“It’s okay, I know.”
She led us over to a group of girls who seemed familiar. I remembered a few of them from school.
“Hey, girls, I wanted to introduce you to Sadie. She was at school for the last few weeks. She will be a senior this year too. Sadie, this is Jessie,” a petite blond with pixie hair, “Mary Ann,” a petite redhead, with wavy hair and surprisingly tanned skin, and “Peyton,” a tall brunette. All the girls smiled at me, but their eyes strayed to Jax.
“I remember you from Spanish,” Peyton said, looking from me to Jax.
When I glanced over at him, Jax attention seemed to be solely focused on me. He smiled reassuringly.
“So, how do you two know each other?” Mary Ann asked, and all three sets of eyes went to Jax. Only Amanda seemed to remember my presence.
Jax squeezed my hand. “I met her through a mutual friend. Then I fell under her enchantment, and I can’t seem to get enough.”
I blushed, and all four girls got sappy smiles on their faces, and one of them even sighed. “Wow, I can’t believe Jax Stone’s girlfriend lives in Sea Breeze.”
I started to correct her. I wasn’t Jax's girlfriend, and he would be gone soon.
“Well--”
“She worries about my privacy. But then, I like the fact she wants to keep me all to herself.” His hand squeezed mine, and I bit back a laugh.
Amanda sighed. “Does my brother know about Jax?”
I glanced up at Jax, and he nodded. “Yes, he does.”
Amanda shook her head. “I swear, he knows something like this and doesn’t even think it’s important enough to share with me.”
“Don’t be so hard on him. It was by my request he not tell anyone,” I assured her.
Amanda wasn’t appeased, but she shrugged. “Well, I don’t think I will ever forget my shock when you stepped out of his car holding his hand. I swear, I thought I was hallucinating.”
I laughed, and Jax chuckled beside me.
“I’m going to introduce them to some other people,” said Amanda to her friends. “And I am sure they are hungry. See you girls later.”
Over the next hour, we were introduced to so many people I knew I couldn’t remember them all. But I had no doubt they’d remember me. I somehow appeared famous in their eyes. I happened to like not being the center of attention. It worried me that I wouldn’t be able to deal with the way this changed my life. We sat down by the bonfire and listened to the boys talk about the upcoming football season. They all seemed excited and ready for it to begin. They were trying to impress Jax with their stories, and a couple even broke down and asked Jax about his tour and his playing guitar by ear. He answered their questions as if he’d known them forever. His ability to act comfortable in any situation amazed me. We drew a small crowd when others began to realize he was answering questions and talking. This crowd didn’t seem as crazy as the earlier one, just curious. I ate a hot dog Jax roasted for me while he talked. He’d fixed it for me as he answered questions about Star. Guys all seemed to have questions about the pop princess.
When we finished eating, he stood up and took my hand. “If you will excuse us, I want to go dance with Sadie.”
Their faces shone with disappointment, and I think I even heard someone sigh. We walked close enough to hear the music. He reached down and slipped off my heels and placed them beside his discarded shoes. He pulled me out of the light and onto the moonlit beach. He nodded to the D.J. who had taken over for the band, and then back at me. The song began, and I instantly recognized the voice coming over the speakers. Jax held me closer as his velvet, smooth voice sang softly with the words of his song.
“Let me hold you close just for tonight. When you’re not in my arms, nothing seems right. Just to see your smile lights up my darkest night. So, baby, please dance with me in the moonlight.”
Jax leaned back and tilted my face to his.
“Your touch is my only addiction. Your heartbeat takes my breath away. You’ll break my heart if you don’t stay. Your whispers sing to me each night, and your laugh is my only sun.
“Hold me and whisper you love me. Hold me and tell me there’s no world without you beside me. Hold me, I need you to guide me. I can’t live without you. Hold me and whisper you love me. Hold me and tell me there’s no world without you beside me. Hold me, I need you to guide me.”
The song ended, and I stood in Jax's arms, unable to look away from his steel blue eyes darkened with emotion.
“I’ve never understood those words until tonight. I sang them, but I didn’t write them. I didn’t want to record the song, but I lost the battle. Now, when I sing those words, I will have a face to put behind them.” He paused and traced a line from my ear to my chin. “I just hope I am able to get through those words when you’re a thousand miles away.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. I didn’t want to think about him being a thousand miles away. I laid my head against his chest, and he pulled me closer.
* * *
Chapter Twelve