Secret Society

Bubbles

Both of the boys looked over at me with expectant looks on their faces. Jax squeezed my hand reassuringly.

"We don't have to go Red." He rubbed his thumb on the back of my hand and sent me a small smile. I sat up in the booth again. I put my elbows up on the table and leaned into my hands.

"No. I actually think we should go." Tyler raised his eyebrows and reached across the table to brush his fingers on my arms.

"Really flower, we won't go." He tried to pry my hands from my face, so I looked up at him and grinned.

"You're just saying that because she took a liking to you." He blanched at me for a second and then put his head down on the table and groaned.

"It was horrible! Why did she have to like me?!" He was whining now, his face on the table with his hands still on my arms across the table. I reached out and patted the back of his head while laughing.

"Because you're so handsome albero." I ran my fingers through his hair. He lifted his head up and grinned back at me.

"Wait, back up a sec beautiful. How did you know my full name?" Jax squeezed my thigh and I smirked at him.

"I guessed." My smirk grew into a grin and it was his turn to groan in annoyance.

"Great. Now you're gonna call me that all the time." He ran a hand through his long hair and leaned his head back against the seat.

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We left the bar and headed back to my dorm to grab some clothes for my extended stay with the boys. Jax was not going to let me stay in the dorms where Brady knew where to get to me. At least if I was staying with the boys, one of them would always be with me. Tyler and I left Jax in the car while we went inside my building. I was nervous that Brady was still close by watching to see if I came home.

My hands kept smoothing over my shirt and I kept rubbing at my hurt wrist. Once we were safely inside my dorm room, Tyler drew me to his chest and stroked my hair.

"Why are you shaking?" He tightened the arm that was across my shoulder.

"Earlier in my way to the house, Brady cornered me. I'm just afraid that he's here somewhere, watching." I shut my eyes tight against his chest and tried to rid my mind of the feelings Brady had scared into me.

"Oh fiore, why didn't you say anything?" He pulled me back from his embrace and started looking me over like Jax had. I reached up and held his forearms while he held my shoulders. He glanced at them and then did a double take when he noticed the faint blue marks that were already showing on my arm. His eyes widened as he drew my hand in front of him to get a closer look.

"This is why you're coming to stay with us?" His face had hardened and I didn't like that look on his sweet face. I grabbed his face between my hands and forced his eyes up to mine.

"My big strong tree. Yes, that is why. But I would gladly spend all my time there anyway." I tried to coax at least a small smile out of him, but now he just looked sad.

"Let's get you packed." He pulled his face from my hands and turned towards my closet.

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We left my room with my large suitcase full of clothes and my backpack stuffed with studying tools and notes. I had somehow forced my laptop into my purse along with all of my chargers. I even had a whole bag full of bathroom supplies. Being a girl was hard. Tyler carried my bathroom bag and my suitcase out to the car while I just struggled with my backpack and purse. He probably would have carried everything if I had given him a choice.

Tyler was silent through the whole ride back to the house and Jax kept throwing him worried glances every few seconds. We pulled into the driveway, no one having said anything. I had started ringing my hands, my anxiety from earlier coming back full force. Tyler unpacked my stuff and dragged it into the house, not looking back at either me or Jax. Jax came around the car to where I was standing and hugged me from behind.

"It'll be ok Red. I promise. You hungry?" I nodded, not trusting my voice, and still wringing my hands. He led me back inside to the kitchen and sat me at the counter. I sat on the stool, bouncing one knee, chewing on my bottom lip, and pulling on my fingers. Jax was busy rummaging around in the pantry when Tyler came back in and grabbed my hand. He dragged me up the stairs and into his room.

His room was bigger than Cole's and Jax's bedroom. His king size bed was pushed into the corner and all of his furniture was a pure white. His pale yellow comforter was in a disarray on his bed, like he got out of bed and didn't bother straightening it. He had clothes thrown around the bottom of his low dresser that was situated on the opposite wall of the bed with a full length mirror placed between it and the door. The bookshelf on the wall between the closet door and the bathroom, was cluttered with a television, gaming stations, books, textbooks, and an assortment of paper in cluttered stacks.

The state of his room was not what I was expecting from the organized, clean cut boy before me. I was so distracted by his room, I didn't hear the water running in the bathroom, or see Tyler duck inside. He popped his head out of the door and gave me a small smile.

"Come on." he gestured with his hand towards him in the bathroom. I cautiously slipped towards him and poked my head into the doorway. The mirror was already covered in steam and the bathtub was filled most of the way with bubbles.

"Hop in buttercup. I'll see you in a bit." He walked out of the bathroom and shut the bedroom door behind him. I noticed after he left that he had light several floral scented candles and the overall aroma of the room was roses. I smiled to myself at his cuteness.