“Cora, what’s going on?” She shakes her head and closes her eyes. She was just fine twenty minutes ago and now even I feel as though I’m about to lose control. “Fine. We’ll go somewhere, but then you’re telling me what’s going on.” She shakes her head yes and I give in. “Where do you want to go?”
“The tree house.”
I back out of my parking spot and head back home.
Luckily my parent’s property has a back gate that I can drive through without being noticed and can park behind a cluster of trees close to the tree house. Once parked, I reach in the back for my orange spare jacket and hand it to her before getting out of the car.
“Put this on.” She looks at it and pushes the car door open, her sights set on the tree house in front of her, never looking back to see if I was following.
“Come on Cora. It’s freezing out here. I think it’s colder than when we left the house. Please put the jacket on.”
She reaches the ladder and climbs it quicker than I’ve ever seen her do in her life. I chase after her and am nearly tackled to the ground as I step foot in the tree house. Her arms wrapped snuggly around my waist, body trembling, tears flowing.
“Cora, are you gonna tell me what the hell is going on? You’re scaring me. What happened?”
“Don’t go, Jax. Please don’t go. I need you here with me. How am I going to go through the next three years without you? And that’s assuming you come back.
“You may become some famous recording artist and forget all about us little people here. You’ll find some blonde bombshell supermodel and go off and marry her and have beautiful blonde babies with her.” And then I’ll miss my chance.
The last words are unspoken but I know they’re there, sitting on the tip of her tongue. The fear in her eyes is so prevalent, it’s not hard to notice it.
Oh my sweet girl, if you only knew. With one arm wrapped around her shoulder, my other hand begins to stoke her hair just as I’ve always done when she’s upset and I press my lips to her head, trying to be as reassuring as possible. “It’s gonna be okay. You’ll see. One day you’ll see.”
“What?” She pulls back just inches looking semi confused.
“Come here.” I take her hand and lead her over to the couch where she stands looking at it questionably.
“Are there spiders in there?” I’m caught off guard at her question and the innocence she poses.
“What? No. I mean, maybe. It’s been up here for at least ten years, but I’ve never gotten bit.” She giggles a little and I bump her shoulder. “There’s that smile I love so much.” We sit down and I pull her close to me, her body violently shaking. “Cora, why didn’t you take the jacket? You’re shivering.”
“I didn’t think it was really that cold, but I guess I was wrong.”
“You know sometimes, you can be incredibly stubborn.”
I get up and grab several of the extra blankets that I have stored away up here and return back to the couch. “Lay down and scoot over.”
She does as she’s told, but scoots towards the edge of the couch instead of the back, where she can be better protected from the cold wind.
“Other way.” She flips her body over, but still remains along the edge. “No, towards the back of the couch.”
She flips this way and that as I watch in frustration. “Like this?” She giggles and I know she’s purposely trying to make my life miserable just for giggles.
“No woman! Like this.”
She laughs as I toss her around like a rag doll, putting her back against the back of the couch and then sliding down next to her, layering blankets on top of us and then pulling her close to me so that we’re facing each other, chest to chest.
“First, are you warm?”
She timidly nods, “Yea.”
“Second, there is absolutely nothing that could possibly keep me away from here.”
“You promise?”
I sweep a strand of hair from her face, tuck it behind her ear, leaving my hand to cup her neck. “Yes.” My thumb rests on her pulse point and I can feel as it pounds against her soft skin. “And third, models aren’t my type.”
She looks at me, her green eyes taking everything in, pleading with me, excited about the possibility of what could come. “They’re not?”
I inch my face closer to hers, knowing damn well that if I kiss her now, it won't be a quick peck, but a release of years of built up tension and desire. There will be no going back from it and twenty years be damned.
“Cora.” Her name comes out as a whisper, brushed across her lips as I hover over her, listening to the rapid thump, thump, thump of her heart, waiting for permission.
Her fingertips slip under my shirt, her hand working its way up my back, her soft skin against mine fanning the flames of an already burning inferno. Try as I might to stop my erection, I roll my hips against her, showing her just what she does to me and she surprises me by draping her leg over my hip, opening herself up to me. “Please Jackson. I love yo—”
“Ewwww! I’m telling mommy!”
Both our heads turn to see Ryan standing at the top of the couch. “I’m telling Mommy you were kissing Jax!”
Cora springs from the couch in what looks like one of her fancy ballet moves and begins to chase him around the tree house.
“Get back here you cretin!” Cora is fuming mad while Ryan seems to outmaneuver himself, taunting her in a singsong tone of voice.
“You’re gonna be in trouble! Jax and Cora sittin' in a tree...K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”
“I was not! You interrupted us, you...you...you’re dead when I get you!”
Ryan, Jeff’s twin and now eleven years old, continues running around the tree house while Cora tries to corner him. I laugh while taking in the show in front of me.
“I’m telling Daddy!”
Shit. Cora was right, he was a little cretin. “Ryan, come here bud.”
“Na na nabooboo, you can’t catch me.”
He was way too excited to have walked in on Cora and me, but as much as we wanted it, maybe his interruption wasn’t such a bad thing. But if our parents found out, well I knew Cora would be grounded, but I wasn’t sure what my fate might be. They tried to separate us before, maybe they would try again.
“Hey Ryan, wanna make some money?”
He stops dead in his tracks, “How much are we talkin'?”
“How much is it gonna take?”
“Fifty bucks and I never saw ya.”
“You little weasel!” Cora lunges for him and I grab her around the waist and toss her over my shoulder.
“Here. All I have is a hundred. Take it.”
He takes the bill, holds it to the light to make sure it’s real and tips his imaginary hat. “Pleasure doing business with ya.”
“And I have your word that buys your silence?”
“Never saw ya. Hey, Cora!”
I turn my body slightly so she can see him, “What?” She barks out and he starts to mimic a make out session while Cora reaches down and throws her shoe at him, hitting him in the back of the head.
“Have fuunn, but not too much fun, that’s how babies are made.”
“I’m gonna kill you!” Her arms and legs start to flail as she struggles to get out of my grasp. “Jackson, put me down right now! If he’s dead, there’s no witnesses and you get to keep your hundred bucks.”
The girl’s not wrong, and I’m honestly concerned for Ryan’s well-being. He might want to sleep with one eye open for a while. “You better run little man.”
With a final salute he scurries down the ladder and up the hill to Cora’s house. I make sure he’s at least half way there before putting Cora down and we take a seat back on the couch. This time she wraps a blanket around herself in a cocoon and I sit next to her.
“So about earlier.” Hands clasped I look towards the floor.
“I don’t want to talk about it. The moments passed.”
I nod in understanding, it would have been amazing, bu
t it wasn’t meant to be.
“Did you mean it?”
“Yes.” The corners of my mouth pull up in a tight smile just as Cora’s text alert chimes and she looks at her phone. “Looks like you just waisted a hundred bucks. Mom wants to see me inside.” She puts her shoe back on and kisses me on the cheek. “See you at Thanksgiving; I have a feeling that’s how long I’ll be grounded for.”
She heads to the ladder and just as she’s about to disappear, I say “Ballerinas,” and she stops.
“What?”
“I told you models weren’t my type. Ballerinas are.”
Her smile reaches from ear to ear and she ducks her head as a wave of red fills her cheeks.
“Bye, Buttercup.”
“Bye, Jackson.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
– The Week of Thanksgiving –
Cora was right. She had been grounded till Thanksgiving Day.
Ryan had only told Presley that Cora was skipping school and that she was up in the tree house; guess that hundred only covered me. Later on I asked Ryan why he told on Cora and he said she didn’t pay him. Smart businessman.
If I thought I was frustrated before that moment with her, it only intensified the more time we spent apart. I found somewhat of a reprieve when Coach let me join the weightlifting class mid semester. It helped to blow off steam, only issue was my class was at the same time as the football players in school gym time.
Jace had turned into one of the cockiest jocks in high school, walking around as if he were some big shot just because he’d received several full ride scholarships from multiple schools across the country.
“I’m telling you...I was this close.”
Even the sound of Jace’s voice is enough to make my skin crawl, never mind the fact he considers himself God’s gift to women.
“There’s no way man.”
“Dude I’m telling you. I might be able to get it for New Year, forget prom.”
Such a tool.
“Two hundred says you can't.”
“Five hundred says I can.”
God, he’s such a dick.
I listen from the other side of the lockers in an attempt to figure out who he’s talking about. I’m not one to pry into other people’s lives, but if I can prevent some girl getting taken advantage of, then I’m going to do it. Pissing Jace off will just be an added bonus.
“I’m spending Thanksgiving with her family. I told her my family was going out of town and I’d miss her too much. I have her eating out of the palm of my hand. Even better, since she’s grounded, her and Jax haven’t gotten to spend any time together. She’s too much of a good girl to break Mommy and Daddy’s rules, and he’s the fucking golden child, he doesn’t even try to talk to her at school. The dude’s a pussy if you ask me.”
There was no doubt he was talking about Cora, and like a bull in a china shop, I began seeing red.
“I can’t stand how much she talks about Jax though, but dude missed his opportunity. He’s too soft. You gotta take what you want, show them who’s boss, am I right?”
Whoever he’s talking to just laughs and tries to half-heartedly agree with him. I’m about to confront him when his friend starts talking again.
“So do they know about each other?”
“Hell no! You think I’m stupid? One’s a conquest, the other’s a sure thing.”
I’ve heard enough.
I know there’s nothing going on between Cora and Jace, despite what he might say. She loves me. Hell, she wants me, not some arrogant, chauvinistic, man whore. And damn right I know to stay away from her. I’m not risking getting her in further trouble, and it would be double the punishment for both of us if either of us slips up.
“Who the fuck’s the conquest?” I round the corner, and throw a quick punch landing him square in the gut, nearly doubling him over. “You mother fucking piece of shit.” I caught him off guard and used this to my advantage, easily getting multiple punches in before he has a chance to react. “Who the fuck are you trying to screw?”
Jace laughs in my face just before a smile spreads from ear to ear. “Your precious little Cora.”
“You’re a fucking dead man!”
I raise my fist and aim for his face, but I struggle against the strength of the weight coach holding me back. Jace springs towards me before the football coach pulls him back and he lands a couple decent blows.
“You stay the fuck away from her!”
“Or what! You gonna go tell my mommy? It’s up to her if I stay away, and as far as I know you two aren’t allowed near each other till Thanksgiving. Guess I’ll see you at dinner. I’ll be the one with my tongue down her throat.” He stops struggling and laughs even more. “Actually, I should thank you for this. Imagine how she’ll react when she finds out you’re the one who did this to me. Nurse Cora has a pretty nice ring to it, actually.”
I lunge towards him once more. “You son of a bitch!” I struggle against being held back.
Jace and I are separated, I end up in Coach’s office while Jace is free to roam the halls.
Our school has a strict no fighting policy and I’m suspended for the remaining two days before Thanksgiving break.
The only witness there when the fight started was Jace’s friend, who claimed I came out of nowhere, and just attacked him completely unprovoked. I guess part of that was true, but now he’s at school with her while I sit in my room stewing over everything. Even though I stayed away and so did she, I know she wouldn’t hesitate to find me if something was wrong.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
Cora was at school and I knew Robert and Presley would be at home. I had to let them know what was going on, or at least as much as I knew.
Fuck Jace. I wasn’t running to mommy and daddy to save myself; I was looking out for my Buttercup.
I knock on the front door instead of just barging in and Uncle Robert answers.
“Mr. West.”
“Well shite. The last time you started with that it was a rough night.” We both chuckle and he opens the door wider. “Come on in, Jackson. Is this something I need to get Presley for?”
“Yes.”
“Well, come in and sit down.” He calls down the hall to Presley and when she comes into the living room they both share a nervous look.
“Mrs. West.”
“Jackson.” She gives me a polite nod before sitting down on the couch next to Cora’s father. “Do we need to call your parents over for this?
I shake my head, “No. This only pertains to the two of you.” They look at each other and Robert motions for me to continue.
“I know you guys heard I was suspended for fighting, but there’s more to the story and I hope you will listen to it and support me. I want you to know I wouldn’t change a single thing, except maybe not get caught.”
Robert chuckles while Presley swats at him in good fun. “We’ll always support you if we can Jax, you know that.”
“Jace and I got into it—”
“Jace, as in your best friend? The one Cora’s been hanging out with? What happened? He seems like such a sweet kid.” Presley seems genuinely concerned whereas Robert seems to know the only reason I would go after a supposed best friend is if Cora were in trouble, and his papa bear instincts seem to be on full alert.
“It’s all an act. I heard him talking with another player in the locker room betting him five hundred dollars he could sleep with Cora by New Year’s Eve.”
Robert’s fist clenches together, while Presley grips tight to his forearm.
“He called Cora a conquest and I believed him.
“He made a few comments last year about her, but I just thought he was joking around. But he’s changed since we were little kids. In fact, he’s no longer welcome at our house. One day Mom kicked him out and I was told to never bring him back around.”
Presley seems shocked that Mom never shared that kind of information with her. “Liv never mentioned anything to me about that. D
o you know why?”
I shake my head no. “I wish I did, believe me. I love Cora, and I want her to always feel safe and loved, even if it’s not with me. But right now I can't be there for her the way I want to. I’m suspended and you’ve grounded her, and I have respected your rules, but please, don’t allow him around her.”
“Jax, we’ve invited him over for Thanksgiving dinner. He told Cora—”
“I know what he told Cora, that his family is going out of town and that he’ll miss her too much.
“I heard him talking about it in the locker room, it’s all a lie. Please Aunt P, don’t allow him over.”
Robert stands and I follow suit, stretching out his hand for a handshake. Our dynamic slowly shifting. I no longer see them as an aunt and uncle, just as I’m sure they no longer see me as a nephew. “Thank you Jackson. We’ll take care of it from here.”
Presley pulls me in for a hug and rubs my back. “Thank you, Jax. I’ll call Liv and find out what happened. You were right to bring this to us. Cora’s safety comes above any type of punishment.”
I nod and say my goodbyes, needing to get to work. Two days are all that are left of Cora’s punishment and I can't wait to lay my eyes on her.
* * *
I was stripped of the duties of cooking Thanksgiving Dinner years ago, thanks to a unanimous vote by my children, husband, and the entire West family; now I’m in charge of last-minute grocery store runs for Presley and bringing desert.
I’ve just picked up the pumpkin, apple, and chocolate pies from the baker’s when Presley’s ringtone on my phone goes off, probably to remind me to stop at the grocery store before coming home.
“Hey Pres, I’m on my way to the store now.”
“That can wait.” She sounds frazzled and the fact she said the store can wait immediately clues me in that something’s going on. “Do you have a minute to talk?”
“I do, but I’m surprised you do. Thanksgiving is tomorrow.” The line is quiet and I pull my phone away from my ear to double check the connection. “Pres? What is it?”
“Liv, Jackson came over yesterday and mentioned something about Jace to Robert and me, and we need to know if there is anything that we should be aware of.”
Tag Fight For Me Page 29
