Scarlett

22 - Jackson

Jax's POV:

I had to see her, my mind was racing and I was completely overwhelmed with everything that had come to light. I was a father, I had a child, a daughter - with Scarlett.
The days passed by so fucking slowly and it took everything in me not to just jump on a plane and go to her, I would have loved to see that assholes face when I rocked up at his parents house, demanding to see his wife and my daughter - but I didn't, and I have Shay to thank for that.
She had been really great through this whole thing - I am not sure there are many woman who would have stuck around when they found out their partner had a child they knew nothing about as the result of an affair they had with a married woman - but she had no judgement, just lots of great words of wisdom and encouragement to consider what it was I really wanted out of this.
When Scarlett called me to tell me she was back in town and suggested we meet I jumped at the chance, shit I almost asked her to bring Mya just so I could see her face to face but I knew we needed to sort some stuff out between us before dragging that little girl into it.
At first she suggested a coffee shop - somewhere out in the open though eventually she agreed to come to the apartment Shay and I had been leasing since we moved back until Shay found a house she was happy with.

Scarlett looked fucking incredible when I opened the door, dressed in a dark green long sleeve dress that stopped at her knees with knee high black boots, she had a black coat on which I took from her once she was inside, her long dark hair was left falling down her back in waves and though the dress was loose fitting her small baby bump was still noticeable,

"You look good beautiful"

"Thanks, this is a nice place Jax"

She walked further into the apartment and over to
the large full length window over looking the city, her arms were crossed over her chest, her back turned to me - I stood watching her for a few minutes before it finally got the better of me and I needed to touch her - I walked behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, kissing her neck I pulled her into me,

"Are you ok beautiful?"

"Yeah"

"I can't believe we have a daughter Scarlett and she is so beautiful"

"Jax" Scarlett pushed my arms away and turned walking into the lounge room, she stopped and faced me,
"We need to talk about this, there are so many things we need to think about - if we do the wrong thing here it could really hurt Mya"

"Ok, I understand that, so what's the right thing to do then Scar?"

She sighed, biting her bottom lip as her eyes locked with mine,

"Carson is Mya's father Jax - he is the father she has known for the past two years, he has been there for everything, the day she was born, her first words, first steps"

"Because I haven't been, I didn't even know she existed Scarlett so how could I have been there for those things?"

"You left me Jackson, remember - you chose to disappear - chose to tell Sebastian that you didn't want me contacting you, you even changed your number"

"You could have told Seb what was going on Scar - if you had of told him - the truth - things could be very different right now"

"How could I Jackson? you have no idea what went down after you left, I had about two days of feeling like absolute crap - you had hurt me - again, I was alone with my 2 year old son and pregnant, then the doctor that did the test to confirm the pregnancy sold my results to a publishing company - by the end of the week it was front page news that I was carrying Carson Cage's second child"

"Shit Scar I'm sorry - I had no idea"

"No you didn't - because you weren't here, you'd ran away from me, ran away from us - it's what you do Jackson - it's what you're good at, you're never here when I need you to be Jackson, you have hurt me so many times and like the stupid idiot I am I always, always seem to run back to you"

She was right - of course she was right - there had been so many times in the past I have fucked her over and walked away or pushed her away, I'd convince her that things were going to be good between us then I'd get scared and run, not this time though.

"Carson showed up at my house the day after the article hit the media - he thought it was his baby and I was keeping it from him to punish him because of what happened with Amelia, I watched his heart break when I told him you were the father"

"He has known all along?"

"Yes, he is the only one who knew - but a few weeks ago at Seb's wedding - I found out that Dad had figure it out"

"Hunter? How?"

"We were dancing and I guess I sort of tensed up when Mya went up to you - she was giving out pieces of wedding cake with Logan"

"Yeah, I remember" I smiled at the memory of the little girl all dressed up in her flower girls dress handing out the cake, and the way she smiled wide at me when I took it from her?

"He told me I needed to tell you, he told me that my little girl looks more and more like her father everyday"

"Shay is the one who put it all together that's how she figured it out too, she saw the photos you had from Christmas, I don't even know how I missed it now - fuck Scar you're kids they are so much like you guys, Logan is a miniature version of Hunter - he looks just like you're Dad and Carter he is basically a replica of Carson - but Mya, she's"

"She is just like her Dad"

I nodded, Taking a few steps closer to her - closing the distance only just far enough away we weren't touching,

"Tell me what the right thing to do here is Scarlett - cause I am convinced that everything in my head is completely wrong"

"She is only a baby Jax and what she knows, what she believes is that Carson is her father"

"So that's it - he's her Dad and I don't meant shit, come on Scar I'm her blood, she belongs to me"

"No, she doesn't, physically Jax, yes she shares the same blood as you, but legally she is Carson's daughter, he has been the one helping me to raise her"

"That's bullshit and you know it - any lawyer or judge would deem that I had rights Scarlett, don't make me fight you on this"

"What? That's your play here Jackson, you are threatening me with legal action if you don't get your way? After all this time, after everything we have been through - this is what will become of us?"

"She is all I have Scarlett, shit I never thought that after Zach I would have kids - and you - you are clearly happy with Carson. Don't take this the wrong way Scar because I love your parents like they are my own and I would have never amounted to anything without everything they have done for me, Seb is my brother with or without the same DNA, but Mya is the only real family I have Scarlett"

"I know that, but I can't believe that after everything we have been through, after all the hurt you put me through - after everything you have done to me over the past 15 years that you would threaten to fight me for our daughter"

I moved the rest of the way - grabbing her hands in mine and placing them on my chest as I wrapped mine around her waist, pushing our bodies together, I rested my forehead against hers,

"I'm sorry baby, I'm sorry for everything that I've done or said to you that hurt you but I promise you - no more running ok"

I kissed her lips softly,

"I wish I could believe you Jackson, but I don't, I can't"

"Marry Me Scarlett, leave him and marry me, be my wife, lets do this together, let's be together, let's build our own family, I don't care you have kids to him"

"Jax I"

"Sshhh baby" I claimed her lips again, taking advantage of the gasp that left her mouth I pushed my tongue through and kissed her, pouring every emotion I had been feeling into that moment, "I love you, I always have and I always will, Marry me Scarlett Elissa Stilton, be my wife, let me be your husband, grow old with me, let me be the one to make you happy, let me be the one you build a family with"