Raegan

Sitting on my couch, my fingers fly over the keyboard, typing out the last paragraph of our paper.

Jax throws his arm over my shoulder and leans his head back on the couch, staring up at the living room ceiling. “Why do you hit the keys so hard, Red?”

I hold up a finger. “Hang on.” I finish typing and hit save, not wanting any of our work to disappear. I look over at him, and ask, “What did you say?”

“The keys.” He lifts his head and jerks his thumb at the keyboard. “Why do you hit them like you’re punishing them for existing?”

I chuckle. “I don’t know, but my parents used to get on me about that. They said I was the angriest typer in the world, didn’t matter if I was making a Christmas wish list or doing homework.”

He takes the laptop from me, and Stella paws at my leg, whimpering.

I pick her up and place her on my lap, stroking her fur as she jumps in my face.

“I’ll take over while you play with Stella. I can hear the keyboard crying from your assault. It needs a break.”

“Ha, you’re so funny,” I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes at him.

I stand, cradling Stella against my chest as I walk around the couch. I snag Stella’s leash off the stair banister and clip it on her collar. I grab my camera off the end table and secure it around my wrist. When I open the front door, the sun blinds me, and I quint, letting my eyes adjust to the bright light.

I place Stella in the grass, and she sniffs, searching for the perfect spot to do her business.

I power on my camera and wait for the screen to come to life.

With Travis no longer around, I feel like I’ve found part of myself again. I’m still not sure who I am, but I’m closer to figuring it out.

My lips tip up as I watch the screen load.

Maybe I’m more than what I think, and I just don’t recognize it. Maybe that’s the case with everyone. You never truly recognize what you give, what you offer the world, until someone points it out. So maybe we’re all a little hard on ourselves, but I like to think that’s what pushes us to be better.

Stella barks at me, and I squat down next to her, snapping pictures of her. She sits in the grass, posing, loving the attention. A few orange and yellow leaves float around us, and she jumps up and barks, chasing them as they float through the air.

I laugh as she falls, landing on her side.

I hear a door close and peer over my shoulder.

Jax heads toward us and falls in the grass next to Stella. He lays on his back and folds an arm behind him, resting his head on his hand. He winks at me when I hold the camera up to my face and take a picture of him.

When Stella pounces on his stomach, he lets out a grunt. “At least you’re lighter than Walker.”

I click a few pictures of them before I set my camera aside. “Where was Walker during the party anyway?”

He rubs Stella’s ears, and I swear if she was a cat she would purr. “I took him to my parents’ house. Sam had fun playing with him for the night.”

“Makes sense.”

I crawl toward him and throw a leg over his hip, straddling him. My hair cascades around all three of us.

Stella licks my face before she hops to the ground. She picks up an orange leaf and begins to eat it as she watches us, like we’re her entertainment.

Jax pushes my hair back, leaving his hand on my cheek. I bend down and connect my lips with his. He tastes like he chewed a stick of mint gum before he came outside. I savor the taste and scent, it mixing with the cold autumn air.

I drop my body to his, and he holds me close, his hand running the length of my back.

I pull away from him when Stella starts barking. I sit up, resting on my knees when I see my car pull into the driveway.

Arya cuts the ignition and hops out of the car, slamming the door. “Giving the whole street a show, huh?” She smiles.

She walks around the car and stops when she’s across from me and Jax. “You’re setting a bad example for Stella.”

I gather a handful of leaves and throw them at her, and she laughs. I maneuver off Jax and get to my feet, and he does the same.

I swipe my camera off the ground and wrap the strap around my hand.

“Don’t be jealous, Arya,” Jax says, patting her on the shoulder. “It’s not becoming of you.”

She swats his hand. “I’m not jealous.”

He picks Stella up off the ground, and she wiggles in his arms. He passes her off to Arya. “My mistake.” He smirks. “Here, watch Stella, and we’ll be inside.”

He grabs my hand and leads us to the door. “Make sure she goes to the bathroom before you come inside.”

“But it’s cold,” she whines as he closes the door, cutting off her complaining.

“Stella already went to the bathroom,” I say, laughing.

He shrugs, pushing me against the door. “She doesn’t have to know that.”

He crashes his mouth to mine, and I forget about everything else.