His to Keep (Carmel Springs Book 4)

Chapter 9

Jax~

Getting out of my truck, I made my way to the front door, then pounded on the wood like I was the police, which...I supposed I was.

A few seconds later, the door swung open by a surprised-looking Mr. Kendall. He was also looking at me like I'd lost my mind, and maybe I'd had. It was way past eight in the evening, so I could see how he might not have been expecting me.

"Jax," he greeted hesitantly.

"I fucked up," I announced. "I'm here to make it right."

The imposing man crossed his arms over his chest. "It's been only two days since you guys started up again, Jax. How in the hell did you manage to screw up in a matter of two days?"

"My eyes weren't looking past our relationship, the one we had then and the one we have now, and that was my mistake," I answered honestly, knowing that the poor man had no idea what I was talking about. "Right now, Layne has bigger issues on her mind with the health of your wife, and instead of being sensitive to that, I've made her return to Carmel Springs all about me."

"I see," he replied, lowering his arms.

"I upset her earlier, and I'm here to make it right," I continued.

He eyed me for a long second before saying, "I'll let her know that she has company."

I stepped back off the stoop, then started pacing for lack of something better to do. While I wasn't scared of a challenge, I had let Layne down by making this all about me, and I felt shitty over that fact. Clayton's remark that I might have taken advantage of Layne wasn't sitting well with me, and self-reflection really was a motherfucker.

When the front door opened again, I stopped pacing as Layne stormed her way towards me. As soon as she stopped in front of me, she hissed, "Have you lost your mind?"

"I'm here to apologize-"

"Oh, really," she scoffed. "And what, exactly, are you apologizing for?"

"It's a long list," I informed her. "Do you want me to start from back when we were in high school or from when you got back in town?"

"This isn't funny, Jax," she snapped.

"I'm not trying to be funny, Layne," I snapped back. "I've made a lot of mistakes where you're concerned, and I can admit that. I'm still making mistakes, but that doesn't mean that I'm wrong about us. That doesn't mean that we're not meant to be."

"That doesn't give you the right to act like a caveman, then turn around and be a hypocrite, Jax."

"You're not getting rid of the caveman, so you're just going to have to deal with that, but you're right about Melinda," I conceded. "I shouldn't have let her get close enough to me for all that. However, she really was just trying to get an invitation to the wedding out of me."

"Jax-"

"And, just so we're clear, you have nothing to worry about in that regard, Layne," I clarified for her. "While I haven't been living my life like a saint these past few years, in the months since I've been back in Carmel Springs, I've been following Clayton's example. In fact, we all have."

Her nose scrunched up. "What does that mean?"

"Carmel Springs is too small to be fucking around with the women of this town without some sort of expectation, so...well, my brothers and I have always looked elsewhere for our fun."

Layne arched a brow. "Oh, really," she deadpanned.

"There's only you, Layne," I sighed heavily. "I'm not sure what else I can do to make you see that."