Chapter 8: Burning For Him
1152 Words
-Kat-
I was surprised to see Jax calling me during my break. His name appeared on my phone screen, but I decided to decline the call. Instead, he ended up sending me a text, inquiring about what I was doing. What was his motive? Why was he texting me like this?
I regarded the text suspiciously until the screen went black. Unsure of what to do, I reminded myself to focus on work. However, it was challenging to concentrate with Jax lingering in my thoughts, especially after last night. So, I continued to ignore his messages throughout the day.
I was working at a private clinic, still in training since I had recently obtained my master’s degree. Fortunately, with my connections, I secured a job swiftly. Yet, it appeared that I was the one grappling with my emotions now.
Finally, when I finished work and headed home, another text from Jax popped up. I was growing weary of this distraction. It seemed he was interfering with my productivity. I decided to disregard his texts and call him instead, succumbing to his persistence in the hope that it would also prompt him to leave me alone.
“Hello, kitten,” he greeted.
“We’ve talked about that. Stop calling me that!”
He chuckled, and the sound of his laughter left me feeling slightly lightheaded.
“What do you want?” I demanded.
“So hostile! Weren’t you the one sending me a video last night?”
“I was trying to get back at you!”
“And I surely felt the sting,” he remarked sarcastically, causing me to roll my eyes.
“Stop texting me at work!”
“Oh, you were working? You know, if you married me, you would never have to work. You could just be here, warm and safe, ready for when I get home too,” he suggested.
I rolled my eyes once again. “You want me to wash your clothes too? Cook your food? Am I your mom?” I asked, my irritation growing.
He just laughed again, aggravating me further. “Well—”
“Actually, don’t answer that,” I interjected. “I am not a housewife, nor do I ever want to be one! I take care of myself, and that is that.”
“So tough. I like it!”
“Jax, what do you want? I have already given you my answer when it comes to marriage and all of that. Why don’t you find a girl who actually wants the damn ring?” I questioned.
“Because you aren’t just any girl.”
His words caught me off guard. I swallowed hard, my mind going blank, unsure of how to respond.
“That’s... eh... nice,” I managed to say, uncertain of how to react.
“Come over.”
“What?” I asked, thinking he might be disregarding our previous discussion about marriage and simply wanted me to come over for s*x.
“For dinner!”
“I can’t! I am going to see Megan,” I informed him.
“Oh, I think Megan might be a little busy,” he said cryptically, hinting at something I wasn’t aware of.
“What? Jax, what does that mean? What have you done?” I demanded.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing.”
I wished I could strangle him right then and there.
“Jax, you better—”
Just then, my phone vibrated with a text notification. As I pulled my phone away from my ear, I saw it was a message from Megan, informing me that she had to cancel our plans for tonight due to something urgent with Nathan. It seemed to involve her test.
“Asshole!” I exclaimed.
“Heard that!”
I placed my phone back to my ear, ready to give him a piece of my mind, but he beat me to it.
“So? Dinner?” he asked casually.
“I told you that in confidence!” I snarled.
“Oops. Maybe you should have clarified,” he chuckled.
“You are so dead! When I get my hands on you—”
“I can’t wait for you to get your hands all over me,” he teased.
“Jax! You don’t want me to touch you like this! Trust me! It will hurt!” I warned.
“That will be the fun part!”
“You are such a jerk!”
“I don’t think you should really call your future husband a jerk,” he countered.
“Jax!”
He knew exactly what he was doing, and I was falling right into his trap.
“So? Dinner? Be here in... 15?” he persisted.
“If I could fly!” I retorted.
That earned a laugh from him.
“Did you not hear me? I just got out of work, and you want me to... what, come to dinner dressed in my regular clothes?” I challenged.
“You look perfect in anything,” he told me.
My cheeks flushed red just from hearing his words. I fell silent for a few seconds before shaking my head.
“I am not having dinner with you,” I asserted.
“But Megan has plans now.”
“All because you divulged something that clearly wasn’t your information to share!”
“Come on! Nathan would have found out soon. Megan is a terrible liar, and those two are getting together more often than we are!”
“And whose fault is that?” I shot back.
There was silence for a few seconds. “What do you mean?”
I realized then how my question might have sounded accusatory. It sounded like I was blaming him for everything going wrong nine months ago, but that wasn’t my intention.
“Last night!” I clarified. “You could have had me however you liked, but you walked away.”
I wasn’t sure, but it almost sounded like he let out a sigh of relief.
“I do like the sound of that.”
“That’s your fault!” I told him.
“I’ll take the blame,” he chuckled.
“No wonder we’re not hooking up more often than they are.”
“But when you do become my wife, we will be.”
“You are so annoying.”
“In sickness and in health—”
“Do not recite that nonsense to me!” I cut him off.
“You really don’t like anything related to marriage, do you? Or is it just commitment?”
“And you do?” I countered. “When was the last time you committed to anything other than drinking your liver to death?”
“I am committed to making you mine.”
“This is the 21st century, in case you haven’t noticed. Women are independent now. Goodbye, jerk!”
- Writer
