Shaded ✔️

CHAPTER 29

I made my way back to the clubhouse, my heart feeling heavy but my shoulders light, like a weight had been removed. Me and Stas were going to start moving our stuff into the apartment tomorrow and do some baby shopping. I didn't realize how much I had missed her, how much I needed her now more than ever.

There was a party in full swing when I got back and the bottle of Jack sitting on the bar had my palms itching. Instead I just grabbed a beer, sipping it slowly as I watched the chaos around me. I found myself searching for a certain head of light hair, only to find him with his head in one of the club girls' chests. I just shook my head, chugging the rest of my beer and moving to get up from my seat.

"So when I told you to take it for a test drive, I meant around the block, not a three hour joyride." I laughed. Ash ordered two shots, sliding one down to me, but I shook my head.

"I'm on the straight and narrow now. No booze. Got a kid to worry about." Jesus I sounded like an old man. He gave me a genuine smile.

"Val told us about Stas. Probably the only good news I've heard in a while." He lifted his shot.

"To the baby." How could I say no to that? I clinked my shot against his and downed it.

"And to you Scarlett, the strongest woman I know." I laughed and tried to cover my red cheeks with my hair, but he moved it out of my face, brushing it behind my ear. I looked up at him and he was only inches away. I knew this was a bad idea, but my body was fighting against my brain. I wanted to be close to someone, and since that someone was currently fucking another woman, this was the closest I could get. I felt him lean in to me and I let my eyes flutter closed, the need to feel something other than longing for a man I couldn't have taking over my senses.

"Well isn't this cozy." I heard him sneer from beside me. I sighed and open my eyes, glaring into his green eyes. They were bright with anger.

"Can I do something for you Jax?"

"Yeah, you can step the fuck back. All I need his Val walking in here and starting shit up because his little princessis being a whore." His voice was dripping with venom and I could feel his words burn my skin like acid. My mouth dropped open in shock. I took a step towards him, my fists clenching at my sides, but Ash held me back. Jax's eyes narrowed at his grip on my waist and I rolled my eyes.

"Not cool Jax." Ash's voice was clipped. Jax only rolled his eyes, taking a chug from the bottle he was holding.

"What's not cool is you disregarding Val's rules." I scoffed at the irony but Jax shut me up with a glare.

"Hands off or I'll remove them myself." He growled and I laughed. Ash swore under his breath, knowing what was coming. Then I lost it. I wrenched myself away from Ash and shoved Jax back.

"I am not a fucking object for you to tell people not to touch. I am not something to be owned, I am not and will never be a fucking old lady with a property patch saying I fucking belong to someone. I will do what I want and you can mind your own business and I'll do the same. I want nothing to do with you Jax, so for the last goddamn time, stay the fuck away from me." I moved by him but he gripped my wrist, pulling me back.

I didn't give him a chance to say anything more before I reeled my arm back and punched him straight in the face without even realizing what I was doing. I watched as his hands flew to his now bleeding nose and he looked at me with a mixture of anger and shock. I wanted to reach out to him, to apologize a million times, but I settled for shaking my head at him in disgust, turning around and walking up to my room.

I despised the way the women were treated in this life. If you weren't an old lady, being cheated on and disrespected whenever the men went on a run, then you were a club whore who was to be used and thrown away. I would always fight for the club girls, no matter what. I would never disrespect them the way the men did. They didn't deserve to be called whores because the men did the exact same thing as they did, and yet they were praised for it. I slammed my door loudly, daring someone to try to talk to me. I hated a lot of things about the club life, but this was the one of the things I hated the most.