Fighting a New World

13

Callum's POV

Seeing the way Jax used to live pissed me off beyond belief.

The living room was terrible but the basement was on a whole other level. That seemed to be his dad's 'man cave'. Sure there was beer cans and bottles in the living room but down here you could barely take a step without stepping on food or a can.

And the amount of bloodstains on the carpet is insane. You could tell someone had tried to get the stains out but gave up after a while.

"Jesus Christ," Patrick cussed out as he looked around the room.

"I'm going to fucking kill his dad," I groaned out as I made my way to the punching bag.

Jax had been right about it at least. The bag was a pretty good one. It had a stand on it so you didn't have to hang it from the celling, which was good because our leases said we weren't allowed to drill holes in the walls anyway.

The punching bag seemed like the only thing in this whole house that wasn't covered in beer or falling apart; Jax must have had taken pretty good care of it.

"I might join you after this," Patrick said with a scowl as he followed behind me. "I knew his home life was shit but I never knew it was this bad."

"I knew it was this bad but hearing about what happened and seeing everything is two different things." Patrick only gives a sigh as he starts looking over the punching bag.

"I don't suppose you've taken one of these apart before," he asked as he glared at the bag.

"I have not. Will it fit in your car like this?"

"Maybe if we fold down one of the back seats but then someone will have to ride with Andrew."

"Or Ryder can sit in my lap."

"Someone's riding with Andrew. Grab the side, let's see if we can even pick it up by ourselves."

It took a lot of groaning but after a few minutes, we were able to get it into his car.

"Do you ever stop and think about what would have happened if he had gotten away," I can't help but ask as I stared back at the shamble of the house.

It pissed me off beyond belief at that thought of Jax coming back to this house instead of getting arrested. If he had gotten away he would have to live here with his dad again. He and Carter getting beaten every day. Carter having to beat the shit out of people just so Jax's dad could blow the money he made on beer and other shit h didn't need.

"I think of what would have happened with all of you," he admitted sadly as he walked back to the house. "I try not to dwell on it though. All I focus on is the ones I was able to help."

I force myself to put on a smile as I walked back to Jax's room.

Ryder and Liam were looking around the room, looking a bit uncomfortable as they went through Jax's things but before long Jax was ready to go.

I honestly expected him to be tense or for Carter to front at some point but he walked around the house with confidence, as if nothing bad ever happened here.

Jax frowned when Patrick told him someone would have to ride with Andrew but shrugged it off when Ryder volunteered to do it. He hid the key under the same rock before we piled into cars and headed back to the apartment.

The closer we got the more excited Jax seemed to get until he was all buzzing in his seat as we pulled into the parking lot.

"You seem pretty excited," Patrick teased as he threw the car in park.

"I am excited. I hadn't realized how much I missed that stupid thing."

I couldn't decide if Jax was being cute or annoying at this point. He watched closely as Patrick and I maneuver the punching set up two flights of stares and several tight turns. Every time we got a little too close to a wall he would make a sound of disapproval before telling us to be careful.

When we finally got the stupid into the spare bedroom, I decided Jax was being cute. Mostly because of the smile that crept onto his face when he put it where he wanted it.

The rest of us watched as his smile widened as he got into a fighting stance.

The first hit was soft, almost like he was trying to remember how much force he needed in order to move the bag, but the second hit came at full force.

Nothing but a smile covered his face as he set his rhythm while the bag swung back and forth with every hit.

I don't know how long he ended up going at it but the rest of us had left him to it a while ago. Patrick was the first to leave, saying he needed to go to sleep since he was on night shift again. Andrew left only a little while later since he had to get back to camp now that he had someone else in out old cabin.

"You feel better now," Ryder asked when Jax came out of the room at least an hour later. Sweat was pouring down his red face. His shirt seems to have disappeared at some point while his chest heaved up and down.

"I feel a lot better," he admitted as he walked to the kitchen and came back with a granola bar before coming to sit on the couch. I wait for Carter to switch out but to my surprise, Jax stared at the TV screen as he ate, only grimaces a few times.

I tried to hide my smile and to not make a big deal out of it since I knew Jax would hate if any of us did but it was hard to, especially when he climbed into my lap as he continued to watch the movie.

"You comfortable now?" I asked with a small smirk as my arms went around his waist.

"Mhmm. You're so soft and squishy," he teased.

"Excuse you," I gasped as I playfully shoved him off of me. "I'm not squishy. I have way more muscles than you." Jax scoffs as he looks up and down at himself before doing the same to me.

"Where exactly are you hiding all of those muscles then?" I shot him a glare as I stand up from the couch before taking my shirt off and looking over to Ryder, who was staring at both of us with wide eyes.

"What do you think, Ryder? Who has the most muscles?" He hummed as his eyes jumped back and forth between the two of us.

"Well Jax has more defined abs," he said making Jax smirk at me. "But Callum bigger biceps and you are both have about the same sized triceps. You both look pretty perfect to me."

"Awe, thanks babe," I said as I put my shirt back on and went back to sit on the couch with him.

"Yea that's not going to work for me," Jax said with a glare. "Liam," he called out to Liam, who was in the shower. "Who has more muscles me or Callum?"

Liam was quiet for a second; probably trying to figure out how this conversation even came up. Then he was quiet for a bit longer to actually make up his mind.

"Callum," he called back a few minutes later making Jax scoff as he set another glare on me. I can't help the laugh that works its way up before I have a chance to stifle it.

Jax only huffed as he sat on the far end of the couch and focused on the TV.

"Don't be like that babe. It's not my fault that our boyfriends think I look hotter."

"I didn't say that," Ryder mumbled with an innocent smile.

A smile breaks out on Jax's face as he leans over me and picks Ryder up by the waist before plopping him down in his lap.

"Ryder's my new favorite," he declared as he held Ryder closer to his chest. "Go fuck yourself."

Last updated June 26, 2021