CHAPTER TWO

We finish dressing in my garage quickly before I grab my leather jacket from the back of the truck and follow Jax through the house and locking it again before continuing to his bike. I shake my head as he passes me his helmet, "We still need you to get another one of these."

He nods, "During the week we'll go pick one."

He's just reaching to start his bike when I realise I have to go to LA on Tuesday, with everything that has happened I hadn't had a chance to tell him.

He twists the key and starts the engine as I open my mouth to tell him so I decide to wait till later. Right now I'm so hungry I could eat a horse so food will come first.

True to my estimate just under 5 minutes later we're pulling into Jax's driveway and he's turning off his bike. As we walk through his door I turn to the kitchen to find food.

Digging through the fridge I end up throwing together a couple of sandwiches and making the realisation that Jax has no food in the house, he probably hasn't been anywhere near the market ever and Gemma would have been too busy with her grandkids to worry.

Taking the plates out to the living room I pass one to Jax and fold myself into the couch. "Jax." I say, trying to make my voice sound really serious. "I have 2 things I need to tell you."

Jax looks concerned as he takes a huge bite of the ham salad sandwich I've made him, "What?" He mumbles round a mouthful.

"You need to go shopping; you have no food in the house, other than what's on your plate. And I'm going to LA on Tuesday for the night."

Jax doesn't look worried with the first one but the second sentence makes his face twist a little. "Fine on the food shopping, you and I can go tomorrow. LA, no fucken way!"

I sigh, "Jax, I have to go. I have a present I have to pick up."

"Who's going?" He asks, chewing slowly.

"Me, Al and Donna." I reply, taking a small bite and waiting.

"Not without me." I open my mouth to argue and he shakes his head once, "Darlin', it's non-negotiable, if you wanna go that's fine, but I'm comin' with you. Ope and Juice probably will too."

I nod, "Okay, but I'm taking my truck."

Jax sighs, "I guess I can live with that. I'll talk to Ope and Juice later."

Jax silently finishes the rest of his food before setting the plate on the table. "So, can we talk about what happened earlier?"

I deliberately misinterpret what he means, "Sure, we christened my car."

"Sarah, you know I didn't mean that!" He says, fixing his gaze on me. "Though, that was awesome, and it still has 4 seats and the luggage compartment left."

I roll my eyes before sighing deeply and drop the corner of my sandwich back on my plate. "I know Jax, I was just trying to avoid having to try and explain."

Jax shakes his head, "Not gonna happen, I need to know what was goin' through your head."

Leaning back into the corner of the couch I tuck my foot under me and start playing with the ends of my hair. "Like I said, Clay is the only connection back to dad and I guess I thought that Clay would tell me what dad would have said. I forgot that Clay and my father were two very different men. I know I should have talked with him before everything happened, but I honestly didn't think he'd react like he did, I thought he knew as much as everyone else that we were a ticking timebomb. I left this morning so that you and him could sort things out, I would have come back eventually to see where the dust had settled and to see what I could salvage of my relationships with everyone."

Twisting a section of hair round my finger I pause, the familiar movements relaxing my brain. "I had to make you both put the club first. Personal shit should never be put in front of the Reaper you all wear on your back and Clay needed to know that you were more for the club than me. And you needed to be reminded that the Club's been around for you when I wasn't."

Jax grabs my ankle and tugs my foot into his lap, resting his wrists over my shin, "The club does have a high priority in my life darlin', you should know that. But when Abel was born it was pushed into second place. Last night, this morning, hell even this afternoon, reminded me that while I have the guys behind me in everything to do with the leather and the patch I need someone supporting me before the club."

"Jax, I'm always going to support you that was never a thought in my mind. Whether it ended up as acquaintance, friend, girlfriend, lover, fuck buddy, Old Lady whatever label I wound up wearing I would have tried to be there for you and help when needed. Yes, it would have been hard and probably would have ended with me as an alcoholic crying in a corner somewhere but I realised today at Elliot's place that I need you in my life more than I realised." I drop my hair back to my lap and rest my hand on his forearm. "I meant what I've said many times, I love you. I have for years. If my loving you means I have to let you go then I will."

Jax grabs my arms and tugs me across the couch forcing me to move till I'm settled in his lap where he locks his arms around me. "You may have been willing to let go of me for the good of the club, but I wasn't willing to let go of you, for my own good. The club has always been there for me, but I need you there for me now. I'm sure you'll learn quickly that I'm a very selfish person, I always have been. I see what I want and take it, you're what I want and you ain't going anywhere. Something Ma said before I got with Tara makes so much more sense now with you here."

"What's that?" I ask resting my head against his shoulder.

"She told me that the sooner I realised you were part of my life forever the better. That I needed to accept the girl who pissed me off so much would be the one that I would choose to spend my life with. She told me that I needed to open my eyes and see what was right in front of me." Jax inhales deeply. "She also said that if I'd realised at 16 how much I love you then things wouldn't have happened the way they have."

I wiggle one of my arms out so I can rest my hand on his elbow; the muscles tighten under my fingers. "I love you too Jax and I'm sorry for what happened today, I'm sorry I let Clay destroy what should have been an awesome day."

Jax shrugs casually, moving slightly so I'm forced to lean against him more. "No sweat darlin'."

I wrinkle my nose, "Speaking of sweat, I'd really like a shower. I'm covered in dirt from the ground and god knows what else."

Jax shakes his head slightly, "Nah, I still wanna know why you ended up at Oswald's."

"Do you want the long answer, or the short one?" I reply, sorting through facts in my brain that will need to be shared depending on the explanation he demands.

"The long one, I wanna know the full story."

I nod, "Just let me get a drink. You want anything? I think you have maybe 2 beers left."

"That'll do then."

I return a minute later with both his remaining beers in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. Settling back onto his lap I open one bottle and pass it to him before starting the whole tale of how I ended up in business with Elliot Oswald.