Jax and Cori grew up together. They, along with Opie, were best friends growing up, but Cori always saw Jax differently. She watched him go through several relationships, all of them ending badly, as she sat back and waited for him to notice her. So...
Cori stared at Jax before her shoulders slumped and she broke their eye contact to look at the floor. Finally, she sighed and nodded. "I wouldn't just leave, Jax. I would have told you first, said goodbye."
Jax shook his head. "Why though? I thought we were good, Cori. Imagine my surprise when Tara tells me that you just gave up like I don't mean anything to you at all."
Cori's head snapped up as she pointed a finger at him. "Don't you do that! You know that you mean everything to me! Dammit!" She shook her head as she ran a hand through her hair. "I've loved you since we were kids, Jackson. I've sat back and watched you with all of those girls, knowing that you would always come back to me. I was your best friend, right?" She laughed bitterly as she took a step closer to him. "Then Tara came along and she was all you saw. You were swallowed up and I couldn't find you anymore."
Jax nodded as he took a step forward as well, causing Cori to back up. "Yeah? First, you left me, then she did!" He shook his head as moved closer, crowding her into the wall behind her back. "When you left for college... I was gutted. I honestly don't remember anything that ever felt that bad. My center was gone, you know? I made some horrible decisions those first few months. If it wasn't for Ope and Donna, I don't think I could have made it through." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Then Tara left for Chicago and I waited to feel that feeling again, but it didn't come. I realized then that what Tara and I had, it was nothing compared to you."
Cori stared at him as he moved even closer, letting his hands rest on the wall on either side of her head. "I thought... I thought you and Tara... I didn't know until I came back that you two didn't stay together."
Jax grinned as he shook his head. "Nope. God, the day you came back... shit, Cori. You walked out of the office with mom and my world righted itself again. It hit me right in the face at that moment. You were what I'd been missing." He leaned down to look into her eyes. "I realized right then that I had loved you since we were kids, Cori. Please, don't leave again, not when everything is coming together for us for once."
Cori took a deep breath as she stared into those blue eyes that she loved so much. "Do you promise me that Tara is no longer in the picture?"
Jax nodded quickly, a serious look on his face. "I promise. Tara is nothing more than one of Abel's doctors." He grinned as he leaned in and kissed her softly. "Not even a doctor he has to see anymore, which is good because you might have to take him some time and that would just be awkward."
Cori rolled her eyes and grinned when he smirked at her. "You're assuming a lot, aren't you?"
Jax chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "What can I say, darlin? Us Tellers are cocky motherfuckers."
Cori snickered as he buried his head in her neck and bit her softly. He raised his head as she shook her head. "What am I supposed to do with you?"
Jax winked as he threaded a hand through her hair to tilt her head back. "I have a few ideas about that."
Her chuckle was cut off as he lowered his head and took her lips with his. He moaned low in his throat as Cori's hands wrapped around his neck and held on while he deepened the kiss. He lifted her against him and carried her the few feet to the couch, never breaking the kiss as he laid her down and followed her. His hands were busy mapping every curve she had as they ran over her. Cori groaned as he broke the kiss and once again buried his face in her neck.
"We need to get to the clubhouse. Everyone's going to be wondering where we are."
Jax sighed and lifted his head as he smirked down at her. "Babe, I'm pretty sure Opie knows exactly where we are and what we're doing."
Cori rolled her eyes and pushed on his chest with her hands, making him get up as he chuckled. "Well, I'm not really comfortable with Opie knowing that kind of stuff about us."
Jax snorted and shook his head as he followed her outside and waited for her to lock up. "Well, you need to get over that shit. I think he has radar where we're concerned." When Cori started to walk to her car, Jax took her arm and led her to his motorcycle. "You're riding with me."
Cori just chuckled and took the helmet he handed her before getting on the bike behind him. The trip to the clubhouse was short and when they got there, it looked like everyone in town had come to pay their respects to her father. Someone had fired up the grill and Happy and Juice was presently flipping burgers and steaks as Cori greeted everyone with Jax by her side with a supportive hand on the small of her back. She felt Jax stiffen up as she shook hands with David Hale, the younger man leaning in to kiss Cori on the cheek.
"I'm so sorry about your father, Coraline. He was a great man. Well respected by everyone who knew him."
Cori nodded and gave him a polite smile. "Thank you, David. I appreciate that."
David nodded. "I guess you'll be heading home now that he's gone."
Cori shook her head. "No. I have quite a bit to go through yet."
David nodded. "I can only imagine. Are you going to sell the house?"
Cori shook her head again. "No, I'm going to live in it."
She felt Jax looking at her but he said nothing as David excused himself. For hours, it went like that, people paying their condolences and Cori nodding, hugging, kissing, and shaking hands. Jax was able to pull her away long enough to eat something, but even then, she was interrupted by David's brother Jacob. Finally, after everyone had left, she turned to Jax with a yawn.
