Chapter 10 already?! Things are about to get hectic soon so I apologize if you don't quite like it but it's already been in my plan from the start of the story. Love you guys. Remember to send me a quick REVIEW after reading to let me know what you liked, hated, or want to see in the future! xo
I watched him sleep peacefully in the early morning, the sun was streaking in through the pulled blinds and curtains but I could see him clear as day in the dim light. There was much more to Jackson Teller than he was willing to admit to me and I guess that's for the best. I'm not here forever and he was the type of guy to keep his heart close to him, as well as his secrets. I knew his job within the MC was much more than he let on, I knew that it took a lot out of him too considering this is the most peaceful I had seen his face since getting here two days ago.
I ran my index fingertip over the corner of his pink lips with a small smile before removing his hand from my waist and slid out of the bed. I slid my black underwear back on and walked out of the bedroom and into the bathroom across the hall. As I washed my hands I got control of my hair and fixed the smudged makeup under my eyes and left a few moments later to walk through the house, I grabbed his blue SAMCRO t shirt from the couch from last night and slipped it over my head and found the time on the wall. Just after 9am. It was always around this time that I woke up for the day, there was this inner alarm clock in my head that needed to shut off some mornings.
I walked back into the bedroom to find him in the same position I left him in, snoring lightly on his side with the dark blue striped sheet hugging his naked waist. I grabbed my phone from my purse and turned it back on silently to check my messages, a few from Max in which I didn't bother opening and one from Misha.
'Hope you're having fun! Text me when you're alive'
I rolled my eyes and tossed my phone back into the bag and climbed back into the bed which made him stir a bit, his arm snaking around my waist again as his eyes opened slowly. "Mmm" He mumbled "Nice shirt."
I smiled at his very husky voice and leaned over and kissed him sweetly before running my fingers back through his messy blonde hair. "What time do you have work?" I whispered and he shrugged while rolling over onto his back and I stayed on my side while watching him.
"Got a meeting at noon, what time is it?" He asked as he let out a yawn and scratched the side of his neck before he looked back down at me with a smile.
"Just after nine" I whispered and he sighed before sinking his body back into the warm mattress and wrapped me in his strong arms again.
"What's wrong?" He asked after he kissed me and I traced my fingers down over his jaw.
"You said last night that you'd come after me when I left" His lips turned up into a smile as he nodded "You were being serious?"
"Do you not want me coming after you?" He asked while his fingers slid under the t shirt of his I was wearing and I swallowed hard.
"This is happening fast don't you think? You have a serious life here Jax"
"You're freaking out" He mentioned
"I know that" I whispered "I'm also thinking way too much" He pressed his lips against mine, his hand sliding onto my ass to get my mind off of serious things and it started to work.
"Stop thinking, you reminded me that you're leaving Saturday more times than I can fucking count. So don't remind me again, because I know you're leaving… how about this babe we'll have this conversation on Friday, we'll figure it out then, alright?"
"Okay…"
"I have a run tomorrow and Friday, maybe if you're up for it we can do something, just the two of us"
"What we're doing now isn't just for the two of us?" I asked with a small smile on my lips and his hand squeezed my behind gently "That sounds like a good idea though, I have a few things I said I'd do with Mish, we'll work around that. But until then we do have a few hours to kill until your meeting…" He caught my eyes and grinned.
"You can't help yourself can you?" He asked as I rolled over and retrieved the condom foil packets from the floor and ripped one off and rolled back to face him.
"I'm greedy, but you love it" I whispered just before his lips pressed against mine and my hand moved down in between us and underneath the sheet.
It was a quick ride back to the club house after we showered together to use up less time, who am I kidding it wasn't for that reason. I changed back into my clothes, thanking god I remembered to pack a clean pair of underwear in my purse's zippered side because it wasn't bad enough that I was going back to the club house in the same clothes. I quickly pulled my damp hair up into a tight ponytail and put on light makeup and then we were off.
Misha had texted me saying that she was at the club house around 11 so I didn't have to drive around the town to find her at Opie's place. Once Jax parked his bike into the lot, I pulled my cardigan off and shoved it into my bag before anyone saw me. Maybe I'd look a little different without that piece of clothing.
"You're not fooling anyone" Misha called from the picnic table after I hopped off the back of the bike and I shook my head. Jax chuckled and brushed his fingers over the side of my face and kissed me softly.
"Don't leave without saying goodbye?" He asked
"I wouldn't dream of it" I kissed him again and then he walked away, running his fingers back through his hair and went inside after giving a quick hello to Misha. I took in a deep breath and pulled my bag back up onto my shoulder and walked towards her.
"You look good" She said "Let me see your bag"
"No" I said quickly, already knowing what she was going to check for. "Seriously, thank you for buying them though we would have been screwed and it would have been awkward."
"I knew it!" She laughed while wrapping her arm around my shoulders and hugged me. I hugged her back lightly while shaking my head at her. "So how was it? Was it amazing? Did he suck? Was I totally wrong with size?" She started to fire off questions as we sat down at the picnic table.
"Yes. No and no you weren't" I answered as the door opened and I glanced over at Cherry who was holding three coffees in her hands.
"Hey saw you drive up and made you a cup" She said as she placed one of the cups of coffee in front of me.
"You're a godsend" I told her as I took a long sip of the warm coffee. I had been dying for coffee for 2 days now. "Do you want to sit? We're just talking about girl things"
"Sure, thanks" She said with a smile and sat down next to me.
"So you're going out with Kip right?" Misha asked and I raised an eyebrow "Half-sack"
"Oh I didn't know his real name" I smiled and looked at Cherry who was nodding
"Yeah, we're at the early stages as you could say… are you and Opie getting back together?" She asked
"Might be" She said and I made an 'O' shape with my mouth
"Really?" I asked her with a bit of excitement and she nodded.
"We talked a lot about it last night and to be honest he makes me so happy, it's something I've been missing from Tony in L.A."
"Tony?" Cherry asked
"He's just this guy who I've been seeing off and on for the past year, more off than on recently… but yeah Op has really turned his life around and he's not some kid straight out of high school, he has most of his life in order" I slid my hand over to hers and squeezed it gently
"I'm happy for you but…" She cut me off by nodding her head
"I know, how will it work right?" I nodded "We talked about that too and I might be moving afterall"
"Back here?" I asked and she nodded
"We're going to figure it out by the end of the week, see what I can do with the studio in L.A. There's a studio over in Stockton looking for work"
"You're old dance studio is hiring" I mentioned
"How do you know that?"
"I ran by it yesterday, the woman inside offered me a job" She laughed and nodded
"That would be Marie… maybe I could ask her. But there's a lot to consider and figure out before I move back. I need to know he's serious about this before anything" I smiled gently and took another sip of my drink.
"I can't believe I'm going to lose my best friend"
"Maybe you can move here with me?"
"I can't do that. There's so much in L.A. right now, I was lucky enough to get this week off, you know that" She nodded and shrugged.
"We'll figure it out… but anyways other than that. Jax, last night was amazing?" Cherry turned her attention towards me now and I nodded at Misha's question.
"Yeah, he was a gentleman"
"A gentleman? Jax?" Misha asked with a laugh
"What? Okay fine you want all of the juicy details. We… yes okay we slept together" I spat it out and she clapped her hands with a huge smile on her face "But that's all I'm telling you so use your own imagination"
"I'll get the details out of you by the end of the week… is that your phone?" She asked and I nodded with a sigh
"Max has been calling me and texting me all morning, trying to ignore the fool"
"Who's Max?" Cherry asked
"Our boss" Misha answered her and I pulled my phone from my purse and shook my head
"I'll be right back; I'm going to call him back"
"Tell him that it isn't Saturday yet and he can't boss you around"
"Will do" I commented as I called him back and was met by a woman's voice instead.
"Abigail? I've been trying to reach you all morning" She said and I raised an eyebrow and tilted my head to the side as I walked further into the parking lot and away from the two curious women.
"Jean?" I asked
"Yes, I'm calling from Max's phone because I forgot your number"
"Where's Max?" I asked
"That's what I was going to ask you about. The police have been at the studio all morning, someone smashed out the glass viewing window and Max left his phone here and no one has been able to reach him" She said in a rush of her Spanish accent and I blinked a few times.
"Wait what? Someone vandalized the studio?"
"And your office, as well as Max's. I went in this morning to open up for the tap dancing class scheduled at 9 and it was a mess. I tried calling Max right away after I called the police, but I found his phone on the floor under a few filed papers. When was the last time you talked to him?" I felt my chest start to get heavy and I tried to breathe it out without having a panic attack.
"I talked to him yesterday afternoon, maybe around 6? He told me that you two went over the email I sent…"
"I saw him lock up last night around nine, he never goes anywhere without his phone Abigail"
"I know that" I whispered as I leaned my back against a shed and hung my head a bit
"I just don't know what to do here, I can't sign off on any of the legal papers without him or you here" I took in another deep breath and closed my eyes.
"Can you text me Astorino's number? Maybe I can call Steve to fix up the window, and try to fix this as much as I can. I'll cut my vacation short if I have to. If Max doesn't show up by tonight give me a call alright?"
"I will, I'm sorry about this"
"Don't be. It's not your fault; this isn't the first time the studio has been broken into either. It just came at a bad time is all."
"I'll text you the number when I get it and I'll call you if something else happens"
"Thank you" I hung up then and hit the back of my head against the wooden shed behind me before texting a few people and shoving my phone back into my purse.
"What's going on?" Misha asked
"The studio was vandalized again, some asshole shattered the window into the viewing area and broke into the office's. Jean's going to have a heart attack"
"Are you shitting me? It was probably that asshole who we kicked out last week"
"Probably, but Max isn't picking up his house phone apparently, no one can get in contact with him. So I'm waiting on a number that Jean is going to text to me to figure this out. Of course this shit would happen when we're not near there right?" I asked while running my fingers back over the pony tail on the back of my head. My phone buzzed just as a few of the guys exited the club house back door, Jax was in tow behind them.
"Tell him to give me like 5 minutes to handle this?" I asked Misha and she nodded as she stood up from the table as I walked away again while dialing the number.
"Hello James Astorino Insurance, how may I help you?"
"Hi, my name is Abigail Kozik. I'm calling because my dance studio has been-" She cut me off instantly which I thought was rude.
"Oh yes, we were expecting your call. Let me patch you over to Mr. Astorino" I nodded and took in a deep breath.
"Ms. Kozik?" I heard a man say on the other end of the line
"Yes that would be me. I apologize for not being there in person"
"No worries, we can do this over the phone, Mrs. Garcia filled me in on the situation and I'm very sorry for your loss" I raised an eyebrow but went along with it.
"Thank you. I'd really like to get this mess taken care of as soon as possible, as you can imagine it's been a tough week already"
"Understandable, I have the papers here in front of me and you co-signed on the last lease with Mr. Dwyer so there won't be an issue with filing another form in which I can do. I just needed your permission to file them"
"You have my permission" I told him while rubbing at my throbbing temple
"Perfect, do you need a reference to fix up your window?"
"No I do not; I still have the other contractor's number but thank you"
"I guess it's a good thing you've kept that handy"
"Sadly I didn't think I'd be using it again so soon, thank you again Mr. Astorino"
"Pleasures all mine, I hope the rest of your week gets better"
"Thank you, goodbye" I hung up then and dialed another number once I scrolled down some.
"Home, Window Express this is Steve, how may I help you?"
"Hey Steve its Abby Kozik"
"Abby! Hey great to hear your pretty voice, how are you doing?"
"I wish I could say better. I need one of your guys over at the studio, someone smashed out the viewing area window again"
"Again? That's the second time this summer"
"Tell me about it" I sighed deeply
"Don't worry about it, I'll have Greg and Tom run over there in a few hours and take care of it"
"Thank you Steve you're a life saver"
"No worries sweetheart and don't be a stranger come in and say hi every now and then"
"I'll be sure to do that soon, thanks again" I hung up and texted Jean that the insurance company had been called and that Steve's crew was heading over there in a few hours to fix up the window. Unfortunately she'd have to clean up the rest because I wasn't paying for a maid to clean it. I put my phone back in my bag and took in a deep breath to calm my nerves before walking over to the group.
"You know you're still my favorite even if you are Kozik's niece" Tig said as he wrapped an arm around my lower back and hugged me. I smiled and hugged me as well.
"Thanks, it's good to know whatever my uncle did to you doesn't reflect on me"
"Never darling" I smiled again and he let me go. Misha caught my eyes and gave me a small look and I nodded.
"Everything's taken care of for now" She nodded before sinking back into Opie's arms that were around her shoulders. Jax was sitting at the picnic table where I had been sitting moments prior, his legs out in front of him with his back leaning against the table. I was about to sit in the empty space Cherry had been occupying before but Jax pulled me onto his lap before I could sit down. The tension slipped off of my shoulders the second he kissed me and as he held the side of my head in his hand he looked me over before a small worried line creased his forehead.
"Michelle said you were on a serious phone call, you alright?" He asked and I nodded.
"Studio got broken into, just had to call the insurance company and someone to go fix the window"
"Who would break into a dance studio?"
"It's the second time it's happened in the past two months, usually they just trash the place, break a window or two. Unfortunately this falls on my shoulders because my boss Max isn't anywhere to be found so…"
"I didn't know you were an owner"
"I'm not, just co-signed on a few things just in case Max was out of town when shit hit the fan just to be safe. I was just lucky enough that I didn't need to cut my vacation short and drive down there to sign papers because I'm really enjoying myself here" I wound my arm around the back of his neck and kissed the corner of his lips. "But that's until Max shows up, he's probably off on some bender with his boyfriend"
"I don't want you cutting your stay here shorter than it already is Abs" I sighed at his words and nodded "But if shit hits the fan and he doesn't turn up, I get why you'd have to leave."
"I'll try and not leave until we know that he's really missing alright? Believe me Max goes missing for a few days at a time most months so I'm not all the worried"
"Good, then relax a bit" He rubbed his hand along my back and kissed me again.
"Abby we should head out soon, we still have to go shopping with my mom today" Misha said and I nodded
"Almost slipped my mind" I whispered before pulling myself off of Jax and he stood up.
"I'll walk you over to the car, take your time lovebirds" Jax said towards Misha and Opie as Misha held up her middle finger at him and Jax's hand found mine as we walked away laughing. "So I was thinking maybe you should have my number"
"That may be a smart thing" I smiled as I pulled my phone out of my bag once again and he programmed his number into the touch screen before handing me the phone back. "Seems we've been doing this whole thing backwards"
"Who cares about doing it the normal way anyways?" He asked once we got to my jeep across the street and I unlocked the doors after turning the engine on with the small black remote on the keychain so that the air conditioner could cool down the interior.
"Maybe we can do something later, I don't know how long shopping with Donna is going to take but she likes to shop for a few hours at least"
"Fun" He said sarcastically "What type of shopping?"
"What do you think?" I asked and he smiled as he placed his hands down on my shoulders and moved them slowly up to the sides of my neck "Maybe I'll pick up a little something you can see on me later."
"I might like that and not yell at Donna for keeping you away from me for so long"
"Donna would punch you"
"I know she would, that woman can pack a punch for such a little body" I laughed and slid my arms around his waist and kept my head against his chest while I hugged him to me.
"Come on lovebirds break it up" Misha said and I shook my head and looked up at Jax who then kissed me and I leaned up a bit when the tip of his tongue traced against my bottom lip but before I could part my lips the car horn behind us in the jeep blasted which made me jump.
"Fucking Misha" I grumbled and Jax sighed while he pecked my lips once more before letting me go.
"Call me later we'll figure something out" he said
"I will, don't get into too much trouble"
"Never darlin'" I smiled at him once he winked a me and jogged across the street back into the Teller-Morrow parking lot and I hopped into my cool aired car.