Southern Storms (Compass 1)

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter,” I mumbled.

“What’s the matter with you, huh? Why are you such a weird fucking guy? Why are you always mumbling?” Lars barked. “I don’t know how Amanda put up with that.”

I didn’t want to deal with him. I didn’t want to deal with anyone. All I wanted was to be left alone.

As I turned to walk away, Lars gripped my shoulder and whipped me around to face him. “I’m not done talking to you, asshole!” he shouted, and without thought I slammed my fist straight into his face.

I didn’t mean to do that. I was walking away. All I wanted to go home.

I didn’t have a home…

Shit, shit, shit.

Before I could focus, Lars tackled me and sent me to the ground. We began wrestling as everyone in the bar shouted. Amanda sounded like she was crying. Some people cheered us on, others tried to split us up.

“Get the fuck out!” Ray shouted, pulling us from one another.

“Ray, sorry.” Lars stood to his feet. “He started it.”

“Save it, Lars. You’re a real dick for messing with Jax today of all days. Get the hell out,” he ordered. Ray reached a hand out toward me. “You good, Jax?”

I nodded but didn’t say anything else as I stood. My face hurt. My head hurt. My heart ached, too.

I reached into my pocket, pulled out cash, tossed it on the counter. “Sorry, Ray,” I muttered before stumbling out of the bar.

I began patting my pockets, for my keys when a voice called out to me.

“Jax!”

I looked up to see four Kennedys coming my way.

Two Kennedys.

Nope, just one.

“What are you d-doing here?” I stuttered, stumbling. I could’ve laid right on the sidewalk and been okay.

“I’m here to take you home,” she said, wrapping an arm around mine.

I yanked it away. “Home?” I laughed. “Good one, Kennedy.”

I began walking the opposite direction of her, and she chased after me. “Wait, Jax. Come on. You can stay at my place. You don’t have to do this alone.”

“Why not? That’s how I’ve been doing everything.”

“You’re drunk,” she whispered, coming back to me, and holding my arm. That electric shock she sent through me was still there. I hated how she warmed me up. I hated how being near her made things feel a tad bit better.

“I’m fucked up.” I sighed. “I should go. I need to get out of this town. I need to leave this place. I need to—”

“Come with me,” she cut in. Her honey-colored eyes piercing me.

“Where?”

“Anywhere. Everywhere. Wherever you go, take me with you.” She took my hands into hers and pulled me in closer to her body. I wanted to pull away, but I wanted to stay more. Her forehead rested against mine. “Stay, Jax.”

“Sun…”

“Stay, Moon,” she whispered, placing her hands against my chest.

My eyes closed as my mind began to spin.

“Stay with me,” she pleaded.

“I have nothing, Kennedy. I have nothing to give you.”

“Give me your heart, and that’s all I need. Please, Jax. Please,” she begged, running her lips gently across mine. “If you stay, I’ll love you forever.”

I opened my eyes, and there she was, my lover. My friend. My sunlight.

“What am I going to do?” I asked, my voice cracking.

“Let’s go home tonight, and we’re going figure it out in the morning. Okay?”

We’re going to figure it out.

We.

It wasn’t just me, myself, and I anymore. I wasn’t walking alone, because Kennedy was brave enough to walk beside me.

I nodded slowly and took her hand into mine. “Okay.”

36

Kennedy

“What are you doing here? How did you know where I was staying?” Derek asked the next morning.

“There’s only one bed and breakfast in town. It’s not that hard to figure out.” I didn’t sleep a wink the previous night, because Jax couldn’t sleep, so I stayed up with him until the sun came peeking through the windows.

“Can I show you something?” I asked.

Derek scratched at his beard and cleared his throat. “Stacey and I have to get to the airport soon. I don’t really have time.”

“It won’t take long. I just want to show you.”

“Show me what?”

“What Jax has created. Just come look, please. I promise you’ll see that your family property needs to stay with Jax.”

He glanced to his wrist watch then crossed his arms. “I only have about twenty minutes to spare.”

“Trust me, it won’t take that long.”

He didn’t say anything else, just nodded in agreement.

I led Derek to the woods on Jax’s land. We didn’t say a word the whole way there. Once we arrived at the field of daisies, Derek’s eyes watered over seeing all of the flowers.

“Daisies,” he muttered, sounding like his brother.

“Yes.”

“They were her favorite flowers.” He cleared his throat. “Jax made this spot for her?”

“Yes. He has a lot more plans, too. He kept all of her old landscaping blueprints and—”