After setting up a fake murder scene and then getting in a fight with some assholes that cut him off earlier, one ended up dead due to the clerk hitting him in the head with an ax, Jax was thinking about his son, Tara, and his club along with his newfound sister. Okay technically it was sister in law, but he had so many brotherly feelings for her it was unreal.
Add the fact she was so innocent sitting in a bar like the Hairy Dogg of all places chatting up the bartender. She had the personality that she didn't see color. She saw what kind of person someone was. She was good for Happy that was for sure and ever since Tommy he had latched onto Happy.
Sitting on the roof with a bottle of Jack in his hands he thought about what he would do about Tara. He still loved her. She was the only face that he saw. He had slept with so many women, but she was the only face he saw.
His mom's family dinner was tomorrow night and he hoped she would give Happy's wife a break and not give her alot of shit, like she is known to do since she is protective of her boys.
~Clair and Happy's apartment~
Clair was in the shower letting her thoughts get away from her. She was in an unwanted marriage and the guy didn't want to sign the papers. Damn she had the worst luck with men or picking the wrong men.
After she graduated she decided to check out California to see what Veronica was talking about and ended up in LA. She prospered, and met people had had alot of fun. That was until she was sucked into the prince relationship.
Single father of two boys, but turned out to be an abusive, racist asshole. It was nigger this and spic that, and the one time she jumped onto him because her best friend is black he hit her in the face and forbade her from ever seeing that nigger bitch again. Clair didn't know what he was like until the last minute when she was sucked in and in love with him. He used makup to cover up his upside down peace sign tattoo on his neck.
Now she was afraid that her current husband would be abusive toward her. Austin put her in the hospital a few times after some very nasty fights about Veronica and her friendship with her. It was then she decided to go back to Nashville and never look back.
"Clair, baby?" Happy asked then as she was nearly done.
Wiping tears and very bad memories from her eyes she looked at him. "I'm almost done just give me five minutes please." she sobbed a bit.
"Clair whats wrong?" Happy asked. Okay he might be the club's hit-man, but he had so much of his parents in him he had to ask and figure out what the fuck was up.
"Listen just sign the fucking papers alright. I wanna go home. I love California, but I cannot stay here. This was a mistake. Drunken Vegas mistake." Clair insisted.
"But I am the only one who can make you cum and scream my name. Baby you are a part of me and if you think I'm letting you go you have another thing coming." said Happy.
"You will be a fucking target staying married to me. It's not just my not wanting the marriage its the fact that you will have a target on you back since I'm white. That's why when I went to see my best and only real friend I chose to meet at her boyfriend's bar. I miss her so much it's not even funny. For four years we lived together and yes it was college, but we have an unbroken bond and friendship. Though thanks to Austin I cant have that anymore." said Clair as she finished up and got out of the shower wrapping a towel around her and then putting her hair in a smaller one wrapping it up in it.
"Babe. Talk to me." said Happy remaining calm.
Shoving him onto the bed with all of her strength she let loose. "IM GOING HOME ALRIGHT. THIS MARRIAGE WAS A MISTAKE, ME COMING BACK TO CALIFORNIA WAS A MISTAKE! SHIT IF HE KNEW I WAS BACK HERE!" Clair went on throwing on a pair of teal velour pants a white tank top and a matching short sleeved hoodie along with her tennis shoes she went for the door.
She underestimated Happy's speed as he sprang up and slammed the door of his apartment shut before she could even get out the door. "LET ME GO DAMN IT!" Clair yelled.
"Stop this. Sit down and talk to me." said Happy leading her back to his king sized bed and sitting her down before getting behind her and unwrapping her hair from the towel before taking her brush and began brushing the tangles out of her hair.
She never had a guy do that before and Happy was the last person she expected to do something so soft as detangle her hair. Not even Austin did that. She decided to tell him then.
"One of the reasons why I want to annul this marriage is because I was in a bad relationship. After college I wanted to come check out California because all Veronica talked about was how wonderful it was. The best beaches, her family's beach house in Malibu. How the Beach Boys had California right. So I came to check it out and lived in LA for a while. I was a teacher at Malibu High since I couldn't find a elementary teaching job." Clair was feeling relaxed as she began letting things off her chest that not even her best friend knew.
She could tell that Happy was listening intently as he continued to brush and detangle her hair. It honestly felt good. She continued. "I was happy and I thought I could settle down there. Then I met Austin. He lived in San Bernadino. He was a gentleman at first. Said and did all the right things drew me to him because he was a single father. Then it was like why are you being so nice to that spic woman or don't tip that nigger bitch too much. Finally when he saw pictures of my college days he freaked out saying that I should've asked for a new roommate instead of sharing a room with a nigger. Then it got physical. He sent me to the hospital several times and one point even took a medal pipe and raped me with it to the point I cannot ever have kids. My uterus had to be removed. After that I got on the first First Class, well at that point I didn't care if it was first class or coach. I wanted first available, flight out of LA X to Nashville International I could get. I haven't been back here since. Until I came back yesterday." said Clair.
"Oh shit. I'm so sorry. That mother fucker's gotta die, like a lot. I would never lay a hand on you or hurt you like that and when or if we are ready for kids we'll adopt. Oh baby." Happy said pulling her to him and kissing her gently.
"Listen I want to go home. Please let me go back to Nashville." said Clair.
"Give me a chance. Please. If you are afraid of that Austin shit bag you have an entire club to protect you." said Happy.
"I'll play you for it. You beat me in pool and I'll stay and just sell my house and just have my personal things like pictures and such shipped and I'll just buy new clothes. It would give Ronnie and excuse to hit the mall for a shopping spree, not that she needs an excuse since she has daddy's money and a good job." said Clair.
She was confident in herself since she was always at the little bar down from her house shooting pool all the time and having a few cold ones. It was in a safe enough neighborhood and close enough that she could walk to and from so as not to worry about a DUI or a getting a cab or an Uber.
"Alright you're on." said Happy as they left his apartment. Going outside she unlocked her rental and got her Jack Daniels pool cue out just as a large silver Lexus SUV pulled in.
Just as Clay was about to ask if he could help the person inside the car the women Clair lived four years of her life with got out of the car. "Clair Bear I have decided that I don't want you to leave Cali. I've missed you since you moved back to Nashville after all the fun in LA we had. Then it was like you dropped off the face of the earth and the next I'm hearing you're back in Nashville. Now you are back here and saying you are married and want to annul it and never come back. I cannot say one way or the other on your marriage, but I will say I want you to stay in Cali. You are my only friend and you can just move to Oakland and live with me and Laroy." she got out.
"Ronnie boo calm down, and take a breath. I'm going to play Happy for it. I win he signs the papers and I can live wherever I want, and you are right. There really isn't anything for me in Nashville anymore. My friend who lives next door is always away on business, and I basically live in solitude." said Clair.
"You see. I told you." said Veronica.
"Well I'm gonna win because I want this marriage to work. I feel something and Clair does too. She's just scared." said Happy.
"Well something drove her from LA and out of Cali after she moved here after college." said Veronica.
"She told me everything and lets just say he's got a target on his back coz." said Happy.
"Now what?" Clair asked.
"Shit I didn't realize exactly who your roommate was. Her mom is my dad's younger sister." said Happy.
"Wait a minute, you defiantly a she ain't going anywhere now. You have family here in Cali and jack shit in Nashville." said Veronica.
"I just never pictured Aunt Leah with Damon Pope of all people. No offense, but when the club started getting into guns she didn't like the idea and left." said Happy.
"Ronnie." Jax said walking out.
"Jackson. I hear you got a son. You never talk to me anymore and Mom is always asking about nieces and nephews. You and Happy." Veronica said.
"I know I've been busy." said Jax.
"Happy stays in touch. Just like he said he got married in Vegas, but I never knew it was to my college roommate. Small world." said Veronica.
"Well speaking of marriage lets get this pool game over with." said Clair.
"Careful. No one as beat Happy in a game. Ever." said Juice who had no idea what the game was about.
"First time for everything." said Clair chalking her cue after she racked the balls as Happy broke sinking the one, three, and four balls. Though the eight ball was dangerously close to the side pocket and it seemed like the only shot she had ran the risk of her prematurely sinking it. "Shit!"
"That's of putting it." said Jax.
"I told you no one has ever beaten Happy." said Juice.
"Do a jump shot!" Tig yelled. "Okay just jump over the ball and sink it or not, but you'll be away from the eight ball." he added.
"Spot it. As in put the eight ball on the spot and then just let Happy have his turn." said Piney. He had been playing pool for years and threw out the suggestion.
"You want to just yield before me and give me the victory." said Happy.
"Okay okay you win. I'll stay and try to make our marriage work. I do feel something deeply for you, I'm just scared of my past relationship." said Clair.
"I'm not that prick Austin and believe me he's dead where he stands." said Happy it was a small world that brought the two together. He never would have thought that his dad's sister's daughter and his now wife were roommates in college. Though he knew that she was sent to him for a reason.