Isaiah makes a beating sound on his gut. The rhythm is steady like an army marching through the field.
“Do not make eye contact,” Kal continues, with a long and sinister stare, the fire reflecting orange and red in his midnight black eyes. “If you hear chanting or drums, you should run inside and lie on your stomach.”
“What happens if you make eye contact?” Jax asks.
“You will die and be forced to walk with them for eternity.” Kal’s voice rises.
Jax lets out a sarcastic, low whistle. “That’s some story. If I see a night marcher, I’ll be sure to stop, drop, and roll.”
“Don’t whistle!” Kal quickly hushes Jax who raises a brow at the urgency in Kal’s voice. “That calls their attention.”
Suddenly, there’s a loud bang that makes Jax jump, and a beating of a drum sounds from the woods behind us. Thump, thump, thump.
“Do you hear that?” Kal asks, and his eyes dart back and forth in panic.
“Huma, hana, Huma, hana.” The sound is coming from deep within the woods.
My heart beats with the rhythm of the drum. Thump, thump, thump.
Jax goes rigid. The hairs on his arms stand at attention.
“Huma, hana, Huma, hana.”
“It’s the night marchers,” Kal shouts into the bonfire. “They’re here for your soul!”
All of sudden, two large hands grab onto Jax’s shoulders causing him to leap up into the air with a yelp.
“Gotcha!” Benji laughs and does a ridiculous dance around the fire. He has a small drum in his hands as he gives Kal a high-five. I never even saw Benji get up and walk into the woods. He is one sneaky little man.
Jax is smiling and grabbing his chest. “You didn’t happen to tell them I’m afraid of the dark, did you?”
I bite my cheek to control my laugh. “I may have mentioned that in passing. They have an uncanny ability to mess with people.”
“Thanks.” He gives me a shove.
Benji comes back around and shakes Jax’s shoulders. “We got yah good!”
I stand up as Kal walks around the fire and stops next to me.
“Trish, can I have a word with you,” he asks.
“Sure.” I stand and follow him just a few feet away. I stick my hands in my back pockets. “What’s up?”
He looks at Jax. “I thought you didn’t date.”
I lean in to Kal and speak low. “We’re not dating. We’re just friends.”
He scratches his head. “You were torturing him two days ago and now you’re sharing a beer.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Yeah. I see that.” With a slight nod, he gives me a crooked smile. “Just be careful, okay? You’re a good girl—we want you to be happy.”
“Thanks, Kal. That’s…really sweet of you.”
He walks away, so I resume my seat beside Jax who is looking at me, pensively.
“How’s the burn?” Isaiah’s question gets Jax’s attention.
“Pretty good. Trish brought me some lotion, and I didn’t feel a thing.”
“My Tutu made it,” Lani chimes in as she takes a seat on the sand. Jason sits behind her, and Lani leans into his chest with her long, slender legs stretched out. “She won’t tell anyone what’s in it though.”
“Thank her for me.” Jax tilts his beer toward Lani.
“Will do.” Lani grins. “Trish takes hula lessons from her.”
“You know how to hula?” He’s looking at me, and it’s hard not to notice the way his teeth skim his lower lip.
“Just a little.” I take a long drink and stare at the bonfire—a large hole in the sand with a fire sitting in the center. I stare at the flames burning strong as his body inches just a whisper closer to me.
My eyes glance at the square of his jaw and follow to the contour of his cheeks and the outline of his lips. They’re poised, completely intrigued. I try to look away but I don’t know which fire I’m more drawn to – the one in the sand or the one burning in the man sitting next to me.
Kelli makes a loud noise, drawing attention to herself as she sits beside Lani and Jason. I take another sip knowing I may need a good buzz to deal with her when she realizes who Jax is.
“I saw you had all these tattoos,” Isaiah says to Jax. “What’s up with the dragon?”
“It represents the best and worst of humanity.” Jax taps his beer and grimaces. “Best and worst of me. We all have two sides of the conscience on our shoulder. Mine is—”
“Climbing over your shoulder and breathing fire onto your heart.” I finish his sentence.
He jerks his head back and gives me a dazed look.
“What about the elephant?” Lani points to his shoulder. “Is that a never forget thing?”
Jax gapes at me with an incredulous stare as he answers, “The dragon is the evil, and the elephant is the reminder of what was good.”
My mouth parts, with a small gasp, at his words. I swallow as I feel the heat of the fire radiating off his skin and shooting straight to my heart.
His chocolate eyes are melting as they gaze into me with a look so sincere and determined, I may melt along with him.
We’re sitting side by side, but the moment feels more intimate. Like any second our souls will collide if I don’t douse myself in the ocean.
“What about da eye?” Benji chimes in. His Pigeon accent breaking the brief moment Jax and I shared. “It’s kinda sexy.”
“My body is a shrine to one woman,” he replies. He holds out his arm and shows it to the crowd. “She has the most magnificent eyes. I dream about them.” His gaze holds mine, and I stop breathing. “Her mouth is on my ribs, and her profile is on my hip.”
He’s now focused on my mouth. I bite my lower lip in a nervous response and stare at his. I remember the way they felt when we kissed—soft, yet powerful.
“Damn man, that’s love,” Jason chimes in. “You’re making me look bad.” He leans forward and snuggles Lani whose interest is beyond piqued.
“My face on a man’s body would be just about the sexiest things ever. Would you do it?” She twists around to face Jason who has a frightened expression on his face.
We all laugh at his predicament.
Benji rises and rolls his shirt up to show off a muscular bicep, “I’ll get you tattooed on me, Lani. A real man isn’t afraid to put a beautiful woman on his body.”
Lani scrunches her face and gives a shake. “No, thanks. I don’t want to know what you do with that arm, let alone be one it.”
Benji kicks up sand as her response gets another good laugh from the group.
Kelli crosses her ankles and just out her chest. “I would totally tattoo a guy on my body. Some people get birds on their skin—I’d rather have a man on my flesh.”
My jaw drops jokingly at the insult. “Hey! I happen to like my tattoo!”
“I don’t like a tattoo on a lady,” Isaiah admits. His low voice comes out like a melody. “A goddess doesn’t need artwork.”
We all give a little whistle and woo at his comment making the sweet man blush.
“I think it’s beautiful,” Jax’s drawl steals our attention. “Especially on a woman’s back. And when it means something, like a phoenix rising from the shadows, it’s even sexier.”
My lip quivers at his words. The vibrations shoot right through me and settle in my core. He leans in, his forearm brushing mine, and I swear there’s a spark of electricity from the contact.
“Where are you from?” Kelli asks, once again, pulling us from our moment.
Jax clears his throat. “Originally from Virginia. Was in L.A. for a few years. Now, I’m kinda in between places.”
“Trish is from Virginia.” Kelli lowers her head as if to study Jax.
Jax looks away and then back to me. The corners of his brows are lowered. I give him a slight nod to let him know she knows about our past.
“What’s your last name?” Her chin is raised.
Jax matches her response. “Davis.”
Her face falls in recognition as her eyes shoot straight to me. I close mine to avoid the shell-shock stare she gives me.
“Trish, I thought you were from New York?” Isaiah asks.
I pull my knees into my chest. “Originally Virginia, then Connecticut, New York, and now, here.”
Kal chimes in, “You and Kelli left New York City—the bright lights, happening places. Why?”
“The men suck,” Kelli states. Her attention focused on one person and he’s sitting right beside me.
“Yeah,” I add as I take another swig of my beer draining it to the end.
Kelli snarls. “She’s all talk. She had a great guy there. Kevin. He wanted to marry her and everything.”
I shake my head. “No, he didn’t.”
“Did too,” she insists. “He asked her to move in. She couldn’t do it, though. Some asshole in high school broke her. Destroyed every good relationship she’s had since.”
“Kelli—” I warn.
“Right before we left to come here, the fucker gets hurt and his sister emails Trish asking her to go to his side. The nerve, right? And you know what she does? She runs to him. He must have really struck a nerve because the next day she said she was ready to move with me to Hawaii. Let’s all pray he doesn’t try to follow her here. That would be really fucked up.” There’s nastiness in her tone. Our laid-back friends are staring at her, unsure of where her hostility came from.
“Jax is musician,” I burst out in a desperate attempt to change the topic. I can feel his stare burning into my side, but I ignore him.
“What do you play?” Jason asks, taking a hint.
“Guitar.” Jax is way too nonchalant.
“Have we heard any of your stuff?” Jason is either very interested or he wants the vibe Kelli just set to be gone, quickly.
Not knowing how the conversation went from A to B, Jax tries to go with the flow. “There’s one song that’s getting traction, but you probably haven’t heard it.”
“What’s it called?” Isaiah leans his elbow one knee.
Jax answers like it’s something to be ashamed of. “Die a Happy Man.”
“I know that one!” Lani jumps to her feet. “If I ever, ever got together with you, I’d die a happy man.” Her voice is more melodic than when Shayna Waimer tried to sing it this morning.
“I know that one,” Kal nods a finger. He snaps his fingers a few times as if tryin to remember the words. “It’s four a.m., I’m thinking of what was said. The devil in disguise, I need to comprehend. How could I have let him get into my head? I’m gonna make it right. And I won’t stop till I get back with you.”
Lani and Isaiah clap, at Kal’s bellow – which was really beautiful. He gets up and keeps on singing. “It’s this one man’s stand to change the Maker’s plan and forget all the pain we created in the rain. I won’t give-up the fight. I’ll die making it right for you.”
My Hawaiian maniacs get up, Lani first and then followed by Jason and Benji, and start dancing around the fire, joining in when they know the lyrics. Isaiah even breaks out his ukulele and remains seated playing the chords to Jax’s song.
They sound like wolves howling at the moon. Jax has a shy smile on his face as he watches from behind his beer while these beautiful people who enjoy life sing his words.
Friends, booze, and a song. It’s a simple life. It’s perfect.
“We have to talk.” Kelli is kneeling beside me. Her death-stare is aimed at Jax who hasn’t noticed her presence.
Stepping away from the campfire, I follow her toward the ocean where the sound of the waves drowns out our friends’ laughter. Her arms are crossed, and her brown hair whips in the wind. I grab my own with two hands and pull it to the side of my neck.
“I know you’re surprised I didn’t tell you he was here,” I start. “I’m just trying to wrap my head around things. A lot has happened in the last few days.”
“This is perfect!” She speaks loudly over the crashing current. “You’re a fucking genius.”
I tilt a brow. “How so?”
“You have him exactly where you want him.”
I scrunch my face into a contorted grimace. “What?”
She gets closer to my ear. “This is your chance to get back at him. Mortify him the way he did you.”
I shake my head. “That’s not what this is. I’m trying to move on—”
“Move on?” she screeches. “Are you fucking kidding me? If I Google teenage-blonde-virgin-gives-boyfriend-ride-of-his-life, your face appears. Yours Trish. That guy made a sex tape with you and now it’s plastered all over the internet.” Her arms spread big and wide.
“Kelli. Please. Quiet. I’m trying to put it in the past.”
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Are you that weak that you’ll let him walk back into your life like nothing happened?”
It may be pitch black, but with the glow of the fire, I know she can see the seriousness in my eyes. “He’s not back in my life.”
“Good.” She relaxes her shoulders, satisfied with my answer. “This is your chance to make it right. I don’t know how exactly, but the ball’s in your court.—it’s payback time.”
“Trish,” Jax’s voice booms over the wind. “You guys okay out here?” He’s a few paces away. Thankfully, due to the waves and the wind, he can’t hear our conversation.
“Yeah, we’re coming,” I shout to him and then turn back to Kelli. “We’ll talk about it at the apartment. Just me and you and drinks.”
She looks over and Jax and then nods her head. “Yes. We’ll plan.”
I open my mouth to argue with her and then close it. She means well, but when she gets her mind set on something it’s hard to snap her out of it.
Good thing I won’t let her do anything stupid.
Or me, for that matter.