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He kicked his stand out and climbed off, planting both feet firmly on the driveway before holding out his arms.
I didn’t waste a second, rushing into them and burying my face into the crook of his neck. He hooked his hands under my thighs and lifted me, turning and sitting me on his ride, nudging my knees open so he could settle between them.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” I laughed as he pushed a stray piece of hair behind my ear, the wind beginning to build and whip at anything not tied down.
“I tried to call first.”
“Oh, sorry!” I apologized. “Mine and Tate’s phones are both upstairs charging.”
He glanced back at the house for a second before returning his gaze to me. “Tate still here?”
I leaned back a little so I could see his face better, narrowing my eyes. “Yeah… that okay?”
“Yeah. It’s good actually.”
Pressing my hand against his chest, I forced him to move back so I could climb off his ride. He didn’t argue, his heavy boots scuffing the concrete driveway as he stepped back. There was something uneasy about the way he was acting. His shoulders were slumped, and his mouth was pressed into a hard, straight line.
It was making my heart pound and not in a good way as it does when you go to the doctor to get a shot. Or just before you go for a really long run.
Because you know you’re walking into a situation that’s going to cause you pain.
“What’s going on, Jax?” I questioned, trying to keep my voice firm, but between my nerves and the cold spits of rain that had begun to fall, there was no stopping the shaking in my tone.
His brow pinched together, darkening his eyes. “Mom told me about the conversation you two had last night.” Dammit. “Why wouldn’t you come to me with those kinds of questions? And why wouldn’t you tell me that you’d talked to her? You said it was nothing?—”
“Jaxon…”
“And now I find out you’re considering not going to Chicago? Stella, what the he?—”
“Jaxon!” I grabbed his face in my hands and pressed a hard kiss to his lips. It took a moment for his body to relax, but soon, I felt his arms curling around my waist and pulling me in, deepening the connection.
The rain was falling a little harder now, droplets tickling at my bare skin while the cold breeze swirled and twisted around us. The warmth from Jaxon’s body kept the cold at bay, but it wouldn’t for much longer as I had a few things I had to say and needed to see his face when I said them.
Reluctantly, I pulled back, my breathing labored and uneven.
“Come on, let’s get under cover.” He grabbed my hand, tugging me toward the front porch, but I shook my head and pulled away, stumbling back a few steps.
“I just want to do it now and get it over with,” I said loudly, trying to speak over a boom of thunder attacking the sky behind me. “It’s about Chicago. I?—”
“You have to go.”
“Have to go.”
We paused, I’m sure both of us wondering if we’d heard the other correctly.
A relieved laugh fell from Jaxon’s lips, and he swiped his hand over his face, trying to clear the stream of water that was almost drowning him. “Jesus Christ, Stell. I thought you were going to tell me you were staying here.”
“At first, I wanted to,” I told him, my teeth beginning to chatter now that every inch of me was drenched. “That’s why I asked your mom about being an Old Lady. I wanted to stay and not lose this chance to be with you. You’ve been my rock, Jax. I couldn’t have gotten through these past few months without you there fighting for me.”
“You did the work,” he argued, always the humble one. “What changed your mind?”
Laughter burst from my mouth, and I choked it back, shaking my head. “Your mom told me I wasn’t ready to be an Old Lady.”
He pulled back, standing a little straighter, obviously surprised by this information.
“Stella…”
I waved my hand, cutting him off. “No. She’s right! And that’s what changed my mind.” I licked at my lips and the water gathering on them, trying to find the right words to explain. “Jaxon, I love you. I want to be the woman who stands beside you. Who will do whatever is needed to protect you. The one who you can fall back on when you’re not feeling strong.” I swallowed hard, forcing back the tears that were burning deep in my throat. “But I’m not her. Not yet.”
