“Have you ever had a belief or thought process that you’ve lived by for years, and then something happens to make you think maybe you were wrong? Or maybe you weren’t wrong, but that it was time to look at things differently?”
“Yeah, sure. I think everyone does that at one point or another.” Corey’s eyes narrowed. “Are you giving up fighting? Were you trying to get injured out there? Because that’s just fucking stupid, man.”
“Fuck no. It’s not anything like that.” He sighed, stood up, and started taking his gym bag and things out of his locker. How did he tell his friend he needed his outside to match what his guilt was doing to him on the inside? He’d sound like a fucking lunatic. Hell, maybe he was. “Just forget it. It’s nothing.”
Corey crossed to his side and stood with his back to the lockers, arms crossed over his chest. “This have anything to do with that girl you brought in on Monday? Vanessa, right?”
Jax grabbed the top of the locker door and looked at the man, searching for any signs of interest on Corey’s part. When he realized he’d been gripping the metal so tightly that he cut the underside of his forefinger, he snapped out of the crazy—and uncharacteristic—bout of jealousy. He did a mental shake of his head, sucked the blood from his finger, and pulled on his T-shirt. “Yeah, Vanessa. I also call her Red, Viper, Princess, and behind her back, Woman-who’s-driving-me-fucking-insane.”
Corey busted out laughing, but Jackson knew it wasn’t due to his stand-up skills. “What’s so funny?”
The man sobered up enough to answer, but that wide grin stayed intact. “Now it all makes sense. You’ve finally met someone who ties you up in knots, just like the rest of us mortals.”
“The woman is a total enigma, so if she’s tying anything up in knots, it’s my brain, because nothing about her makes any damn sense.”
Liar!
Jax told his subconscious to take a flying leap off a high cliff. It wasn’t a total lie. Vanessa was enigmatic. He’d never met anyone like her before. And although he hadn’t been able to figure her out right away like he could with most women, he was confident he understood her. Maybe even more than she understood herself.
“Come on, Maris, you can’t bullshit me. I might not know you as well as Andrews does, but I’ve known you a long time. I’ve seen you with plenty of women, and none of them—even ones you had so-called relationships with—affected you any differently than a great steak would. Admit it. You’re really into this girl.”
Jax shut his locker and leaned back on it next to his friend. He couldn’t deny it, nor was he the type to. He’d always been straight with people. Which was why any type of relationship he had with women always resulted in them leaving. He never hid the fact that for him it was more of a companionship with the bonus of sex. They always expected his feelings to grow over time, and when they didn’t, they’d give him a Dear Jax letter.
“She’s so different, man. She’s stubborn and high maintenance and set in her ways…” He exhaled and let his head drop back, the banging metal sound echoing in the empty room. “And despite us living with each other the last few days, when I’m not with her all I do is think about her.”
“She’s living with you?”
“No, we’re at the Mau Loa. It’s a long story and not the point. The point is, I only have the rest of today and tomorrow to be with her and the thought of just being friends after that makes me feel violent.”
“She’s going back to the mainland Friday, huh?”
“No, she’s here through next week, but she made me agree that our fling will only last three days.” Corey opened his mouth, but Jax held out a hand. “Don’t ask. Suffice it to say she’s made it very clear she’s not looking for anything more than that. The thing is, I think she might want more, but certain shit from her past has her scared.”
“Listen, I’m no expert, but if you think there’s something more there than a few sheet dances—and it sounds to me as if there is—then you owe it to yourselves to give it a shot.”
“She won’t see it that way.”
“So change her mind.”
“You don’t get it.” Jax turned toward his friend, crossed his arms, and braced his shoulder against the locker. “She has these rules she lives by. Not just sayings. Rules.”
“So get her to break them.” Corey clapped him on the shoulder and walked over to snag his bag from his locker before heading for the door. Turning back, he said, “For what it’s worth, man, I’d rather fight and lose than never step inside the cage.”
As the door closed behind his friend, Jax dragged his hands down his face, Corey’s last sentiment still ringing in his ears. Not only could the guy dish out a decent pounding, it turned out he wasn’t half bad at advice, either, because he was right…
Win or lose, Jax was stepping into the cage.
…