ELLA

Chase

Jax can surprisingly keep up. We've been on the mountain for 3 hours now and although I have my little panic attack on the the ski lift, he held me the whole way up.

Andrew invited Jeremy who is also really great at boarding. The only person having some...a lot of trouble is Pepper.
"I cannot feel my ass." We sit at the bottom of the mountain waiting for the guys to come down.
"Well I told you, keep your legs away from your body, you keep leaning towards them!"

"Well first and last time I am ever snowboarding."
I laugh and lie back looking up at the white sky. 

"Being close to my family, that's highly unlikely. "

She shakes her head and joins me lying down. 

"So are you guys a thing now?"
I know she means Jax. 

"I don't know if you can call it a thing."
"Of course it's a thing." Jax's voice hums from behind me.

He slides on his knees and stops as they collide with mine. 

"I mean- you guys just met. Isn't that a bit... I don't know. Soon?" Pepper struggles to clip out of her board. 

Jax hovers over me and unclips it for her, "I like to live in the moment." 

"I'll say." I roll my eyes.

"Ella? Ella Matcher?"  a tall brown eyed man walks towards me. 

"Yes?" I struggled to unclip myself from my board. 

Jax stands firm next to me as the man gets closer; almost too protective.

"It's me, Chase!"

"Chase Mark ?" 

Wow, he grew up. He hugs me and spins me around. In that small glimpse I catch Jax's face and it does not look pleased. 

"Guys this is Chase, we basically grew up together; his parents own this mountain and the one next to it and the one next to that.

"Well we don't like to brag.  "

I feel my face flush. 

"And Andrew, good to see you." he goes in for a hug.

"You too man, you too."

"We gotta shred the mountain while you're up here! Just like old times." 

"For sure !"

Chase turns his attention towards me again. 

"Little Ella. I havn't seen you in years." 

"Well you moved to Spain for like, 6 years and didn't really tell anyone."

His face gets tense. 

"6 Years huh?" Jax steps forward between Chase and I. 

"7, actually. Yeah, boarding school. Got in some trouble back in the day but I got cleaned up." 

He extends his hand out to shake Jax's hand. 
"Chase." he smiles. 

"Yeah I picked up on that. Jax." his eyes are firm as he rejects his hand. 

There's an awkward silence as Jax stares him down. 

"Well I'm gonna go up the mountain. You guys wanna come?" 

"We-" 

Jax cuts me off. 

"We just got down. Maybe another time." Jax takes my hands and practically drags me away. 

"You didn't have to be so rude." I rip my hand from his grip. 

Andrew jogs to catch up with us. "Jax are you alright man? What was up with that? Chase is a good guy." 

He paces back and forth.

"I got a feeling, alright?" 

"So because you got a feeling you have to be rude to my friends? I've known him my whole life-"

"Except 7 years."

I eye him with anger -"His family and mine are very close. They are none of your business." 

"When it involves you it does." 

"You do not own me, Jax." 

"My feelings are never wrong. I don't get a good vibe from that guy." his eyes are almost bloodshot again, like he could kill a man. 

"Well, suck it up."

I walk away towards Pepper and tell her to come to the car with me. 

"You look pissed." She mumbles. 

"Do I not have the right to be?" 

"No, you do. Jax was being a total dick to your friend. Who was super hot if I may add." 

"All yours." I slam the car door. 

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