Forbidden Ties

Chapter 22: "Another Ex, Another Threat."

Jax's P.O.V.

Sam and I exchanged a glance, confusion and defensiveness clouding our thoughts.

“What?” we said in unison, both unsure of what was coming.

Kyle took a deep breath, his eyes locking with mine. “I know what’s going on between you two.”

Sam’s grip on my hand tightened, her fingers trembling slightly. I felt a shift in the air, a tension building, but we both stayed silent, waiting for him to explain.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, keeping my voice steady, though a rush of unease was starting to crawl under my skin.

Kyle’s eyes flicked to Sam before settling back on me. “I saw you two yesterday. In the library.” His gaze hardened. “It was quite the storybook scene.”

I wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but I wasn’t going to back down. I met his gaze, calm but direct. “Sam was upset. I was comforting her. She’s my sister, Kyle. I should be there for her, whenever I can. That’s all.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed, his skepticism evident. “If that’s all, then why didn’t you tell me where she went? You acted like you had no idea where she’d run off to.”

I shrugged, trying to keep my voice even. “Because I wasn’t sure myself. I just thought of the library, and I found her there. No big deal.”

Kyle didn’t look convinced, his lips curling into a sarcastic smile. “Yeah? It didn’t look like just comforting to me. You two were awfully close for siblings.”

I took a step forward, trying to figure out what he was getting at. “What exactly do you think is going on here, Kyle? You’re accusing me of something—what do you think it is?”

Kyle paused, his eyes flicking between Sam and me. After a moment, he spoke with more bitterness than I’d ever heard from him. “I’m starting to wonder if all those rumors about you two are actually true. You know...after all, they do say that there’s no smoke without fire.”

Before I could say anything, Sam snapped. “Are you serious, Kyle?” She took a step forward, her face flushed with anger. “You really think I’m hiding something with Jax? After everything that’s happened? I thought you were a nice guy, but now I see you for what you really are.”

Kyle’s face paled, realization dawning on him. He started to apologize, but Sam wasn’t having it. She turned on her heel and started walking away, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I’m done with this,” she said, her voice cold. “Whatever we were—it’s over.” She gave him a look that could’ve frozen fire. “Come on, Jax. Let’s go. Before we’re late for school. If it’s okay with you, Kyle, for us siblings who live under the same roof to take the same car to school!” She spat the words out, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

I watched Kyle as he stood there, looking helpless, his hands running through his hair in frustration. It was too late now—Sam had made her choice.

I followed her to the car, my footsteps steady. We climbed in without a word. The silence between us wasn’t awkward—it felt like a weight lifting, as if we were finally free from the tension that had been hanging over us for so long.

Kyle was down and out of our lives. Madison was our next challenge.

“Do you think he’ll spread rumors about us?” Sam asked, concern lacing her voice as we pulled into the parking lot.

I shook my head, trying to ease her fears. “Nope. He regrets showing up at our house this morning. I’m pretty sure we threw him off our scent.”

She looked unsure, but there was a flicker of relief in her expression. “You really think so? I just... I don’t know how much more of this I can take. The rumors, the assumptions. It feels like we’re always in the crossfire.”

I shifted the car into park and turned to her, leaning back in the seat. “I do think so. Kyle’s frustrated, but he’s not the type to go spreading lies—especially not after what happened this morning. He’ll keep his mouth shut. For now, at least.”

She didn’t seem entirely convinced. Her gaze drifted to the windshield, lost in thought. “But what if he tells someone?”

I reached over, gently squeezing her hand. “We’ll deal with whatever comes. We always do. If we’ve made it through all this, what’s one more obstacle?”

She looked at me then, her eyes softening. “I guess you’re right. I just... sometimes it feels like every time we take a step forward, something drags us two steps back.”

I nodded, agreeing more than I wanted to admit. “I know. I know.”

Sam’s lips curved into a small, but genuine smile. “And yet you still think we can make it through all this?”

I squeezed her hand again, giving her a confident look. “I do. I’m not going anywhere, Sam.”

As soon as I opened the car door, Madison was already making her way toward us. She didn't waste any time, wrapping her arms around me and planting a kiss on my cheek. I could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me.

"Hey," she said, her tone almost too casual. "Just so you know, I made it official this morning."

I raised an eyebrow, feeling the frustration building inside me. “What do you mean, ‘official’?”

Madison smirked, clearly pleased with herself. “I posted everything—about us. The whole school knows now."

I exchanged a look with Sam, who was still processing everything. Then I turned back to Madison, irritation creeping into my voice. “Yeah, about that, we need to talk.”

I watched as Sam walked ahead, leaving me alone with Madison. My heart ached seeing her walk off, but I had to handle this. I couldn’t afford to let things drag on any longer.

I stepped toward Madison, gently but firmly placing my hands on her shoulders to guide her out of the crowded walkway. "Madison, we need to talk. Somewhere quiet."

She gave me a quizzical look, but didn’t fight me as I led her to a small courtyard behind the school, away from the bustle of students.

As soon as we were out of earshot, I turned to face her, running a hand through my hair. I hated having this conversation, but it was long overdue. “Look, Madison...”

She crossed her arms, her expression turning defensive. “What’s going on, Jax? You've been acting distant and shady. I thought we agreed to be a thing."

I exhaled sharply. “I was never as serious as you thought. I shouldn’t have let it go on this long.”

Her eyes widened, the hurt evident in her gaze. “What does that mean? You’ve been acting like everything’s fine between us. What the hell’s changed?”

I clenched my jaw, doing my best to stay calm. “It’s not that simple. I can’t do this anymore. I need to focus on my future. It’s my last year, and I can’t afford distractions. That includes you, Madison.”

Her face flushed, her lips tightening into a thin line. “So, that’s it? You just decide I’m a distraction?”

“No,” I said, taking a step toward her. “It’s not like that. You’re a great person, and you deserve someone who can give you what you need. But I can’t be that person right now. I have to focus on school, on getting my life together.”

She shook her head, anger flashing in her eyes. “So now I’m the problem? You can’t be with me because of school? Is that what you’re telling me?”

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “It’s not about you being the problem. It’s about where I’m at in my life. I have to make tough choices, and this... this is one of them.”

Madison stepped back, her arms uncrossing as her anger turned to hurt. “I can’t believe you’re doing this.”

“I’m sorry, Madison. I really am. But this is the only way.”

Her voice cracked as she spoke. “You’ll regret this, Jax.”

I shook my head, my own heart heavy. “Maybe. But I can’t keep pretending.”

With that, she started to turn and walk away.

Madison stopped in her tracks, spinning on her heel to face me, her hands balling into fists at her sides. “You think you can just walk away from me like this?” Her voice cracked with anger and hurt, but she was doing everything she could to hold it together.

“I’m not going to take any of this lying down, Jax,” she snapped, her words sharp like daggers. “You’re going to find out exactly what Madison is made of.”

The intensity in her gaze made my stomach churn, and I could feel the tension in the air thickening like a storm about to break. But I wasn’t about to back down now. I was done.

With a last, venomous glare, Madison stormed off, her words lingering in the air long after she was out of sight.

I muttered under my breath, too exhausted to feel anything else. “Great, another ex, another threat.”