Perfect Redemption

Seven: In Which He's In Trouble And It's Her Fault

Watching her while she isn't snapping something bitchy at me is actually quite nice. She shrugs her shoulders and breathes in, like she's trying to calm herself down. As if she senses my presence, she whips her head back and her pupils dilate, shock glinting in her eyes.

"Morning, darling," I drawl.

"Shit," Blaire curses.

"A good guess, but I'm actually Jax," I tell her. "We eating breakfast or what?"

She stands still, her two feet frozen to the ground. "You mean... you haven't seen it?"

I arch my eyebrows in confusion. "See what?"

"Nothing!" She says quickly. "Let's have breakfast! I'll make you a sandwich! For real this time. How does that sound?"

She glides through the living room at full speed and tugs on my arm, ushering me straight to the kitchen. There's something about her... something quite off about this...

I pry my arm away from her almost immediately, as if her touched scorched my skin. "What are you hiding?"

She cast me the loveliest of her smiles-no doubt a fake one. It doesn't look quite right on her face. It looks forced. "What are you talking about, Jackson? I'm hiding nothing. You want peanut butter or Nutella?"

"Both," I tell her and she quickly gets to work. "No, seriously. You're acting weird. You're being nice to me."

"I can't be nice to you?" She tilts her head sideways like she doesn't know what I'm talking about. Bullshit. She's fucking hiding something and I intend to know what it is. "I thought we had a mutual thing going on... you know? After last night?"

"Fuck last night," I snap at her, slamming my hands down on the kitchen counter. She doesn't flinch though. She stops spreading the Nutella unto the toast and blinks at me dumbly. Damn, she's a hella good actress. I wonder what other talents she has... with that body... or/and that mouth of hers... fuck. Now's not a good time to fucking fantasize her. Not when she's straight up lying to me. "Blaire, what is going on?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she says innocently, batting her eyelashes.

"Don't lie to me, Blaire." I seethe, my features turning cold. I lean over the counter, arms crossed, my eyes focused on hers, as if I could pry out all the answers just from one look.

She pouts her lips, her demeanor fraying, but she doesn't give in to me. She just avoids my eyes and continues to spread Nutella on the toast.

I growl, teeth showing, and she isn't affected by it one bit. She's playing innocent and if I weren't so angry right now, I would find it fucking hot.

I hear the clicking noise again and I know it isn't just a coincidence. I start assessing the situation-Blaire had just been standing in front of the door when I saw her. Her shoulders were tensed and her face was filled with horror when she saw what was outside-

I leap off the seat and dash to the front door.

"No!" Blaire yells, running after me. She gains speed on me and wraps her hand around mine to keep me at bay, but I pull away from her and continue to make my way through the living room. "No, Jax! Stop! You don't want to know what's out there-"

My hand reaches for the doorknob and she attempts to pry me away from the door yet again, this time, locking her arms around mine so she's holding me back. But I'm stronger and I weasel my way out of her grasp, one hand extended so much that my veins feel like they're about to pop out of my damn skin. I'm so close, but not close enough, since Blaire is putting all her energy into holding me back.