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Letting out my breath, I thanked god he saw reason. “Have fun. Make sure you take pictures, and don’t forget to save me a piece of cake.” I forced as much cheer into my voice as I could.
“Whatever you want, Sid.” There was noise on the other end of the phone, and I could tell he’d muffled it again. “I’ve got to run, but I’ll see you later.”
It used to be that the junkyard could relieve all my worries. It was my haven. My odd source of strength. My immediate confidence booster. The cheapest therapy money could buy. But it hadn’t been able to work its magic tonight.
Someone cleared their throat. As if I conjured him from thin air, Jax stood there in a long-sleeved hunter-green Henley and dark-washed jeans. His hair was in its signature ruffled style, and his smile spread as his eyes roamed over me.
I was sure I must look ridiculous in my heels and cocktail dress, standing in the middle of the junkyard with safety glasses on, shit-smashing bat in hand. “How did you find me?” I dropped the bat, turning to face him.
Jax shrugged, lips tipping up in a grin. “The tow truck was a bit of a giveaway.”
Instantly, a weight fell from my shoulders, and I ran to him, throwing my arms around him. “You’re not supposed to be here! Lucas’s proposal is more important than this,” I muffled out, my face pressed into his chest, but I had no will to pull away. His strong arms tightened around me, and I met his concerned gaze.
“Lucas’s delaying so I could come get you. He won’t pop the question until we get there, but you better hurry.” There was a smile in his voice, and his tone was warm, comforting.
“Delaying?”
“Yeah, and there’s only so many tricks to keep Piper distracted, so let’s go. Grab your stuff. And keep the safety glasses,” he added with another smirk. “You look hot.”
With all my previous worries of the day forgotten, I grinned as Jax pulled me away with him.
We crouched behind the concrete railing and looked down the line of people. Everyone was here: the guys, close friends, what must be Piper’s family and friends from back home. Everyone smiled, silently waiting for the signal, telling us Lucas and Piper were in place. There was an electric joy buzzing in my chest, and Jax faced me, gaze peering into my eyes, a grin pulling at his mouth. His giddiness was contagious, and I covered my mouth to stop from laughing.
I barely caught Alex’s signal from the corner of my eye, and we jumped out, flipping a giant banner with the words “Will you marry me?” written across it in bright purple letters.
All of us watched with bated breath as Piper’s eyes widened. She looked from us back to Lucas, who was already down on one knee. Piper’s hand covered her heart, and even from here, I could see her mouth tremble and tears rolling down. She nodded her head vigorously, and a cheer broke out as Lucas pulled her up in his arms, her legs going around his waist.
The guys had thought of everything. The venue was located only a few blocks away, and my mouth dropped when we stepped in. There was a double-length table filled with Piper’s favorite foods. On the other side, there was a dance floor and a DJ setup playing ’90s music. Jax and I dropped off our stuff on one of the wooden tables, and he smiled down at me, eyes wide and happy. “You look beautiful.”
Heart skipping, I wrapped my arms around his middle. “You don’t look half-bad yourself.”
He squeezed me to him, kissing the top of my head. I didn’t notice the dance floor filling with people until Jax backed up, taking my hand. “Let’s dance, Trouble.”
I couldn’t resist the wicked grin that tilted his lips.
The music had a slow, deep bass undercurrent that screamed of late nights. Jax pulled me close to him, and we danced with my cheek against his chest. I relaxed into his body, letting the warmth seep into my skin, chasing away the pain from tonight. Lifting onto my toes, I whispered, “Thank you.”
He kissed my nose, eyes light with joy for his friends. “You have nothing to thank me for.”
“Yes I do. Thank you for coming for me. I didn’t realize how much I needed you to.”
“Sidney…” He ran his thumb along my jaw until I met his gaze, and his voice turned serious. “I will always come get you when you need me. We’re a team. I would never leave you hanging.”
The air whooshed out of me because I wanted to believe him. I wanted to give it a chance. I trusted him. It felt like I was hanging over a precipice, unsure what would happen if I fell, but I didn’t want to stop moving forward.
“I was thinking we could make a trip to the city the weekend of my internship meeting?” My gaze met his, and I knew he could read my hopeful expression. “We could go check out the apartments I’m looking at? Make a night of it?”
I knew he read between the lines, that this was a chance to see what it would be like if we stayed together. See how we could fit our lives together, even though there were obstacles.
“Eeeee!” A high-pitched squeal had me turning in time to catch Piper as she slammed herself into me. I got caught up in her joy, and soon, I was hugging her back and jumping with her.
Jax stepped back and smiled. “Congratulations. Let me know if he causes you any trouble.” He pointed his thumb in Lucas’s direction.
She beamed up at Lucas but turned back to me. “I’m happy you came. Lucas told me you almost couldn’t make it.” Her eyes glowed, joy radiating from her as she hugged me close. “You’re practically family now. Wouldn’t have been the same without you.” She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before Lucas swept her away to speak with another couple.
I watched them as they moved together in sync. Their situation wasn’t much different from ours, and they were taking the jump. Sure, Piper would eventually move to wherever Lucas was playing, but that would be years away. Piper would always be the center of his universe, and if they could have that, maybe I could too.
Jax placed a gentle kiss on my head, pulling me from my thoughts and sending a shiver down my spine. My entire body sank into him. I stayed there with his arms wrapped tightly around me, even as the songs changed. Jax’s fingers drifted mindlessly up and down my spine, occasionally stopping to run through my hair, and his breath skimmed my neck, sending electricity down my spine with every exhale. He hummed deep within his chest, rumbling against me every so often, arms solid, content to stay like this. I ran my fingers through the back of his hair. It had grown out a bit since I’d met him, enough that I could swirl it around my finger. He swayed me back and forth in our own rhythm as dancers moved around us. Everything in this moment was perfect.
