Listen To Me

chapter 4 ⋆ kiss me

The week that follows my argument with Jax is one of the strangest yet. 

The first thing I notice is that I'm not getting bullied anymore. The people in my year simply walk by and avert their eyes. I don't know what's changed their stance towards me. Maybe seeing Jax with me has a soporific effect on their abhorrent personalities.

Jax's sudden absence has me reeling. Before that argument in the cafe, we were making progress as friends. But now, whenever he sees me, his eyes avoid me and he puts as much distance between us as possible. It hurts me to this day, a week later, and this is why I don't do friendships. Friendship breakups cause so much hurt, and Jax's distancing is no exception.

The second thing to change is my suspicions of Emily, the girl who spoke to me that day by the gym lockers. She talks to me in Sociology when Jax has made it clear that he won't, granted hesitantly at first. But once Emily sees that I'm approachable, she lowers her guard. Maybe I'm so desperate for a friendly face that I let her in. I forgave the wicked and I scorned the good.

Eventually, I can't bear it. Another week later, I go to the library, where I know Jax is surely going to be. I find him sitting at a table opposite a brunette boy I haven't seen before. The latter boy is as tall as Jax, lithe and strong-looking. His eyes remind me of charcoal as they look up to find mine.

I fold my arms stubbornly and glare at him behind Jax's head. Jax is facing the opposite direction, so he hasn't noticed me yet. But from the look on the brunette boy's face, he knows who I am.

He leans over to whisper something to Jax, and I see the lines of Jax's back turn rigid. He knows I'm here, behind him, waiting for an explanation.

I smile falsely at the brunette boy as I sit at their table beside Jax. "Sorry for the intrusion, but this won't take a second."

He doesn't say anything, and I take it as consent to talk to Jax. I turn to the golden-haired boy beside me and scowl as I take in the familiarity of his bronze-dipped eyes. "You've been ignoring me."

Jax shrugs seamlessly. "I thought you didn't want to talk to me, so I left you to it."

The boy opposite us coughs lightly, and I frown at him. There's something in his eyes that's trying to communicate with me, but I just can't tell what it is. His eyes flicker to Jax and then I think I know what he's telling me.

I lean into Jax and pierce him with my eyes. "You're lying to me. What's your other excuses?"

For the first time, I see Jax's brow draw in as he frowns at me. Usually, even when his face is neutral, there's something bright about him. But now I'm finally starting to see the storm behind the facade. "It's not a lie, Margot."

"It's as much of a lie as I told you in the cafe." I say with a sigh. "For some reason, I care about you. I have no idea why, but I'm not going to let go of you yet."

He smiles. "Aren't you being possessive?"

I shrug. "I'm a possessive person. I don't like miscommunications or mixed signals."

Jax runs his hand over his face, looking tired. "Great, neither do I. So why did you approach me now?"

Jax's friend clears his throat uncomfortably, clearly done with being forced to eavesdrop. Jax looks at him, and they wordlessly agree that his friend will leave. So then it's just Jax and me, facing each other with our weapons ready.

"Because I missed you." I say abruptly, and the smile that bursts onto Jax's face could light the sun.

He reaches his hand out to my cheek. I close my eyes to feel his skin ghosting mine. "I missed you more."