Chase’s voice cut through the room, loud and practiced, the kind meant to command attention without ever asking for it.
“Alright, alright—let’s get this party started!”he boomed, clapping his hands together.“Everyone find a seat somewhere—that includes you, Dex!And I swear, if someone showed up empty-handed—”
Laughter rippled through the lounge.
Everyone laughed except me.
And Jaxon.
I watched the crowd shift, chairs scraping softly against marble as people gathered into a loose semicircle around Lori and Chase.I felt the moment narrowing, the walls pressing in, the past breathing too close to my back.
Jaxon turned to me, a slow, knowing smirk curving his mouth.“Ready for some fun?”
I didn’t answer.
My heartbeat was loud enough to drown out the room.
Without waiting, he lifted a finger beneath my chin and tipped my face up until my eyes met his.The teasing was gone now, replaced with something steady, intentional.
“Follow my lead,” he murmured.
There it was again.That calm confidence.That sense that he’d already decided we weren’t shrinking today.
I hesitated, losing a little of my resistance in his whiskey brown eyes.Suddenly, I was grateful he was here—that I didn't have to face this alone.
I nodded, and that was all he needed.
His fingers threaded through mine, and he pulled me forward.We crossed the room together, my heeled boots clicking sharply against the marble, each step measured, deliberate.I could feel the weight of eyes tracking us, but Jaxon didn't appear phased at all.
Jaxon didn’t rush.He led me with confidence and composure, as if he was the one in control here and the entire room was simply there to serve him.We walked on the outskirts of the semi-circle, going to the remaining chairs.When we got to the other side, he did the unspeakable and dragged one of the high chairs across the floor with an unapologetic scrape, positioning it just off to the right—close enough to be included, far enough to be intentional.
Then, without ceremony, he sat.
And pulled me with him.
I landed on his lap in one smooth motion, his arm coming around my waist like it had always belonged there.My breath caught—not from surprise, but from the way his body fit against mine, solid and grounding.
Chase’s gaze burned from the corner of the room, but I ignored it, too caught up with the feeling of Jaxon’s body beneath mine.
His lips brushed my neck, a whisper of heat.“Go with it,” he said quietly.
I inhaled.
Once.Twice.
Then I let myself settle.
I slid my hands down his thighs, anchoring myself there, fingers pressing lightly into denim as I leaned back against his chest.I didn’t look away from Chase.Not when I felt Jaxon's hand flex at my waist.Not when his thumb traced a slow, absent line just above my hip.
I kept my eyes on the bastard who broke my heart.
Dared him to see what he left behind.
Dared him to remember who the fuck I was.
His jaw tightened almost immediately, a flicker of something dark crossing his face before he looked away, lips pressed thin.
Beside him, Lori’s smile faltered.She saw it all, and I had zero regrets.Her eyes narrowed, sharp and assessing, before she turned back to the group—composure snapping neatly back into place.
