Wrecked (Dirty Air 3)

“You don’t need my blessing. But I should warn you to—”

“Not break her heart?”

He scoffs. “No. I’m not that predictable. I was going to warn you to take care of yourself. You’re in a vulnerable place, and I worry you’ll struggle with a relationship after recently finding your footing.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“I’m sorry I don’t entirely believe you. I don’t want you to lose the one person who has been supportive of you throughout this whole process.”

“I’m not going to lose her because I want to try things out with her.”

“Anal isn’t the way to a girl’s heart no matter what they tell you.”

I clench my teeth together to suppress my frustration. “I’m serious. I want to try to be better than I’ve been—for her and for myself. And not because of sex.”

Connor pauses. “Serious relationships take work. You can’t give up at a moment’s notice when things get hard.”

“Gee. You don’t say. I get enough love advice from my mum, mate.”

“If you’re looking for my blessing—”

“I’m not. I want to make sure nothing bad will happen to her if we come out to the public.”

He chuckles. “If you’re asking for me to not fire Elena, I won’t. As long as you both act like professional adults with everything related to McCoy, I will turn a blind eye.”

“And I’ll keep work and play separate.”

“Why do I have a feeling I’ll regret this?” Connor sighs.

You and me both. But damn if the path to hell isn’t paved from the greatest adventures.

31

Jax

“So, Jax. Tell me how you’ve been.” Tom gives me his full attention despite us talking through a laptop.

Tom gave me a week off from our sessions before we scheduled weekly telehealth check-ins throughout the summer break. He offered to rent a temporary office here, but I refused after he mentioned his family back in the states wanted to see him. I may be a selfish wanker, but I’m not that greedy.

“Fine. How’s your family?”

“Good. They’re happy I could sneak a visit in. How about yours?” Tom’s eyes reflect the kindness he constantly exudes.

“Better now that I’ve had a chance to visit. Seeing Mum happy makes my weeks better.”

“You look happier too. Is it a relief to see how she’s doing with your own eyes rather than to hear about it over the phone?”

“Yes.” And it doesn’t hurt to have Elena in my bed too.

“How are you handling all the changes? I know F1 means a lot to you, so I wonder how the break impacts your day-to-day life?”

“I haven’t given it much thought. Besides Caleb coming to visit last week and wanting to learn everything related to McCoy, I’ve been okay. I’ve been pretty happy actually and not really stressed at all.”

I’m not too sure

if the change is because of the positivity radiating off Elena, my visit home, or my transition to a more reliable anxiety med.

Tom’s eyebrows shoot up. “That’s great. Shit, fantastic, honestly.”