Beating me to my backpack, he picked it up and placed my books inside. “Let me carry this for you. So, you know Charlie Watts?”
I groaned, already regretting not kissing him. He was so sweet, totally ignoring that I’d nixed his attempt at a kiss.
“Yeah, she’s my housemate. Why?”
“Now that’s a woman no one messes with. I like her. She helped my mom get a job cleaning offices at night. When my dad found out what Charlie did, he hunted her down at the grocery store. She smashed a cantaloupe on his head. That shut him up.” He gave me a devilish grin. “Yeah, I definitely approve of your choice in housemates.”
I laughed. “Thanks for the warning. I won’t be getting on her bad side anytime soon.”
“Wait, Nicole.” He took a hold of my hand as I was about to leave. “You’ll study with me won’t you? You still haven’t told me your chemistry study secrets.”
I looked up at his handsome face. I couldn’t say no. If I kept it friendly, everything should be okay. Yeah, just friends. I could do that.
“Of course.”
His face beamed into a drop dead sexy smile.
Yeah, I was toast.
Chapter Six
I hated being right. Being “just friends” with Jax was hard. Over the past few weeks, I’d gotten to know him better, and I wished I hadn’t. He was the kind of guy who opened doors, said good morning to strangers on the street, and ran blocks down the street to return a piece of paper that was accidentally dropped, just in case the person needed it.
His athletic physique and devastatingly handsome face made it even more difficult. I couldn’t stop staring at the guy. Sitting in class next to him, all I could think about was how it’d feel to run my tongue along his chiseled jaw or glide my hands over his washboard abs. And when he’d catch me staring and gaze at me with his intoxicating sapphire eyes, it took everything I had not to jump the poor guy.
And those dimples. Oh my god. He was constantly smiling so I was always seeing those damned cute dimples of his! Total opposite of the brooding Cooper.
I still wondered if he was somehow related to Professor Cooper. It irked me that I actually understood all of the content in chemistry class, and it wasn’t because of Professor Madsen’s boring lectures. Cooper had been a great teacher.
I tried to find out if Jax was related to him one day by casually weaving some questions into a conversation. I lucked out one day when Jax waited for me to get off work and Jackson Browne’s “Somebody’s Baby” blasted in the rink. I’d told him that Jackson was a cool name. The moment I said that his face became blank, devoid of emotion. I quickly changed the subject and didn’t bring it up again. So maybe Cooper was an estranged cousin or something like that. It was obviously a subject Jax didn’t want to talk about. And I wasn’t about to ruin what I had with him to find out.
Despite my little faux pas, Jax was the perfect gentleman. He was funny, always joking, but serious when he needed to be. After each of our study sessions, we’d talked for hours. He talked about how worried he was that Caroline was starting to lose some of her spunkiness. It seemed to be getting worse after every one of his parents’ fights. He even told me he was afraid that one day he’d go too far and not be able to hold back from attacking his father. So far, his father hadn’t laid a hand on his mother or Caroline. He worried it was only a matter of time.
There was something about Jax baring his soul and trusting me that made me tell him more than I wanted to about my own parents. He nodded and listened carefully as I told him how I wished my parents had accepted me. How nothing I ever did was good enough for them. When I told him my story, his eyes would blaze and his jaw tensed. I could tell he was mad, but he never said a word and simply held my hand as I quietly wept. It’s as if he knew I needed someone to be there for me and he was. He was kind and thoughtful, and as the days passed, I grew closer to him, so close that I thought I should tell him about being from the future. But something inside of me held me back. It was as if I was afraid he’d disappear if I told him.
That was the last thing I wanted to happen.
Deep inside, I knew it was inevitable. Somehow I was going back home. And for a while I’d even made an attempt to find out how. Not that it did any good. I had no clue where to start or how to get myself back to 2002. It wasn’t like there was a time machine or a plutonium filled DeLorean lying around. And the visit to the physics department to meet with Professor Dumas, the only person studying time travel at the university, hadn’t helped either. The moment I’d stepped into his office and saw that he was wearing his pants inside out, I knew he wouldn’t have the answers. After two hours of listening to a lecture on the theory of relativity, one of his graduate assistants saved me from falling into a coma.
Humming, I stripped the sheets off my bed and headed to the laundry room. I was getting used to living in 1984. Being without a cellphone and Internet was actually very freeing. To top it off, I slept like a baby every single night. No dreams at all.
“Charlie, do you have anything you want me to toss in the washing machine before I leave for work?” I asked as I walked into the living room.
I carefully weaved my way through the dozens of Mondale-Ferraro banners that littered the living room. I’d stayed up all night helping Charlie make them.
“I can’t believe Lou didn’t close Magic tonight of all nights,” she said, dashing around the room, snatching up the banners.
“I think the kids skating tonight care more about The Terminator movie that just came out than who’s the next president of the United States.”
“Ugh, that’s so sad. Still, Lou should know that this is history in the making. You want to see it, don’t you?”
“See what?” I opened my compact, checking my makeup. Jax said he had a surprise for me, and I wanted to look my best.
Charlie snatched the compact and tossed it over her shoulder. It landed with a thud on the couch.
“Hey!”
“You’re beautiful already. And you’re missing history. The first female vice president of the United States, Nicole! If Mondale croaks, we could have our first woman president. And he could, you know, he’s that old.”
Eyes shining, she wrapped an arm around me and waved a hand, as if pointing out her vision. “Imagine, President Ferraro. A woman leading the country. We’d have world peace.”
I laughed. “World peace, Charlie?”
She scowled. “I can dream, can’t I?”
“Yeah, sure. Why not?”
“Anyway, get Lou to let you off early. Come to the headquarters. We’ll be partying afterward.”
“All right.” I didn’t plan on leaving work early. But I was definitely going to the headquarters later. Poor Charlie was going to need a shoulder to cry on. It was going to be a devastating blow for her tonight.
The afterschool crowd kept me really busy most of day. When it finally slowed down, I leaned against the counter, gazing out into the rink and smiling as I waited for Jax.
“Want to go for a spin, beautiful?”
Jax stood behind me with a pair of skates dangling from his finger and a sexy, dimpled smile that always made my insides turn to goo.
He ducked his head, his nose brushing my hair as he spoke with a soft, sexy voice. “I know the owner, and I can get you a discount on the rental.”
“Ooh, I don’t know if my poor heart can handle all this wooing. Throw in ten percent off on refreshments and I may swoon.”
“Don’t worry. If you swoon in the rink, I’ll catch you.” He grinned.
After putting on the skates, I stood up, wobbling. The last time I’d been on skates, I was seven. The nanny’s golden retriever let me hold onto his tail as I skated around the living room. I was having a blast until I’d crashed into the grand piano. That was the most attention I’d ever gotten from my mom. Though she checked out the condition of the piano legs more than she did me. The nanny and the dog were gone the next day.
Jax took my hands, dimples flas
hing. “Don’t tell me you’ve never skated before.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
“You’re so funny. Seriously, need help?”
“No, I can do this on my own.” My foot slipped, and I felt myself falling back. I latched onto his arm—his rock hard arm—and managed to pull myself up. “Okay, maybe a little.”
He chuckled, placing his arm around my waist. “I’ve got you. Hold onto me.”
I looked up at him. The sexy grin. His handsome face. Holding on to him was not the problem. Letting go of him, on the other hand . . .
We skated around the rink with his arm around me until I felt confident enough for him to let go. I was getting the hang of it and even felt confident enough to do a little dance move. Jax showed off by skating circles around me.
“I’ll be right back,” he said after the song ended.
The lights dimmed until it was so dark the only light was directly beneath the spinning disco ball.
“Jax?”
The rink was eerily quiet without the music. The only sounds were dozens of wheels skating around the perimeter and then silence. Where was everyone going? And why wasn’t there anything playing over the speakers? The cassette I’d put into the stereo system should’ve lasted at least another hour.
I was about to wobble my way back to the front when smoke drifted over the dance floor. I panicked for a moment before remembering Lou had installed the smoke machine a couple of days ago. It was the first time I’d seen it used. It was pretty cool.
Then there was a loud boom of a piano playing over the speakers. It was the opening chords to “Old Time Rock and Roll.”
Under the disco ball lights, Jax skated across wearing nothing but a pair of Ray-bans, shorts, and an oxford shirt.
“Oh my god! Jax!” I laughed as he disappeared into the smoke.
The piano repeated, and the lights brightened. He was suddenly in front me with a microphone in his hand. Grabbing my hand, he pulled me to him as he skated backward, doing a Tom Cruise impression as he sang into the mic.
Everyone hung on the outer edge of the rink, clapping along to the beat. When we got to the chorus, Jax tossed the mic to me, and I sang into it.
He flipped his collar up and then proceeded to do his version of Michael Jackson’s moonwalk with his skates. The crowd went wild.
I was laughing so hard I lost my balance, and a skate jolted forward. My arms flailed as I fell back.
“Got ya!”
I landed in Jax’s arms in a dip pose. We laughed so hard, I slipped further and frantically clutched his shirt, bringing him closer to me. His eyes danced as they gazed into mine, and I melted into his arms. The rink, the music, everyone vanished. It was only Jax and me under the spinning disco ball.
My breath hitched. The dreams. The visions. It was him. It was Jax!
Sapphire eyes drifted down to my lips, making my heart pound a million miles a minute. Then his lips touched mine, tentatively. The connection was electrifying. My lips parted and he deepened his kiss.
I could feel my body coming to life. His lips, his body, melded perfectly with mine. It was like I was meant for him and him for me. In his arms, I was home. He had breathed life into me.
I threw my arms around his neck, holding on to him tight. Not caring who saw or what time we were in. This was who I’d been searching for all along in my dreams. He was what had been missing in my life. In that moment as he held my heart in his hands, I knew I’d never feel complete without him by my side.
I pushed back all thoughts of time travel and any repercussions our being together might have, and I drank in every single part of him.
Chapter Seven
In a daze, I held onto Jax’s arm as we rolled to the front. I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he bent down to untie my skates. He was the one. This beautiful, sweet boy who lived a hard life, yet still managed to see the fun in life was the one I’d searched for in the shadows of my dreams.
I slid my fingers into his silky hair then down his smooth cheek. He gazed up, clear blue eyes reflecting the pure joy I felt just at touching him.
He smiled wide and jumped up to put on his jeans. Plopping down next to me, he cupped my cheek. His thumb traced the top of my cheekbone. Dark lashes drifted down as he gazed at my now puffy lips. I held my breath, waiting. He was going to kiss me again.
I wanted him to kiss me, to take me in his arms and never let go. I couldn’t explain the intense connection I had to him. It was like it’d always been there, and my dreams had been telling me that somehow the connection had gotten torn. My dreams had been telling me what I’d lost. Now that I’d found him, I didn’t want to let go, time travel be damned.
“Jax,” I breathed as he leaned in closer and ran his nose along my cheek. He needed to know that I might not be here for long. Even if he thought I was nuts, I had to tell him.
His fingers sank into my hair and curved gently behind my neck. I held back a moan as he massaged the back of my neck and upper shoulders. His magical fingers made it very hard to focus.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I said softly.
His lips brushed feather light against mine. “I know what you want to say.”
“You do?”
“Yep.” Hot breath hit against my ear, causing delicious shivers. “You think my legs are sexy.”
I giggled. “Yes, they are. But seriously, there’s something I need to tell—”
His tongue flicked my ear.
Oh god! I moaned.
“Jax.”
“Nicole.”
“Jax?”
We jumped at the sound of Caroline’s weepy voice. She stood by the counter next to Lou. I expected Lou to look mad at me for basically making out in the middle of a shift. Instead, his eyes were worried as he held onto Caroline’s hand.
“She came in crying,” he explained.
“What happened?” Jax rushed to her.
Sobbing, she threw her arms around him the moment he knelt down. He lifted her in his strong arms, patting the back of her head. “It’s okay. Tell me what happened.”
“Uh, your mother’s waiting outside.” Lou rubbed the back of his neck, looking obviously uncomfortable. “I think you should let her explain.”
Jax gave me apologetic glance before he dashed out the door. I looked at Lou, biting my lip.
As if reading my mind, he said, “I’ve known Julie for a long time. It’s a small town. Word gets around about her,” he cleared his throat, “situation. I’ll cover you if you want to leave.”
“Thanks, Lou. You’re the best.”
The moment I stepped outside, I gasped at the sight of Jax’s mother. She looked so tiny in an oversize T-shirt and sweatpants. As she talked to Jax, she kept tugging on her golden hair, placing it over her right cheek. Oversized sunglasses covered most of her face, but I could see it. Beneath the thick layer of makeup, red welts marred her porcelain skin.
“Don’t argue with me, Jax. Just take Caroline. I have to get to work.”
“He did it, didn’t he? He finally did it?” His eyes blazed with fury.
“It was an accident. Accidents happen, you know.”
“I’ll kill him!”
“No, Jax! Don’t go!” Caroline screeched when he placed her on the ground. I rushed to her side and held her. She wailed into my stomach.
“Please, Jax. It was an accident.” His mother grabbed his arm, pleading. “He apologized already. Besides, he’s not even there. He went to Austin with a couple of his friends.”
“I’ll find him,” he growled.
“I don’t want Jax to get hurt,” Caroline whimpered.
“He won’t.” I hugged her tighter. “Jax.”
Wild eyes turned to me. I was probably stepping over the line, getting into his family’s business. And I didn’t know how he was going to react to that, but Caroline’s cries were breaking my heart. She needed her big brother right now.
“Caroline needs you. She’s scared.”
His face softened when he looked at me and then down at his sister. Letting out a slow breath, he squatted beside her. “I’m right here, Shortcake. I’m not going anywhere.”
She peeked her head out. “Promise?”
He rubbed the top of her head. “Promise.”
“Thanks,” he mouthed as he took Caroline and lifted her into his arms again.
I sighed with relief. I watched Mrs. Reynolds fumbling through her purse, tears streaming down her face. She looked so broken. Jax had said Charlie helped her get a job. Maybe Charlie could help her find some counseling. She’d mentioned they had a new therapist who was an expert in domestic violence.
“Mrs. Reynolds, I was thinking that you could talk with Charlie. They have a new therapist—”
“You’re so kind to be concerned. But we’re fine.” She quickly dabbed a tissue underneath her sunglasses and then smiled. “We’re going through a rough patch. All families go through rough patches, you know.”
“Mom, please,” he said. “Charlie can help.”
She shook her head. “Just take care of Caroline. I’m late.”
She gave him a kiss and then kissed Caroline.
“You’ll see,” she said. “Everything will be better tomorrow.”
* * *
Caroline wept softly into Jax’s neck. He tried everything he could to try to distract her. We bantered back and forth as we headed to her favorite spot in the park, telling each other silly knock-knock jokes. I even showed her my monkey-bar backflip. She clung to Jax’s neck, refusing to let go. Poor thing was terrified that he was going to run off to Austin to search for their father. I’d never seem him so angry. A little part of me was afraid that he’d leave too.
Jax looked awful, guilt obviously tore at him with each of his sister’s muffled whimpers. Sad blue eyes gazed back at me. He sat on the swing with Caroline on his lap. Sitting in the swing beside him, I reached out and took his hand in mine. He gave me a thankful smile.
Your Gravity: Part Two Page 4
