No Rhyme or Reason

Chapter 7

I sat up and started shoving my stuff into my bookbag.

We drove in complete silence except for the occasional directions from Jax. I wasn't sure how to read him right now, not that I usually could. He seemed angry and frustrated, and a little nervous as he bounced his leg up and down.

I had never been to this side of town before, past the shipyard. I took a right and drove into a trailer park.

"Just let me out wherever," he murmured.

"Which one's yours?" I asked. I didn't know why he didn't want me driving him home.

He sighed and nodded his head. "Down there on the right."

I slowed down and pulled to a stop, turning off the car. Jax immediately unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car before I could say anything. There were trailer homes lined up one after the other with only a little space between each. He ran to one of the homes lined with gnomes in the front yard and knocked on the door. It opened immediately and he got down on his knees and opened his arms as a little girl ran to him and he hugged her. He picked her up and carried her down the steps as he talked to an older lady still standing in the doorway. He nodded his head to her and then she went back in her house and shut the door.

He put the girl down on the gravel and knelt in front of her. She looked upset and he hugged her again. I opened my door and stood up out of the car. I wondered who the little girl was and why she was so upset.

I heard some shouting in the trailer home next to the one he had come out of with the little girl.

Jax looked at the house with the noise and then to the girl and then to me. He took the little girl's hand and started walking towards me.

He looked a little embarrassed when he got to me. "Do you mind watching my sister for a minute? I'll be right back."

I nodded my head and he let go of her hand.

"Addie, this is Olivia. She's going to look after you just for a minute and then I'll be right back, okay?"

Addie had her chin tucked towards her chest and looked like she was about to cry. She nodded her head and then Jax kissed her on the forehead. He looked up and we made eye contact for a brief moment before he turned and walked to the house that the noise was coming from.

I knelt down in front of her. I had no clue what was going on but she was definitely upset and had been crying.

"Hi Addie. Is that short for Addison?" I asked in a gentle voice. She nodded her head up and down.

"That's a really pretty name," I said. She didn't say anything. I looked up as shouting came from the house Jax had just gone into. I heard a male voice yelling and then a female voice yelling and then flinched when I heard something crash against the wall. I looked back at Addie to see her squeeze her eyes shut. I would have been more nervous for Jax if I wasn't so worried about his sister and making sure she was okay.

"Do you like music?" I asked Addie.

She nodded her head but didn't open her eyes.

"Do you want to sit in my car and we can listen to some music?"

She popped her eyes open and nodded her head. I opened the passenger door and helped her sit up in the chair and then closed the door. I walked around to the drivers side and got in the door. I was happy that when I closed my door we could no longer hear shouting.

I started the car and turned the radio on. Some music started to play and Addie looked a little more relaxed but still upset. I had no clue what to say to her, so instead we just listened to the radio. It honestly helped me just as much as Addie. I was worried about Jax as I stared at the trailer home, wondering what was happening.

After a minute, the door to the trailer home flew open. A man carrying a beer can walked out and slammed the door behind him. He got in a truck and sped off. A second later, the door opened again and Jax walked out followed by a lady with the same dark brown hair as both Jax and Addie. She was yelling at Jax and then went back into the house and slammed the door behind her. Jax stood on the porch for a moment and then looked over at me. We locked eyes for a moment and then he looked down at his feet and walked towards us in the car.

I looked at Addie who had her eyes closed now. She must have fallen asleep, so I left her in the car and got out.

Jax peeked in the car at Addie and then walked over to my side. I closed the door gently and then Jax leaned against the car in front of me, looking down at his shoes.

"Sorry about that," he said.

I shook my head, still a little in shock. "Seriously, it's fine."

"No it's not," he said and then looked up at me.

His eyes suddenly went wide and he looked at his watch. "Shit. I have a shift tonight," he said in frustration. He looked at Addie and then at the house.

"I can't leave her with her right now," he said about the lady. It must have been his mom.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

He shrugged and pulled out his phone. "Gotta call in and tell him I can't make it again I guess." Jax kicked his shoe into the gravel as he started typing in the number. "He's gonna fucking fire me," he murmured to himself as he started dialling a number. 

"Wait," I said. "What time's your shift from?"

He looked at me. "Five to ten, why?"

I shrugged. "I can look after her while you work, if you want."

He raised his eyebrows.

"I mean, sorry," I said quickly. "I know you don't really know me."

He shook his head. "No, it's not that. You just.... You don't have to."

"I really wouldn't mind," I said.

He frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Of course," I said. "I could drive her back here for... ten fifteen?"

He shook his head. "No. I'll come get her. Just send me your address."

I nodded my head. "Okay."

He still looked at me for a moment, a frown on his face. "You're sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all," I said. 

Jax looked at Addie sitting in the car and then sighed. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

I nodded my head. "I know."

He walked to the car and opened the passenger door. He started talking to Addie and then she got out of the car and he buckled her into the backseat. He closed the door and then came back to me.

"I'm really sorry about all that," he said again. I nodded my head. I could tell he felt bad. "Call me if you need, okay?"

"I will."

He nodded his head and I got in the driver's seat. We locked eyes for a moment again and then I backed away.