Only Love Can Hurt Like This (Jax Teller)

Chapter Four

Willow rolls her eyes at the way he says her town nickname, the Angel of Charming. It was branded to her when she was 16 and made homemade meals for Christmas, passing them out around town and delivering them for free. A small act of kindness she thought, but in Charming, it's practically unheard of, branding her the name that was usually sneered at her by jealous peers growing up, there parents no doubt wanting there kids to be a little more like her.

Willow shrugs at his observation, "My parents liked Nathan. And they trusted me to make my own choices, it's my life after all. As long as I was safe and he was good to me, they didn't care if he was a biker or a doctor."

Jax nods, taking her words in. The Marlowes, Willows parents, were never really a part of town gossip. He doesn't even think he's ever met them, but his mom mentioned them a few times here or there. They were as generous as their daughter, always donating to local charities or school drives. He just finds it hard to believe that no matter how generous they are known to be, they'd be alright with their daughter shaking up with a biker.

Jax remembers however, both of her parents at the funeral, standing on the other side of her from him, her mom clutching Willows hand tightly in hers. Both her parents sporting mournful looks on their face. Jax first thought it was because her they were hurting, but if Willows words are true, and they did like Nathan, he knows now they were grieving with her, not for her.

"How are you doing?" Jax questions, drawing a groan from Willow that makes him laugh, "What?"

"Why do we always have to talk about how I'm doing? I'm doing the same as yesterday when you asked. Why don't we talk about you for a change?"

Jax shrugs, "Nothing goin on with me, Darlin."

"Really?" Willow sends him an unimpressed look, "I work in a library everyday and go to sleep by 9pm. You, work in a garage that just so happens to be connected to your biker gang clubhouse, where you have all your little outlaw meetings about how your going to transport your guns. If anyone has nothing going on, it's me, not you."

Another thing that has surprised Jax since spending time with Willow, was how much Nathan had told her when he was here. They had full disclosure, on everything. Not many old ladies got that, and Jax would have bet money Willow didn't know anything about the club. Especially with how friendly she still was with some of the members, always greeting them with a smile or a hug, genuine ones, when she would stop to see Nathan on her breaks. He always believed she as okay with the club because she didn't really know. But boy did she know.

Nathan told her everything, all of it, and it surprised Jax the most of how casually she would talk about those things. He remembers trying to have conversations with Tara when she was around, about club business, and how disgusted or horrified she would become, which always ended in an argument. He's never actually tried to tell Wendy anything, not like she would be sober enough to listen.

"I'm just watching out for ya." Jax shrugs, ignoring her comment.

"Well, I'm fine." She goes back to picking at her salad, "Like I have been everyday you've asked."

Jax leans forward, grabbing her hand that's holding her fork, "It's alright if you're not though, you know that, right?"

"It's been a two months." Willow shrugs, pulling her hand from his so she can cross her arms, placing her gaze on the bookshelf behind him, "It's time to stop mopping. Can't be the grieving widow forever."