I nod.
His eyes turn cold as he looks at me for a few minutes before he speaks. "I understand what happened between you both was not your fault. What that b.i.t.c.h did was beyond f.u.c.ked, and I know it hurt you both. But, let me tell you right now, Mac, if you ever hurt my sister again, whether it"s intentional or not, I"ll f.u.c.king kill you. Understand?"
His tone rings truthful, and I have no doubt that Jaxon will follow through with his threat. It doesn"t matter if he just threatened a law enforcement officer. Right now, I"m not the Sheriff of Jaded Hollow, but the man that hurt his sister. Even though we"re best friends, Jaxon would move heaven and earth to keep his family safe from harm, whether it be physical or emotional. I have nothing but respect for him and his protectiveness. I would do nothing less for my family.
"Understood."
I leave a few minutes later and walk down the hallway. I make a pit stop to the bathrooms to see the damage to my face. It could be a lot worse, but Mia"s still going to be p.i.s.sed. I walk out of the bathroom in search of Mia. I may as well get it over with now.
When I reach the end of the hallway, I come to a stop. Mia and Chris are on the dance floor swaying their hips to the beat of the music. The bar is a lot quieter and emptier than when I went to Jaxon"s office.
Mia and Chris both have their backs to me. I"m mesmerized as I watch Mia gently move to the soft music. Her moves are graceful as she dips and sways. She lifts her hands and runs them up her waist and then into the air above her head. Her head moves back and forth slowly. I wish so hard I could see her face. I know that she would have her eyes closed, taking in the music, and just letting her body take control.
I look around at the few other patrons on the dance floor to make sure everyone has their eyes where they should be and not on Mia. I"m satisfied that everyone is in his or her own little worlds and not focused on Mia, I relax.
My body tightens, and a rush of desire hits me full force. I leave the hallway and stalk my way over to her. Neither of them hear me come up behind Mia until I have my arms wrapped around her. Her body jolts, but then instantly relaxes against mine, as if she knows it"s me.
Chris looks over at me, and she smiles. It takes her a minute to see my battered face through the light, but when she does, her eyes go wide and she opens her mouth to speak. I quiet her with a shake of my head. She bites her lip, her expression shows her concern, and I can tell she"s fighting with herself on whether or not to say something to Mia. She finally makes her decision, and I"m grateful for it. She turns and leaves Mia and me on the dance floor.
I grip Mia"s hips and fit hers to mine and start swaying with her. Having her rub her a.s.s against my hard c.o.c.k is killing me, but that doesn"t stop me. I need to feel her. Mia reaches around with her arms and wraps them around my neck, her nails skimming through my hair.
I run my nose along her slender neck and breathe in her sweet scent. I feel the vibration of Mia"s moan, which causes me to moan as well. My d.i.c.k hardens even further, and I grind it into her a.s.s. I lick my way up her neck until I reach her ear.
"Do you have any idea how much I want to bend you over right now and f.u.c.k you in front of everyone?" I ask her.
She sucks in a breath and whimpers out her reply, "Probably as much as I want you to bend me over and slide your c.o.c.k in me."
"f.u.c.k, baby," I groan in her neck.
She releases my hair only to bring her hands down and around and grabs my a.s.s. Our hips still move to the music as we grind against each other. My lips lock onto her neck, and she arches her back and leans her head to the side, ensuring I can reach her neck better.
I release my hold on her waist and bring my arms up her sides. When one of my hands reaches her hair, I give it a tug until her head is tipped back so I can claim her lips. They are soft and sweet, tasting just like Mia. Our tongues dance together, just like the rest of our bodies.
All too soon, the music stops and we break apart. I want to growl at the d.a.m.n jukebox for its bad timing. Mia let"s go of my a.s.s and turns in my arms, getting her first glimpse of my face.
"What the f.u.c.k happened, Mac?" She asks, shock and anger evident in her tone.
"Jaxon knows, Mia." I say just loud enough for her to hear. Another song has already started, but we just stand there, not dancing anymore.
"He knows..." Her brows pull together in concentration, trying to figure out what I"m talking about. Her eyes go wide when she figures it out.
"Mac, please tell me you didn"t..."
"I did, Pix." I speak over her. "He needed to know, especially with everything that"s going on. There was no way to avoid it."
"And he did this to you?" She asks angrily.
"Yes, but it was something that needed to be done. Don"t blame him."
"How bad does he look?"
"A busted lip," I tell her, wondering if she"s going where I think she"s going with this.
"That"s it?" She"s getting angrier by the minute if the telltale sign of her clenched fists are any indication.
"Yes, that"s it."
She considers me for a minute before her expression turns to one of pain. I try to pull her in my arms, but she pushes against my ribs, making me wince a little. She notices my wince, and her look of pain turns to anguish.
"You just stood there and took it, didn"t you?" She chokes out.
I try again to bring her to me, but she shakes her head, halting my movement.
"Answer me," she says loudly.
"f.u.c.k, Pix, yes I just stood there. I stood there and took every one of his. .h.i.ts, because I deserve to hurt for what I did to you. I stood there, because I needed to feel some of the pain you went through. The pain may have come a different way, but I still needed it. The guilt I feel for what happened is something that will never go away. If I can appease it, even just a little bit, then that"s what I"ll do."
She"s silent after my explanation. The tears and hurt I see in her eyes make me want to rip my own heart out for hurting her again. I didn"t mean to upset her with my words, but I needed to make her see that.
Not able to stand the distance between us anymore, I snake my hands out and yank her forward.
"I"m sorry, Mia," I murmur against her hair.
She pulls back from me, and I see a few tears trickle down her face. I bring my hands up to frame her face and wipe away the tears.
"Please, Mac, please stop blaming yourself. You didn"t ask for it to happen. You didn"t want it to happen. I know you feel guilt, but you need to let it go. I know how it feels to be helpless. I know, Mac. When that guy had me in that closet, I tried so d.a.m.n hard to get my body to work, but nothing helped. There was no way you could have stopped Tessa, even if you knew from the beginning it was her."
I want so badly to believe her. I know that she no longer blames me, but it just feels like I didn"t try hard enough. That there was something I could have done to stop it. I don"t tell her that though, because I know she hurts because of the guilt I feel. She truly is a very special person and doesn"t deserve anymore pain, especially from me.
I bend my head and kiss her gently. I taste the salt of her tears on my lips, and the pain in my chest intensifies a little. I swear to myself that I will never again be the cause of her tears, unless they are happy ones. Happy tears are perfectly fine with me.
We pull apart, and the world around us that faded away at our heart to heart comes crashing back with loud music and laughter. I look around to see if anyone witnessed our discussion, but again, everyone else is occupied with something else.
Mia and I walk over to the bar. I lift the part.i.tion for her, but before she can walk behind the counter, I stop her, lift her wrist, and kiss the inside. She graces me with a smile, and she goes behind the counter. The place isn"t that busy, but I know she still needs to get back to work. I take a seat on one of the stools and silently watch her. T is with Bailey and Amari until Mia gets off work. I"m a.s.suming Jaxon asked Bailey if she would watch him so I could come in with Mia to have our talk. Since I don"t have to worry about T, I decide to stay until the end of Mia"s shift.
Jaxon comes back out to the bar and steps behind the counter with Mia. I guess Chris has already left for the night, because she"s nowhere to be found. When Mia spots Jaxon, she gives him a dirty look. Jaxon walks up to her and pulls her unwilling body into his arms. I see him murmur something in her ear and watch as her body relaxes. She kisses his cheek and pulls back from him. They speak quietly for a few minutes, before Jaxon leans down and places a kiss on her forehead.
Everything is okay now. If only I could wipe the feeling away that warns me that something big is going to happen.
Chapter Twenty-Five.
Mia Her kindness...
Loaded up with the grill, a cooler full of drinks, and lunch supplies in the back of the truck, we head towards the lake on the back of Jaxon"s property. It"s been a couple years since we"ve all gotten together like this, just us adults. At least for me anyway. In the past, I would always bow out if I knew Mac was going to be there. Being around him more than I needed to be was something I was not willing to do. It would bring back the bittersweet memories of our past and would either p.i.s.s me off or make me want to cry all over again. I avoided him like the plague, if at all possible. Now though, I"m looking forward to this get together.
Trent and Amari are at my mom"s house. I felt bad for leaving him behind but knew that this was not a family get together type of bar-b-que. Mac promised him we would take him swimming this weekend. He was fine with staying with my mom.
Mac reaches across the cab, unbuckles my belt, and slides his arm around me to tug me over so I"m in the middle of the bench seat. Once I"m situated with my seat belt back on, he puts his hand on my thigh. I lean over to him and kiss his neck. Just a peck, but enough to have Mac squeeze my thigh in warning.
"I heard from my mom. I meant to tell you last night. They"re making a trip up next weekend," Mac tells me.
I"m still a little undecided on how I feel about seeing his parents again after all these years. Mac says they understand my neglect of them and that everything will be okay and they"ll welcome me back with open arms, but I"m still doubtful. What I did to them was s.h.i.tty. They aren"t the ones that hurt me, but I treated them as such. It was just too painful to see them. That, and I feared running into Mac if I did go over to his house. I also think about how I treated Mac when he needed me the most. Will they blame me for not being there for him? I just hope Mac"s right and they forgive me.
"That"s great! I can"t wait to see them again," I say to him, trying to sound enthusiastic and not the nervousness that I actually do feel.
Mac must have sensed my trepidation, because he grabs my hand and brings my wrist to his mouth. I shiver in response. It gets to me every time he does that.
"Stop worrying. I told you everything is going to be fine. They love you, Pix."
"Do they know we"re back together?" I ask, unsure if I want them to know yet.
"Yes, they know, and they"re ecstatic. You should have heard my mom when I told her. I thought she was going to burst my eardrums. Then she started sobbing over the phone. My dad had to take it from her until she calmed down. Believe me, Mia, they are both very happy that we"re together again."
I smile over at him and feel a little better. Only time will tell if what he says is true. I"ve missed his parents so much and am genuinely looking forward to seeing them again, even if they are worried about Mac and me being together again.
"Do they know I"m staying with you and the situation with Tessa?"
He sighs and releases my hand, but places it back on my thigh. His thumb moves slowly back and forth.
"They know that T"s staying with me because of his mother and that you"re staying with me for safety reasons, but they don"t know the details. I"ll probably sit down with them while they"re here and let them know what"s going on."
That"s good. They have a right to know what"s going on with their son and grandson.
We pull up to the clearing by the lake a few minutes later. Jaxon, Bailey, Chris, and Andrew are already here. Nick said he may stop by sometime today. Ethan and Karyn are supposed to come by after Karyn gets off work from the diner after the lunch rush.
Instead of sliding over to my side of the truck to get out, Mac pulls me out with him on his side. As soon as my feet hit the ground, he grabs my hair and pulls my head back for a short, but scorching, kiss. I"m breathless by the time he pulls back. I give him the evil eye, because he knows he gets to me, even when it"s just a kiss. The little s.h.i.t just smiles at me and taps the end of my nose, before walking off to the back of the truck. Just for that, he can unload the d.a.m.n truck by himself.
I stand there watching with satisfaction as he takes everything out of the truck, until Jaxon ruins it for me by helping. I scowl at them both and turn around right as Bailey and Chris walk up.
"It"s so strange seeing the two of you getting along. For the past two years, I"ve watched you both giving each other s.h.i.t or sending each other longing glances when one thought the other wasn"t looking. It"s a nice change."
I look back over to Mac and Jaxon and see them laugh at something. I"ve missed him so much over the years. I never realized how much until we started talking again.
I turn back to Bailey and Chris and give them a small portion of the truth. "When we dated years ago, something happened to break us apart. What I thought happened wasn"t the complete truth. There was more to the story than what I saw."
"I a.s.sume you know the whole truth now?" Chris asks.
"Yeah, Mac pretty much left me no choice but to listen to him. I just wish I had listened sooner. We lost so much time," I finish with a sad smile.
Bailey leans over and hugs me before pulling back and looking me right in the eye. "Don"t dwell on the past. There"s nothing you can do to change it. You finally did listen. Think about the future now. I"ve never seen you so happy, Mia. Before, you tried to play it off, but I always saw sadness in your eyes. The sadness is gone now. Now, all I see is pleasure."
Her words bring tears to my eyes. I pull her into my arms again for a fierce hug. Bailey is one of the sweetest women I know. She"s right. I tried so hard to make people believe I was truly happy in my life, but deep down, I always felt like I was drowning. Finally, after years of suffocating, I can breathe again without it hurting.
Chris gives me a small smile over Bailey"s shoulder, and then hugs me once Bailey and I break apart. In my ear she whispers, "I"m really happy for you, Mia. You deserve to be happy."
I pull back and give her a watery smile. She smiles in return.
We make our way over to the blanket that is set out, while Mac and Jaxon start setting up the grill. Andrew"s sprawled out in all his hot and tattooed glory. He"s on his stomach so we all get a glimpse of the huge tree tattooed on his back. The base of the tree starts right above his b.u.t.t. The trunk travels up his spine until it gets to his shoulder blades, where the leafless branches expand and start wrapping up and around his shoulders. Every so often, you see black birds sitting on one the dead branches. It"s a beautiful piece.
"Get your lazy a.s.s up and come help, Andrew," Jaxon says while carrying the cooler of drinks.
"Hey, hey, now, no need to get snippy, hotness. I was just relaxing. If you wanted me to get up so you can check out my amazing chest, all you had to do is ask. You know I"m always prepared to please you." Andrew gets up and puffs out his chest, running his hand down his pecs and abs. He has both of his nipples pierced. All three of us girls stare in appreciation. Andrew really is a sight to see.
"No thanks, f.u.c.ker," Jaxon says. "If I want to see an amazing chest, I"ll just look at mine. Now, go grab the other cooler out of the truck." He turns to Bailey, who still has her eyes on Andrew"s magnificent chest. "Bailey, if you don"t stop looking at him, I"ll be forced to take you in those woods over there and show you exactly whose chest you should be drooling over."
Bailey"s eyes snap to Jaxon and a cute blush covers her cheeks. Jaxon smirks at her, which makes her narrow her eyes at him. He had better watch it. Bailey isn"t the sweet innocent girl she used to be. It"s not very often, but when pushed, Bailey can be a force to be reckoned with.
I turn to look at Mac and see a calculated look in his eyes. I know he"s thinking the same thing as Jaxon. My silent stare back at him dares him to even try. Chris"s next comment interrupts our silent battle of wills and causes both Bailey and me to laugh.
"Well, I"m not attached to anyone, so I can look my fill."
"At least someone appreciates my beauty," Andrew mutters, walking towards the truck.
Mac and Jaxon both just shake their head and continue to get things ready for the cookout.
Bailey, Chris, and I get settled on the blanket. Chris and I remove our tops. We"re both wearing bikinis. Mine is a dark grey, while hers is pure white. I look over to Bailey and see the indecision written all over her face. Her body is marked from her time with Steven, and she"s still self-conscious about it.
I watch as she finally comes to a decision, and I couldn"t be more proud of her. With shaky fingers, she lifts the hem of her shirt and pulls it over her head. She has on a modest forest green bikini top, but it still reveals the lines and dips of the scars she carries. She looks at me when she"s done, and I smile at her in encouragement.
All three of us lay back and soak up the sun and listen to the guys rumble about. The sun feels nice on my skin. I"m naturally darker-skinned so I don"t need to sun bathe to get a tan, but I like to do it every once in a while just for the relaxation it gives me.
"Did Jaxon tell you that he heard from your dad the other day?" Bailey turns her head to ask me.
At the mention of the man that likes to claim he"s my father, my body stiffens. No, Jaxon hasn"t told me. Probably because he knows that I don"t want to know. That man is a piece of s.h.i.t that cares about nothing but himself. When he left us, there was a huge weight lifted from the house and everyone left in it. Yes, he was my father and I should have been sad, but he hadn"t acted like a father in years. He was constantly putting us all down and had cheated on Mama with several different women. The kicker was that he didn"t even try to hide it. He eventually moved to hitting my mom, but that didn"t last long. Jaxon made sure of that.
The most f.u.c.ked up part about it all is that he wasn"t always like that. When I was a kid, I remembered him being the best father there was. He always had time for us kids. When he would come home from work, he would walk up to mom and give her a big kiss, and then turn to us kids and play with us until it was supper time. He treated my mom like precious gold, always catering to her every whim. My mom wasn"t a demanding woman, but he would find little ways to do things for her. I remember waking up each morning to my mom and dad sitting at the table beside each other talking quietly and laughing over a cup of coffee. I remembered always wanting a love like my parents had.
When I reached high school, everything changed. To this day, my mom has no idea what made him change. She likes to think it was a mid-life crisis, but who knows.
I turn my head in Bailey"s direction and curl my lip, "He knows better than to bring him up to me. He"s tried in the past, but I always shut him down. I have no desire to ever know what"s up with that man."
She nods her head in understanding. She knows the subject is a sore one for both Jaxon and me. Probably more so Jaxon since it was his fiance that our dear ole dad ran off with, right after she had an abortion with Jaxon"s baby. Yes, it"s majorly f.u.c.ked up, but that"s our father for you.
"How did Jaxon do?" I ask her, because normally after Jaxon talks to our father he"s not in the best of moods. Who can really blame him though?
"He was okay. Mostly quiet." She looks at me and starts chewing on her lip, like she trying to decide on whether or not to tell me something. I save her the trouble.
"Just spit it out, Bailey," I tell her as gently as I can, but I know it still comes out harsh.
"He called to tell Jaxon that he and Cara are having another baby," she rushes out.