I feel Jax standing outside the door. It's not locked because I don't care if he comes in. I'm covered, and he won't see anything at all. He probably had to check on Poppy, which I understand.

"Jax you can come in." I whisper opening my eyes as he steps into the light. He reaches to cut it on when I stop him, "Don't, please. Just sit with me. Stay." I whisper tapping the rug next to the bathtub as he walks in with his boot and sits down next to me. He lays his head back on the small amount of drywall on the side of the wall as we both face the same way.

"Thank you." I tell him as I look at his face through the candlelight.

"For what?" He asks me as I wipe my puffy eye since my arm hasn't touched the water yet. I'm so sleepy, and I'm going to pass out in about an hour if I don't have coffee, after how today's been I need it.

"Being here when I needed you. I know I haven't been the best to you and I'm so sorry." I whisper reaching for his hand as I rub it in mine. This is going to be so hard for me, for four years I was with the same person, and now I'm going to have to learn how to be alone again.

"You're alright Ry." He tells me as I lean back and then pull my hand away as I slip it into the water with my other one to softly rub my swollen calf's from working earlier in the day.

"How's Poppy?" I ask him randomly. He stares at me funnily as I ask again, "You just went to check on her right?" I ask.

"Oh yeah. She's fine." He tells me as I nod and rest my head back. I'm glad he's happy right now and I hate knowing I could have had something with him if I would have realized how much of a sick man Jacob was earlier. If I would have picked Jax I know without a doubt that he wouldn't hurt me. He's more handsome than any man I've ever been with but he's also the most trustworthy man I've ever been around. I know Jax would keep anything a secret for me and he'd do anything for me if I asked.

"The flowers are beautiful." I tell him as he looks over at me. "Yeah? I did okay?" He asks as I nod.

"I hid them when he was here but now that I'm single and I don't give a fuck who sees them I'm putting them on the kitchen table in the beautiful box and everything." I tell him as he nods.

"Good." He tells me as I smile over at him. "I think I'm ready to get out and go to bed." I whisper yawning as he nods and stands up. He walks out the bathroom and locks the door as I stand up and let the water out and blow the candle out as well. I wrap a towel around me before slipping on one of my tees and a pair of underwear with a overnight pad in them. Then I slip on pajama shorts and wash my face before cleaning up the wounds. I brush my teeth next and bandage up my eyebrow before walking out. I don't see Jax so I follow his scent in the air until I find him putting up food in the kitchen and cleaning the dishes.

"Jax no, please stop. You don't have to help." I tell him pushing him away from the sink.

"Go to bed okay? You've got small bags under your eyes and your face tells me you're exhausted." He tells me as I shake my head no. He walks past me to my freezer and grabs a bag of peas before lifting me in one of his arms and throwing me over his shoulder. He takes me into the bedroom and I point to my side of the bed as he lays me down and pulls the covers around me like a child. He takes the peas and sets them on my head as I laugh.

"You need the carrots in there on your foot." I tell him as he sighs and moves my hair off my neck.

"Go to bed." He tells me kissing my cheek as I smile and hold his hand. "Will you stay?" I ask rubbing it softly. "Just in case he comes back. I don't want to be alone." I tell him as he nods.

"Yeah. I'll stay. Scoot over." He tells me surprising me as he pushes me into where Jacob used to sleep and lays down on my side of the bed. He of course slips off his boot and shoe before laying down as he opens his chest and lets me rest on it.

He rubs my hair as I hold his chest with my exhausted body. "Always." He whispers as I smile and fall right to sleep holding onto Jax all night long.

___

I wake up feeling Jax under me. Somehow I ended up asleep on top of his strong and beautiful six pack of abs. I love the way they feel, and I can't lie and say I haven't thought about this moment. I really like Jax, but I gave him the cold shoulder and he moved on. And like he told me, if he's happy I won't mess that up for him.

He's an amazing guy, and I love him like he's my best friend. He's going to make Poppy so happy she can't stand it and I'll be alone forever thinking about the possibility of him that I gave up, but I'll be happy for him.

Feeling tears falling out of my eyes I slowly move off of his chest and into the bathroom without waking him up. I step into the shower and wash my body and hair before stepping out and brushing my teeth. I wash my face and look at the time knowing I have to be to work in two hours for the eight shift that comes in. Now that I'm living alone I'm going to have to pick up even more hours to try and afford everything and that's got me worried that I'll be condemned out of my apartment before I can pay the bill. I might even look into a waitressing job on the side to help pay bills or something.

Feeling the pain in my face I know it's sore from where Jacob decided to backhand me and it hurts but I ignore the pain.

I change into a bra, and underwear with joggers and a tank top before towel drying my hair which takes forever but I don't want to wake Jax up. I curl it once it's dry and then start on my makeup. I apply CC cream on with a moisturizer, followed by setting powder and all my products. All I do is fix my eyebrows and apply mascara to my face. Then I apply a little blush and bronzer and I'm done. I set it with spray before looking at myself in the mirror.

When I really look, I look refreshed. I don't have bags anymore and I slept so good with Jax. I knew it would be something I loved when it happened and Jax is so comfortable. Just thinking about Poppy sleeping in the same position brings tears to my eyes.

I don't know why I'm upset. I made my decision and I chose Jacob, I chose what I thought would make me happy and I was so wrong. I really did think that this time was different with him. I knew he wasn't cheating and when I found out he was, it broke me. But I don't have a right being mad at him when Jax and I heavily made out just a day or so ago. And I liked it so much, I love the way his lips felt.

Bringing myself out of my thoughts I open the bathroom door and walk back into my room. Except Jax isn't in my bed anymore and the sheets have been pulled up. I walk into the kitchen to see him pouring a bowl of cereal making me smile. Jacob and I were never big on breakfast so cereal is the only thing we had in the cabinets.

"Good morning." I tell him as he opens the fridge getting milk. "Morning Ry" he tells me back as he pours the milk in the bowl and hands it to me.

"Here, I know you didn't eat dinner." He tells me as I smile and take it. This is one of the reasons that Jaxton is the best, right here.

"Thank you. There's eggs in the fridge and I think some strawberries if you want to eat healthy. I know with your training and stuff." I tell him as he shakes his head no.

"I'm good right now." He tells me as I nod and sit down at the small kitchen table. Thinking about it and before I forget too, I walk back into the bedroom and grab his rose box and sit it on the table opening it so that I can see them all.

"There. Beautiful." I whisper as I start eating the cereal again with Jax sitting next to me. His big buff arms are on display and he's staring at me as I look back into his blue eyes.

"Thank you for staying." I rattle out swallowing. "You're welcome. I've got to be in the gym in about two hours." He tells me as I nod, "I've got to be to work in two hours too." I tell him as we sit calmly.

Silence falls between us before I finish the cereal and walk back into the kitchen washing the bowl. That's when his phone rings on the table. He picks it up and I know I shouldn't but I walk over and look over his shoulder to see that it's Poppy. Of course it is. He doesn't answer it though, he cuts the ringer off and silences his phone.

I try not to think too much about it when I start raiding the pantry and cleaning up any traces of Jacob. Finding some of his dirty laundry in the clothes hamper I pack it up. He's going to hold over my head that he helped buy stuff for the apartment if I don't reimburse him for it so I take out my check book and write a five hundred dollar check for all the kitchen items and the price of the televisions. The apartment came furnished and the TV's were used, so that should be plenty enough.

"What are you doing?" Jax asks walking into the laundry room seeing me packing up stuff.

"I'm getting rid of the rest of his stuff. I'll drop it off at his desk at work. I just don't want to look at it." I admit packing it up into a white trash bag. I close it and put the check on top when Jax snatches it out of my hand.

"Why in the hell did you write him a check?" He asks holding it between his fingers. I sit up on the washing machine so I can stare into Jaxton's face as he glares at me.

"He helped pay for the kitchen items, tv's and groceries. That should be enough to cover what he payed for so he has no reason to come back." I tell Jax as he stands in the doorway with his arms crossed.

"He won't come back." He tells me as I sit with one leg under my other.

"What do you mean?" I ask as he looks down at his hands and back up to me. "I took care of it." He tells me as my whole mood changes.

"How did you take care of it?" I ask as he pushes off the wall and walks over to me. He encages me around his arms as he stands over me holding both sides of the washing machine to keep me in place. My breathing pattern increases with his face only inches from mine when he starts, "Don't get mad." Is the first thing he tells me.

"What did you do?" I ask as I pull my hand up to rest on his shoulder so I keep his attention.

"Threw his body over a glass coffee table and broke it, punched him until he passed out bleeding." He tells me as I stop my hand on his shoulder.

"Jax? What? When was this?!" I ask. "Last night when I left." He tells me as I look down at his hands on the washing machine and sure enough one of them is a little red and swollen on his knuckles.

"I thought you went to see Poppy. Jax why would you do that? He's probably going to sue you or something!" I exclaim as he smiles.

"I gave Beth, you know his whore, money for her table so no that won't happen. He's lucky he's alive and he knows it. And I didn't go to see Poppy, I was with you." He tells me as I sigh.

"You probably need to go. She's probably worried. I'll see you later, thanks." I tell him trying to slip off the washing machine before I cry thinking about him with someone else.

"Stop it Ry. Look at me." He tells me placing both of his hands on my thighs to hold me in place as I look at him. "Why are you upset?" He asks as I stare down his body to his feet and back up to his eyes.

"Because I made the wrong choice." I whisper out telling him the truth as I look between him and his chest. I did, I made the complete wrong choice.