“But you got Finn out of it. And all of us weirdos by extension.” Rain hip-checked Mason as he walked up, and Mason gave him an alarming frown in return, but Rain just giggled, kissing him on the cheek.
“That’s true…” Distracted, Jax watched as Gideon walked in, giving Tristan a hug. The gang really was all here.
“You wanna look around?” Ollie appeared beside him, Liam in tow, and they offered up a few plates of hors d’oeuvres. Jax studied the food, mildly impressed.
“Sure!” There were fewer photographers for this exhibition, so the collections were larger, and the three of them slowly wandered from section to section, admiring and snacking, but by the last display, Liam had gone back to get more food, and Marci had called Ollie over to do a reel.
Jax glanced across the room at Tristan, who somehow sensed it andstopped mid-sentence with Winter, meeting his gaze and raising his eyebrows, silently asking if Jax was okay.
Giving him a nod, Jax winked back before focusing on the photos in front of him, liking them almost as much as Mason’s work. This artist’s eye was whimsical, and the portraits were drenched in bright colors, but what stood out to him was that some of the models had mobility aids.
Jax knew that he’d need one in the next few years, so he felt a kinship to the photos, and he studied them for a while before he realized that someone was staring.
Turning, Jax found a striking man in a wheelchair contemplating him, and it took a couple of seconds for Jax to make the connection that this was the photographer.
“Hi.” Jax extended his hand. “I love your work.”
“Thank you!” The photographer shook his hand and then grabbed a card from the low table beside him, handing it over. “I’m Stefan Fazel.”
“Jax Fiorelli.”
Stefan tilted his head, his green eyes curious. “Jax? Of Tristan and Jax?”
“Um,” Jax blinked, wondering if they were famous. “Yeah?”
“I’m a friend of Mason’s.” Putting a hand on his chest, Stefan let out a charming laugh. “Rain talks about you sometimes.”
“Oh,” Jax chuckled, shaking his head. “I thought we were on the news or something.”
Another patron got too close to Jax and he moved to the side as quickly as he could, feeling Stefan’s sharp gaze.
“Back pain?”
“I’d say you’re psychic, but it’s the way I walk, right?” Jax was able to talk about it more freely now, and he grinned when Stefan inclined his head in ayes.
“When I was made, they grabbed a spine from the clearance rack.” Jax shrugged with an expression that had Stefan grinning too. He had to be in his early thirties, with dark blonde hair and sharp jade eyes, and his dark suit showed that he and Jax had similar builds. “I’m trying another round of ‘let’s see what the doctors say’ but…” He shrugged again.
“I know all about that!” Nodding at a few people who looked at his photos, Stefan turned back to Jax. “There are some great doctors out there,but finding them is difficult unless you get lucky.”
“Exactly. This time it’s easier on me because of Tristan, but a lot of people don’t have someone to make calls for them and take them to appointments. I know it sounds weird, but I think about that a lot.”
“That’s because you know how difficult it is to manage in a world that’s not built for us. But it’s getting better, little by little.” Stefan greeted someone who walked up, handing them a business card. “The thing is, anyone can become disabled at any time, and most don’t understand that until it happens to them.”
Jax nodded in agreement. “Tristan almost gets it because he had a knee injury and we live together. But it’s not the same.”
“It’s not.” Stefan tilted his head again. “Jax, I have this group that gets together. We’re a gathering of like-minded people who help each other and our community. Sometimes we run a charity bake sale, sometimes we volunteer, and sometimes we just hang out and play video games. I think you’d fit right in. Would you like to join us?”
A flood of dopamine-filled excitement sloshed through Jax’s veins, reminding him of his party days. Smiling, he nodded with enthusiasm.
“I amsoin.”
They exchanged numbers, chatting until Marci stole Jax away for a group photo in front of Mason’s display, and after the picture bounced to everyone’s phones, Jax couldn’t help but stare at it. Tristan and Jax stood near the middle, holding each other, surrounded by coworkers who’d become not just friends, but family.
If someone had told Jax a year ago that he’d be happy, hopeful, and in love, then he probably would’ve growled at them and walked away. But he was, and he couldn’t be more grateful that he’d rage-quit his job and landed at The Pointe, in Tristan’s arms.
“We should frame that,” Tristan said over his shoulder, twining their fingers together, and Jax smiled up at him.
“We should. By the way?” Jax rose on his toes, giving Tristan a short kiss full of promise. “I love you.”
