“Woo-hoo!” Madoc howled, and I turned to see everyone dive from the rocks into the cool black water. “Come on!” He waved me in, and I smiled.
But turning back to Jax, I felt my heart drop into my stomach, and I stared at the now empty space where he had just been standing.
“Jax?” I breathed out, my mouth falling open.
And then seeing his backpack lying on the rocks at the edge, I screamed, “Jax!”
I rushed for the edge, dropping to my hands and knees, gulping in air as I peered over the side.
But all I saw were the concentric circles rippling the water, telling me that someone had entered the pool.
My hands shot to my hair, holding my head, as I frantically searched the water for signs of him.
No, no, no …
“What happened?” Jared shouted behind me. “Did he jump? Goddamn it!”
“Where are you, baby? Where are you?” I prayed, scanning the water, seeing only the black of the depth and the white of the spray. My eyes flew left to right, seeing nothing.
“Shit, where are you?” I whispered to myself, my voice cracking.
I squeezed my eyes shut, fisted my fingers, and shot off the ground, standing up straight and tightening every muscle in my body.
“Jaxon Hawkins Trent!” I bellowed, my face on fire with anger, remembering a teacher calling him by his full name in high school.
And then, as if summoned, he popped out of the water, smoothing his hand over his hair and looking up at all of us as he treaded calmly.
My body relaxed, and even though relief flooded me, my head swelled with anger. What was he thinking? What if he’d been hurt?
It was too far away to tell, but I think he was smiling as he did the backstroke to the edge as if he hadn’t just scared the shit out of all of us.
“Oh, thank God,” Tate exclaimed, coming up next to me. “He’s okay!” she shouted to the rest of the group.
I dug my nails into my palm. “No, he’s not,” I retorted, watching him climb out of the pool and onto the rocks.
“What do you mean?” I heard Tate ask.
But it was too late. I was gone.
I leaped over the side, sucking in a breath and my heart stopping as I shot out from the ground and plunged feetfirst through the air to the depths below.
Oh, shit!
My arms and legs tingled, and my heart started jackhammering through my chest as adrenaline raced through me.
Air rushed up at me, sending my hair flying, and that thrill feeling crept up my throat, making me want to laugh out of fear. The kind of fear you get on a roller coaster.
I vaguely heard someone yelling at me or after me, but before I knew it, the pool flew up at me and I had just enough time to suck in a breath before plunging through the ice-cold water and into the silent darkness.
My arms and legs fanned out, stopping me in a weightless suspension, but I didn’t take time to look around.
I didn’t care that I’d made it. I didn’t care that I just made an eighty-five-foot jump.
Kicking my legs, I pushed myself back up through the surface, sucking in a deep breath as I swam to the side.
“Juliet!” I heard Jax’s voice. “Jesus, what are you doing?”
I crawled up the rocks and stepped out of the water, furious breaths pouring in and out of me.
Jax grabbed my waist. “Baby, are you okay?”
I looked up into his heavenly blue eyes, pushed my wet hair back over the top of my head, and slammed both palms into his chest, shoving him away and causing him to stumble backward.
I didn’t care that he looked confused. I didn’t care that he almost fell. I only hoped that he felt the pain in his chest that I’d felt when I thought he might be gone.
Motherfucker.
CHAPTER 24
JAXON
What the hell did I do now? I just stood there, wide-eyed and completely fucking clueless as she stomped off, pissed at me yet again.
Was it impossible for us to get through a twenty-four-hour period without getting into a fight?
She’d just jumped off a cliff like she was eating a sandwich, but when she’d slammed her fists into me, I could feel her fury, and I didn’t know why I felt bad all of a sudden.
I didn’t wait for the rest of the gang to climb back down the mountain. I could already hear Madoc’s laughter, so as soon as I got my head clear enough to move, I traipsed back down the trail.
Going downhill was a lot faster than going uphill, but she had to be jogging, because my long legs carried me fast, and I never caught up to her.
By the time I got back to camp, I could already smell the meat, charcoal, and lighter fluid in the air, not to mention that the music had kicked up a few notches, and people were in real good moods.
I yanked open the flaps on our tent, and bent down to poke my head in, but she wasn’t in there. I searched Tate and Jared’s tent and Fallon and Madoc’s, but no sign of her. I headed straight for the woods, toward the parking lot, but stopped halfway.
She was sitting on a log, leaning forward, with her head resting in her hand.
Her hair, still stringy from the water, covered her arms and back, and I noticed the quick and heavy rise and fall of her body as she breathed hard.
“What’s wrong?” I shouted, and saw her back instantly straighten. “What did I do now?”
She shot up off the log and spun around, stomping toward me without meeting my eyes. I thought she was coming to hit me again, but her straight face and defiant expression told me she didn’t even want to have anything to do with me right now.
She marched past me, but I quickly grabbed her shoulders, stopping her. “What the hell is the matter with you? What did I do?”
She swiped my hands away, looking up to glare at me. “You could’ve hurt yourself! Why did you want to scare everyone and just disappear like that? Why?” she shouted, her face flushed with anger and red from tears. “You pulled a stupid prank, and I was afraid. Why did you do that?” Her voice shook as she tried to hold back more tears.
I pulled up straight, looking down at her, confused. I didn’t understand. I jumped off a cliff. It wasn’t as though I didn’t know I’d be fine. She had to know I wouldn’t have done something that would get me hurt.
“I’m sorry,” she choked out, sniffling. “But you just can’t do things like that. I worry about you. Jared wouldn’t have scared Tate like that. And Madoc would’ve thought of Fallon first. You left me alone up there, and you didn’t think of me. It wasn’t fair.”
I stared down, trying to understand.
She didn’t know the drop was safe as I did. And I guess I would’ve been mad if she’d done it with no warning. In fact, I was. When I saw her leap, even though I knew she’d land okay, my heart still jumped into my throat, because for a moment, as she sprang into the air, she wasn’t safe.
But I also didn’t like people worrying about me. Telling me what to do. Having an opinion about how I lived my life. I’d done fine on my own for so long. She was inching in, and I wasn’t used to this.
This was just summer fun. For both of us.
I dropped my hands from her shoulders, lowering my voice to a whisper. “I told you a long time ago that my brother and I are nothing alike. Don’t get your hopes up.” Better she get that through her head now.
She nodded, her furious eyes focused to the side. “Yeah, don’t worry. I got it,” she bit out, backing away. “And I won’t forget again.”
The puddle between us immediately spread into a vast ocean, and even if I reached out my arms, I would never be able to reach her.
What the hell was the matter with me? I wanted her—I wanted today, and I wanted tomorrow, but I couldn’t think about next year or even next week. I wanted her curled up next to me, between the sheets, warm and safe, but I had to know when to let go. I had to do it before she did.
She pushed past me. “I’ll stay in Tate’s or Fallon’s tent.”
My shoulders fell. No.
I darted out and circled my arms around her from behind, holding her close and burying my face in her neck. “Don’t,” I begged. “Please don’t.”
My muscles strained, holding her so tight, and I heard her suck in quick breaths. I spun her around, wrapped my arms around her waist, and lifted her up, kissing her deep and hard.
“I can’t let you go,” I panted. “I want you all the time. I’ll be unbearable, Juliet. They won’t know what do with me.”
Her hands clasped my neck, as she looked into my eyes.
“I like you, Jax.” She ran her fingers through my hair above my ear. “I like you a lot. You’re important.”
I closed my eyes, meeting her forehead. “Say it,” I whispered.
Her sweet breath fanned over my lips. “Only ever you.”
And I groaned, hating and loving how those words affected me.
In the years I’d wanted her, I’d thought I was good enough. I thought she should thank her lucky stars that I even gave her the time of day.
But now … there was an ache in my chest and guilt in my heart. I had no right to her. I’d slept with a lot of women, and she deserved someone good. Someone clean. What if I failed her?
I looked into her eyes, taking the leap. “I need to take you somewhere. Tuesday, after we all leave here, I want to take you into Chicago,” I said, kissing her lips softly. “There’s something I want you to see. Someplace I go … at night.”