Page 45 of Puck It!

He slides the palm of his hand to my cheek and his words whisper in a deep growl, "Do you need to hear me say it?"

I can hear my heart hum in my ears, unsure if I'm ready for this. There's a reason I avoid love and relationships, but with no control my head nods anyways, wanting to hear it.

"I love you Macie Sullivan, I've been in love with you since I was twelve years old."

My smile brightens my face and I wrap my arms around his neck as I press my lips against his. Not ready to say those words, I want to, I want to be ready to say them, but I'm not, one day I will. When I can't hold them back anymore.

Hovering over his lips, I whisper, "I want to say them back Jax, but those three words scare me to death. Every time I’ve said them, my heart has been broken."

"I feel what we have Jax, and like you, I do think there’s been something between us long before you told me how you felt."

"Who hurt you, Angel?" He asks with concern in his voice, in his eyes as he stares into mine.

I pull my head back and avoid his gaze. It's short lived as his hand holding my cheek tilts my head, making me look up at him.

"No one Jax."

"I don't believe you; You're hiding something from me, I can feel it." He growls.

I shake my head, not wanting to tell a lie, because yes, I am hiding something. The biggest reason for leaving. My heart break started with losing my dad, but what happened between losing him, and Holly, is what made me decide I was leaving home and never looking back.

"I will get it out of you" Jax growls, knowing he's pissed I won't spill, but I won't break on this. It's my secret.

"Maybe." I tease.

"So, there is something?"

"Leave it alone, there is nothing you need to worry about; The past is in the past."

I lay my head on his chest, curling deeper into his lap, avoiding talking about it anymore.

"That's fine Angel, you can keep it from me now, but I will find out what you are hiding from me." He growls before I feel him relax into the chair, dropping the subject for now, but my eyes close, knowing he will; he found out about my dancing, he will surely find this out if he asks the right people.

Which, those people are home, so I hope, it buys me time for him to forget this conversation.

Jax

I knew there was more to Macie that she's been hiding. Macie was never the girl to back down from a fight, she spoke her mind, and she had no problem standing up to anyone.

That all changed, and as I sit here and hold her in my arms, my mind bounces around, replaying the last few years. Nothing is sparking in my memories besides her father and Holly passing away.

This can't be about skating or her mother. Someone has hurt her, but Macie didn't really have a lot of boyfriends either. So, I have no idea where to even begin finding out what she is hiding.

I don't want her to keep living in the past, but I want the answer to this, I don't want her to hold back and hide secrets from me. Fuck, I just told her I love her. And I do, I mean it, she captured my heart when I was just a boy, and she never gave it back.

I never wanted a girl like I've wanted her, and there haven’t been that many girls. None of which did anything to me like Macie has all these years without even trying or realizing. And now she's mine, she'll have to kill me to get rid of me, because I'm not going anywhere.

Both sitting here in silence, knowing she's shut down and you can pull her teeth, but she still won't talk, I look down and notice she has fallen asleep.

I stand with her in my arms and carry her to our room before laying her in bed and I lay beside her. And now I really can't fucking sleep, but I have to get some sleep, I have practice in a few hours, with the new team. I've got to be on my game tomorrow.

I can't fuck this up. Not just for myself, but for her.

Pushing Buttons

Macie

The next morning, I wake to the sound of my phone vibrating causing me to reach for it with one eye open. Jax has already left for practice with Sully.

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