Raegan

I cross my arms, standing tall in the middle of the aisle at the costume store. “Come on,” I groan as Arya holds up the outfit she wants me to wear.

I’m not doing it. Nope, I am not wearing the costume she picked out.

“What? It’s totally appropriate to wear in front of kids,” she states, as if that’s all that matters when picking out a costume. She certainly wasn’t thinking about that when she was wearing her short white dress the other night.

“I don’t want to wear matching costumes,” I complain, knowing I won’t get my way.

“Says the one who dressed up as her dog and forced her dog to dress as a cat.” She raises an eyebrow, judging me harder than anyone ever has.

“This is different, and you know it.”

“If it makes you feel better, you can be the queen bee.”

She holds the costume out to me, and I wrinkle my nose at it in disdain, wishing it would evaporate into a puff of smoke.

“It doesn’t.” Nothing could make me feel better about this.

“Tough shit. We’re getting them, and we’ll be the hottest bumblebees ever.”

Yeah, she said bumblebees. She’s dead serious, and I currently loathe her.

“Why do I need another costume?”

She grabs the other bumblebee costume from the shelf, securing both outfits under her arm. “To pass out candy.”

I drop my arms to my sides. “Why can’t I dress up as Stella again?”

“Stop being a baby.”

I groan and stomp my foot. I walk around her, heading to the end of the aisle, but I pause when I hear a familiar voice.

“Hurry up,” Travis gripes.

I press my back against the shelf behind me, my heart pounding.

I lean forward and peek around the corner. I spot him at one of the endcaps with Blondie. He crosses his arms as his jaw tics. He glares at the back of her head, hovering over her, like he’s going to throw her over his shoulder if she doesn’t obey him.

“Halloween is dumb. Adults aren’t meant to take part in this holiday.” He taps his foot.

Blondie ignores him, examining one of the costumes.

“What are you doing?” Arya asks.

I shriek and jump at the sound of her voice, clutching my chest.

I whip my head around, and push her against the shelf next to me. “Shh,” I hiss.

“Why are you acting weird?”

I throw a thumb to my left. “Travis is here.”

She takes a step forward, but I hold her back.

“Perfect.” She smirks. “I can finally slap him, like I’ve been dying to for weeks.”

I glare at her. “Be quiet. I know that’s hard for you, but can you try?”

She rolls her eyes. “Fine,” she concedes.

I peer around the aisle again, and his eyes meet mine, but his gaze flicks away before he recognizes me.

“What do you think?” Blondie asks, holding out the plastic bag concealing the costume.

Travis doesn’t even glance at it. “It’s fine; let’s go.” He grabs her arm and pulls her away, heading in the opposite direction of me and Arya.

I push off the shelf and blow out a breath.

“Mind explaining yourself?” Arya glares at me.

A slow smiles spreads across my face. “Travis and I are over.”

She raises a brow. “Duh, you have been.”

I nod. “Yeah, but I don’t feel anything anymore. I don’t hate him, and I don’t love him. It’s liberating to feel free of him.”

Arya throws an arm over my shoulders, a smile stretched across her face. “I’m glad; let’s never mention his name again. Just talking about him makes me want to heave.” I laugh, and she hugs me to her side. “Glad you’re in good spirits. Now, maybe you won’t be so pissy about our costumes.”

I scowl. “Not a chance.”

“Look, Rae, look,” Sam says, running toward me, her feet pounding against the tile floor. She holds out a white shopping bag.

“What is it?” I ask when she gets closer.

“My costume.” She smiles, her freckles more prominent under the fluorescent lights. “I’m gonna be a pumpkin, like Pepper.”

Jax comes rushing up behind her. “I told you not to run off, Sam.”

She smiles up at him, swaying from side to side. “Sorry.”

“I love your costume,” Arya says. “Look what Raegan and I are gonna be.”

She holds the two outfits in front of her, and under my breath, I mumble how much I hate her.

The bumblebee costume is the only thing left other than a Scream mask that has blood running down it and a sexy nurse outfit.

I bet Blondie chose the nurse costume.

“Oh, a bee!” Sam squeals as she stomps her feet on the ground in excitement. “Will you and Rae go trick-or-treating with me?”

Yep, I hate Arya.

“Of course we will.” Arya drops her arm from around me and takes Sam’s hand. “Let’s go pay before Raegan changes her mind.”

Arya glances over her shoulder, and I shoot daggers at her, wishing I had a real dagger to throw at her.

“A bee?” Jax quirks a brow.

I grab his hand as I walk toward the cash registers. “Don’t get me started.”

“Maybe I have a thing for bees,” he jokes.

I whorl around and slap him on the chest. “Since when did you and Arya decide to tag-team me?”

“I think Arya decided that all on her own.”

He’s right. Arya makes her own rules, but I wouldn’t have her any other way, no matter how much she drives me crazy.

I turn back around, heading toward Arya and Sam.

Jax pulls me to a stop, and I look over at him in confusion. I notice the hard set of his jaw, his eyes focused on something to my right.

“Is that your ex?” he grits out.

I follow his gaze to where Travis is leading Blondie out of the store.

“Unfortunately,” I answer, looking back to Jax.

He takes a step in Travis’s direction, but I tug him back, keeping him next to me. “Let him go; he’s not worth it.”

His chest rises and falls several times before he shifts his eyes back to me. “You might be right, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to lay him out on his ass.”

I smirk. “As much as I’d like to see that, I’d rather you not end up in handcuffs.” I stand in front of him, balancing on the balls of my feet, and I twine my arms around his neck. “I wouldn’t be able to kiss you if you were in jail.”

I press my lips to his and feel his body relax. He claims my mouth, and I moan as he bites my bottom lip.

His arms wrap around my waist, pulling me flush against his body. I tug the hair on the back of his head as his tongue enters my mouth, and I savor every part of him.

The day Jax came into my life, everything changed. And, now, I wake up each day with a smile on my face and feeling anxious to talk to him. He is my fairy tale. Who knew all those Disney princess movies were right? But I don't need him to feel complete; he simply makes me happy.

With one last lingering kiss, Jax pulls away and says, “It would be a crime if I couldn't kiss you like that again.”

I smile up at him with the biggest grin on my face and my heart feeling lighter than it ever has.