Page 41 of Somewhere Only We Know
The timer on the oven goes off signaling the broccoli and fries are done. I set those to the side and get out a couple of plates. I’m privy to my audience but don’t want to make it obvious that I like her watching me.
Jax pushes away from the kitchen and does a slow walk-through of my living room. “Nathan, your house, I know I’ve said it’s beautiful. But that’s such a tame word. I bet your college-self is shitting his pants.”
I let out a sigh mixed with a laugh because every dream I had, Jax was a part of. But this house is a mere stepping stone to where I really want to live. “That was the selling point.”
I slice the steak into bite sized pieces and plate the rest of our food, then head to the dining table. The floor to ceiling windows allow us the view of the fading sunset and it’s a stunning sight. How the purples and blues push away the lightness of the oranges and yellows from the day as the sun dips below the horizon. Movement in my peripheral, signals that Jax has made her way over to the table.
“Here.” I tell her and pull out her chair.
“Thanks.”
“Of course.”
I try not to let my nerves show that she’s sitting right next to me. Which is a stark difference from when we first sat next to each other. I head back to the kitchen to grab us silverware and we eat in mostly comfortable silence.
“This is really good,” Jax tells me. “You’d give my friends' boyfriends a run for their money.”
“Tell me about them.”
She wipes her mouth and sits back in her chair. “Emily is soft-spoken but loyal to a fault. We lived in the same apartment complex for a while before she moved in with her boyfriend. We’re not as close as her and Kamryn, but she’s still someone I can talk to when I want an unbiased opinion. Sarah is out-spoken and also loyal to a fault. She’s a kickass publicist and she’s one of the people who pushed for me to leave my ex.”
“Wait. Sarah? Like my publicist, Sarah Callahan?”
She wipes her mouth on her napkin and places it on the table. “Huh. She did say that she had a baseball player on her client list. Did I forget to mention we’re friends?”
“It must have slipped your mind,” I admit and then shake my head. “Small world.”
“You have no idea.”
“Well, it sounds like you have a good circle,” I note.
“They’re the best.” She says and takes a sip of water. “I’m also getting my sister as a best friend so that’s also a bonus.”
I’m glad you have your sister,” I tell her.
“Me too. So what about you? What are your friends like?”
“Would you believe me if I said I don’t have a lot of friends?”
Jax looks at me with her head tilted, but I shovel the rest of my food in my mouth. We both finish at the same time and push our plates away from us.
“No. I don’t believe that for a second. What about your friends from high school?” Jax asks, coming back to my comment.
“Kind of hard to keep friends when you’re away at college, your dad dies, and then you get drafted by the major league.”
“Nate…” she begins but I shake her off.
“I don’t want your pity, Jax.”
“Good,” she says and places her hand on my arm. “Because you’re not gonna get it. I don’t know what it’s like to lose a parent and I am so deeply sorry that I didn’t know about your dad.”
“I pushed you out of my life. So there’s no way you would have known.” It does sting and makes me a bit narcissistic that she never looked me up. If she had she wouldhave seen how fast everything fell apart those few months I was at home. Because I know Jax would have dropped everything to travel to Virginia to help me and my family out. That’s the type of person she is.
“You really want to do this now?” She asks with a sigh and I don’t miss the tight tremble in her voice.
“If not now, when?” I ask back and sit back in my chair. The motion pulls my arm out from under her hand and I want to sit back up and put her hand back in that spot just to feel her warmth.
Jax looks at the hand still resting on the table, then mirrors my pose and sits back in her chair, meeting my gaze with fierce determination. “Okay. Why?”
