Page 67 of Count On Me

“She is. You’re not the only one who’s been texting people. I’m quite familiar with Angie, Erin, Jenson, Jameson, and Penny these days.” A smug smile creeps over his lips while I stare at him with my mouth hanging open.

“How did… How? Just how?” It’s all I can manage to get out and his grin makes me want to slap him as well as hug him.

“I got the numbers from your phone. Your brothers are just as annoying as you are but I like Penny and Angie. They’re fiery.” A smile and a nod is all he’s getting from me, so with a roll of his eyes, he continues. “After the first week of you not speaking and moping, I decided to text them. After several verbal sparring matches with the Bradys, I was accepted into the clan. You’re looking at your honorary brother.”

I lunge at him, my arms wrapping around his shoulders. I know public displays of affection aren't his jam, and I couldn’t care less. He cares about me. I’m a million miles away from my family, away from Edie, and this big, surly dude is going out of his way to help me.

“Alright…you can let go now.”

I grin and step away from him. “You love me.”

“Shut up. Don’t make it weird.” He pushes me further away and laughter barrels out of me as he rolls his eyes and folds his arms over his chest again, probably to keep me away. “According to Angie, Edie’s been unbearable for the past two weeks. Apparently I had to keep my mouth shut until the time was right, and now it’s right. You’ve done enough waiting, you showed her she can count on you regardless of your relationship status. Now you need to woo her.”

I swing my gaze away from him and frown when the barber comes into view again. “She told me to give her space, I’m listening to her. She’ll tell me when she wants more from me.” Lockheart scoffs behind me which makes me spin on my heel and face him head on. “What now?”

“She doesn't have the best track record of being able to communicate with you though, does she? Show her you see her, Jaxson. Show her you’re fighting for her. Come on, man. Don’t let Jordan take anymore time away from you two. You’ve wasted enough, don’t you think?”

He makes sense, but I don’t want to do the wrong thing by her. I need to show her she can rely on me to do what she asks, but she’s also spent most of her life not asking me for anything. I’m confused and as if on cue, his phone rings.

He smirks and passes it to me and I sigh, “Hello?”

“Son?” Erin’s voice floats down the line and I shoot a confused look at Lockheart who just raises his eyebrow at me. “Jaxson, it’s time. She needs you. She’s just too stubborn to tell you. Sound familiar?”

I gulp down some air and whisper, “Yeah, okay.” She laughs and hangs up. I stare at the phone for a few seconds, not sure this is actually happening, but when a throat clears, I tell him, “Lets get this fucking beard shaved then.”

A clap on the shoulder as I sit in the chair is the only reaction I get from him, but when I look in his eyes I know he’s proud. And that feeling, knowing he has my back and I’m doing the right thing, settles in my chest along with the hope that my Eddie will see she can always count on me.

42

EDIE

I stomp through the hotel suite and roll my eyes at Angie’s huffing and puffing. I hate it here. I just want to go home.

But I’m stuck here for a little longer. I’ve tried arguing with Mum and Angie that it should be safe to go home because the press have no idea I was involved, but they won’t hear it. I think they enjoy the luxuriousness of living in a hotel. I open the cupboard door that I store my phone charger and books in and slam it closed again.

“What the fuck is your problem today?” Angie shouts over to me and I wish my mum was still here so she’d have got a smack to the head for swearing at me.

“Nothing,” I shout back, turning my back on her to plug my charger in.

But she has other ideas and storms over to me. As I turn around and come face to face with Angie’s blue eyes, she places her hands on my shoulders and pushes me into a sitting position on the bed. “I’m done. I’ve had enough. You’ve been a nightmare for the past two weeks and I can’t cope with it anymore.”

“Oh, well I’m sorry I was attacked and stabbed by my boyfriend's teammate. I’m sorry I was lied to by the person I wassupposed to trust more than anything. And I’m sorry it’s such a hardship being my friend.” I’m sure my shouting at her as I stand back up and brushing past her will be the final straw that sends her running from me, but I don’t get very far before she grabs my elbow and spins me around to face her.

“Oh no you don’t. Firstly, you were scratched with a knife, you were not stabbed. Stop being a drama queen. And secondly, he never lied to you. He told you the fucking truth, you just didn’t see the texts in time. You need to move on. This has nothing to do with what you’ve been through and you know it. You’re dealing with the after effects better than I ever expected. The therapist you’re seeing is amazing and you know that. So let’s deal with the real reason you’re the moodiest bitch in the world right now. Jaxson bloody Brady.”

As she says his name, I flinch, because my heart hammers in my chest. With each ba-bom it feels like it’s screaming his name.Jax-son.Jax-son. I don’t want to talk about him.

But she’s not done. “Yes he lied at first, but he came clean on a text straight after. And you even admitted you aren’t angry with him about it anymore. So why are you still avoiding him? Why are you only texting him once a day and why the fuck are you making yourself and him miserable? You listen to a voicemail from him every night. Don’t deny it, I know you do. You obviously miss him. And I know for a fact he’s miserable without you.” Angie stares at me, her eyes blazing with anger but flashing worry at me too. But I stand silent, lost for words.

My mood dissipates with every truth she spills and is replaced with sorrow. She’s right. I’m not angry at him anymore. The therapist helped me work through that. She also helped me realise I was scared rather than angry. Scared of being rejected by Jaxson. Scared of being consumed by him and scared of losing him. It’s why I’ve kept my distance—I’m trying to prove I don’t need him, but I do.

I need his strength, his love, his laughter. Not because I can’t cope without it, but because it completes me. I don't want to be the one to make the first move though. I want him to want me so much that he takes that plunge. It’s his turn. I know that makes me sound like a child, but I can’t help it. For once I want him to see me, to know what I need and what I want without me having to spoon-feed it to him like I’ve done my entire life. I’ve always been there for him at the drop of a hat, knowing exactly what he needs when he needs it. This time I want him to do the same back for me.

“Edie, do you miss him?” Her voice is gentle, she’s back to soothing Angie, and I nod. “Do you love him?” Another nod and a tear give her my answer. “Do you want him? I need words this time.”

I sniffle and wipe my tears away, but as soon as one is gone, another replaces its fallen brother. “I do. But I need him to want me more. He knows he can count on me for everything. And in a way I know I can with him too, but not foreverything. I know it sounds stupid, but I want him to need me. I want the big grand gesture to show me he loves me. Maybe I’ve read too many romance books, but I just want to feel like we’re equal in this relationship. That my feelings don’t outweigh his. Does this make any sense?”

“It does, chick, it does. Sometimes people can’t know what we want if we don’t tell them though. They’re not mind readers. Especially dudes. You have to remember that he loves you. He wants you to be his forever. You’re not just a one night fuck to him.” A flicker of pain dashes across her face and I reach my hand out to her, but she bats it away. “Don’t count Jaxson out yet. He texts me every day, sometimes a lot, to see if you’re okay. He loves you just as much as you do him. Just be open to seeing it.ThatBrady isn’t all bad.

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