Page 9 of Reckless and Rooted
I sigh, rubbing a hand over my face and thinking about how I should get up and eat something, how I should stop thinkingabout Felicity—as if I could. As if I could stop thinking about the woman I loved leaving me behind.
But instead, I grab my phone, plug in her name, and press play, letting myself drift away to her stupidly gorgeous voice.
5
jax
There wassomething relaxing about this bar, and I just couldn’t put my finger on it. Growing up, it had been the only place in town people could drink and dance, so they had only gotten to come here when they snuck in, in high school.
But now, it was like a gathering place for a lot of families, for friends to catch up, for couples to date, and apparently, for me to get my ass handed to me in darts.
“Aw, come on, Jax,” Logan taunts, taking his spot behind the line and aiming his shot. “You’re just used to being the target, not hitting it.”
I smirk and take a sip of my beer, nodding my head. “Haha. You are hilarious.”
He throws his dart, hitting the outer rim on the bullseye, and I roll my eyes, leaning an elbow against the high-top table and looking over at my cousin, Dani. “He’s such a fucking showoff.”
“It’s what he’s good at.” Dani pats my arm, giving Logan an overexaggerated look. “Don’t pick on him. This is all he has, Jax.”
I laugh with everyone else at Dani’s dig. This was why we got along so well growing up. She was always on my side.
Dani was more like a sister to us brothers growing up, always hanging with us or us with her and my aunt and uncle. Since our dad split when we were young, or mostly split, Dani’s parents had taken care of us many times when my mom had to work.
They never made us feel like we were a burden, always including us, like we were just their sons. We also all had part-time jobs at their grocery store growing up, so they kept us nice and humble. I missed Dani, though, while I was gone, and even missed her wedding to CT Trevors, who’d also been a friend as long as I could remember.
Hell, I went on double dates with them with City more times than I can count.
“Dani, just because Jax is back doesn’t mean you can suddenly replace me with him. He’s not that great,” Logan states, pointing at her with a dart-loaded hand.
Dani gasps, placing a dramatic hand over her heart. “I would never.”
I smile at her and watch her husband walk up, placing a glass of water in front of her and smiling fondly at her. Yuck. I hate happy couples.
Hell, the only one not coupled up in our little dart game was Logan, and that’s because his wife was working, not because he was single. I glance over at Stetson, who is holding Bonnie in his arms, smiling at the world around them, and scowl.
I was the only single one in the group.
“Ah!” Dani suddenly screams, making me jump, and then clamps her hand over her mouth and darts around the table to someone we haven’t seen yet. When the crowd parts, my smile disappears and suddenly, Felicity is there, being attacked by my cousin in a friendly hug.
“Fuck,” I mutter, taking a sip of my beer. I feel all the guys looking at me and glance up, giving them a shrug. But I don’t move from my position, allowing my head to fall slightly, the brim of my hat shielding my face.
I do, however, glance at City out of the corner of my eye and see the wig she sported last time long gone. In its place is the honey-blonde hair that I knew to be her natural color.
I really wish she was ugly. Like seriously ugly. Also, it would be nice if her personality really sucked, like she was mean to the homeless and made fun of kids who wore braces.
But of course, that wasn’t her at all.
“I can’t believe you’re here!” Dani says, pulling her by the hand to the group. “Everyone, remember Felicity?” Dani acts like she is the only one who was friends with the girl, and I see under her façade. I don’t say a word in reply to Dani’s announcement, but I feel Felicity’s eyes on me.
“Oh, you must meet Bonnie.” Dani pulls her over to my brother and his girl. Stetson grins and gives her a big hug.
Fucking traitors.
This is my family, and they are just welcoming her home with open arms? What the fuck.
“You okay?” Logan asks, CT by his side-eyeing me as Dani continues chatting her ear off.
“Fine,” I grumble, grabbing the darts from CT. “My turn.”
