by M. A. Lee
“Maybe you just need to give him an opportunity to show you another side of himself,” Laney said, in her sweet voice. I loved her for being so kind. She was the first person at Falls Creek to friend me and show me kindness.
Nodding my head, I mustered a smile as I didn’t want to argue with her. I was certain there wasn’t another side of Jax, he was an ass. Plain and simple.
“He is kind of cute,” Laney began in her innocent voice.
“Hey,” Mark said looking wounded.
“Oh come on babe. I am just trying to help out Mallory,” Laney said as she kissed Mark on the cheek.
“I think you hang out with Molly and Lydia way too much,” Mark said with a hint of a tease in his voice. Mark could never be mad at Laney. He was madly in love with her and anyone with eyes could see she felt the exact same way about him.
As much as it made me sick sometimes to watch my friends with their boyfriends, it was sweet, too. Besides, Laney was right. Jax was cute. No, he was sexy. Damn sexy. Trying to shake that thought and any thought of Jax out of my mind, I decided to take in the party around me.
All around me people were laughing and smiling as they enjoyed themselves at the wild party. I knew I needed to let my anger go. I had never let anyone crawl under my skin the way I was Jax. The craziest part of this mess was that I had just met the guy. I didn’t know anything about him, yet he was able to keep my focus on him and not on my friends or the party I was currently attending.
Deciding it was best just to shake Jax out of my head, I began looking around and spotted Molly and Lydia dancing to the fast tunes of the music. I didn’t even bother looking for Rain. From the little bit I knew about her so far, she was not really the party type of girl.
Just as Mark told a hilarious joke, I felt the air around me grow heavy. From the corner of my eye, I spotted a mischievous smile coming my way.
Jax.
Of course, he would be at this party. Everyone on campus was here drinking and dancing. As I tried to pretend like I hadn’t seen that smile drinking me in, Jax pushed through the crowd as he made his way again to me. Surrounding him was another group of girls in short skirts and low cut shirts. He seemed to have a fan base everywhere he went. As he walked, people patted him on the back, said hi, and shook his hand. It was clear, Jax was Mr. Popularity on campus.
“Hello,” Jax said as he stood, looking down on me and Laney.
“Hi,” I grumbled, as I tried to be polite.
“Are you going to introduce me to your friends?” he asked, obviously trying to get under my skin.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I thought everyone knew who you were,” I spat back, as I threw his own words back at him.
Smiling even brighter, Jax waved hello to Laney and her boyfriend. “It’s nice to meet you all,” he said, being annoyingly polite. He was making me look like a big fat liar as he stood here playing nice in front of everyone.
“We have heard about you,” Laney said, as she eyed me carefully.
Shaking his head, Jax glanced over at me. “I’m sure you have.”
I couldn’t look him in the eye as I realized he knew I had probably been complaining about him since our first encounter.
“Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?” Jax asked me.
I hesitated for a moment before standing and excusing myself with my friends. “I’ll be right back,” I said.
They nodded and I knew that if I needed either one of them, all I had to do was ask. I followed Jax outside of the party and onto the front porch. Even though we could still hear the music pumping from the house mixed with the voices of the people all around, it was still much quieter than being inside.
Leaning against the exterior of the house, my back rubbed against the brick wall. Jax stood in front of me, pacing the wooden porch as he made me wait to find out what he wanted from me. Finally, he stopped moving and stood in front of me. The porch light glowed around his face, making him see even more beautiful if that were even possible. Trust me; it was.
“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” Jax began. “I have trouble sometimes talking to people,” he admitted.
Trying not to laugh, I found that piece of information a little ridiculous. “Really? I haven’t seen you once act awkward. You seem to always have a fan base around you,” I said as I pointed back inside the house to the girls who were anxiously waiting for him to return to them.
“Yeah, I can talk to people around campus who like me because I bring medals and state titles to the school. Or girls like that,” he said pointing toward the girls I had just recognized. “They worship me because I am good looking and popular. You, however, don’t care about anything like that. I think you are a great runner and you will be a great contribution to this school.”
I was astounded. Shocked. Rocked to my core that he was standing before me and complimenting me. He seemed like a totally different guy and I wasn’t sure what to make of the situation.
“Thanks,” I muttered, as I held my head low.
A long awkward silence passed between us as we both stood unsure of what to say. I watched him carefully and noticed his features were much less sharp and rigid than I had remembered. He seemed more human and gentle tonight. I had to admit, this change made me actually seem to like him.
After a few more minutes, Jax finally spoke again. “So, you know it would be cool if we teamed up,” he said, his face brightening up. “I mean, we are both the most talented runners on the track team. We should keep that reputation by training together. You know, keeping each other motivated on track.”
“Do you really think that is a good idea? I mean, we sort of don’t like each other and I am pretty well trained myself. I have self-motivated myself for years. I don’t really need another coach.”
I knew my words sounded harsh, but they were true. One thing about me; I am brutally honest. I don’t mean to be mean or insensitive, but I also won’t sugarcoat anything either. It is what it is.
Shaking his head, Jax smiled at me but I could see him fighting back his own frustration. “Why do you have to be so complicated?” he asked me, as he stared daggers at me.
“I’m not being complicated,” I argued back. I could feel my body growing heated, only this time it was from my frustration attraction to Jax. I was supposed to hate this guy, so why did he make me want to jump him every time I saw him?
“I am really trying hard here to be nice. I am only asking to train together. We could really be a force to deal with if everyone knows we are teaming up.”
I understood his logic, but I wasn’t sure if working with Jax would be a good idea. I mean, we were so opposite yet we were so much alike. All I could see is us fighting the whole time. I didn’t need any drama in my life.
“I don’t need you to feel like you have to be nice to me.”
“That’s not what this is. Look, if you aren’t interested, I’ll back off. I just don’t want us representing Falls Creek as enemies. It will look bad on us, our teammates, and the school. I value my team, so I don’t want whatever this is going on between us to ruin anything.”
As he spoke this time, I really began to understand where he was coming from with this issue and I had to respect what he was saying. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. I mean, if it didn’t work out and we had a massive blow up- I could just stop training with him and go back to normal.
“Okay,” I said.
“Really?” Jax asked, his face full of excitement. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, I mean, it would be nice to have someone on my level to train with. Besides, if we hate each other we just go back to ignoring one another.”
“Great!” Placing his arm around my shoulders, Jax led me back toward the front door and back to the party. “This is going to be great, just wait and see.”
Chapter 5
Jax
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That was a motto I had learned to live by at a young age.
With Mallory, I kne
w if I wasn’t careful, she could be my biggest enemy here. She was good, damn good and I hated to admit that. So, I decided my best bet would be to work with her. It made complete sense honestly. If we teamed up, we would be unstoppable, but of course, Mallory wasn’t into it. This girl was stubborn and probably turned down my offer because it came from me.
There was no way she could deny how amazing we could be together both on the track and in the sheets, but I already knew that Mallory wasn’t the type of girl I could get into my bed.
She was the real deal, not some chick you just hook up with.
After I left the club last night, I went to the track. It probably wasn’t my best idea, but I needed to run off some steam and make sure that no matter what happened, I would always be the best.
The cool night air was perfect for a run. I was pushing myself when I spotted a figure walking out onto the track. I had been lost in my own world and hadn’t even considered that someone else could join us.
As I jogged around the bend, I noticed that body. I couldn’t get that figure out of my mind.
Mallory.
When she saw me, she stopped and looked stunned.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, as I ran over to her.
“I guess the same thing you are about to do,” I said, winking at her.
Mallory rolled her eyes at me and I could see that she was debating whether to go or stay. I could see it in her eyes that she really needed to run, too, but she also didn’t want to fool with me either. Realizing she needed this as much as I did, I couldn’t let her walk away because of me.
Just as she turned on her heel to leave, I reached out and grabbed her hand.
“Wait, don’t go,” I said, surprising us both.
Mallory’s eyes grew as wide as saucers and when she glanced down at my hand on hers, I immediately dropped my grasp on her.
“Why are you doing this?” Mallory asked me.
“Doing what?” I asked, growing frustrated with her attitude.
Mallory hated me and I didn’t understand.
Sighing, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Jax, you are trying to mess with my head so you can beat me to state. But, I have news for you. I don’t back down,” she said, glaring at me.
Shaking my head, I let out a laugh. “Mallory, yes, I want to win state too, but I was being serious when I said we should team up. I mean, we are on the same damn team anyway. Why not work together?”
As she stared at me, I could see it in her eyes that she was contemplating what I was offering. Taking the lead, I took a step closer to her. I heard her gasp as I was barely inches away from her.
“I need to win,” she breathed, her eyes locked on mine.
“I do, too,” I added.
We stood there in the darkness of the night with only the silver moon providing any light for us. Her chest was heaving up and down and she hadn’t even ran yet.
I took her hand again and this time, she didn’t push me away.
“Stop running from me and start running to me,” I said.
Mallory looked deep into my eyes and opened her mouth. I swear, for a brief second, I thought she was going to kiss me. My dick sprang to life at the thought of her perfect lips on any part of my body. But, like she always did, Mallory surprised me.
“I’ll race you,” she said, just taking off into a sprint.
I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her toned legs race down the track. I quickly lunged forward and began chasing after her. If a race was what she wanted, then I would gladly run after her.
Chapter 6
Mallory
The following weeks, Jax and I had discovered that we really did make a great team. Ever since that night on the track, I just couldn’t turn down his offer anymore to work together. I wasn’t sure if it was because I knew we would make a power couple on the track or the growing interest I was developing for him. Either way, I couldn’t deny the connection we had.
We met every evening in the weight room and ran together on the weekends. Somehow, I had even begun to enjoy our workouts. He kept me focused and I made sure he didn’t float too high on his own pedestal. As much as I wanted to hate Jax, I just couldn’t. On the outside, he appeared to be this guy who cared about nothing but himself. In theory, that was sort of true. But, I had seen a different side of him. At times, he could become afraid. Fear would sink in if he knew another star runner was moving up on his records. He wanted to be the best and I believed he had the motivation to be the best.
Seeing Jax every day and not jumping him was a true testament to my willpower and personal strength. I wasn’t sure if he felt the same way about me, but every once in a while, I would catch him staring at me through the workout room mirrors. He was always staring at my ass, but that was just a guy thing, or at least I thought it was.
We were even learning that we had a few things in common too, other than running. We both loved rock music and our guilty pleasure was chocolate fudge brownies; a luxury neither of us divulged in during the track season. We also learned that we shared a few of the same classes too. Both Jax and I wanted to study sports medicine. Being a trainer sounded like a great career move after college.
While meeting with Laney at our tutoring sessions, I had learned that her brother Elliott, my new friend Molly’s boyfriend, was Jax’s tutor. That made it easy to schedule our workouts since we could have our tutoring sessions at the same time.
While everything seemed to be going great for us, there was still one problem. The girls. The massive amount of dumb bimbo girls that flocked to Jax whenever he moved. It made me cringe each time one would place their manicured hands on Jax’s chest or rub their bodies against his. I knew I was crazy to feel this way, but I couldn’t help it. They were only distracting Jax from his training. Or at least that is why I told myself I hated all of them.
While walking across campus to my literature class. I spotted Jax standing under a large oak tree with two of his groupies. He ran his hands through his hair in a seductive move that made me want to drop my panties right there. Hell, maybe I was the one spending way too much time with Molly and Lydia. Picking up my pace, I hoped Jax didn’t see me. The last thing I wanted to do was pretend I didn’t want to strangle one of those girls while I had to talk to Jax.
Of course, the universe always laughed at me. “Hey Mallory, wait up,” Jax called as he came jogging after me. His hair bounced on top of his head and his glorious smile was even brighter than the sun shining above us. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face at the sight of him.
Turning, I forced a smile as I waved to him. “Hi,” I said through gritted teeth. Behind Jax, two of his high heeled groupies were rushing to catch up with him.
“Hey, I saw you heading to class. Will you save me a seat?” he asked.
“Sure, but I have to save Lydia and Rain seats too,” I added, so if I somehow couldn’t find a seat, he wouldn’t be upset.
“Oh, well then I will just walk with you now,” Jax said, as he began to lead us toward the English building.
“Weren’t you busy?” I asked, as I pointed toward the girls who were now pouting their lips in defeat.
Looking back, Jax only shook his head. “Nah, they seem to always be around. You know, they just love being with me,” he winked, as he continued to walk.
I almost gagged at his comment, but a laugh escaped my lips instead. “Has anyone ever told you that you are very conceited?” I said, as I poked his arm.
“Sure. You do every day,” he laughed.
Placing his arm around my shoulder, Jax walked us the rest of the way to class. When we entered the room, Rain and Lydia were already seated. Their eyes shot up as they noticed our arrival. Glaring at them, I dared them not to say anything. We walked over and sat next to them and I began taking my books and pens out of my bag.
“So, did you guys come here together?” Rain asked, as she raised her brows at me.
“Yes,” I said sharply.
“We also came here with the forty other students too.”
“Someone is a little testy today,” Lydia laughed. She waved to Jax who was completely oblivious to the weird exchange taking place between the three girls around him.
“What are your plans this weekend?” Rain asked all of us. It was clear she was going to let me go now, but I knew she would ask again about Jax later when she could catch me alone.
Before I could open my mouth to respond, Jax cut in. “We have a big track meet next week against UCLA. Mallory and I will be training all weekend,” Jax said, in a serious voice.
That was another thing I had learned about Jax. He was only serious when it came to running. Everything else seemed to be just one big, fun game to him.
As class began, I settled in as I felt as though all eyes were on me. I just hoped no one could tell that while on the outside I seemed as if I could barely stand Jax, but on the inside, I was beginning to grow feelings for him. How deep those feelings were or what they meant exactly, I wasn’t sure. But there were feelings there, nonetheless.
Chapter 7
Jax
She wanted me.
At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.
Watching her race around the track today at practice was pure torture. She was killing me in a pair of super short black shorts that when she bent over to stretch, her plump ass cheeks were hanging out. Her shirt was form fitting, showcasing her perfect curves and flat stomach.
I had caught a couple of guys on the team checking her out and it took every ounce of my being not to rip their heads off. I knew it was crazy, but I felt like she was mine. Mallory wasn’t the type of girl that any man would ever own, I knew that. But still, I couldn’t help but feel jealous and possessive every time I saw another man, or female for that matter, looking her way.
