Potent Potential

Eighteen - This is a load of crap

Okay, wow. I couldn't think of a title because this chapter has nothing going on in it so I thought I'd be honest... well, PG-13 honest. I was going to dedicate this to someone who's been really supportive but I don't want her name connected to this so I'll dedicate the next chapter.

So, it's been nearly half a year. Hope you remember the story. (Hint; Jax is the main character). Sorry it's not great. It'll help if you really lower your expectations...

Eighteen –

Waking up next to Dante was like… was like waking up on my own. I hugged the edges of my bed, it was my habit. I couldn’t sleep comfortably unless I had one foot near to the ground and one arm hanging off the bed. Sometime during the night I must have escaped his arms and lined myself up with the side of the mattress. I lifted my head and looked behind me to see Dante snuffling peacefully, facing me with one arm reaching toward me and the other tucked under his pillow. I tried to silently roll off the bed but as soon as my feet hit the ground, his eyes snapped open. There was no slow coming to consciousness for him, no droopy eyelids and slow stretch. I could only reach that functionality once I’d had my morning caffeine. Unless I thought I was in danger. He simply woke and was ready to start the day.

“Jax,” he murmured huskily, a slow smile gracing his features. Such an enticing smile. I couldn’t help but give him one back.

He scooted across the bed and hopped onto his feet. He was a morning person, it was obvious. His eyes were twinkling, goddammit.

“You look good in the morning,” he said with a mischievous grin.

I looked down at myself. Sports bra and gym shorts. The henna on my arms was close to blending in with my skin tone and I knew that my hair would be flat on one side and ruffled on the other. I narrowed my eyes. False compliments meant that he was either delusional or he was lying in order to get something.

Since I had yet to get most of my clothes from home – and I wouldn’t dare ask Ash – I picked a random t-shirt from the clothes strewn around my room and slipped it on. It probably needed to be washed but it didn’t stink and I honestly didn’t care at the moment. Even though I’d woken naturally, I still felt like I needed several more hours of sleep. School was in about three hours. I woke, as usual, just before dawn. Luckily, today, I didn’t need to somehow get around Dante’s watchfulness to get to the gym. I had a meeting with Laker. The first of my reports.

Considering that, just yesterday, Boey had shown his impatience with me, I had to hope that whatever I had to say would please him.

Dante rounded the pile of blankets I’d kicked off on the first night here, my towel from the gym yesterday and my schoolbag. He looked very, very happy and it only made me want to scowl more. Why couldn’t I be happy like that when I first woke up? Not fair.

“No time,” I said quickly, raising my hand. He kept coming but I backed up at the same pace. “I have a meeting with Laker.”

He paused mid-step. “Now?” he asked dubiously. “It’s about 5am.”

“It’s the only time Laker has free. He’s a busy man. And I have to go.”

“You can be five minutes late.” The corner of his mouth lifted.

I scoffed. “No, no I can’t be late to a meeting with the boss. I’m on rocky ground as it is.”

He finally reached me and his fingers pressed under my chin gently, lifting my eyes to look into his. “Five minutes will be acceptable. I’ll go with you to tell him.”