"I thought you wanted to see my apartment." Jax teased beside me later that afternoon while I stared blankly at the living room wall. He had called a few days ago to let me know the apartment was ready, but I had been too lost inside my self-destructive thoughts to make the trip there sooner.

My eyes snapped to his bright blues and I shot him the best smile I could muster. "I did! I do!"

"Then why are you staring at the wall? Do you not like the color I picked?" His small smile fell and I instantly shook my head.

"No, no its perfect!" It was just a soft eggshell color, but my affirmation brought that smile of his right back to his eyes.

The apartment itself was surprisingly pretty spacious for the price he was paying—then again, it wasn't the greatest area of Jasper to live in. A fact which kept Rex grumbling quite a bit during the entire ride there. Besides that, it was a really nice place. There were two bedrooms, two baths, and an elegant counter-island separated the modern kitchen from the living room.

"Then what's wrong, Bae?"

I shrugged and let my gaze drop sheepishly to the floor. "Just thinking about the exams I have coming up." The words were a forced mumbled, and I knew there was no fooling Jax. I never could. Those bright blues shot through my lie easily.

"Right. Hey, careful with that!" He shouted in horror as Denton picked some solid glass vase off a shelf and tossed it between his hands.

The childish Dimajio shot us a guilty smile before placing it back down. "Sorry, you just have a bunch of cool shit—stuff here. Sorry Buttercup." Denton added at the curse word slip, which made me smile.

His boyishly cute smile turned apologetic, but didn't lose an ounce of that mischievousness, before he practically skipped to Brett. The other twin was too busy looking at a shrine dedicated to Jax's favorite football team to notice the exchange. Bringing them here probably wasn't a good idea, but when I had announced that we were going to visit Jax after school, the others automatically thought that included them too. I didn't have the heart to tell them no, despite Rex's visible exasperation.

"He's like a child." Jax huffed under his breath and continued to stare uneasily at the clumsy Dimajio who refused to stop touching everything.

"He is a child." I laughed softly and let my eyes flicker towards Rex.

He and Trey were talking against the only empty spot of wall in the corner of Jax's rather large living room. Rex's arms were crossed over his stony chest, and despite the hard set in his jaw, his gaze was soft when he glanced over and saw me watching. Rex winked and I couldn't stop the blush from licking at my cheeks.

"He upset you or something?" Jax asked around a mouthful of chips. He had set out some snacks when I called to tell him we were all coming over, like a good host—his words not mine. "Because you know I'll kill him if he hurts you." He said like someone talking about the weather, casual and not bothered despite the obvious threat.

I rolled my eyes and shoved lightly at his shoulder. Jax was always a good fighter, but Rex was the best. "He didn't do anything..." I let my voice trail off as all those dark selfish thoughts from before swam through my head.

"But?" He nudged my shoulder softly, that 'you can tell me anything' smile pulling at his lips.

"He knows who my dad is."

Jax stiffened and his eyes flickered quickly towards Rex and Trey who now appeared to be arguing more than talking. Great, what was wrong with them now? "How did that happen?" His voice came out as a shocked, hushed, whisper in my ears.

I shrugged, trying to appear as casual as I could, like I hadn't had a mental breakdown about the whole thing. "I asked him to bail Rex out of trouble a while ago, and he went looking for my dad afterwards. Now dad's offering him a job and the only reason he's not going to take it is because I begged him not to." I said the last part on an ashamed, selfish whisper and wrapped my arms tightly around my waist. Like that could stop the pain blossoming there.

"Oh, Rosie. It's going to be okay." Jax knew the pain without having to be told, knew what was wrong without saying another word, just like Luce had. I felt almost guilty bringing it up to both of them, like a part of me was hoping one or the other would have encouraged my original decision—encouraged me to be selfish.

It took all I had not to cry as his arm reached around my shoulders and pulled me against his hard side. "Everything will be okay. Your father isn't going to let anything happen to you again, and Rex can take care of himself." It was basically the same thing Luce had said, and even though I knew it was true, that didn't stop me from shaking my head in denial.

"I can't go through that again, Jax. I can't." I shook my head, but was thankful Rex was too busy talking with Trey to notice Jax's arm around my shoulders.

"I know, I know Bae, but you won't. We're not kids anymore, and they're dead."

"There's more like them. Always more." My voice was a hoarse on my tongue. Jax's arm tightened around me.

"It's okay. The past is the past, you don't have to go back."

"I-I'm going to tell Rex to take the job." I finally muttered a few moments later. Jax pulled slightly away and raised one of those blonde eyebrows at me.

"I thought you already begged him not to?"

I nodded despite the sickening churn of my stomach. "It's not fair to him. I won't take that opportunity away because I'm broken. I won't steal his future."

Jax sighed but gave me an understanding smile anyway. He never tried to tell me I was wrong when I talked about being broken, he got it. He understood. He was the only person that ever did. "I don't think you have to worry about that." He said gently and slowly brought his arm away from my shoulders—though I think that had more to do with the look of death Rex was suddenly sending his way.

"What do you mean?" I asked instead of acknowledging the glaring dinosaur.

Jax's laugh was quiet, but uneasy. "That's the look of someone already fighting for their future." My lips pulled into a confused pout. No, that was Rex being grumpy because someone other than him was holding me. Jax's laugh was louder this time when he noticed the confused look on my face.

"You, Rose. You're his future."

"Thank you for going today." I said softly when Rex pulled us into his apartment complex hours later.

He turned the ignition off with a sigh and leaned heavily back against the seat. "Anything for you." Rex murmured softly, and turned his beautiful head to give me a small smile—despite the tired look in his eyes.

All in all, it had been a good visit. Even though they stayed on opposite ends of the apartment, they didn't fight each other, and even held a conversation at one point. A very tense, testosterone filled conversation, but I counted it as one nonetheless.

I knew he wasn't happy about the whole 'Jax's arm around my shoulders' thing, but he didn't mention it at all. Rex was trying when it came to him, and that only added onto how perfect he was. He deserved better, so much better. That was the thought running through my head when I finally got the courage to talk about my father.

"Rex, can we—can we talk?"

He let out a quiet groan, and ran a heavy hand through his dark hair. "That is not a question I ever want to hear from you."

"What? Why?" I asked with that familiar frown pulling at my lips and clenched my hands uneasily together in my lap.

"It's what people hear when they're about to get dumped."

"Eep! What?" My hands snapped to my mouth in horror, and the small smile pulling at his lips did nothing to stop my wide eyes from staring at him in shock. "N-No! That's not what I want to talk about!"

"I know, but that doesn't keep them from scaring me." He reached over for one of my hands which I gave him all too quickly. The thought of 'dumping' Rex was as ridiculous as the thought of someone jumping into volcanoes for fun. Or throwing away perfectly good ice cream! It would never happen.

"What do you want to talk about, Roza." He pulled my hand to his mouth, and softly kissed the back of it. The sweet gesture sent warmth up my arm and into my heart.

"My dad."

Chestnut eyes snapped to mine, and despite the hard look there, he didn't pull my hand from his lips. "Only if you want to." His mouth moved against my skin as he spoke, and I found my eyes watching the slow movement more than I should have.

"I need to."

"Need, is a very strong word, Rosalyn." He gently turned my hand over until his lips pressed a kiss against my palm and then slowly rubbed a heated trail to my wrist. Electricity surged wherever his lips touched and ricocheted throughout my entire body. I wasn't sure why that simple action made my mouth water, but my heart was suddenly beating loudly in my ears and my thought process had taken a swan dive.

"I-I have to." Though the words were uncertain now as his lips pressed soft kisses against my wrist and back to my palm. Then he pulled away, his hand wrapping tightly around mine and brining it down between us.

"Okay, I'm all ears." Rex smiled softly, his dark eyes silently reassuring as his thumb stroked the recently kissed path of my wrist.

"I want you to take that job." I blurted before I could convince myself not to again.

Chestnut eyes widened as the words tumbled from my lips, but his hand only tightened around mine. "No." I glanced up in surprise, but that gaze didn't seem to waiver once. My heart skipped a beat.

"What? Why? It's a great opportunity."

"You don't want me to, so I won't." Rex shrugged, like he couldn't care less that he was turning down a job offer from Evans Corp. That awful feeling from before settled in my stomach and I had to blink furiously to keep water from building in my eyes. He was turning it down for me—for me.

I shook my head viciously, and Rex made a disgruntled noise in the back of his throat as I tried to pull my hand from his. His grip only tightened. "No, I won't let you turn this down for me, Rex." My voice was a lot weaker than I wanted it to be as I stared down at our hands in disdain.

"I won't do something that you obviously dread. I don't know why, but I know working for Evans will hurt you—and that is not something I will ever risk doing again." He brought my hand back to his lips, those dark eyes never once leaving mine as he pressed a kiss firmly against my skin.

He was giving me the out I wanted. The one where I could keep pretending, where we could stay in our bubble a little while longer. I couldn't do that to him though. I had to prove I was stronger than that, for both of us. "Take the job, Rex. I—I want you to." I could tell he didn't believe a word I said with the way those dark eyes washed slowly over me.

"No. I don't want it."

I let out a small sigh, even though I couldn't stop the small smile from pulling at my lips. "Yes, you do." I argued lamely as he flipped my hand over and started trailing his lips against the inside of my wrist again. The sharp tingles that shot up my arm from his touch went straight to my stomach.

"I only want you." That entrapping gaze flickered from my wrist to lock with my eyes before dropping again. Man, did this boy know how to make me weak.

"Rex—"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore." He grumbled before pulling my hand away from his lips. "Let's just drop it for now, okay? I'm supposed to help you study tonight remember?" The smile he gave was soft, but genuine, and I found myself nodding before I could help it.

Even though a part of me was proud I found the courage to tell him, another part knew I was still that weak willed girl terrified of losing him. He didn't know why I was so against Evans Corp, didn't understand why I didn't want him to work for my dad, but he didn't care. Because of me. He was giving up on a dream job because of me.

Could I really sit by and let that happen?

"I'm out. I want the fuck out." I barely stepped foot through the large wooden door before the words were spewing from my lips.

The bear of a man sitting behind his huge mahogany desk let out an audible sigh as he set the folder clutched in his paws down. "I had a feeling this was coming." Rune Evans announced casually and leaned slowly back in his office chair.

Those dark green eyes, that looked so much like my little flower's, watched my every move as I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over my chest. I wasn't planning on being there long enough to have an actual fucking conversation with the guy. "Yeah, thanks for the offer. But I'm done." I hadn't thought twice about the decision when Rose asked me not to take the job.

Seeing that God awful look in those wide Bambi eyes, the terrified plea that brought me to my knees, tore at every shred of my fucking being. No way in fuck was I ever going to cause her that kind of pain. Evans Corp might have been the best industry in all of New England, but there were others out there. Smaller, sure, but some just as well off. I didn't need this fucking position. I only needed her. And I'll take out any fucking thing that threatens to keep her from me.

"I see my daughter approached the subject with you."

I clenched my jaw at the nonchalant demeanor in his tone, like he didn't know how she felt about this company. Fuck, I didn't even know what was going through that too-damn cute head of hers half the time, but her fear had been plain as day. I had a sick feeling it had something to do with all that panic and anxiety raging inside her—and I would not be involved with anything that made that worse.

"Look Rex," Evans started softly as he pushed the office chair back and stood to his feet. God, that fucker was tall. "I understand why she is upset. I even understand why you would renege the offer, but I encourage you to think this through. You have an opportunity here that you won't find anywhere else. Evans Corp will open doors for you that would otherwise remain shut for years—decades even. Think about your future."

I had thought it through. The minute I saw that panicked look in Rosalyn's eyes, I done all the thinking I needed to. "She is my future, and I won't do anything that interferes with that."

I hated the smug fucking smile that crossed Evan's face as he leaned against the front of his desk. His arms crossed over his bear-sized chest, much like mine were, and those freaky fucking familiar eyes locked on mine. They were far darker than Rose's though, and a thousand times more intimidating. I didn't question why the majority of Boston feared him, I never had—but there was something about his gaze that sent fear down people's spines. Not that I would ever admit he did that to mine.

"I know. That's why you're here to begin with." I tried not to let the fuck see me bristle at his words, but there was something about Rune Evans that just made you want to fight. Even if it wasn't him.

"Regardless what you think of me, I want the best for my daughter. I like you, and I like you for her. Rose has had a hard life, and she deserves to be happy. You seem to make her so." He nodded, almost in thanks, which I did not fucking need from him. I did a shit job at making her happy. I know I did, despite all those spine crushing smiles she gave me—like I could never do anything wrong. Those were for my fucking pleasure. No one else.

"And, as I've said before," Evans continued like he couldn't see the scowl plastered across my face, "you are smart. Working here ensures a secured financial future for yourself and my daughter. Plus, that brain of yours will further my enterprise. It's a win-win really."

"Except for Rosalyn." I bit out through clenched teeth. Sure, everything sounded oh-so-fucking dandy in retrospect, but he didn't see her face that night. He didn't have tear through Jasper looking for her, or had to see that vacant broken look in her eyes. He didn't know how terrified she was. "So, with all due respect, go fuck yourself." The fact his eyes flashed in amusement at my words made anger lick up my spine.

I didn't need his industry to 'secure my financial future', or Roza's. I made enough money fighting now, and I knew I could land a position in any other company on the East coast. I could provide for her just fine on my own without his fucking help. I leaned away from the door and turned to leave, satisfied that I got my fucking point across, until his next words stopped me dead.

"She never told you what happened to her, did she?"