Chapter 2
Half of the school year had flown by since the dinner at Sienna's house, and her routine with Jax had slowly become something they both woke up to.
The moment Jax pulled in on his motorcycle, the girls stared and whispered. Not paying them any attention, he parked, grabbed his jacket, and strolled through the glass doors of the high school, scanning the hallway until his eyes landed on Sienna standing at her locker, her dark blue hair falling in soft curls down her back.
A soft smile touched his lips as he walked over, leaning his shoulder flat against the locker right next to hers.
Sienna glanced up, her heart giving a sudden, unwanted thump. "Today's an A day," Jax said, his eyes locked firmly on hers. "Which means we have math together first period."
"And...?" Sienna looked at him, masking the light flush creeping up her neck.
"Do you have all your books?"
"Yes," she said, pulling a notebook out.
Without a word, Jax reached out, slammed her locker door shut, and slung his arm over her shoulder, pulling her close against his side. The unexpected warmth of his touch sent a jolt straight down her spine.
"What are you doing?" Sienna gasped, twisting quickly out of his grip. Without waiting for an answer, she swiftly walked down the hall toward her friend Roxy.
Jax watched her go, a slight frown tugging at the corner of his mouth before he shook it off.
***
By lunchtime, the cafeteria was buzzing. Sienna and Roxy sat down at their usual table, unpacking their food.
"I swear, if Mr. Liam gives us one more worksheet—" Roxy started, but her voice was cut short as two heavy hands grabbed Sienna under her arms, lifting her cleanly out of her chair.
"What the hell?! Put me down!" Sienna yelped, her legs dangling several inches off the floor.
"Shh, angel. I'm not going to drop you," Jax’s deep, smooth voice murmured behind her.
He placed her down in an open chair at a larger table surrounded by his friends.
"What was that for?" Sienna demanded, smoothing down her shirt while her face burned red.
Jax’s arrogant smirk returned instantly. "What, angel? You don't like being six-foot-five for a second?"
"Bro, you aren't six-five!" one of the guys at the table snorted.
The whole table burst out laughing, including Roxy, who had been brought over by another guy. Jax casually grabbed a stray pizza crust and tossed it across the table at his friend, making everyone laugh harder.
"Anyway, girls, these are the guys," Jax gestured around the circle. "That's Jett, Jacob, and the twins, Tate and Nico."
"Nice to meet you guys," Sienna said, adjusting her stance.
"Yeah, we know who you are," Tate chimed in with a wide grin. "Jax talks about you all the time."
Sienna’s eyes widened, and before she could process the comment, Jax reached straight across the table and smacked Tate square on the arm. For the rest of lunch, Jax stubbornly avoided eye contact with her.
Soon the final bell rang. As Sienna swung her backpack over her shoulder and headed toward the exit, Jax caught up to her before she made it three steps past the double doors, casually grabbing her arm.
"You're riding with me, angel," Jax nudged her toward his motorcycle. "Don't worry about Roxy. I got your keys earlier so she can drive your car to your house. The guys are coming over."
"Wait, Jax, no—"
"No buts." He handed her a helmet and swung his leg over the seat, his smirk flashing under the afternoon sun.
Sienna sighed, defeated, and carefully climbed on behind him.
"You're going to have to hold on," Jax said. He reached back, grabbed her hands, and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. As the engine roared to life, panic flared in Sienna's chest, and she instinctively buried her face straight into the back of his jacket.
When they pulled up to her house, the other cars hadn't arrived yet. Sienna unlocked the front door and stepped inside with Jax right on her heels. He immediately slumped onto the living room couch, pulling out his phone.
An idea struck Sienna. Stepping up silently behind him, she snatched the phone right out of his hand.
Jax froze, turning his head to throw her a glare. "Give it back."
"Catch me!" Sienna laughed, turning on her heel and sprinting into the hallway.
She vaulted over the living room ottoman, slid around the kitchen counter, and kept a firm grip on his phone as she rounded the corner back toward the patio doors, scanning the hallway to see if she had lost him.
She ducked out the back door toward the pool, taking a sharp turn around the concrete edge, and crashed straight into a solid chest.
Both of them lost their footing, tumbling backward with a loud splash into the freezing pool water.
They surfaced simultaneously, coughing and spitting out water. Jax glared at her, looking genuinely exasperated as wet, dark hair hung over his forehead. Sienna scrambled out of the pool, still clutching his dry phone up out of the water to prove it was safe, but when she turned around, Jax was already standing dripping wet on the patio.
He stepped forward, cutting off her exit, and pinned her gently against the wall. He held his phone behind her back, leaving only inches between their faces. Water dripped from his chin onto her shoulder, his breathing heavy as his bright blue eyes locked onto hers.
"WOAH, JAX IS GETTING WHIPPED!" Nico screamed from the gate, the rest of the guys piling into the backyard behind him.
Jax snapped his head around, stepping back immediately and snatching his phone from her grip. "Fuck off, man," he muttered, turning his face away.
Sienna bit her lip, a small frown forming as she pulled back. She ran inside to change into dry clothes while Jett tossed Jax a spare hoodie from his car.
Ten minutes later, everyone sat circled on the living room floor.
"Alright," Roxy said, tossing a plastic bottle into the center of the rug. "Let's play Truth or Dare."