Page 65 of Alpha Jax

I clasp my hands in front of me, wringing them as I approach him. “Oh god. Did you see…”

He averts his gaze.

I narrow my eyes, studying Logan’s face. “Wait, were youwatching?”

His eyes fly to meet mine as his lips draw into a scowl. “No, I wasn’twatching, you sick fuck! I turned around as soon as I stumbled upon you guys.” He shakes his head adamantly. “Jesus, Quinn, you’re like a sister to me. What kind of perv do you think I am?”

My cheeks heat, colored with a deep blush of embarrassment.

Logan heaves a sigh, stabbing his fingers through his hair. “You’re lucky it wasme, though. It could’ve just as easily been your actual brother, and then…”

“I know, I know,” I interrupt, pinching the bridge of my nose. “We would’ve been fucked if it was Theo. I’m glad it was you.”

So glad. I can’t imagine how Theo would’ve reacted if he’d been the one to stumble upon that scene. Jax and I are getting careless- this was another close call that could’ve been avoided if we’d just thought things through.

I take a deep breath, shaking my head as if to scatter my thoughts. “How’d you know to come look for me?”

For the first time since this awkward exchange began, Logan’s lips tip up into a smile. “C’mon, Q, I know you better than anybody. You think I didn’t know there was something going on between you two?”

I open my mouth to speak, but I’m so stunned by Logan’s admission that no sound comes out.

Of course he fucking knew. I shouldn’t be surprised, because he’s right, he knows me better than anybody. Logan helps run the training sessions every morning, so he’s seen me interact with Jax. He could probably read me like a book.

“As soon as I heard Theo ask somebody if they’d seen you, and noticed that Jax was also missing, it wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”

I chuckle softly. “And here I thought we were being sneaky.”

Realistically, the more people that know about Jax and I, the closer we are to our secret getting out… but it feels good to be honest about it with Logan. It’s a comfort to confide in my closest friend and have him in my corner.

He steps closer, setting his hands on my shoulders and looking into my eyes earnestly. “You know you can’t keep it from your brother forever, though, right?”

“There’s no need,” I say quickly. “He never has to know, it’s just a fling. Purely a physical thing.”

Logan arches a brow, amusement playing on his features. “Yeah right.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I fold my arms over my chest indignantly, jutting out a hip.

“I know you, remember?” he chuckles, shaking his head. “You can’t honestly tell me you’re not catching feelings for the guy.”

“I’m not,” I say defensively.

Logan tucks his chin, his tone scolding. “Q…”

“I’m not.”

He blows out a breath, folding his own arms to mirror my stance. “Okay. If you say so. Just… be careful, alright? After Clay…”

The mention of Clay strikes a nerve. I’m sick of being treated like a fucking victim- I feel like people have been tiptoeing around me since Clay ripped my heart out, like I’m damaged goods or something. Come to think of it, Jax may be the only one who doesn’t treat me that way. Maybe that’s why I’m so drawn to him, because he doesn’t see me as something broken. He just sees…me.

“Why does everyone think I’m fragile?” I fire back, my tone laced with irritation. “I can take care of myself.”

“I know you can,” Logan mumbles.

I instantly regret lashing out at him. “Sorry, I…”

He waves me off. “Don’t worry about it. C’mon, we’d better get back.”

I blow out a breath, nodding. I take a few steps to start in the direction of the swimming hole, but Logan reaches out for my arm, pulling me back.

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