The shock from the fight had faded.
The adrenaline, too.
Now, all that was left was the aftermath.
And the more distance between us and the Carrion Hotel, the more the same thought kept circling my mind.
He shouldn’t have done that.
Chase had been baiting him, yes, but Jaxon didn’t have to take it that far.I could have handled Chase.
I always had.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Jaxon glancing at me again.His hands were steady on the wheel, jaw set tight, the faint bruise already darkening along his cheekbone where Chase had landed a lucky hit before Adrian freaking Maddox had to step in.
Talk about embarrassing.
I said nothing—honestly, what was there to say?There was always a better way to solve situations without your fists, and clearly, Jaxon didn't feel the same.And knowing Chase, he was never going to let this go.It was just unnecessary problems that neither of us needed.
So, silence was better than lashing out at him on the drive home.
Was I hoping he was taking the time to reflect on his actions?Yes.
Was that happening, though?From his clenched jaw and tight grip on the steering wheel, probably not.
So here we sat.
In silence.
The dashboard flashed 9:27 p.m.and the night sky was a dark void that relished in the quiet between us.We took a turn and the university came into sight, and soon enough, we pulled up to my house a few minutes later.
As soon as he killed the engine, I reached for the door handle.
Click.
Jaxon had locked the doors from his side.
I exhaled through my nose.“Jaxon.”
“Are you gonna tell me what the problem is?”he asked.
I glanced back at him to find him staring forward.“Are you serious right now?”
He finally turned his head toward me, one eyebrow lifting slightly.
I let out a sharp breath.
“The problem,” I said, turning fully toward him now, “is that you blew that entire situation completely out of proportion.”
His expression hardened.“Excuse me?”
“There didn’t need to be a fight in the middle of the hotel lobby,” I continued, my voice rising.“There didn't need to be fists and fury.God, Jaxon, you shouldn’t have let Chase bait you like that.You should’ve just let me handle it.”
Jaxon scoffed—a short, disbelieving sound.“You can’t be serious.”
“I’m completely serious.”
His eyes narrowed.
