Beneath the Surface

November 14, 2011

I wake up to pounding on my front door that makes my head feel like it’s about to explode. I look around. Why am I on the couch and what the hell is wrong with my head? My eyes land on the almost empty bottle of Jack on the coffee table, and last night comes back to me. Carson spent the night with Lexie and I drank jack and coke until I passed out on the couch. I push myself up from the couch and stand there for a second to see what happens. Well damn, I don’t even sway. With my head like it is I thought for sure my balance would be off, but it seems to be fine. I walk over to the window and look out. It’s Carson knocking on my door. I smile to myself. Just the man I want to see.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

I swing my door open and before he can even say hello I let my fist fly. I hit him right in his left eye before slamming the door in his face, and locking it. I walk towards my bathroom pulling my clothes off as I go. As I step into the shower I hear the mother fucker banging on my front door again. Fuck him. No way, I’m opening the door for his ass. He’s wasting his time. I’ll be late for work today if I have to. I’m not opening that door again until he’s gone.

**********

Lexi

I get dressed in Blue jeans, and a long sleeve green shirt after getting out of the shower. I dry my hair, and then walk downstairs to make some coffee. I look into the living room to see Carson is already gone. He told me last night he would probably be gone by the time I got up. I walk into the kitchen to see he’s already made a pot of coffee. I carry my mug with me and go sit in a rocking chair on the front porch. As soon as I sit down Jax’s front door opens. He storms toward his blue Toyota Tundra looking pissed off. I wonder what his problem is this morning, but don’t say anything since I decided yesterday to stay away from him.

Just as he reaches his truck he looks towards my house and spots me watching him. I feel my cheeks heat and lift my hand to wave at him, but he gives me a glare worse than ever before. Man, if looks could kill. What the hell did I do now? I haven’t seen him since yesterday morning. He didn’t seem pissed off about me staring at him, just uncomfortable. So why is he pissed now? If I haven’t seen him since, I couldn’t have done anything. He must just be in a bad mood.

He climbs into his truck and slams the door before speeding off down the road. I stay on the front porch until the boys wake up. I go inside to spend my morning with the boys. It’s Saturday morning and I’m going to have fun with my sons today. I’m not going to allow myself to keep wondering why he seemed pissed at me. It doesn’t really matter. This will just make avoiding him even easier. If he’s pissed about something maybe he’ll avoid me too. Because I know for a fact if he comes around I won’t be able to keep my distance myself. I need him to cooperate and keep his distance too. I obviously can’t be friends with him. Not when I’m checking him out every time he’s around, and my mind keeps going to how much I wish he would kiss me again.

Lexie

November 17, 2011

The boys are at school when Carson shows up to take me to lunch. It’s a little late for lunch, but he says I need to get out of the house more, and is forcing my hand today. I don’t want to go out knowing my stalker is out there, somewhere, watching. He’s not leaving it up to me anymore, apparently.

I gasp when I open the door and get a look at his face. “What the hell happened to your face?” His left eye is puffy and purple. He tilts his head at me, “Well thanks sweetheart, you look nice today too.”

I shake my head at him, “I’m serious what happened to your face?”

He gets a crooked grin on his face, “Come on let’s go. I’ll tell you at lunch.”

A little while later we slide into a booth at a local diner. We order our drinks and spend a few minutes looking through our menus. Once we order I settle back in the booth and raise my eyebrow at him.

“Jax punched me.”

“WHAT? Why?”

He smirks, “I don’t know. When I left your house Saturday morning I knocked on his door to talk to him before I left. He opened the door and without saying a word punched me in the face and slammed the door. I haven’t heard from him since. He won’t answer my calls either. I’ve been trying to call him for days.”

“What the hell is his problem? He’s been acting weird to me too. Every time I’ve seen him since Friday he just glares at me and doesn’t say a word. I’m telling you if looks could kill I’d have died ten times this week. What did we do to him?”

“Think about it for a minute babe, it’ll come to you.” I do as he says but I still don’t get it. I shrug at him and he laughs.

“You really don’t know do you?” I shake my head. “His attitude changed after the night I spent the night at your house.” I think about what he said and realize that he’s right, but I still don’t get it.

“Why would Jax care that you slept on my couch?”

“He doesn’t know I slept on the couch Lexie. He probably just saw my Explorer in your driveway and jumped to conclusions.”

“Why would he care though?”

“Oh you have got to be shitting me! Because he’s been dying to see you naked since the first time he set eyes on you. How the hell can you not see that?”

I sit back and think about all the times me and Jax have been together. Except for the kiss he hasn’t even hinted he was attracted to me. “No you’re wrong. Only once has he ever seemed to somewhat be attracted to me and that was right after I accused him of being gay so I’m pretty sure he was just trying to prove me wrong.” He just shakes his head at me but doesn’t say anything else.

As we walk out of the diner I stop in my tracks. The two front tires on Carson’s Explorer are flat. I walk over to the driver side and lean down to get a better look. They were slashed. “I’m so sorry Carson. This happened because you were with me.”

“Get back inside Lexie, now.” He slips a gun out of the back of his pants and scans the parking lot as he waves me towards the door. “Go! I’ll be there in a minute.” I rush back inside and sit back down in the booth to wait for him. I can’t believe he slashed Carson’s tires! I pull my phone out to check the time. Holy shit! It’s three o’clock. The boys will be getting off the bus soon, and I’m going to be stuck here for a while. Carson slides into the other side of the booth just as I was about to start looking for him.

“I need you to give me Jax’s number.”

He pulls his phone out and tells me the number. I dial and wait to see if he will answer even though he’s being an asshole again. He should because as far as I know he doesn’t know my number, I never gave it to him. Just as I’m about to hang up he finally answers.

“Stephens”

“Hey Jax. It’s Lexie. Are you at home?”

He’s silent for a few beat, “Yeah. Why?”

“I really need a favor, and I don’t know who else to call.”

He grunts, “Why don’t you call Carson?”

“Well, because Carson is with me.” Carson raises an eyebrow at me and I hold up a finger signaling I will tell him in a minute. “Look, the bus is about to drop the boys off and I’m not going to be able to get there for an hour, at least. Is there any way you can bring the boys to your house until I get home?”

He bursts out laughing, “Wait, are you asking me to babysit so you and Carson can keep doing whatever it is that you’re doing?”

I sigh, “I kind of don’t have a choice. Carson took me to lunch at a diner because he said I don’t get out enough. While we were inside eating someone slashed the tires on his Explorer. I’m sure you can guess who. So we’re stuck here until the cops come to file a report, and a wrecker picks up the explorer and we can get a ride back to my house. Can you get the boys for me or not Jax? If not I need to go so I can figure something else out. I only have about fifteen to twenty minutes before they get off the bus. I can call Dillon if I have to but the boys don’t really know him and they trust you. So I would really appreciate it if you could please do this for me.”

He sighs, “Dillon is here. Yeah we’ll get them. They can hang out here until you get home.”