“It seems you knew exactly what my reference meant, so it worked. I mean, hell, Jax. Look, you have this woman, this insanely beautiful woman, who is asking to be friends with you and share her company with you, and you declined? Are you insane?”
“I offered to help with her yard.”
“What does that have to do with hanging out with her? Dude. I know I can be annoying and dramatic, but you should be her friend. You need more friends than me.”
“Since when are we friends?” I joked.
“Don’t play with my feelings, Jax. You know I’m emotional. Seriously. Just hang out with her. What was the worst that could happen?”
I shrugged. She could realize I wasn’t worthy of her friendship. I didn’t say that, though. It seemed too emo, even for me.
“Just find something she likes and hang out with her doing that stuff. Then, it can get even better than that, because do you know what’s the best thing this could happen?” Connor asked.
“What’s that?”
“Friends-with-benefits.” He started humping the air.
“And that’s the end of this conversation.”
“Ask her out, Jax.”
“No.”
“Ask her out on a friendship-date.”
“No.”
“Just ask her—”
“Okay!” I hollered, tossing my hands up in the air. “If I asked her to hang out will that get you to shut up about it?”
“Obviously. Don’t worry, you can thank me later.”
18
Jax
I dropped Connor off at his house, said hello to his mother, and checked in if they were in need of anything. She declined but thanked me for the offer. Before heading to visit my father,
I made a pitstop at Eddie and Marie’s house. As I rang the doorbell, a knot sat heavily in my stomach. When Eddie came to the door, he looked perplexed to see me standing there, but then a small smile curved his lips.
“You missed another appointment,” he commented, opening his screen door to talk to me.
“Yeah, I know. Been busy. Listen, can I talk to you really quick?”
His eyes lit up with hope as he stepped aside. “Yes, of course. My couch is always open for you, Jax. Come on in.”
I walked into the house, rubbing my hands together.
Marie came out from the back room and grinned brightly when she saw me. “Oh, hi, Jax. How are you doing? I haven’t seen you since the ana—”
“Marie, can you make some coffee for us? We are going to hold an impromptu session in the living room.” Eddie clearly did not want to bring up the last time I crossed paths with Marie and their bathroom sink.
I smirked a little at the annoyed therapist. “I don’t need coffee. I won’t be staying long.”
“Are you sure? I have all the time in the world to give you, Jax. Really, it isn’t a problem. I know with everything going on with your father—”
“This isn’t about my father,” I said.
“Oh?” He sat down in his living room chair and clasped his hands together as I took a seat on the couch. “Then what is it about?”
“Your neighbor, Kennedy. The new girl.”
“Well, that’s not what I was expecting you to talk about, but if there is a new woman in your life after Amanda, I am more than—”
“No, she’s not in my life. I mean, she was at one point, but she’s not anymore. I’m just helping her with her landscaping.”
“What do you mean she was in your life at one point?”
“She used to be my best friend when we were younger. We went to summer camp together.”
Eddie’s brows furrowed, and he nodded very slowly and therapist-like. “Intriguing.”
“No, it’s not. It’s nothing.”
“Oh?”
“Stop it, Eddie. That’s not why I’m here. I’m not here to talk about my past with Kennedy or dive deep into my psyche. My visit actually has nothing to do with me.”
“Then…why are you…?”
“She needs your help.”
Eddie scratched at the side of his salt and pepper beard. “Jax, that’s not how it works.”
“She went through a trauma. She lost both of her parents and her daughter in a car accident that she blames herself for. She can’t even see a child without being hit with a panic attack. Joy told me Kennedy doesn’t drive because of the accident, and she hasn’t spoken to anyone professional about her issues.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Jax, but I can’t offer her help without her—”
“You don’t have to therapist her, Eddie. Just…I don’t fucking know—be nosy like the rest of the people in this town and go check on her out of neighborly kindness. She’s broken and just