Page 17 of Kiss Marry Kill
“Yeah, guess it does.” He reached over her and turned off the water and took the mug out of her hands. Her heart beat so loudly, she was sure he could hear it. Was he going to kiss her? “Megan, look at me. You do this. You move around and fidget when things get too heavy.”
She swallowed and turned around. She had forgotten how fast he’d been able to read her and how nothing slipped by him. He was still so perceptive.
Squaring her shoulders, she looked at him, grabbing the counter behind her as she spoke. “Sorry. It’s been a rough twenty-four hours. I’m jumpy.”
“You don’t have to apologize. Just relax. It’s still me.” He pulled her hands away from the counter and then let them go gently. He was standing casually in front of her, leaning his back against the island, his feet crossed. He grabbed the mug again and waited for her to continue. “So you broke up with the douche and then what?”
Trying to mimic his relaxed posture, she continued. “So after that was done, I went home. My mother and father were pissed I had disappeared for four days and for ‘embarrassing’ them by kissing a stranger in front of everyone. But it’s weird now, looking back. I was in a haze when you left. I was more devastated at you leaving than breaking up with Richard or fighting with my parents. I just didn’t want to hear it. So I packed a bag and left. Just like that. The same day I said good-bye to you, I said good-bye to my parents and my long-term boyfriend.”
“Damn.”
“Yep. Big changes. My parents cut me off immediately. They thought I’d come crawling back since I walked out with zero money, a shitload of devastation, and terrified. But I didn’t. It was hard. Robbie had a little apartment upstairs he rented me for cheap and I did pretty well with tips. It was hard learning to be on my own, quickly learning how ill-prepared I was, but I made it work. Some days were really hard, I won’t lie. Things are still a little strained between me and my parents, but it’s not too bad anymore. They give me my space and have had to learn to accept that singing is my passion. I love TNT, and I’m not going to stop.”
Running a palm down his face, he looked at her, those big green eyes full of awe. “That’s amazing, Megan. Always knew you could do it if you just went for it.”
“You really did change my life.” She fiddled with the banana peel on the table for a second before looking him straight in the eye. No matter what, she needed Jax to know that those four days had been the best of her life. “Because of you I realized how much I loved performing, not just singing but being in front of a crowd, and being with Nelly and Taylor who’ve become family. I always wanted to thank you for that. It’s something I always thought I’d say to you if I ever had the opportunity. So, thank you.”
“I didn’t do anything. You don’t have to thank me.” Now it was him who was squirmy, so she grabbed his forearm and held it. This time, it was him who needed to look at her in the eyes when she said it.
“Jax, thank you,” she repeated, her tone stronger, needing him to know how instrumental he had been.
“You’re welcome.” He was serious, his smile gone, but he wasn’t the intimidating man from last night. Just not the carefree dude from five years ago.
“Any other questions?”
He walked around the island and sat back down.
“Yes. Where’s Richard now?”
“Last I heard he was married and living in the DC area. He’s harmless, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“And Tamara? What happened with her?”
“She’s around. At first she threatened to sue us and made our lives miserable for about three months, and then she sort of just faded away. About a year ago, she moved back to town and contacted Nelly. I think they’ve had lunch a few times, she’s trying to get her act together and mend fences it seems. Nelly, Taylor, and Tamara grew up together, and there’s a lot of history there. I hope they work it out. Nelly has always missed her.”
“Well, that’s good.” Jax paused. “I’d like to know more about your parents. Your mom was not happy to meet me last night.”
Megan laughed. “No. She blames you for everything. She thinks you put all these eccentric ideas in my head. It’s bullshit, because I’ve always loved singing and they knew it. They squashed all my attempts at music lessons my whole life. Once I left their house, they didn’t speak to me—not even when I called them to tell them about signing with RLC. I tried for years and nothing. Then one day my mother sent me a text that my father had had a heart attack. I rushed to the hospital and after that, we sort of all just started getting along again. They never apologized and we didn’t really discuss things, we just went back to being okay.”
“You stuck to your convictions.”
“I did.”
“Can I hear one of your songs?”
“Don’t you listen to the radio?”
“Actually no. Not really.”
She reached for her phone pressed some buttons and played “Ruin Me,” the newest single and a song he had to have heard of, because it was always on the radio. “I’ve heard this before,” he said. “That’s you?”
“That’s me.”
“You write the songs?”
“Some of them. Not this one, though.”
“Can I hear one you’ve written?”
