"Emma," My dad knocks on the door for the hundredth time. "Emma, please open the door. Let me explain, honey just open up."

Wiping my tears, I hesitantly stand up from the floor and come face to face with my door. Taking a deep breath in, I unlock it and twist the knob, slowly cracking the door open.

My dad's face dropped when he saw my cheeks stained wet and he immediately embraces me into a tight hug.

"I am so sorry, honey." He runs his fingers through my hair and hugs me tightly into his chest. "I didn't mean to upset you."

I sobbed into his chest, with my arms by my side. I didn't know how to feel right now. I had so many questions and so many feelings I didn't want to feel.

"Please hug me back." He cried out.

Slowly, I brought my arms up and hugged him back. I felt his body relax as my arms wrapped around him and after a couple of minutes we pulled away. His eyes were filled with tears as he stared down at me.

"Did...Did you forget about mom?" I find myself saying without thinking.

He moves back from me and shakes his head rapidly. "How could you say such thing?"

I shrug, moving away from the door and walking over to my bed. Sitting down, my eyes follow my dad as he pulls up my chair from the corner and sits across from me.

"Listen, kiddo," he begins. "I will never forget your mother. She was the best thing that ever happened and she was taken from us too soon. Your mother made me promise her before she died to never forget her, but if a time ever came where I found someone else...to not miss that chance."

I stayed quiet letting tears run down my face as he continued to talk.

"I loved your mother and I'm going to continue to." He tells me. "It's been years, Emma."

"That doesn't change anything." I interrupt. "She was your wife, my mother, dad. You can't replace her."

He places his hand on my knee and wipes my tears with his other hand. "I'm not replacing your mom. I would never do that, but don't you think I deserve another chance at happiness?"

"Of course, you do," I nod. "It's just, it's too soon."

He shakes his head. "It's been six years, Emma." He stays quiet, analyzing my face before speaking again. "You're right, it's too soon. I don't know what I was thinking."

Suddenly, he gets up from the chair and kisses my forehead. "I'll call Joyce and tell her something came up. We'll have a family dinner instead, just us."

Nodding, I wipe my tears and stand up from my bed. "Dad?"

He turns back to me before walking out of the room and gives me a questioning look. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry."

He gives me a tight smile. "I get it. It was too much all too fast."

He walks out of my room and closes the door behind him. After walking around my room thinking of what to do, I reach for my phone and text Jax.

Are you home? I text.

After waiting for a couple of minutes he texts back saying he was home with Amanda.

Can I come over?

Where's Hunter? Jax texts.

I don't know. Probably at Joey's. I answer.

Come over.

Smiling, I wipe away any makeup that might have stained my eyes from crying and changed into sweatpants. I grabbed my jacket from my closet before leaving my room and walking into the living room.

With my phone in hand, I text Hunter to let him know what happened with dad and shut it back off.

"Dad, I'm going to Marissa's!" I yell out.

"What about dinner?" He walks into the living room.

"I'll be back in time for it." I say.

Any thought of my dad ever dating someone had left my mind and although I did feel bad I couldn't shake the thought of my dad being with someone else. All my life it's been my dad and my mom not my dad and his new girlfriend.

I couldn't accept the fact he was moving on, especially not now. He did need happiness but right now I wanted Hunter and I to be his only happiness. I didn't care how selfish that made me I just got him back after years of work taking him from me.

"Okay, have fun." He softly says as he waves me off.

As I walked to the bus stop, my thoughts shifted to my mom. I know it's been years since we lost her to cancer but my heart was still hurting as if it had happened yesterday.

I remember getting called out of Mrs. Jones sixth grade class and feeling the most coldest tingles go down my fingers and to my feet. I knew why I was stepping out of that class.

I had grown to know the walls of the hospital when I was in third grade. By fourth grade I knew the amount of cracks the walls at Luke's Memorial hospital had.

Getting on the bus, I sat in the far back by the window and admired as the blur of the trees rapidly past me as the bus moved. A single tear rolled down my cheek and I let it slide down all the way to my chin.

A vivid memory of Hunter, Jax, my parents and I popped in my head. We were all at the pool surrounded by a warm summer breeze. The smell of chlorine was all to familiar that summer.

I remember being drowned by Jax and he blamed it on the little girl who was behind me. I knew it was him but I never told Hunter. I knew he would kill him if he knew he practically tried killing me. I knew now he didn't mean any harm.

As Jax's street came into view I press the bright red stop button and wait for the bus driver to open the doors.

Stepping foot outside, I let the cold October air hit my face. I snuggled myself into my jacket and walked up the driveway to Jax's front door.

As I waited for him to open the door, I didn't notice until I touched my face that I was still crying. I quickly wiped away my tears and smiled widely just as Jax opened the door.

"What's wrong?" His voice comes out concerned as he stares at me. "Are you okay?"

Nodding, I feel myself choking as I tried holding back my tears. "Y-Yeah, I'm okay."

Within seconds I started bawling my eyes out into Jax's shoulder. I'm pretty sure I stained his black shirt with my snot and tears.

"What happened?" He asks.

Instead of saying anything I continue to cry into his chest and snuggle my head closer to him.

"You wanna go upstairs?"

I nod my head and he slowly pushes himself off of me. Locking the door, he takes my hand in his and leads me upstairs to his room.

"Amanda's in her room and my mom is still working." He tells me.

His room was the same from the last time I was here. Aside from some empty water bottles laying on the floor and dirty socks by his drawers, this was the cleanest I've seen his room in all the years I've know him.

I sit on his bed and continuously wipe my eyes as he sits down next to me. He takes my hands in his and plants a wet kiss on each of my fingers.

"My dad's dating someone." I blurt out.

He stops kissing my hand and looks up at me. Fixing himself on the bed, he gives me a confused look.

"He was going to invite this Joyce lady from work. He wanted us to meet our new step mom." I roll my eyes.

He lets out a nervous chuckle and places his hand on my lap. "Just because your dad started dating doesn't mean she's immediately going to be your step mom."

"You don't know that." I cross my arms.

"You don't either." He says. "Please tell me you don't possibly believe your dad would ever replace your mom, Emma."

I stayed in silence, shrugging as he let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. I knew I sounded foolish now as I explained myself to him.

"Your dad could never forget her. He has a right to be happy again, even if it means to be with someone else."

"I just got him back." I let out.

"You're not going to lose him."

"I just can't imagine him with anyone else. I know it's selfish of me but..." I trail off not knowing the right words to say.

"Emma," He cups my cheek. "He has a right to be happy. Whether it means being with this Joyce lady or alone. He's a grown man."

"I know." I sigh. "It was just hard hearing him say he found someone else."

"Are you going to be okay?" He asks.

"Yeah," I nod. "I'll be okay."

We laid in his bed for about an hour cuddling while the TV played in the background. Jax dozed off halfway through the movie with his arm over my body keeping me warm.

My phone vibrated besides me but I leave it alone so I wouldn't wake Jax. I looked over my shoulder to see him peacefully sleeping, his shoulders rising up and down.

I reach for the control and lower the volume of the TV but as soon as I do Jax moves behind me and lightly squeezes the side of my stomach.

"Hey, sleeping beauty." I chuckle. "Did I wake you?"

"Nah," He yawns. "What time is it?"

"Almost six, I have to go soon." I shift my body around so Jax and I are now laying face to face.

"Where's Amanda?" He questions. His eyes were loopy and he kept opening them and closing them again.

"I heard her downstairs a while ago. Probably watching TV." I say in a low voice.

He lazily puts one arm under me and the other one on top, twisting it around so I am now cradling his lap.

Closing my eyes, I lean in and press my lips against his, giving him a peck and pulling back.

"Tease." He chuckles.

Grinning, I lean back in and give him another peck only this time I nibble on his bottom lip before pulling away.

He groans and I move down his neck as I trail kisses all over. I notice his breathing picking up and his body moving under me as he grinds against my body.

"Be mine." He mumbles.

Startled, I jolt up and look at him. He opens his eyes and stares deeply into mine.

"What?" I ask.

"Be with me, Emma." He says.

"I am, I'm right here." I say, trying to act confused. I knew exactly what he meant but I was hoping he would brush it off and not ruin the moment by asking me to officially be his girlfriend.

Having a title between us means coming out to my family about it which means drama which leads to Jax and I having to hide from them and everyone.

My mind was spiraling.

"No," He shakes his head and I sit up on his legs, feeling him right beneath me. "Be my girlfriend."

"Jax," I sigh.

"Don't say no because of Hunter or anyone else. Think for yourself." He tells me.

Getting off of him, I move to the empty spot next to him and take a deep breath.

"Jax..." I trail off hesitating to answer him. "No."

He sits up immediately and furrows his eyebrows at me. He looked like I just shot him in the chest.

"What do you mean, no?"

"I mean no, I won't be your girlfriend."