"I love you too, Ivy."
Chapter 14
"Holy hell, it's hot in here." Jax instantly breaks a sweat when he walks into my apartment after our train ride back to the city. "Why didn't you turn on your air conditioner before we left?"
"It's broken." I pull an elastic band from the drawer of the foyer table so I can put my hair into a ponytail. "I'll open some windows."
"How long has it been like this?" He fans himself with one of the newspapers he picked up with my mail.
"I'm not sure. At least a week." I pull open the weathered latch on the window and push it upwards to open it. The warm midday air comes rushing in. "Great, it's hotter outside than it is in here. This isn't going to help."
"You can't stay here." He marches into the kitchen.
"It's fine." I flip through my mail as he walks back in with two chilled water bottles in hand.
"I almost climbed into the refrigerator." He laughs. "It's not fine. You can't live here."
"I can and I do." I trace my finger along the edge of an envelope that is emblazoned with stickers claiming I'm a guaranteed prize winner.
"Gather some things. You're coming to my place." It's a demand that he's trying to veil as a request.
"I'm really okay here." I toss the letter into the trash. "All of my work is here and I'm falling behind."
"Beautiful. You should come live with me." He grabs both my hands in his. "Just move in with me."
I'm stunned into silence. He is actually asking me to leave this apartment and move into his? This is moving too quickly. Just days ago I was certain he was nothing but a lying, conniving, cutthroat, power hungry bastard. Now I'm going to move in with him?
"It makes perfect sense." He leans over to pick up my mail and shove it into my overnight bag. "Grab whatever else you need for tonight and I'll send someone over tomorrow to finish packing your things."
"No." I shake my head weakly. "No. I can't."
"You will." He pulls out his phone and points his finger to silence me. "Leonard, come get us at Ivy's. Come up to her apartment. We're bringing some of her things home."
"So that's that?" I stomp my foot. "I don't get to decide?"
"What is there to decide?" He walks down the hallway towards my bedroom.
"What if I want to stay here?" I have to almost run to keep up with his large steps.
He pulls one of my large suitcases from the closet. "Fill this up."
"Jax. Stop." I pull his hands so he'll sit next to me on the bed. "This is overwhelming. I can't think."
"Beautiful, I love you. I don't want to waste any more time away from you. You can't stay here. The air is so thick and hot. It's not good for you. Come and be with me." He scoops up a bead of sweat that is running down my forehead.
"It's really too soon." I say it without any conviction.
"According to who?" He gently pulls at the necklace reminding me of how tender and loving he is.
"I need some time here to gather my stuff together." I search his face for some understanding. "I want to talk to Mrs. Adams too."
"I understand." He stands. "I got a little ahead of myself. It's hard not to." He leans down and brushes his lips against my forehead.
"I want to live with you," I whisper the words under my breath.
"Why don't you take whatever time you need to get organized and I'll come get you when you're ready? Does that work for you?" He kneels in front of me now.
"Yes, thank you." I kiss him softly before I wipe the sweat from his brow.