Book Read Free

Amazingly Broken

Page 8

by Jordin Williams


  He winked at me. “I’ll go. He's obviously had more than enough to drink and I don't want him to pass out on the way home.”

  “Are you sure?” Tiffany looked at me, worried.

  “Yeah, I'm sure. It would be nice to get some fresh air. And it would probably be good for Captain Rage over here too,” I said, pointing my thumb at him.

  “I’ll look out for her,” he said, wrapping his arm around my neck.

  “It’s you I’m worried about Jax. I don’t want her stuck taking care of you, so behave your drunk self,” Tiffany responded.

  “I will! Don’t worry about it,” he said, walking away.

  I ran after him and looked back at Tiffany and Lance. “Call me later,” she mouthed, making the telephone sign with her hand.

  Chapter 13

  It took us a good half an hour to get back to the apartment. Jaxon leaned on me most the way home, stumbling. The adrenaline provided a temporary, false sobriety. As he calmed down, his level of intoxication was unmistakable. He didn't say anything and neither did I. Having a conversation with a drunk person is like talking to a petulant child; they can't understand you and throw tantrums at the smallest provocation.

  I unlocked the apartment door and pushed it open with my foot. Jaxon lurched inside and fell on the floor. He groaned as I kicked the door closed and flipped on the lights. I knelt down next to him and rubbed his back. He put his arm under his face like a makeshift pillow.

  “Are you going to be okay?” I asked concerned.

  “How could you fall for that preppy loser?” Jaxon said. “He looks like a jackass.”

  “You don't even know him Jax,” I whispered.

  I continued rubbing his back. Comforting him while he was drunk reminded me of my father, but Jaxon wasn't throwing punches at me. He was calm, almost too calm.

  “He broke your heart, Toots. He doesn't deserve you.”

  “But people deserve second chances, right?”

  “Not all people.”

  Jaxon crawled to the coffee table and pulled himself up. He stumbled a few steps before falling on the couch, drunk and exhausted. He was far from logical at the time, but his words made sense. Some people did things so bad they didn’t deserve second chances. If they were physically abusing someone they definitely didn’t. My father was the exception to that thought process. It’s always harder to do than say. Nevertheless, it was my life and he wasn’t allowed to bully people out of it. If I wanted to give him another shot, Jaxon should respect that.

  “I'm sorry, Toots. Can we just cuddle and call it a night?” he asked, opening his arms.

  Even though he was gorgeous, he looked rough, like any other drunken oaf. His eyes were rimmed in red, like he hadn’t slept in days or had been drinking for days.

  “You need to get some sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

  “Come on. What’s cuddling going to hurt?”

  “Jax, I have to shower and then get some sleep. Let’s talk when you’re a little less drunk.”

  “Well, I could use a shower too. Probably help me out of the shitty shape I’m in.”

  “You can take one when I’m done Jax,” I said as I walked to the bathroom.

  He closed his eyes this time.

  I shut the bathroom door behind me and stripped naked. I never cared about my appearance until now. I looked in the mirror thinking to myself why he would want to see me bare. What did he like about me?

  I slipped the shower curtain back and turned the faucet on. After I waited a few minutes for the water to get warm, I stepped in. I replayed the night’s events. So much had happened and none of it made much sense to me. The water washed away the tension and a few stray tears. I grabbed my towel and stepped out when my fingers started to prune. I looked for my toothbrush and found it underneath a plush blue robe on the counter with a card on top. I opened it and it said, Enjoy, Toots!

  I had no idea why he got me a gift. Out of everything he could have got me a robe was a strange choice. I opened it up trying to see if it would fit. When I decided it did, I slipped the robe on and it was a perfect fit. It almost made getting out of the shower worth it. I hugged myself and rubbed the soft fabric on my arms. After I brushed my teeth, I left it on, went to the bedroom, and got into bed. I was exhausted but not sleepy yet, so I grabbed my book from the bedside table, hoping it would lull me to sleep.

  I didn’t want to feel like a zombie the next day.

  The couch creaked and then I heard footsteps coming in my direction. Jaxon strode into the hall and stopped at the hamper. He pulled down his pants and kicked them off before slipping his shirt up over his head. Then he threw them in the hamper and walked in the bedroom.

  “Reading a sappy romance book?” Jaxon asked, eyeing me as he grabbed a clean t-shirt and boxers out of the dresser. “I didn’t think you were the type, Toots. Oh, and you might want to dry your hair. I'm not sleeping in any wet stuff tonight,” he said with a grin.

  How he managed to sober up enough to walk on his own was a mystery. Why he thought he was going to sleep in the same bed as me was an even bigger mystery.

  “You don’t have to worry about it, because you’ll be on couch tonight, like normal,” I said, looking down at my book to avoid staring at his half naked body.

  “Damn,” he said, strutting by me and down the hall to the bathroom.

  Moments later, I heard the shower and went back to reading. Before I knew it, the shower was shut off and Jaxon made his way back. He walked in the room with the towel tied around his waist, drawing my eyes to his broad chest. “Grabbed the wrong T-shirt,” he said, dropping the towel to his feet.

  Lord, grant me strength.

  I couldn't look away. It was a crime not to look at something that beautiful, that structurally perfect. He had to of known what he was doing to me and that I would look. I wish I could fight looking, but I couldn’t. He grabbed boxers and pulled them on, skipping the t-shirt altogether. He came over and stretched out across the foot of the bed. I sat with my back against the headboard, legs stretched in front of me, my pink toes almost brushing his chiseled, inked chest.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, trying to stifle a smile.

  “Relaxing while you read that book.”

  “Try not to distract me, okay?”

  “I won’t Elana, try,” he said, grinning.

  I crossed my feet, rubbing them together. I loved to read romance books. Using my imagination to picture the scenes was a great escape and usually the closest I got to sex on any given day. However, I couldn't read with Jaxon half-naked at my feet, because my imagination was too busy picturing him all the way naked. I noticed him facing me, trying to see up my robe, or so I thought. I closed the book and watched him, not blinking an eye.

  “What, Jaxon?”

  “Nothing,” he said, rotating his head and looking at the ceiling. “Nice robe. That’s all.”

  “Oh, thanks. I found it in the bathroom. It wasn’t necessary to get me anything.”

  “Gifts usually aren’t.”

  “Why a robe of all things?”

  “Because I’ve realized how much you like showers. You’re so much happier when you come out. I thought the robe would make it even better.”

  “Thanks, Jaxon,” I said, happy of his thoughtfulness.

  “Anything for you, Toots. I know that sounds cheesy but it’s the truth.”

  I smiled and opened my book, struggling to focus on something other than his body. After another half an hour, I put my book down and looked at him with his hands locked together on his bare stomach. His thumbs moved in a circle around each other.

  My dark hair was loose and flowing in the breeze blowing through the open window. The same breeze carried his body wash and shampoo scent to me, enhancing my desire by stimulating another of my senses. I thought of questions to ask him to distract my eyes.

  “What causes you to get so mad that you want to fight?” I asked, intrigued by what he might say.

  He cleared hi
s throat. “I don’t know. I get sick of all the things that go wrong in life. It becomes too much sometimes,” he said, fidgeting with his waist band. He acted like he wanted to say more, but stopped himself.

  “What made you move to Florida if you had some big romance back home?” he asked, changing the subject.

  “It was a lot of things. Kinda painful, you know? There were some problems at home,” I said softly. “You learn to deal with things as best you can, but sometimes the best way to deal is to leave.”

  He nodded. This time, Jaxon was really listening. He wasn't distracted or angling for sex. It was just the two of us—talking.

  In the bedroom.

  His eyes softened. He lifted his left hand and placed it gently on my lower leg. I picked up the book and started to read again, but kept thinking about Cole and Jaxon. I felt bad that Jaxon went after Cole like that, but I was angry at Cole for showing up unannounced like he could erase dumping me.

  Jaxon was growing on me. I was starting to enjoy his company as much as I enjoyed looking at him. The kiss between us felt meaningful, but so did Cole’s kiss.

  Looking down at Jaxon, I noticed his breathing was heavy and steady and he’d closed his eyes.

  “Are you awake?” I whispered.

  I wanted to ask him about the kiss, but he didn't respond. Leaning over carefully, I placed my book on the bedside table and turned off the lamp. I slipped under the sheets without disturbing Jaxon and went to sleep.

  Chapter 14

  I awoke to the smell of eggs and the sound of clinking pans. I rolled out of bed and stretched my arms to the ceiling as I stood up. I yawned and walked into the kitchen where Jaxon was standing in front of the stove in his boxers, spatula in hand. He’d cooked breakfast several times, but this was the first since we kissed.

  “Morning, Toots. I see somebody had a nice sleep.”

  I gave him a sleepy smile and rubbed sleep from my eyes.

  “Hey, a smile, I haven't seen one of those for a while.”

  “You haven’t seen one because you haven’t been here. You disappeared without a trace, only to show up at the club.”

  “Only for a few days. I had some things to do back home, but you slipped out every morning before that without even a hello.”

  I looked away rather than explain myself. Before that comment, I wasn’t even sure he’d noticed.

  “How about I give you a ride to school after breakfast? We can catch-up.”

  Last night was enough catching up.

  “No thanks,” I said, sitting down on a stool. “I like the walk to campus. It's the perfect weather for it.”

  He walked over and stood on the other side of the counter from where I was sitting. “Come on, Toots,” he said, leaning on the counter. “You’ve never even seen my car.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Do you think it makes you cool or something?”

  “I don’t think I need any help in that department, but it is pretty spectacular.”

  I laughed. “Your lines are getting cheesier. Are you running out of material?”

  “I have plenty more and I’ll keep saying them until they work. Especially if they’ll get you in my car.”

  “Please, don’t!”

  He smirked. “How about this, if you ride with me I won’t say anymore?”

  “Deal! But only this once, so you’ll shut up and I kind of want to see this pathetic pick-up mobile. I’ll probably laugh.”

  “You disappoint me. I thought girls loved muscle cars.”

  My eyes went wide. He had my attention. “What kind of muscle car?”

  “I have a seventy-one Ford Torino Cobra SS,” he said.

  I used to love muscle cars, but for nostalgia’s sake, not sex appeal. Before my mom got sick, my dad would rebuild them. When I was younger, he let me help him on the weekends. We’d listen to old rock music and stay in the garage until Mom made us come in for dinner. It was the only tomboy thing I did and the father and daughter time was worth it.

  “It sounds nice.”

  “Nice? Seriously? It’s tough and sexy, not nice. Like me.” He laughed at his own joke, but I gave him an eye roll.

  “You said you would stop! They are getting cheesier.”

  “I can’t help it. So I’m guessing you don’t want to go anymore?” he asked, patiently waiting my answer.

  “I want to go still, just one time. Now let’s hurry so I make it to school on time.”

  “Awesome,” he said, grinning.

  I ate quickly, eager to see the car and get to class. I was surprised that it escaped my attention this long. They usually made so much noise that they were impossible to miss. I should have known since his drag race car was a Ford Torino.

  When we finished eating and reached the parking lot, I realized why I hadn’t noticed it before. It was parked at the back in an isolated, shady spot. It was red with a black stripe that went from the trunk to the hood. The door handles were missing, and the body was completely smooth where the door crease should have been.

  “You welded the doors closed on your personal car?” I asked surprised.

  “Yup, it was my first race car and never took the time to make the doors open again. So it was a great day to wear a dress, Toots,” he said, laughing. “Let me climb in first, so I can get a little peek.”

  I raised my eyebrow. “Stay put Jaxon. You’re not getting a free show.”

  “Are you sure? I won’t tell anyone.”

  I grinned. “Positive.”

  It was a gorgeous, warm day, so I was wearing a loose sundress with a short, flowing skirt. I grabbed the roof of the car and slid feet first through the passenger's side window. My dress rode up, revealing most of my thighs and a hint of underwear.

  He smiled down at me.

  My face went crimson.

  I quickly adjusted my dress and sat for a few moments, making note of the modifications he’d made. Anything to distract me from the stupid grin he had on his face. I hadn’t been in a muscle car in almost four years. My dad sold his last one about a year after my mom passed away.

  The low, hard leather seat seemed foreign to me and my feet were almost straight out, resting on the floor. Jaxon slid into the driver's seat and belted himself in and I followed suit. When I was little, my dad always told me to wear pants if we went to a show with his drag race car. He didn’t want me climbing in and out, giving the world a view of my backside. However, Jaxon didn’t bother to mention the need to climb in and out of his car when I left the apartment with him.

  Well played.

  “Ever been in a muscle car?” he asked, pushing the key in the ignition.

  “Yes,” I said, crossing my legs. “My dad had a blue and black seventy-one Torino.”

  “Are you serious?” he asked, shocked.

  “Uh, yeah,” I responded, looking out the corner of my eye. “What's so crazy about that?”

  He smiled. “Most guys go for the Camaro, Mustang, or Chevelle, not the Torino. Your dad must be one cool fucking guy!”

  He had no idea.

  “Let's just go. I don't want to be late.”

  “Okay, okay. Let’s get this badass machine rolling then.”

  He turned the key and the engine coughed then caught. The side muffler emitted a steady, meaty beat that rattled the other cars in the parking lot. He dipped the clutch, put the manual shifter into reverse, and we shot backwards before stopping and going forward. The car fishtailed, its rear wheels spinning, when we turned onto the road. He barely lifted his foot off the gas pedal, when the tires squealed a tortured protest going around the curve. The car roared along the university streets.

  Even though he slowed down, riding in the car still felt good. I looked out the window and noticed students glancing at us as we rumbled by them. The wind blew through my hair, making me feel free—a feeling I hadn’t had in a long time. I started tapping a beat on my knee with my free hand. My fingers moved faster and faster as he wheeled the car by the main campus building.

&n
bsp; “You okay? You seem fidgety,” he said, touching my tapping hand.

  I looked at him and smiled, “Yup, fine and dandy.”

  And it was. His strong hand on mine only made it better. His touch, my hair blowing in the wind, and the roar of the engine made me feel euphoric. As usual, my phone brought my attention back to the surface; I thumbed the talk button.

  “Hey Tiff!” I shouted over the car's engine.

  “Are you in a loud car?” she asked.

  “Yeah, Jaxon’s driving me to class.”

  “So, everything’s all right? Nothing bad happened after you got home last night? Not even something that might have felt good, but could end up being very bad?”

  I laughed and so did she. “No, nothing bad happened—not even the good kind of bad,” I said, sensing Jaxon's eyes on me. “Did you need something?”

  “Nothing special, but let’s plan to get together tomorrow and study. We haven’t had enough girl time lately.”

  “That sounds great. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Love you, girl.”

  “Love you.”

  I pressed end and slipped my phone into my purse.

  Jaxon smiled at me, “It’s sweet to see two girls in love.”

  “Don’t be an ass Jax. It is sweet. We always say that when we hang up. She started when my mom . . . She started a while ago.”

  “Picturing you two in love is sweet for me,” he said, winking.

  “You really are an ass,” I said and laughed as he pulled onto the campus drive.

  He parked and flipped the car off. I suddenly felt conspicuous. There wasn’t a subtle way to climb out of a car in a sundress, and there were people everywhere at that hour. There was a group a few cars away, standing around, chatting and smoking. They watched us arrive and kept their eyes on us as we walked away.

  One of the guys shouted, “New flavor of the week, Jaxon?”

  His herd chuckled on cue. One girl turned around angrily and started toward us. “Are you fucking kidding me Jax?”

  Jaxon turned to her, shaking his head. “Amber, we’ve been over this. There is nothing between us anymore. You need to let it go.”

 

‹ Prev