Grinning, he ran his hand over his head, pushing off his capwith idle restlessness. "That is your fault. Your note was cryptic as fuckand yesterday I spent the evening staring up at your back in the loft."
“Whose fault was that?” She argued back. “Everything I dolately makes you angry. I figured leaving would be best, I don’t want to makeyou miserable in your own house.”
He stopped her with a shake of his head. "You don'tmake me miserable," he looked away as he shifted on his feet and rolledhis shoulders. "You just drive me crazy," he said, turning back toher.
Her heart was beating so fast all of a sudden. “What doesthat mean?”
“It means what I said before, that I’m the asshole in thisand I’m sorry,” he gave a heavy sigh. “And by no means do I want you to leavejust because I have turned into an unsociable hermit.”
Alessia couldn't help but smile. When she realized it wasJax on the bridge yelling her name, a guilty hope flared to life in the back ofher mind; be here for me, tell me to come back. It felt wrong and even a littleillogical to wish for that from this man. There was nothing between them butawkward silence and a sense of obligation, how could she reasonably expect himto willingly want to keep her around. But here he was, standing right in frontof her with his long hair wild and naturally severe countenance asking her tocome back.
Looking away, she stared down at the sleeping kitten purringin her hands. “I don’t know…”
"Alessia, where are you going to go?" He cut heroff sternly. "You're not thinking of going back to Yakima, are you?"
Shocked, she couldn’t get the words out fast enough. “No. Iwould never go back there!” Frowning, she was angry he even thought she would.“I was going to try living in Eugene, it’s a college town and I should be ableto find a job and a roommate.”
His shoulders tensed and she knew he was going to argue, soshe rushed to finish, forcing herself to say the next words. Words that saidshe was leaving despite everything inside of herself, screaming for her tostay.
“Thank you Jax, thank you for everything. I would’ve nevermade it without you.”
Stepping back, Jax put his hands in his pockets as he lookedup and beyond her at the sky. His expression was as hard as stone as if he wascounting down from ten inside of his head. Looking back at her directly,Alessia was surprised to see the flash of wild need in his expression. As ifthere was so much he wanted to say but warred with himself not to.
Please just say it, she thought. She wasn't completely surewith herself as to why, but it physically pained her to know there could bemore to Jax's feelings.
“Fine,” he muttered. “If you really want to leave, I’ll takeyou to Eugene myself.”
The stab of pain to her heart was as painful as it wasirrational. She was the only one arguing to leave, she had no logical right tofeel so hurt at his agreement.
“Just stay with me tonight,” he countered.
Surprised, she looked back up at him to see him nodding in agesture to the sky.
"It's going to rain today, I don't want you looking forsomeplace to sleep in Eugene in the rain," his voice was deceivingly calmwhile his eyes felt like she was drowning in a sea of suspense.
If she went back with him, she wasn’t entirely sure shewould have the urge to ever leave again.
“Alessia,” he urged, sensing her hesitation.
“Okay,” she whispered, feeling relieved and worried at thesame time.
The tension in his broad shoulders dissipated at heragreement. Grabbing her bag before she could say anything else, Jax walked tothe truck and opened the door. Waiting for her to get inside, he shut the doorand jogged to the driver's side and jumped in.
The kitten who awakened began letting out soft meows.
“You know,” he said. “It’s going to be even harder findinga roommate that accepts pets, right?”
Lifting the kitty to her face until they were eye to eye,she nuzzled its soft face before smiling at Jax. “I don’t care. I found her andI’m keeping her at all cost.”
Giving her a broad grin that made her heart skip a beat, Jaxput the truck in gear, reversing it into a two-part turn back in the directionof the cabin.
“I can completely understand that feeling.”
Chapter 11
Warm and comfortable, Alessia felt her muscles relax deeperinto the velvet-like fabric of the truck's seat. Heat from the floorboardpumped out in gentle waves, relaxing her further into the contours of the seat.Looking up from the sleeping black kitten, which made itself comfortable in theseam of her legs, Alessia watched tiny raindrops begin to hit the windshield.Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jax's arm lift to turn on hiswindshield wipers.
“How did you find me so fast?” There was no radio on in thetruck, just the quiet murmur of the engine and the back-and-forth of thewipers. “I mean,” she hurried to clarify when she saw him glance at her. “Howdid you know to go back the way I came instead of going towards Gaulding?”
