Lost Cause

Chapter 22

Alex's POV

"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?" I turn to Jax in shock.

It's been two weeks since dad left and I still turn a corner expecting him to be standing there. I think that's the hardest part about him coming home, it's when he leaves again. You just start to get comfortable and finally feel like you're whole again, then just like that the four weeks are up and he has to leave again.

It never gets easier. Right now it's not hard for Jordan because he's too young to know what dad is really doing when he leaves. Of course he knows that he's in the military and we've tried explaining what dad's job is but he doesn't understand the idea. He just thinks that our dad is going away on secret adventures, which isn't all that false, it's just that these adventures are dangerous and could end up going horribly wrong.

Jax has made it a little bit more bearable, he's constantly trying to take my mind off it. I will say that I don't mind his creative way of distracting me, I actually prefer it.

Apparently he's done too good a job at that because he didn't tell me that his birthday was coming up. I also didn't ask. Over the course of two and a half months birthdays never came up.

"You had a lot on your mind." He moves his hat up a little so I can see his eyes.

Still breathtaking.

"I should've asked," I grabbed his hand. "Alright so what do you want to do then?"

"Nothing, it's really not a big deal. We don't have to do anything."

"Bro, that's a fight you'll lose. Our girls like to go all out for our birthdays." Felix wraps his arm around Rosie.

She blushes and I have to suppress a small smile. Two weeks ago when Felix told me he loved her I knew he meant it, course I knew his feelings far before he did. But I didn't know how Rosie was going to react to it, especially because of their fight earlier that night.

She was a little cautious the first couple of days afterward. I know how she thinks and I knew that she was going to think that he didn't actually mean it. That he was only saying it because she confessed to her feelings. But thankfully once he proved it to her, and that he was truthful she believed it. They're taking it slow, especially because he did just end a relationship no matter if it wasn't one of love.

"Can we do something small? I don't really wanna party." Jax looks at me.

"Whatever you want, baby. We can go to the diner and go to an arcade after, if everyone's down for that." I look around to see everyone nodding in agreement.

"That's actually perfect."

"We'll all meet at the diner?"

A chorus of works for us fills the air before it's silenced by the shrill bell.

"Ugh I don't wanna go to history." Micah groans.

"I'd take that over math," Nick shudders. "I think Mrs. Andrews is trying to pull the moves on me."

"She's like seventy years old." Brett's face fills with disgust.

"Man, you think I don't know that. I'd like to see her face when I tell her I swing for the other team."

"She might fucking die right there. I'd pay to see that." Stephan laughs.

"It'll save me from doing homework."

"Come on, we'll be late." Rosie stands and pulls Felix up with her.

"What would we do without you making us be on time, Rosie?" Micah slings an arm around her shoulder.