Everyday that I had been in hospital for, Jax made an effort to come in with a bundle of flowers. He made the effort to greet me with a loving kiss and sit by my side, just wanting to talk to me. Wanting to touch my stomach and talk to our unborn baby. He barely left my side and instead of attaching himself by the hip and irritating me, he spent the whole time treating me like a queen. He had been so sweet, so loving. So much more than I had ever seen him be. I didn't want to be angry with him, but I couldn't not be. I hadn't of forgiven him about what he said to me regarding Cheek. It was going to take time for me to get over that.
"You need your rest Ethel." Gemma claimed as I sat inside my own house. I was back to cleaning up.
"I'm fine." I shrug, picking up the mop bucket and taking it into the sink in the laundry.
"Sweety you don't understand. You have only gotten out of hospital, you need to take some time to relax." Gemma followed me, standing in the doorway as I turning on the hot water, waiting for it to heat up.
"I can't just sit around Gemma." I look over my shoulder at her. "I need to keep moving, when I do, it doesn't give me a chance to think. I can't do that right now. Because my mind just goes straight back to Cheek, to Tara, to the fight. I can't deal with thinking about that right now." I place the mop bucket into the sink, watching it slowly fill.
Gemma didn't reply, she just sighed. I could see that she didn't know what to say. So she just changed the subject. "How has Jax been treating you?"
"Alright. This is probably the sweetest he has ever treated me." I turned the tap off and picked up the three quarters full bucket. "I guess he feels guilty."
"I'm pleased he is. About fucking time." Gemma moved out of the way as I carried the mop into the lounge room. I had already picked up the rubbish and vacuumed, I even removed the broken furniture so that it was in the driveway. So all I really needed to do was mop. But that was only the lounge room, I still had the rest of the house to go.
"Your telling me." I picked up the mop handle and dunked the mop into the water.
"You wanna put some chemicals in there first?" Suggested Gemma with a smile. Fuck. I forgot all about chemicals.
"Yeah, that would be nice." I giggle in embarrassment. "As you can tell, I absolutely forgot."
"I see." Gemma left me for a moment, that was until she returned with a bottle of home brand bleach. Pouring some in for me, I gave her an appreciative smile and mixed it around with the mop head. When I thought it was well combined, I squeezed out the mop head and began to mop the floor.
Hearing Gemma's phone ring, I looked over my shoulder to see her dart over to the coffee table, digging around in her hand bag for her phone. Once she had it in her hands, she answered.
"What?" Was her greeting to the other person on the phone. Sometimes I loved how abrupt she was. "Yeah, she's right here, why?" Gemma's eyes focussed on me.
With a slight frown, Gemma hung up the phone and sighed. "It was Jax."
"What did he want?" I asked, continuing on doing the mopping.
"He said your not answering your phone." She cocked an eyebrow at me.
"I left it at home." I mumbled.
"What's the point of having a cell if you ain't gonna carry it?" She gave me a stern look, which I just shrugged off.
"It wasn't my choice to have one. Jax just gave it to me. Sometimes I carry it, other times I don't. Today just happens to be one of those 'other times'." I answered, walking back over to the bucket to dip the mop back in and rince.
"Ethel, that cell will save your life one day. You need to keep it on you, just in case." Gemma lectured. "What are you going to do if sometime ever happens and you don't have it on you? That's right, jack shit. So from now on, keep it on you. Got it?"
"Yes ma'am." I groan. "I don't need an audience. So I'm sorry, you either need to start cleaning or go. I don't like being supervised." I now say to Gemma.
"You trying to get rid of me?" She cocked an eyebrow.
"No. I'm saying you can either help, or go." I mumbled.
"Alright. I'll start in the kitchen." Gemma heads over to her handbag, shoving her phone back in before grabbing a band and tying up her hair. "I have nothing better to do, so let's do this together."
~
Hours had passed by and with Gemma's help, we had completely cleaned the entire house. We ever managed to get Tig and Happy to come by in a truck and take all of the wrecked furniture, taking it to the dump. That sure made it easier on us.
"Thanks a lot Gem." I turn to her and give her a smile.
"Your welcome." She grabbed my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Do you want to join me down at the shop? Dinner at mine tonight." Gemma suggested.
"Sure." I nodded. "Only if we can come back here so I can get my bike."
"Great. Get in." She ordered as we walked out the front door. Closing the door behind me, I followed her to her car. Getting in passenger, she was quick to get her car started. Before long, we arrived at the shops, parking the car and entering. So apparently Gemma wanted to cook up a nice salad and roast. But she didn't have anything organised for tonight.
"Alright, what do you need?" I ask as she grabbed a trolley, pushing it along as she grabbed a small list from her pocket.
"Onions, potatoes and garlic for the roast. Tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum for the salad." Was her reply.
"Right." I followed her along the aisles collecting what was on the list, along with other things we thought would compliment dinner.
"Hey you!" A voice shrieked out, catching both Gemma and my pen attention.
Turning around, I spotted Tara storming up to me. Her face was red, her brown eyes were a shade of black and she looked furious. "You! All because of you!" She yelled making a scene.
"Excuse me?" I looked down at her, my eyebrows knitting together.
Without answering me, Tara reached up and slapped me right in the cheek. I was stunned, I wasn't going to lie. Before I could say anything or do anything, Tara was off. Stomping away.
"That little bitch!" Gemma hissed, letting go of the trolley, going to chase after the brunette.
"Don't worry about it." I grabbed a hold of Gemma. "I'll find her later." I take in a deep breath, my eyes were watering and my cheek was faintly stinging.
"No! She dare-" Gemma goes to argue.
"Gemma?! No. Like I said, I'll find her later. She's not gonna get away with it." I tugged Gemma back towards the trolley.
"You better not!" Gemma huffed, turning back to the trolley and continuing on.
For the entire time we were in the shop, I felt myself simmer over what Tara had done. She had hit me, after all, she was the one who deserved a smack in the mouth. I hadn't ever done anything to her, she was the jealous bitch who was trying to interfere between Jax and I.
"You okay?" Gemma asked as we pushed thr trolley to the car.
"Just fine." I nodded, looking around the car park. I was keeping an eye out for Tara's car. Like I had said earlier, I wasn't going to let her get away with laying a hand on me. Spotting her car only several car spaces away, I gave Gemma a smile before I slowly trotted over to it. By the looks, she was sitting in the car.
Sneaking around other cars, I finally got to hers and kept my footing silent. Noticing that her windows just happened to be down, I walked over to the drivers side. Before Tara had the chance to see me standing by her door, I grabbed her by the scruff of her hair, ripping her through the window and throwing her onto the hard concrete.
She let out a groan and rolled onto her back. She was quite surprised to see me.
"Thought you would get away with hitting me?" I asked in a very harsh tone. "Get away with trying to snatch Jax away from me? You thought wrong." I bent down and grabbed her by her collar, picking her up, I shoved her as hard as I could against her car.
"Get your hands off of me!" Tara hissed angrily. Sending a fist into my side, I let out a grunt and let go of her. Since being pregnant, everything seemed to hurt a lot more.
Tara went to grab something from her car, but before she could I grabbed the back of her head and slammed it into the roof of the car. With a cry, Tara crumbled onto the ground by my feet, her hands covering her bloodied nose.
"I dare you to hit me again." I say with a smirk. "Your pathetic." I shoved my foot into her ribs, watching her cry out in pain. Kneeling down by her, I watched as she cried in obvious defeat. "I see you anywhere near Jax again? I'll do worse. This was just a taste of what I find easy."
Getting to my feet, I turned away from Tara and headed back into the direction of Gemma's car. She had been standing there with her arms crossed over her chest, watching Tara and I.
"Bravo." She smirked as I got only several metres away from her.
"Thanks." I smirked. "Like I said, I'd find her." I rounded her and got into the car, waiting for Gemma to get in the drivers.
"You know, she deserved a lot more than that." Gemma got in and started the car.
"I know." I nodded. "I was just giving her a taste of what will come if she keeps it up." I grinned.
Gemma didn't reply, she just smirked and continued driving out of the car park. Without dropping by her place, Gemma dropped me off back to mine. Instead of just my bike being parked out the front, Jax's was there as well.
I see, he was waiting for me to get back. Waving to Gemma as she left, I walked up the driveway and opened the front door. Jax had been sat in the one chair that hadn't been ruined. He looked pretty pissed off.
"Do you have any idea how much I was worrying about you?" Jax hissed, not greeting me like he had been the last couple of days.
"I'm sorry! I left the phone at home." I apologised with a frown. "And I was just with your mum."
"I've been sitting here thinking the worst! And than I get a message from Tara with this!" Jax grabbed his phone and turned the screen to face me. It was a picture of her looking bloody and beaten. "What did you do to her!" Jax was angry, that's for sure.
"What did she say?" I asked, trying to keep my cool.
"She said you threatened her and beat her up!" Jax returned, getting off of the lounge.
"I did threaten her, I also smashed her face into the roof of her car." I admitted
"Why?!" Jax yelled hysterically.
"Jax, the bitch hit me." I state. "Gemma and I were shopping and she came out of nowhere and hit me."
Jax looked taken back. I didn't know what to expect. So when he stalked over to me, I was expecting the worst, I was in edge. "She did what?" Jax demanded with a frown.
"She hit me." I answered.
Jax's jaw clenched and I watched as he shook his head. "That lying bitch." He hissed.
"How about next time you decide to go off at me? Learn the facts first. I don't appreciate being treated like scum." I snapped at Jax, walking over to the coffee table and grabbing the keys for my bike.
Before I could walk out of the house, Jax grabbed a hold of my hand and pulled me back towards him. He looked guilty. "I'm sorry baby." He sighed, reaching out with his other hand and caressing my cheek.
"No your not." I snatch my hand back. "Regardless, you take her word over mine. And you are still clearly in contact with her." I shook my head. "I don't want to talk to you right now." I turn away from him.
"Ethel, please? I'm sorry." Jax grabbed me once again.
"No!" I raised my voice. "I should have known what you have been doing these pass few days were too good to be true. All the sucking up, the flowers? What for? Just because you feel guilty because I ended up in hospital? No!"
"Ethel-" Jax grabbed my hand again.
Ripping my hand away from him, I shoved him against the wall by the door. "Jax! Your my man! Not hers! You should be standing up for me! Not shooting me down in flames! What do you want me to think?! You obviously care more about her than me."
"I do not." Jax shook his head. "I don't give a flying fuck about her. You? I do. I fucking love you." Jax returned.
"Yeah? Prove it!" I challenge.
Jax, with a very stern and heated expression on his face, ripped me out of the way before he shoved me against the wall. One hand gripping at butt cheek, the other wrapping around my waist. His lips darted against mine, kissing me very hard and very passionately. Allowing the kiss to last only a little longer, he pulled back with a lustful look in his eye.
"You're mine." He stated before kissing me again.