Between The Books-Michael Clifford

Fifty Three

"Jax is on his way over? I can't even believe he might be using again." Laney is sitting on her bed in her OSU sweatshirt and underwear, putting lotion on her legs.

"I can't believe it either. I mean, I can see why he would want to, but to risk losing everything."

"What are you gonna say?"

"I'm just going to ask him. We're supposedly so close, it would be natural for me to worry about that." I say.

I pull out a pair of shorts and tshirt. We just got back from taking a shower. Laney and I have started running. We decided it would be something we might be able to keep doing if we did it together.

"You know what else I can't believe?" I say.

"What's that?"

"That you are actually spending a night in your dorm room and not at Marcus's!" I say, laughing.

She flips me off with both hands.

"He said he and the guys needed to work on some songs and that they all agreed no girlfriends. Becca and Synna aren't there either."

"I know, Michael told me, but for you and Marcus....you must be in withdrawals, girl! What's it been, like seven hours without each other?!" I pull my tshirt over my head and grab my hairbrush.

"Oh, please! You're one to talk. Nice hicky, Babe. You been sleeping there almost as much as me...well ok, not this last week." She says.

"This...is the beginning of some serious making out that Michael and I are gonna finish, after I break up with Jax...until then, it's a curling iron burn, bitch!" I give her my best bitch face, then we both start laughing.

"How hard is it to stay away from each other?!" She stands up and shakes out her wet hair and grabs her hair dryer.

"Horrible! I can't think of anything else. I just want to get all this stuff with Jax resolved so Michael and I can be together."

"Yeah, especially since you LOVE him!" She says, grinning, then turns on her hair dryer.

"Oh my gosh, give it a rest! I didn't say that....well not exactly."

"What? Can't hear you!" She says, putting her hand up to her ear and smiling.

Bitch.

Just as I sit down on my bed I hear the knock at our door. I stand up and walk over, taking a deep breath, and open the door.

"Hey, Baby! Miss me?" Jax says, stepping into me and putting his arm around my waist.

"Hi. Course I did. How was Mount Vernon?" I say.

Jax looks AMAZING. Best I've seen him since before his mom died.

"It was good. Hung out with Paulie and JD. What'd you and Lane do? Oh wait, did you even see Lane or was she wrapped around Marcus all weekend?" He says laughing.

Then he kisses me. Nope, didn't even see it coming. His lips crush mine as his hands slip down my waist and stop on my ass. I kiss him back, telling myself over and over...make it believable. He needs something to still be going right in his life.

I put my arms around his waist and let him kiss me. We've been together a long time so it's not hard to kiss Jax, but it just isn't the same as it used to be. He moves down my jaw, pushing back my wet hair and stops.

Shit. I forgot.

"Uh...tell me this is NOT what it looks like?" He says, pulling back and looking at me.