He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. That part of my life is over, or I hoped it was."
There was a deep pain in his blue eyes that had darkened with emotion. Whatever had happened hadn't been as simple as he was making it out to be. "She hurt you, didn't she? Wren betrayed you in some way."
He started at her words. "Why on earth would you say that?"
"Because I can see it in your eyes."
He shook his head. "No, you can't."
She didn't want to argue about whether she could see his pain or not. She'd grown up with men. She knew how hard it could be for them to show emotion, to reveal weakness. And Jax clearly didn't want to give her more than he had. But she needed more. "You're not telling me the whole story."
"I'm telling you why someone was taking our picture. I knew it was a mistake getting involved with Walter, with you. I've been out in public too much. I've met too many people. Someone must have called the press."
"Mistake or not, it's done. I don't see how it benefits you to run. If you did something wrong, maybe you just have to own it and try to make it right. Do what you need to do so you can live in the light again."
"It's not that simple. I'm not the only one involved."
"You're talking about your partner, about Wren. Are you two just partners, or are you a couple?"
"We've known each other a long time. We met as teenagers and grew up together. She's probably the closest thing I have had to family in the last decade."
"Is she angry with you?"
"She's a lot of things. None of that is important now. I'll take you home."
"Not yet. Let's get some air, walk for a minute." She opened the door before he could start the car and stepped out. Taking a deep breath, she moved down a path toward the beach, not stopping until she reached the sand. Then she pulled off her shoes and walked barefoot a few more feet before sitting down on the beach, the ocean rolling in about a dozen feet in front of her. The small cove was popular with locals, but that was mostly on the weekends. No one was around now, and she was grateful for the solitude.
It took a few minutes before Jax joined her on the ground. "Don't you need to get back so you can sleep before your shift?"
She turned her head to look at him, the wind whipping her hair in front of her face. She tucked it behind her ears as she gazed into his handsomely rugged face, seeing more now than she had before—the lines of weariness, the echoes of pain that showed whether he wanted to believe that or not. The fact that he'd said Wren was the closest thing he'd ever had to family told her that whatever had happened wasn't just about a song; it was about betrayal. And even though he seemed to be the one at fault, she wondered if that was really the case. He didn't seem like someone who would steal something. On the other hand, what did she really know about him?
"Trying to decide whether you believe me or not?" he asked, before directing his gaze to the sea. "It doesn't matter if you do or don't, Kaia. We can make this our last conversation."
"I don't think so," she said, drawing his gaze back to her. "You've been calling the shots on when we talk and how much we say. It's my turn now."
"I already told you what happened."
"Not the whole story, but that's fine. I can figure out the public story on my own. I'm sure it's written down somewhere."
"Only in about a million places."
"Josie knows who you really are, doesn't she?"
"Yes. Her former agent is my former agent's father. He called her when I needed a place to stay, figuring that she'd be willing to help. I guess at some point in her life, she also needed to disappear."
"She did have some frenzied public interest in her life. That's how she ended up at Ocean Shores. But I don't want to talk about Josie." She took a moment, then said, "It feels like you need help, Jax."
"And you're the fix-it girl. Thanks, but no. I don't need your help."
She didn't like that he'd called her the fix-it girl, even if it was true. "Maybe I am that girl," she conceded. "And I'm good at it. I'm also not scared off by people who don't think they need help. Just ask Walter."
"Walter is an old man who couldn't remember how to get to his past. I am completely capable of handling my life."
"It doesn't look like it. It seems to me that you just ran away. What's the plan? Do you even have one?"
The pain in his eyes was replaced by irritation. "Not that it's any of your business."
"You just included me in a car chase."
