was hot, and he was perfect. Why in the fuck did Emma, who was so far from perfect it was funny, make him feel like he needed to talk to a shrink. Or maybe Doctor Phil or some shit, and cry on the TV how he’d had a wet dream about Uggie Emma. Then the next day defend her honor like some sort of knight in shining armor. God she would eat this up if she knew.
Paul snorted, "Fuck, man, you’re not that hard up."
"Just drop it, Paul." Jax's voice was deadly serious, he was getting pissed off.
"Fine. Geez, think you were all in love or some shit."
"Just leave it alone, she has it hard as it is."
"You mean hard up," Paul laughed and Jax lost it.
He jumped up quickly, towering over Paul, took his beer from his hand and almost punched him in the mouth. Instead, he sat back down slumping low in his lawn chair and snarled, "Shut your fucking face or I will tell everyone how you fucked Pimple Butt Pam and how she said you were a lousy lay."
"Holy shit, Bro, fine. I'll lay off but don't expect the rest of your friends to understand. I don't even know who you are since we discovered Emma's tits."
Jax pulled Paul up from his chair and escorted him to his car, shoving him inside. After a moment of hanging in the door he said, "Don't you ever get tired of having to be on all the time? Don't you just want to relax and be yourself?"
"I thought I was when I was hanging out with you?” Paul said sourly. Jax slammed the car door, and walked back to the house.
+
Emma got used to Jax walking her home. They didn’t speak of his reasons why, but each night she would start her walk home and suddenly he would be at her side. Sometimes they talked, but usually it was just a companionable silence that was woven between them.
Still not used to Jax acting like a normal caring human being, Emma was suspicious. She never actively sought Jax out, but she was starting to relax around him. Every time Emma thought the joke would be on her, it never was. It was getting easier and easier to be around him and harder and harder not to look for him each time she left for work, or to feel a little spurt of excitement when it was time to go home. Emma had never enjoyed going home before, because of Jax that was changing.
Even though Jax never hung around after walking her home, she was starting to feel like they were friends. At first Emma thought he was maybe interested in her but since the day at the tattoo shop he’d been nothing but friendly.
Walking next to Jax as they slowly strolled down the street a few weeks later, Emma kept looking at Jax out of the corner of her eye. He was so good looking it made her stomach hurt. Hurt because Emma had learned a long time ago not to trust people who were good looking. Jax had taught her that lesson, the one where she’d never measure up. She was trying to be his friend even though Emma just couldn’t figure out Jax’s game.
Still watching Jax and not paying attention to the sidewalk, Emma’s shoe caught on a piece of uneven pavement that sent her careening forward, a strong hand caught her arm and pulled her up toward Jax’s side.
Emma inwardly groaned at her clumsy attempt to covertly watch him. Jax kept walking but he had removed his hand from her arm to around her shoulders and kept her close to his side. Emma could smell the light cologne he wore. He smelled so good she just wanted to bury her nose in Jax’s shirt. Instead Emma tried to get her composure back by distancing herself from his body. Jax allowed it only so far before tugging her right back to his side again.
“Jax,” Emma said as she tried to pull away again. As if he hadn’t heard her Jax kept walking not giving an inch between them. When