Chapter 8

MILA

Jax Archer checked out my ass.

Big freaking deal, right?

I mean, whatever.

He's a guy.

I'm a girl… with an ass.

Honestly, what guy probably hasn't looked at my ass. Not saying that I have an ass to die for or anything like that. But these college guys… they are just that. They are college guys.

Ass. Cleavage.

The shape of a woman's breasts hidden behind a shirt or even a hoodie.

They all just drool.

All of them being led around by their dicks. No brains.

Violet elbows me. "You okay?"

"Fine. Thinking."

"About Jax?" Ruby teases.

"What? No. I'm thinking about my paper. Dr. Donahue hasn't gotten back to me yet."

"Nerd stuff," Ruby mutters.

Sometimes I just want to smack Ruby across the face. Like a really good smack.

Not because I don't like her. Mostly because she has this knack about being right when it comes to stuff about me. It's like she can see through me. When she talks about Ward… and about me…

"I just want caffeine," I say. "Like, coffee slows me down. Isn't that weird?"

"You're the medical student," Violet says. "Explain that to us."

"Happens to me too," Ruby says. "Coffee totally chills me out. But if you give me an energy drink… watch out."

"Same," I say.

"So, the guy that basically runs Mac's father's company now… he called Mac last night. His father took another bad turn."

"Damn," Ruby says. "Poor Mac."

"That's awful, Violet. It really is. Cancer… sucks."

"Yeah, it does," Violet says. "Without being rude, is that what it's going to be like? Just hearing about his father getting worse and worse until the end?"

Violet looks at me. So does Ruby.

You're the medical student…

I swallow hard. "Yeah. That's how it sometimes can go. I don't know the entire case obviously. If he can't get treatment, then it's about comfort. I mean, there's nothing you can do or say. It's truly sad. It's awful."

"It's okay, Mila," Violet says. "I wasn't looking for you to tell me there's a cure."

"Hey, not to change the subject here, but I think Mila has a fan."

"A fan?" I ask.

"Behind you. Checking out that ass of yours again."

I turn my head way too quick and obvious, to see Jax right behind us.

Just walking.

Not even trying to hide himself.

"Oh, fuck this," I say as I turn all the way around. "Get a good look, Jax?"

"What, Mila?" Jax asks.

"Checking out my ass again? Huh? You think that's smart?"

"I'm just trying to-"

"This isn't a game, okay? I'm not into the stalker thing. For many reasons. Don't make this into something, Jax. Just go the hell away."

Jax seems surprised.

"Damn, girl," Ruby says.

"Um… Mila…" Violet whispers.

"Shh," I say to them both. I keep my focus on Jax. "So what are you going to do? Keep following me? Huh? You think that's smart right now? After what I just said to you?"

Jax shows me his hands and comes closer toward me.

I suck in a breath, not sure what's going to happen next.

Here's what happens next…

Jax gets within inches of me, then walks right around me.

I turn and watch as he opens the door to the cafe.

He goes right up to the counter and places an order.

My mouth slowly opens.

"Ouch," Ruby says. "That's got to be embarrassing."

"Tell me that did not just happen," I whisper.

"Sorry, Mila," Violet says. "I tried to stop you. I don't think he was following you. Or checking out your ass."

"We don't know that," Ruby says. "He has a fondness for Mila's ass."

"I don't need coffee anymore," I say.

"Yes, you do," Ruby says.

She grabs my hand and pulls me into the cafe.

Not that I'm forced to be near Jax. I mean, not right up against him or anything, but we're in the same place.

I don't even remember what I order because from the corner of my right eye I keep looking at Jax. Wondering what he's doing here. And why.

He's getting coffee, like the rest of us. It's not like we're off campus and in another town and he just so happened to have shown up. Relax, Mila. You're making something out of nothing.

I can't stop thinking about me tearing into him. Telling him off. Telling him to stop following me when he wasn't even following me.

I look and feel like a complete idiot right now.

The coffee doesn't help much.

Sure, it's perfectly hot and perfectly caffeinated and my body is thanking me for this.

"I might be going to Paris this summer," Ruby says.

"That's great," Violet says. "You've been wanting that for such a long time."

"Gabriel wants to come too," Ruby says. "I keep telling him not to. He has to stay here. For hockey. For his father. I think he wants to avoid the trial."

"Long distance," I say as though I'm part of the conversation.

"Yeah," Ruby says. "For a month. That's all. He thinks I might not come back. And to be honest, I've always dreamt of just going."

"He will follow you," Violet says. "Gabriel is that crazy and dumb."

"Dumb? What makes that dumb?" Ruby asks.

"Him giving everything up for you," I say.

My voice is monotone.

"You two suck," Ruby says.

She pouts and folds her arms.

I casually look over my right shoulder and I see Jax. Again.

Now he's just sitting at a table.

A table meant for four people but it's just him.

His left hand is wrapped around his coffee…

I do this thing where I look at my left hand. I compare how far my hand is wrapped around my coffee compared to his. Just to kind of know how big his hands are. I don't know why that matters.

And for that matter… why did Willow tell Violet that Jax looked at my butt? And why did Violet have to pass the message to me? What do I do with that?

I'm sure if it were Violet, she'd tell Mac and Mac would beat the person up.

Same for Villi and same for Gabriel.

What am I supposed to do?

Bad enough the hockey guys hate Ward and he hates them just the same.

"Earth to Mila," Ruby says. "Are you here or what?"

"Yeah," I say.

"What did I just say?" Violet asks.

"Um… something about Mac…"

"We lost her," Violet says.

"Gee, I wonder why," Ruby adds with a smile.

Heat touches my cheeks and I try to keep myself composed.

I'm just curious, that's all.

Jax is just sitting there. With coffee. He doesn't even have his phone out either.

Just… sitting there… with coffee and himself and his thoughts…

Now to be fair, it could have been anyone… I mean, any guy…

But him just sitting there alone with coffee and his thoughts…

It was kind of hot.