Page 63 of Please Remember

"Jax? What's wrong? Do you want to come inside?" Laura asks, her hair a mess from sleeping on it as she holds a robe around her in an attempt to stave off the chilly morning air.

I can't stop but think that if she knew I was coming over that she'd have nothing on underneath the robe. "Stay the fuck away from Allie."

She looks surprised. "What's wrong?"

"I know what you're doing, and you need to stay the hell away from Allie. And the hell away from me. Don't come near either of us ever again."

She reaches out and catches my arm as I turn to leave, but I shake it out of her grasp. "Come inside, Jax. We can talk about this. There's been a misunderstanding—"

"I'll never step inside that house again because I don't want to give you even an inkling of hope there's anything left between us. And there is no misunderstanding. You lied to Allie. Flat out lied, and you did it to try and drive her away from me. Just stay away from us."

"What exactly am I doing? Huh? Since you seem to know so much even though you cut me completely out of your life the moment the mindless version of the love of your life showed up on your doorstep, why don't you tell me?"

Stepping forward, I get in her face. "Throwing yourself at me didn't work, so you're trying to plant doubt in Allie's mind about us. I'm sorry I hurt you, but you always knew how I felt. How much I didn't want to move on, but I gave into the constant nagging and pressure from everyone around me."

"You love me. I can see it when you look at me, and I know you want to come inside and do everything she won't let you do. I see it, Jax."

Telling her I know she's the one who put the camera in our house is right there on the tip of my tongue, but I decide to keep it to myself. The cops have the camera now, and I don't want to give her a chance to remove anything they could use as evidence.

"You were convenient," I spit at her instead. "You were a constant in my life, and yes, I thought one day I could maybe love you. But no matter what I felt towards you, I was never in love with you. Never could be. I forced everything that happened between us. And I didn't tell you before because I didn't want to hurt you, but you clearly don't have a grip on reality. No matter what you do, no matter how big of a wedge you could drive between Allie and me, I willneverbe with you again."

Her face falls, and if I didn't know she broke into our house to record Allie and me in our most intimate moments, I'd feel a small twinge of guilt. But remembering the lies Laura fed Allie in an attempt to push us apart helps turn that guilt into pure rage.

"You refuse to accept that we're done, so this is me telling you to let it go."

"Was the sex forced? Because you never seemed to need any help in that department to get ready. You stood at attention anytime I whipped out my tits. If I did that now, I bet your body would still react the same way."

Fat chance."You're a woman, and I was lonely. It's not that hard of a word problem to solve."

"And what if I told you I'm pregnant?"

"Are you?" I ask, standing upright and taking a step backwards.

"Would it change anything? Because I think it will for Allie. To know you knocked up the woman you were fucking while she was locked in a damn basement."

My eyes narrow. "If you're pregnant, I want to go to the doctor to see proof because you're nothing but a liar these days. And if,IF, the test came back positive, I'd do what I needed to for the child. But we will never be together."

"You think Allie would just go along with it? Be a stepmom to a bastard child?"

Her hands tighten around her robe, and I know it's not because she's hiding herself. She's hiding what she's wearing. It's not attractive enough in her eyes for me to see. She is a bona fide loon.

"I'd explain it to Allie, and she understands what I went through, the desperation I felt. But at the end of the day, you and I have no chance. Ever."

"Allie doesn't even remember you!" she shouts. "Don't you see how pathetic it is to try and force her to be with you? To make her into what you want instead of accepting her for who she is?"

Taking a step back onto the top step, I shake my head. "You might want to try looking in the mirror when you start talking about being pathetic, Laura."

Her jaw drops. "Excuse me?"

"I do accept Allie for who she is. What's pathetic is a woman who can't accept the fact she's not getting married. The woman who tries to worm her way in and create problems because she’s diluted and thinks it will bring a man back to her. Newsflash, Laura... Even if Allie and I decide not to be together, which I'll never let happen, there is no chance in hell of you and me ever doing anything again. Not even for a night of comfort. Not if we were the last people on earth. Never."

"You're an asshole," Laura says, tears falling as her hands shake while she clutches her robe so tightly I’m surprised she hasn’t torn it. "You led me on for decades, and now you're just throwing me away after using me for what you wanted at the time. Like I don't matter. As though I didn't doeverythingfor you!"

"You did things for me," I admit and nod my head. "And I'm grateful, but it's over. It's all over, Laura, and you need to stay away."

I turn to walk away, but she grabs my arm, turning me around. "We have mutual friends. You can't just tell me to stop being friends with them, Jax. You don't have that power."

"How many times have they reached out to you recently? Because I know they haven't. You were a tagalong, Laura. They're not your friends. You were allowed around because of Allie and me, and now we don't want you near us. You need to get a grip on reality because this isn't healthy."

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