“Grinch.”
“I’mnota Grinch.” He huffs, making me burst into laughter.
I pull my phone from my pocketagainand check how much time we have left of the drive. When I work out that there’s only forty-eight minutes until we reach Roots, my stomach sinks.
“What’s going through that beautiful mind of yours?” Jax reaches his hand out to rest on my thigh. “You seem nervous.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with hiding this when we get back?”
“I want you to feel comfortable.” He doesn’t pull his eyes from the road. “If this is what it takes to allow us to explore a relationship without any external pressure, then I’m on board.”
There’s a hint of something on his face that makes me think there’s more to it. The tiny, irritating voice that developed during my relationship with Austin and always told me I wasn’t good enough chimes in, but I do my best to fight it off. After seeing all the incredible things he wrote about me on the bathroom mirror this morning, I know he’s not ashamed of me. Still, we will have a lot to figure out.
And what if our attempt at a relationship fails? It was easy to get swept away in Tulsa, but as we hurtle back toward reality, I’m terrified I’m setting myself up for heartbreak again.
“Are you worried about giving this a shot?” I turn the music down. “I’ve seen how difficult it is to avoid someone in a small town when things don’t work out, and Austin wasn’t Charlie’s best friend. Are we being dumb?”
“Maybe we are, but there’s only one way to find out. And I’d much rather try and have it not work out than live the rest of my life wondering what we could’ve been.”
I bite back a smile. “You’re a smooth talker, Jax Greer.”
“Does it make you want to kiss me?” He smirks.
“I always want to kiss you.”
He pulls off the highway and turns into the parking lot of a large building decorated with wooden slats and a neon image of a man on a bucking bronco.
“What are you doing?”
Jax wordlessly pulls me toward him on the bench seat of his truck and tangles his fingers in my hair as our lips meet. When he pulls away, he says, “I wanted to give you the opportunity to kiss me.”
“And you needed to exit the highway for that?”
“Well, technically, it wouldn’t be safe to kiss you while driving, but I also needed to pull off the highway so we can have one last adventure where we don’t have to hide. Give me one more hour of just us.”
“But I already told my parents when we left.” I chew on my lips. “They’ll be expecting me back soon. They’re going to ask questions.”
“If anyone asks, we had a flat tire, okay?”
“Okay.”
“That’s my girl.” He leans in to give me one more kiss.
Those words paired with the kiss remind me how excited I am to explore a relationship with Jax. Despite all the reasons I have not to trust him with my heart, I do. And as if by magic, the fear I had a moment ago is erased.
Jax swings the truck door open, and I follow behind, ready for one last adventure.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jax
As we walkinto the dingy bar, I’m starting to think we aren’t going to spend much more than five minutes here, let alone an hour.
I grab Lauren’s hand as an old man with glassy eyes sitting on a barstool gives Lauren the elevator look. I stare him down, shielding her from him as we approach the bar.
“Excuse me?” I call to a woman who is scrolling on her phone and chewing gum. She looks bored out of her mind, and I can’t blame her. This place is nearly empty.
Her gaze flits up to Lauren and me, curiosity sparking in her eyes. “What can I help y’all with?”
