Judas Kiss

Chapter 27.

Eighteen Months Later

Jax

I scribbled in my journal as I waited for my release. It had been eighteen months, eighteen long months without my son and my girl. I thought that I could distract myself while I was in here, and keep my mind busy. But every night I closed my eyes, all I could see was her face.

She would come in like a cloud of smoke, and then slowly grow until she covered every corner of my mind. I thought that I'd be able to escape her here and grow into the idea of separation. And she made it easy for me too, by stepping away and allowing Tara to take the role of my ole lady. But I just couldn't forget Arielle.

Her laugh, her smile, and even the way she smelled took over my senses. For the first time in my life, I was able to sit with everything I'd ever done to her. I had nothing but time to spend, so I spent most of it thinking about all of her sacrifices.

She hardly kept in contact with me during my time here. She never told me how she was or came to see me while I was inside. She only would offer photos of Abel and write about his growth and his milestones. She tried to include me in everything about him, despite her obvious desire to be free of me.

She didn't know it, but through the countless times, Tara and my mom visited, my heart held out for the day that she'd come and visit me herself. When I was hurt inside by the Russians she had come to see me in the hospital. It was the only visit she ever made, and it was the first time in a long time that her eyes held compassion for me.

I photographed the memory in my mind and cherished how she looked after me. Tara wasn't allowed to see me since she wasn't family, and my mom hadn't been close enough to make it in time before they would take me away again. But none of that mattered because she was who I trully wanted to see.

When they took me away, she held my hand until she couldn't go any further with me. I'll never forget the look on her face, because somewhere deep down that look meant she still loved me. It was buried inside of her, most likely crushed under the weight of everything I'd put her through. But it was there.

A loud buzz sounded through the prison which signified my release. I took a deep breath as my cell opened and I followed the guard down the hall. The others were ushered into the same room where we were given back our things in plastic bags.

I put on my rings but then stared hesitantly at my wedding band. Things with Ari had become worse ever since I asked her to allow Tara to be in Abel's life. She took it hard and I knew that earning her forgiveness would require a lot more than just slipping my ring back on my finger.

My first order of business would be figuring out what to do about Tara because, besides my love for Ari, I loved Tara as well. My relationship with Tara was simple and straightforward. We were high school sweethearts who had rekindled an old flame. And despite her obvious desire to leave Charming, she decided to stay for me, and that didn't go unnoticed.

It was my first day as a free man after an eighteen-month stretch, and it was becoming abundantly clear that I would be faced with a lot of decisions. Most of them are a matter of the heart.

"Hey!" The men cheered from the other side of the gate as we approached it. Opie, Chibs, Myles, Piney, and Kozik cheered for our arrival. Everyone celebrated and embraced as we realized that we were all finally on the other side again.

"Good to see you on this side brother!" Opie and I hugged tightly and gave rough smacks on each other's backs. I felt like I could finally breathe again as we gave a final wave in Stockton's direction.

Being back on my bike felt great, it felt right. I had definintely been away for too long, and I knew that the club struggled with the absence of so many members. The men left on the outside could hardly keep themselves above water, but Clay had a plan to change all that, and all I had to do was back him up. Only then he would allow me to leave and would fully support my departure.