Together Forever

18: BAD GIRLFRIEND

"You're going to the game on Friday, right?"

Kim smirks. "You'd have to chain me to a tree to keep me from watching twenty-two hot guys get even hotter as they run around, chasing pig skin."

I laugh. "I half expected you to make a snide comment about Kevin."

Kim sighs. "I won't be watching your little gremlin of a boyfriend, I'll be watching Jax and the twenty other hotties."

I purse my lips at her reference to Jax and his 'hotness' and she notices instantly.

She chuckles softly, reaching forward to pause our movie before wrapping her arms around me, bunching up the blanket between us.

"You do know, Conditioner, that I would never in a million years make a move on Jax, right?"

I don't want to acknowledge, let alone explain the feeling of relief that courses through me. Kim is gorgeous in every sense of the word and she can get anyone she wants. If I'm being honest, she deserves someone like Jax.

He would treat her like a queen and they'd be amazing together. So why does the thought of them together affect me so much?

I smile. "Kim, there's nothing between me and Jax."

"Mmhmm." She smiles sarcastically. "I believe you, sweetie. I just wanted to let you know, that you don't have to worry about me going after him."

I frown. "You're making it sound like you're some kind of boy predator."

She shrugs, releasing me and laying back down on the stack of pillows. "Just call me Sabre-toothed Kim."

I snort, using my toe to press the center key of my laptop, playing the movie.

Kim stretches her leg and pauses the movie a second later. "Do you know what just occurred to me?"

I turn to her. "What?"

"Whose Jersey are you going to wear?"

The answer is simple but I freeze for a moment.

I always wore Jax's jerseys to all his games but tomorrow, I'll be wearing Kevin's.

***

Ajax: Are you awake?

That depends on what you want at 1 in the morning, Callahan

Ajax: Sorry, I can't sleep

Why?

Ajax: I may or may not be nervous about tomorrow.

Ladder

I reach for one of my dad's old sweatshirts hanging off my couch and throw it on over my thin tank top just as Jax knocks on my window.

"Hey," I whisper as he climbs into my room.

"Hey."

He sits and I join him at the window. He looks...shadowed. Less cheery than usual.

"You're usually not nervous before a game, what's going on?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. Every time I close my eyes, I imagine making an absolute fool of myself."

I purse my lips. "But you know that won't happen, you're amazing on the field."

He sighs.

I tap my lap and without hesitation, he brings his legs up so they're stretched across. I wave my hands over them, wiggling my fingers and humming at the back of my throat.