After what felt like hours of trying to take Jax off of Hunter I had finally managed to pull them apart. Hunter sat on the couch with a bag of peas on his face, icing his swollen eye.

Jax's intensive stare was burning holes right through Hunter as he watched him carefully.

"You guys need to talk this out." I talk right through the intense silence. "I'm not going to be put in the middle of this anymore."

"No one asked you shit." Jax says in a grave tone.

"Don't talk to her like that." Hunter fires back.

"I get that your mad but you guys are best friends. This is ridiculous, fighting over a girl who has no care if it messes with your friendship." I scoff. "That's pathetic."

Getting off the couch, my eyes linger on Jax's tense shoulders right before I walk out of the room to leave them to talk. After a short moment I hear Hunter's voice and smile to myself.

They needed to fix this before things get worse. I didn't want awkwardness around Hunter and I and I needed them to be friends again. Their friendship meant more than some girl.

I made it clear to myself after last night that I needed to apologize to Jax. I said things I didn't mean from anger and he needed to know he wasn't anything like his father.

His father left his family for someone else and Jax immediately took the role of the man of the house. He did what he could for his family and I was wrong for saying what I did.

As I got undressed and stepped into the shower, I let the warm water relax my body. My mind wandered off to so many different things at once, I felt myself fill up with stress.

I needed the day to myself. After I talk to Jax and make sure everything is okay I need a day to myself with no Jax or Hunter drama.

My mind needed peace.

After washing myself, I step out of the shower and send Marissa a message to come meet me at my house.

I pick out the outfit I was going to wear and smile to myself feeling satisfied.

I had picked out dark wash skinny jeans, a black long sleeve shirt, my leather jacket and knee high boots.

I got dressed in a quick motion, doing a basic makeup look and grabbing my wallet and phone.

Walking into the hallway, I feel my hair bounce back and forth. There were some grunting noises coming from the living room and I rush in only to be surprised at what I saw.

There was Jax and Hunter side by side playing on Hunter's Xbox. With a confused look, I step besides Jax and eye the both of them.

"You guys made up?" I carefully ask.

"Don't act so surprised." Hunter chuckles. His eye was starting to form a blue color around it as the swelling was getting worse.

"Right..." I trail off. "But, wh-how."

"Isn't this what you wanted? For us to be friends again? Well, you got it." Jax says, turning to look at me. "Nothing is forgiven, just trying to make it work."

His eyes trail up and down my body as he sees how I'm dressed. His mouth slightly opens up, eyes filled with desire as they reach mine.

"Where are you going?" He wonders.

"Out with Marissa." I simply say. Just as I said that, a message from her pops up on my phone letting me know she was outside.

"Dad left money in the jar before he left to work." Hunter says.

"Thanks," I tell him. "Jax, can we talk before I go?"

He ignores me, going back to playing his game with Hunter. Even though he was looking at the game I knew he was distracted. His attention was elsewhere.

"Please?" I plead.

"Busy." He says.

"It's important." I say.

"So is this game." He responds.

I let out a breath, feeling defeated. "I don't even know why I try."

"Then don't." He says, his fingers angrily pressing against the controller.

Rolling my eyes, I walk back to the kitchen. The Jax I've gotten to know my whole life was back.

Getting Jax to open up and be real with me again was now going to be hard...but not impossible.

I grabbed the money from the jar and walked out to the living room, saying my goodbyes and walking out of the house.

"About time." Marissa says, getting off the stairs.

"Come on," I wrap my arm around hers. "There's so much I have to tell you."

- -

A bunch of shopping later, Marissa and I tiredly wander around the mall looking for what else to do.

After I told her what happened with Jax and I and she gave me advice we promised not to talk about him for the rest of our day. I would have to deal with seeing him the whole week at school, I think one day to myself was fair enough.

"Emma, look!" Marissa shrieks as she points to a costume shop. "We have to go in."

Grabbing me by my arm, she drags me along to the store and gasps at every costume we come across.

"Halloween is two weeks away we have to start planning what we're going to wear." Marissa tells me as her eyes wander around in every direction around the store.

"I don't even know what I'm doing for Halloween. I don't need a costume." I tell her as I eye the different dresses hanging around.

"You're dressing up, period." She says.

I move away from Marissa and look at the costume in the far back that caught my eye. It was a sexy cop costume.

It felt ironic that my dad is a cop and the one costume that caught my attention was this one.

I mentally laughed at myself as I knew Hunter would never let me leave the house dressed like that.

"That would look so good on you, Emma." Marissa appears besides me. "You have to get it." She reaches her arm out and hands me the costume, her eyes filled with excitement.

"You're crazy." I shake my head. "Hunter would have a stroke if I came home with this."

"Is he your father?" Marissa raises her eyebrow.

"Well," I trail off.

"Exactly." She takes the costume from my hand and looks at the size. "It's perfect." Looking around the store, her eyes land on the counter filled with random toys, including hand cuffs.

She grabs a pink, fluffy pair and stands in line with my costume in hand. Waving me over, I groan as I walk to her.

"Marissa, I don't think this is a good idea. What if we end up doing nothing?" I complain.

"Then we'll save it for next year." She shrugs. "Anyways, someone always throws a party, you know how it is."

"What about your costume?" I wonder. I take the things out of her hand and move the bags I had to my other side.

Marissa's eyes wander around the store. She makes me wait in line while she looks around for anything that catches her eye.

Just as my turn to pay comes, Marissa steps besides me and squeals with thrill.

Handing the guy behind the register my costume and the hand cuffs, I felt uncomfortable as he looked between Marissa and I.

"Look," She shows me a mini black leather skirt. "It's cute, right?"

"Yeah," I nod, not sure what to say. "Uh, where's the rest of the costume?"

"Twenty thirty-two." The guy says, waiting for me to hand him the money. I take out a twenty dollar bill and some coins I had and pay the guy, watching him count the coins.

"I was thinking," Marissa begins. "I can wear a crop top with it, cut it up a little and add some blood and crazy ass makeup."

I nod, approving of the idea. "What are you trying to go for?"

"A sexy zombie." She giggles.

The guy hands me my receipt along with my bag and I move out of the way so Marissa can pay.

"A sexy dead zombie." I add.

She nods along and quickly finishes paying. After we leave the mall, we walk along the sidewalk debating what to do next.

"I'm thinking," I begin to say. "Are you up for a new look?"

Marissa smiles cheekily at me. "What are you suggesting?"

"Come on." I lead the way.

- -

"Holy shit." Marissa curses.

I had yet to look in the mirror, to scared that what I would see wouldn't be appealing to my eyes.

"How is it? Is it bad?" I panic.

"You look fucking amazing!" She yelps. "Open your eyes."

Slowly, I open my eyes and turn the chair so I could face the mirror. Gasping, I smile to myself as I couldn't believe what I looked like.

My once waist length hair was scattered on the salon floor. I ran a hand through my hair as the shortness of it shocked me.

I never had my hair so short before I felt so weird. I couldn't lie and say I didn't like it because truth was I loved the way it looked on me.

"My turn." Marissa clapped her hands.

I got off the chair and let Marissa sit down as the hair dresser asked her what she wanted. As I walked over to the counter to pay, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket.

I pulled it out as I got money out and placed my wallet on the counter.

Jax: Where are you?

My stomach tied in an uncomfortable knot as I wasn't expecting Jax to text me. I hadn't been thinking about him all day and out of nowhere he wants to finally text me?

He wasn't getting my attention so easily this time. I tried apologizing earlier but he wouldn't hear me out.

Paying the lady, I grabbed my wallet and walked over to sit down while I waited for Marissa.

My phone buzzed two more times in my hand. Sighing, I looked at it to once again see Jax's name across the screen.

Jax: Can you answer me, please?

Jax: Emma.

What?I reply.

Immediately after I texted him, Jax texted back.

Jax: I'm sorry.

You have nothing to be sorry about. I simply say.

Shutting my phone off, I put it back in my back pocket and ignore the constant buzz I felt every time he texted back. I rather talk to him in person later than deal with it now.

I didn't need any distractions right now. I needed him to know how serious I am. I wasn't taking no bullshit from him this time around.

We both needed to apologize for things we said and from there we'd see where we go.

For now... there was no Jax and I.