So it's been a little while. About two months. Yeah...
Disclaimer: I do not own Every Witch Way. The OC(s) however, are mine.
Emma POV
Another awkward moment. Yet again I'm sitting alone in my living room with Jax, just staring at the floor, pretending that it's interesting. Wait a second, where did that ketchup stain come from?
"You gonnna talk to me or are you gonna keep examining the floor?" He chuckles. I sigh, fighting the urge to groan, and look at him with crossed arms. Closed off body language, that'll send a message.
"Well, it is very interesting," I joke sarcastically.
"Why do you keep doing this?"
"Doing what?" I ask innocently.
"This whole, 'let me in then push me away thing'."
Oh, that thing. I fake scoff.
"I do not!" Yeah, I do. I really, really do. He just laughs.
"Oh really. Do I need to show you a replay of the last two days? Because I promise you, there's proof." He shoots back. I sigh and roll my eyes.
"No need. And besides the fact, I know this is all just part of your little plan." I say, giving him the look. He raises his eyebrows for a second, like he doesn't know what I mean.
"What plan?"
"Ha. Like you don't know."
"Actually, no. I really don't." Mhhm. Sure he doesn't.
"Your plan to try to win me over. But there are two major things you haven't accounted for." I say, finally uncrossing my arms. He just smirks at me a little and chuckles.
"Oh really. Then what are they?" He asks, leaning in my direction a little. I still remember the days when that would take away my ability to think straight. It still kind of does. But no letting him win. I need to keep my focus on this conversation.
"Number one, I'm not sixteen anymore. I'm not the naive, innocent teenage girl who believed in happy endings and your bs. And number two, even if you tried, you'd fail. I still remember all your tricks from last time around." This time it's my turn to smirk. He just picks up a lock of my hair, leans closer, and twirls it around his finger, looking at me.
"And what makes you think I had to use all my 'tricks' to win you over the first time around? For all you know, I've still got plenty up my sleeve." He whispers, and it takes all I have to stop the chill going down my spine.
"That may be, but I have a feeling you're bluffing. And even if you do, the first part still stands. I'm not the dumb teenage girl that believed you and your lies." I remind, standing my ground. He frowns for a second, making this just a little harder to handle. Why does he have to be so charming and devilish?! I bite my lip from the inside, to keep him from seeing what he's doing to me.
"What makes you think they were lies?"
"What makes you think I'm going to spend another moment playing along with this trick? I counter. He just leans a little closer, his lips now brushing my ear. God Emma, keep it together. Breathe. Not like a thirsty dog!
"You know, you're sexy when you play hard to get." He breathes, almost sending me into overload.
That's quite enough!
"You know what, Kelsea's going to be ready soon. And, I still need to get changed and grab the uh, beach bag! So, I'm just um, I'm going to go do that." I stammer, bolting up from the couch and racing to my bedroom, slamming the door.
He shouldn't still have that effect on me!
I walk over to my mirror and see that my face is bright red. Awesome! That means he probably knows that I was blushing. Whatever, that's not important.
I open my closet to grab the beach bag and find my swimsuit and sundress, when something catches my eye. It's his old leather jacket.
Flashback
"Oh come on Em! It'll look great, just try it on."
It was the night of my nineteenth birthday, and he was trying to get me to wear the black leather jacket he gave me with my gold glitter dress, but I wasn't too sure.
"Oh, fine! But only because you're my boyfriend and I trust you." I chuckled with an eyeroll, letting him help me into it. When I'd looked in the mirror, the gold and the black went together perfectly.
"Wow!" I had gasped before I could stop myself. He just chuckled and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, burying his face in my neck.
"See, I was right. Glitter and leather work perfectly together! Hmm, I wonder what two people this reminds me of." He joked, earning a giggle from me as I turned around and kissed him softly.
"You know exactly who this reminds you of. And yeah, I guess you were right." I sighed with a smile. He pulled me back into a kiss.
"I love you." I remember whispering against his mouth.
I shake my head, and the blush, away. I remember that night like it was yesterday. That night was the first time we...
Stop. It's in the past, leave it there.
I grab my baby blue bikini and my yellow sundress and change into them, wearing the sundress on top. I grab the beach bag, my sunglasses, and my floppy yellow hat. Kelsea absolutely refuses to wear sunglasses, because she can't wear them in water and she doesn't like the way they 'mess up her seeing' when she plays in sand. Oh, Kels.
When I leave my bedroom I see my baby girl sitting on the couch in her teal, pink and purple ruffled swim suit.* Jax is standing by the doorway, and he's changed into swim shorts and a t-shirt, and judging by the fact that his car keys are in his hand I guess he had everything in his car. Of course he did, he was always prepped for everything. I'm trying desperately not to look him in the eye, so I don't have to face what just happened.
"Alrighty crew, let's go!" I say, feeling the awkwardness radiate through the room. Kelsea jumps for joy and Jax just chuckles at her and opens the door as we all leave.
"I'll drive." He volunteers.
"Okay. Just let me grab Kelsea's car se-"
"Already covered!" He interrupts, clearly happy with himself. I give him a confused look and all he does is hold up a hand, as if to say something. Ohh... magic.
"Okay then. Let's go."
Jax POV
Emma hasn't said a word to me since we got in the car. I went too far back there, didn't I. I knew I should've been less, pushy, but I wanted to see what would happen. It really upsets me that she thinks I didn't mean all those things I said to her. I meant all of it. I loved her with all my heart, I still do. I need to back off a little. These things take time, it did the first time around, so of course it will now. I just don't want her to hate me. If it weren't for my fear of my mother, I'd tell her the truth. But the last thing I want is for her to have more leverage against Emma.
We just pulled into the parking lot, and Emma is getting Kelsea out of her car seat. You know, if there's one thing I never saw myself as before I met Emma, it's a father. Not just someone who has a kid, but an actual father. Someone who takes care of their kid, who is always there to pick up the pieces when they get hurt, who goes to the beach and the amusement park.
Someone who is mentioned with love, not the way I used to mention my father.
But I've screwed stuff up with Emma, so now I need to fix that too. I can't stand the way she looks at me. Like I'm a rotten turkey, or something.
Like she regrets that first night.
Flashback
"You know I'm not a big party person Jax. I still can't believe I let you talk me into not only having a huge party at your place, but having liquor at it! I'm nineteen, not twenty-one!" She'd laughed, the margarita I'd talked her into drinking doing its effect. She wasn't drunk, or even cloudy minded. Just, loose. And that's as far as she'd go.
"Well, in all fairness, the legal age in the realm is eighteen. So, you're only breaking the rules in this part of the world!" I'd tried to reason. She whacked my arm playfully and I laughed, kissing her.
"Hey um, do you think Andi and Phillip have got this covered? You know, take drunk people's keys, get everyone that's sober to leave and such?" She asked, setting down her water and running her hand along my jawline, rubbing my bottom lip with her thumb, her forehead still against mine. I closed my eyes for a second, squeezing her hips.
"Yeah. What do you have in mind?" I asked, already feeling a bit uncomfortable. She kissed me softly.
"Let's go somewhere...private."
I shake my head, closing her trunk, beach supplies in hand. Em's bag has towels, sunscreen, Kelsea's toys and all. I brought my beach umbrella with me this morning, so that was in the trunk. What? She's my kid, the beach seemed likely.
After she gets out of the car, Kelsea slowly walks toward the beach, like she's trying not to let us notice.
"Wait a minute young lady, forgetting something?" Emma asks, holding the can of spray on sunscreen. Kelsea whines and walks over, pouting.
"But mommmy! It smells funny!" She whines. I chuckle.
"I know honey. But look on the bright side. This will keep you from getting all red and hurt like mommy did that one time." Emma smiles sympathetically, bending down to Kelsea's level.
"Okay, but I refuse to smell it!" Kelsea declares, wrinkling her nose and closing her eyes. Em and I both laugh. She starts spraying Kelsea, and she's done in a minute.
"See. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Em asks.
"No, I guess not." Kelsea sighs.
Phillip POV
"So, what kind of wine should we get for the wedding? Red or white? Or merlot? Phillip. Phiilip!" Andi shouts, knocking me out of my trance.
"Wha- what?"
"Are you even listening to me?!" She asks, clearly upset.
"Umm, yeah. Of course. Definitely white wine, don't want clothes and tablecloths stained!" I stammer, trying to save myself.
"Okay then. White wine it is." She shrugs, like she didn't just almost bite my head off.
"So, did you know about it?"
About what?
"Did I know about what?" I ask, confused.
"Jax being back in Miami." Oh shoot. She knows? But how?!
"What do you mean?" I ask, trying not to give it away.
"He came by yesterday morning. Asked about Emma. He knows about Kelsea now. So, answer the question. I know you talked, but did you know he was in town?"
I sigh. If he knows, the jig is up. She already knows we talk.
"Yeah. I did. But, I didn't tell him anything! And he was just planning to check up on Jessie, that's all! I didn't think it was a big deal." I admit, praying she's not going to bite my head off.
"Okay then. So, what kind of flowers do you want for the table centerpieces?"
Emma POV
We just got done setting up, and Kelsea is playing in the water in front of where we are. I don't like letting her out of my sight, and I keep moving my head to get a good look at where she is.
"Emma, she's less than fifty feet away. You can relax, she's not going to get hurt." Jax laughs, trying to get me to stop being an 'overprotective hawk', as he puts it. I roll my eyes and look at him.
"Just because she probably won't get hurt doesn't mean she can't." I argue.
"Nothing is going to happen to her. We won't let it." That just gave me slight chills. Stop it Emma!
"Fine. If you're so eager to talk, then let's talk."
"Ok. You still never answered my question." Oh shoot. He's reopening that door, awesome!
Not.
"What question?" I ask, trying to act like I don't know.
"Why do you keep pushing me away?"
Dang it, now I have to answer. Or, maybe not.
"Why do you keep asking this question?"
"I asked first." He reminds.
"But the saying is ladies first."
"Ha, so you have to go first!" He smirks. Dang it. Walked right into that one Emma.
"Fine. I guess I just, I don't trust my judgement. I know better than to let you in."
"But you keep doing it."
"And I just said I don't trust my judgement." I restate.
"You're dodging me again."
Ugh!
"Okay, you want more, fine. I keep pushing you away because I can't love you, alright."
"Can't or don't?" He asks. Excuse me?
"What?"
"Remember that time when you told Andi you wanted to bring you mother back and she said you couldn't? She didn't mean it like you were incapable, she meant it like you shouldn't. And just because you can't do something doesn't mean that you don't. So, answer the question Em. Can't or don't?"
He's got a point. That response I gave him was to make him think I don't love him.
What am I saying? I don't love him. Do I? No! I can't. But, it's like he said. Can't and don't are different. Snap out of it Emma, you're staring right at him!
"Mommy! Daddy!" Kelsea says excitedly, pulling us both from the stare we'd been exchanging. Oh child, I love your timing today! Thank you!
"Yes Kels?" I ask, smiling at her. That timing could not have been better. Maybe he'll forget his little question.
"Can we all make a sand castle together?" She asks, giving us her best puppy dog eyes.
"Of course honey."
As she drags the both of us down to the wet sand, I keep thinking about that question.
Can't or don't?
That. Was. Long! At least 2400 words of storyline! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed. I also made sure to include why Jax was in Miami in the first place, since that place in the story was gray. Make sure to tell me what you think the answer is. Can't, or don't? (Basically does she love him and not want to admit it, or not) [Only one right answer ;)]
*Kelsea's swimsuit is pink with purple polka dots and teal ruffles at the top. Just to make that image clear.
angelcreature13: I love how happy she was too. She's like a younger Emma! And don't worry, eventually she'll stop being so, apprehensive. ;) Thanks for the review!
Peace out!
