Lola didn't see Jax for the rest of the day. He wasn't in any of her classes, nor did he show up to the seminar. After the professor had gathered their papers at the end of the class, everyone started walking out of the classroom.
She turned her wrist and looked at the time. Jax was the one who drove her to school. If he had left, then she wouldn't have a ride back, which gave her an excuse to stay away from the mansion.
Lola stuffed her books into the locker and grabbed her bag. On her way out, she kept looking over her shoulder, hoping that she wouldn't see Jax. She smiled when he was nowhere to be found and pushed open the doors to get out of the school. On the parking lot, leaning back against a car that looked far too expensive to be in the community college parking, was Ash.
I would've preferred Jax. Lola sighed. She adjusted the strap on her shoulder bag and walked over to the car. Ash looked glumly as she came walking over.
"How was school? Did you make any friends today?"
Lola clenched her jaw and focused on Ash to avoid seeing the students' judgmental gazes.
"Where is Jax?" she asked.
He pushed himself from the car and opened the passenger door for her.
"He had some business to take care of, so he sent me here to pick you up." Ash shook his head and pursed his lips. "He had this idea that you wouldn't get back to the mansion on your own," he said and scoffed, but the devilish glint in his eyes only grew brighter.
Lola threw her bag in and got into the passenger seat. Ash was about to close the door when his eyes locked on something else over by the school. Standing around the corner, watching them with a fierce glare, was Clay.
"I'm guessing that's Clementine Hall?"
Lola nodded and looked at his confounding expression. "Why?"
Ash looked away, but he was still deep in thought.
"No reason," he said and shut the door.
Ash got in behind the wheel and drove off.
"Do you have classes with him?" Ash asked after a few minutes of a stale silence.
His fingers were wrapped around the wheel. His eyes were focusing on the street, but his thoughts weren't in the car with them.
"A few," Lola said, staring out of the window.
"You should switch."
She turned her head and looked at Ash. "Switch what?"
"Classes. The ones you have with him. You should switch."
Lola scoffed in annoyance. "You can't just switch. It's college," she said, trying to press the words into his head.
"Community college," he said as though the word "community" was dirty and unworthy of rolling off his tongue.
The annoyance grew in Lola, and she pressed her nails into the palm of her hand. "Mind your own business," she spat.
Ash turned his head. His eyes locked with hers, and Lola would instead turn and watch the road to make sure they didn't get killed.
"It is my business," he said, his eyes turning dark, and his knuckles became white from clenching around the wheel.
Lola's eyes flickered back and forth between Ash and the road.
"How is my college life your business?!" Her voice grew louder, and the irritation in her was rising rapidly.
"It is when it affects your personal life, in which I am a part of," he seethed.
"Why don't you worry about your own life and keep mine out of it!" Her eyes were firmly locked on Ash's, and the road was obsolete.
"I have to worry about both, seeing as they overlap." He spat right back.
"it's none of your business, Ash!" She said and shook her head.
"Jax's life wasn't the only one you altered when you signed that contract! So trust me when I say that it most certainly is my business." His face was turning red, and his dark voice filled the car.
The contract. Lola gazed in horror as the memory of the contract reapeared in her mind. Somehow, that little detail had managed to be suppressed when she was in school.
She licked her lips and tried to ease her breathing when the car came to a sudden stop. She looked out the window and saw the mansion.
Ash sighed and sunk back against the seat. He closed his eyes and was told off by his wolf to calm down. When he opened his eyes and saw the anxiousness he'd caused her, his eyes softened.
"Hey, look, I'm-"
"It's fine," Lola said and unbuckled her seatbelt. She turned with a fierce glare and felt the sorrow wash away. "It's just business," she spat and left the car.
Lola stormed up the stairs and into the guest room without looking around for anyone. She closed the door and smacked her head back against it.
"When am I gonna wake up from this nightmare?" She slammed her head back a few more times before opening her eyes and looking around the room. "Not yet, apparently," she sighed.
Her eyes cast down on the box that she put on the bed. The computer was still inside, and she dragged her fingers over the plastic wrapping. She put the lid back on and placed the box in the closet.
Lola took out her phone from her bag, hoping in her heart that Melissa had written something.
Hope betrayed her once again, and she threw the phone on the bed with the screen lighting up empty on any notifications. Because who wants to contact her now that she'd lost her only friend? She had no one else. Not even Ellen had reached out, so Lola lost two things.
For the rest of the evening, she lay on the bed and continued reading her book. She turned and looked at the clock after finishing another chapter. It was seven-forty pm.
A deep sigh left her when someone knocked on the door. She stood up and walked over to open the door.
Jax stood a bit away from the door with his hands clasped behind his back.
"I just wanted to make sure you were all right," he said and scanned her face.
"I'm fine," she said in a short, monotone voice. It was noticeable how it affected Jax. He looked into her eyes, hoping to see just a hint of joy or anything resembling affection, but he was let down. Lola had her walls up and wouldn't let even him through.
"Right. Well, dinner is ready if you want to come down, and if not, I'll bring it up to you." His throat moved as he gulped.
Lola looked at him. A pang of guilt shot through her when he gave her the choice.
"I would appreciate it if you brought it up," she said, trying to speak softer than before.
"Consider it done."
Lola smiled and closed the door. Jax went down to join his family. When they saw him walking in alone, his mother immediately snarled in disapproval.
"Where is your wife?" Mrs. Blackwood inquired as she wiped her mouth carefully so as not to smudge the lipstick.
"She's in her room. I'm bringing the food up to her." Jax started fixing a plate with fish, salad, rice, and steamed greens. He took a cookie and put it in a napkin for her dessert.
Margret's hand shot out and wrapped around Jax's wrist.
"No, you're not. She will come down and eat with the rest of us."
Jax slowly leaned back. He grabbed a tray from the side table and put the plate on it along with a cutlery set.
"Or," he said slowly, calculating his words carefully. "You let me deal with my wife. She's not one of our pack members. She isn't for you to command." He held her gaze and lifted his head.
Jax turned around without any fuss from his mother and walked the food up to Lola's room.
Jax knocked on the door.
Before Lola turned to go and open it for him, her phone lit up on the bed. Her heart began to race when she expected to see Melissa's name. Her heart doubled in speed when she saw who had sent her a message.
It was nice meeting you today. Hopefully, we'll have a longer conversation next time.
-Clay