I shake my head in astonishment. How can someone like her exist?

“Nope, not a damn dime,” he answers, massaging his swelling knuckles.

“Wait a minute...” She notes Jax’s injured hand. “You still have that ring I gave you?”

Jax tucks his hand behind his back. “I’m not giving you that back. That’s the one damn thing I have that belongs to a family you never let me get to know.”

She rolls her eyes, annoyed. “That ring was never your grandfather’s. I just told you that to stop you from asking about your father. Seriously, you were such a whiney kid.”

“So the story was bullshit?” His confidence weakens. “God, I don’t even know why I’m surprised.”

She sighs impatiently. “Look, when you were younger, you went through this phase where you kept asking where your dad was after one of your teachers wanted you to make a family tree. Since I don’t even have a clue who your father is, I made up a story about your grandfather giving me that ring to give to you one day. It was only to shut you up. I planned on taking the ring back when you were sleeping or something, but I honestly forgot you had it.”

“Then whose ring is it?” The hurt in his voice tears my heart apart.

She shrugs indifferently as she stuffs the pack of cigarettes into her pocket. “I have no clue. I jacked it off this rich guy I was screwing. Figured it might be worth something.”

The silence that follows is excruciatingly painful.

Shaking his head, Jax yanks off the ring and drops it on the ground. “You know, the really stupid part about this whole thing is that, if you would have just told me over the phone what was going on, I would have sent you the fucking ring.”

“I didn’t really think about it… I was a little out of it when I called,” she explains, scrambling to pick up the ring.

“High as always and your kids are still paying for it.” Jax interlaces our fingers, his hand trembling as he swings around and heads for our room. “And FYI, I don’t think that ring is worth a thousand dollars.” She mutters something unintelligible, and Jax keeps walking, but turns toward her before he unlocks the door to go inside. “Do me a favor, okay?”

“Okay... whatever you need.” She barely pays attention to him, focused on the ring in her hand.

“Don’t ever fucking call me again.” His voice is composed, but his body quivers.

Her fingers curl around the ring. “If that’s what you want, then I’ll give it to you.”

His jaw is set tight as he gives a firm nod. “It’s what I want.”

“Okay, then.” She grins, like she really does believe she’s done this great favor for him. Then she hurries away from us and toward the road.

Once she’s vanished into the night, Jax releases a deafening exhale as his head slumps against the door. He bangs his forehead against the wood a few times, his body shaking as he takes several erratic breaths. He’s crying and I have no clue what to do. I know that, after my father died, I spent a lot of time alone in my room, sobbing my heart out. The loneliness made me feel sad and empty inside, like I’d never feel warm again.

I do the only thing I can think of and wrap my arms around him. “Hey, I know this sounds stupid right now, but it’s going to be okay.”

“I know it is,” he mutters, facing me with his head tucked down. His arms enclose around me and he buries his face in my hair, soundlessly crying.

When he finally pulls away, his eyes are red and puffy. “Sorry.” He clears his throat, seeming ashamed by his emotional breakdown.

“Don’t apologize. Remember, I’m here for support.” I dry a few stray tears from his stubbly cheek with my fingertips. “And look on the bright side. Now you know she’s okay, and you can go home.”

“We can go home,” he presses with a smoldering look that makes my skin feel like melting wax. “I really like the sound of that.”

“You know what? I do, too,” I agree.

With a trace of a smile, he slides the cardkey through the lock and opens the door.

As I’m walking inside the room, I glance back at the desolate parking lot where Jax’s mother walked away from her son without so much as a glance back. Even though I’ve enjoyed my time with Jax, I’m glad to be going home. As stressful as my life is, and as complicated as my mother can make things, I’m lucky I still have her, even if it’s just pieces of her.

Chapter Sixteen

Jax

After my mom leaves, Clara and I go into the room and lie down on the bed. My eyes burn from crying and while I should feel like a pussy for being so emotional in front of Clara, I don’t.

“I’m so tired.” She yawns, stretching her arms above her head.

I roll over beside her, line my body with hers, and drape my arm over her side. Feeling her warmth erases some of the cold my mother put inside me. I forgot how cold I could feel when I am around her. So empty. So unloved.

“Jax Hensley.” Humor laces Clara’s tone. “Are you spooning me right now?”

“Yep, it makes me feel better.” I nuzzle my face into the crook of her neck and breathe in the scent of her perfume. “Does that bother you?”

She shakes her head, tipping her chin to look back at me. “If it makes you feel better, then spoon away.”

I press closer and place a kiss to her neck right on her pulse.

She shivers, her heart racing. “What do you want to do for the rest of the night?”