The Discovery

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Sunday is excruciating. Jax has some family thing, and I can’t even text him because I don’t know what to say. I’m in school most of Monday, even though Jax keeps sending me the most hilarious selfies. When I get to the shop that afternoon, only his grandpa is there. I want to ask how Jax is doing, but Grandpa just tells me “good job” and leaves me alone.

I text Jax asking where he is, but there’s no answer.

By Tuesday I’m anxious. Jax has been texting me goodnight since I gave him my number, but there’s been absolute radio silence since Monday afternoon.

I show up at the shop again Tuesday, and Jax’s grandpa is alone once more. It worries me since the first time he was here, at least Jax was with him. I’m not sure they’d leave him alone this much when he speaks so little English. I really wish I could magically learn Chinese so I could ask him what’s going on, but there’s no helping it. I wave goodbye to him and watch as he stands on the curb looking at his phone.

I try to go back to doing shop stuff, but I keep glancing out the window to see him still on the curb and still looking at his phone. After ten minutes I can’t handle it anymore and I go outside to see if I can help. I glance over Grandpa’s shoulder and see he has a taxi app open.

“Can I drive you somewhere?” I ask.

He looks at me and points to his phone. I stare at it for a minute, but it’s all in Chinese. One thing I can tell for sure is that there are no cars nearby.

“I’m going to close the shop,” I say. “I’ll take you.”

Grandpa nods, a huge smile on his face. I secure the cash, get my stuff, bolt up the store, and flip sign to closed.

I take Grandpa’s arm and lead him to my van. After helping him get in, I take my own seat and fasten my seatbelt only to realize I have no idea where to go.

A calming female voice speaks in Chinese from Grandpa’s phone. He hands it to me with a map pulled up. I put it on my dash and follow it the best I can. I’m doing okay, even without English. As long as I keep my speed down, I don’t miss any of the turns.

“Good job,” Grandpa says every time I get one of the directions right.

The map shows we’re almost at our destination, and Grandpa points to a big building on my right. Not just any building, though. A hospital.

I try to find a spot as close as I can to the front, then help Grandpa out of the van and very slowly into the building. I hope Jax and everyone in his family is okay. I hope we’re not here for a procedure for Grandpa. Whatever we’re here for, I don’t like the feeling of it. A nurse gets Grandpa a wheelchair once we’re inside, and he directs me to the elevators. He holds up three fingers and I press the third-floor button.

When we exit, one of the nurses greet Grandpa with a smile.

“You’re just in time,” she says. “We we’re just checking them out.” She looks to me, and I give a shy hello.

“And you are?” she asks.

“I’m helping him,” I offer, hoping that’s enough.

The nurse comes over with her hands outstretched. “If you’re not family, then I’ll take over from here.”

Seriously? I came all this way, and I have no idea what they’re going to do with Grandpa. I don’t feel safe just leaving him without any of his family knowing where he is.

“Jackie?” a voice says from behind me, a voice that brings a huge wave of relief.

“Jax?”

I peer around the corner to see him in a little waiting area hidden by the elevators. He has dark bags under his eyes, there’s stubble growing on his chin, and his clothes are all wrinkled.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, searching my face.

“Your grandpa needed a ride, so I brought him.”

He laughs, his mouth a huge grin. Then he throws his arms around me. He doesn’t smell as fresh and good as he did the other night, but I don’t mind.

“Good job!” Grandpa says, and both of us break down in laughter.

Jax repositions himself, so his arm is around my back and holding onto my waist. “Let’s go get my mom.”

Crap. Not his mom. “Is she okay?”

“She had an attack Monday afternoon,” Jax says as we walk the corridor, the nurse pushing Grandpa behind us. “They ran some tests, and she’s recovering well. She’s in good enough health to go home.”

We enter a hospital room to see Penny standing, and Jax’s dad by her side. Both of Jax’s parents stare at Jax’s arm around me then look to each other. I feel sheepish and start to pull away, but he holds me tight.

“Mom, Dad,” he says, “Jackie and I are dating now.”

My eyes widen, my ability to speak completely missing.

“That’s great news!” Penny says, coming over to us, creating a group hug.

It is great news. Really, really, great news. Surprising, but great. Maybe I should question it, but right now I’m too happy.

“You’re ready to go,” the nurse says.

“I’ll take Grandpa,” Jax’s dad offers.

“Jax, you ride with Jackie and meet us at home,” Penny says. “We want to hear more about you two.”

“I shouldn’t,” I say. “You all need rest.”

“No,” Jax argues. “Come with us. I have something I want to talk to you about.”

He never has to twist my arm.

We leave the building hand in hand and send off his family before heading to my van. When I stop to unlock it, Jax keeps walking.

“Um, Jax?” I say.

He pauses, and I point. “This is my car.”

“What?” His jaw hangs open. “This beast? Are you serious?”

I laugh. “Don’t make fun of WATM. You’ll hurt her feelings.”

“WATM?”

I pet my car’s hood. “Wonderful Adventure Travel Machine, of course.”

That dorky laugh of his rings out in full force. “You are too much.”

“Honestly,” I say, once he sobers. “I had to get something economical.”

“Doesn’t this thing guzzle gas?”

I shrug. “That’s why I got the job at the music store. But it was the best car we could find for the money.”

“Crazy,” he says. “I never imagined you in this. Maybe I should buy you a car.”

I roll my eyes and climb in the driver’s seat.

“I bet my grandpa loved this,” he says. “This thing is such a monster.”

“WATM has feelings. You shouldn’t talk that way,” I joke.

“You can’t stop me,” he says. “It’s too epic. What a car to start with.”

“Where are we going?” I ask.

Jax holds out his hand. “Let me see your phone, and I’ll put it in the GPS.”

He tells me to turn left out of the parking lot while he enters the address in. He props it up so I can see, then relaxes in his seat.

“I’m so glad you came,” he says. “My phone died right after we got my mom to the hospital. I refused to leave her and things were crazy, but I also felt sick about not being able to contact you.

“When I saw you standing there, it was like heaven itself had walked into the room.”

Man, he sure knew how to get my heart pumping hard enough for the warm blood to heat my cheeks.

“I missed you, too,” I say under my breath. I’ve never been so bold in declaring my feelings before. But that’s the magic of what Jax does to me. He allows me to open up to him without fear.

“Do you mind if I ask,” I continue, feeling braver than ever, “what’s going on with your mom?”

I glance at him to see a huge smile on his face.

“I haven’t been able to talk much about it outside of my family. So it’s a relief to share it with someone.”

It’s hard to keep my eyes on the road, but I do. Although Jax is a huge distraction.

“She was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Which means that sometimes she’s fine, and other times her own body attacks her. It could get worse, or it couldn’t. There are moments I think she’s herself, then she loses control and falls, and she shuts down so bad they have to hospitalize her overnight. I don’t know what to do.”

No wonder he left the spotlight he loved so much. His mom was more important to him. I hate to see him so helpless, and I wish I could do more.

“You’re doing all the right things,” I say.

“Am I?” he asks.

“Yes,” I promise without hesitation. Do I wish he was still in Take5? Of course. But family should come first. To see him sacrificing himself this way just makes me respect him all the more.

He puts his hand on my knee and gives a gentle squeeze before pulling his arm back to his side of the car. He’s lucky we didn’t get in a wreck just now because that simple move sent tingles right up my spine.

“Enough about my life,” he says. “How have you been?”

I don’t want to tell him I was getting more and more depressed each moment he wasn’t around, so I tell the usual lie about being fine, then switch the subject to talking about what happened in band that day and how I tried the drums again at school, and how my teacher was impressed.

We laugh as we chat about music, food, crazy things we’ve tried in the past, and everything in-between.

Lake Elsinore isn’t the most populated city in California, but the GPS is taking us around the lake and into the mountains. The destination is off Ortega Highway, hidden in the hills.

“Slow down,” he says as we get closer. “It’s easy to miss the turn off.”

I do as he asks, and he points me the right way when it’s time to turn. I’m glad I’m in a van, because we have to off-road through the dirt for a bit in the forest. I feel like I’m being swallowed up by nature until the path turns paved again, the beginning of a long driveway.

His house is huge, a log cabin with big windows away from the world. It looks like paradise.

We park behind his parents’ car and get out. I start for the door, but Jax grabs my hand and stops me. “I still haven’t said everything I want to say.”

I face him, waiting with open ears.

He looks at our hands and strokes my skin with his thumb. “I don’t think I’ve properly confessed yet.”

His gaze meets mine, and I have to remind myself that I am, in fact, alive, and that I must breathe to keep going.

“It’s only been a few days,” he continues, “but so much has happened.”

I nod because it’s true. Just a couple weeks ago I had no hope of ever seeing Jax again, and now I’m standing in his driveway holding his hand.

“When you walked into the shop...” He laughs to himself. “I thought you were cute, but the way you’ve taken care of me and my family has made it so much more in such a short amount of time.”

“Oh, Jax, I—”

He holds up a hand. “Sorry, I have to say this before I chicken out again. Jackie, I like you. A lot. I’ve never liked a girl like this. I can barely eat thinking of you, and I really don’t want to screw it up.”

My mouth hurts from smiling so wide. I want to tell him I feel the same, but he might have more to say.

“Now would be the time to respond,” he offers.

“Jax,” I start, loving the way his name sounds as I put it in the air. “I like you, too. So much.”

I wish I could tell him I’ve liked him for years, but I don’t want to ruin this.

“Just...” I start, trying to think of the right thing to say. “I never thought my life could be this great. But you’ve made it that way.”

He lets out a breathy laugh, looking relieved. “Does that mean I can kiss you?”

I laugh with him. “Yes.”

He moves forward, gaze trained on me, and I lean in, my eyes drifting closed. The brush of his lips on mine is soft, and I feel like I’m both filling with warmth and shivering at the same time.

He lingers for only a moment, then pulls back, a huge grin on his face.

I kind of want more, but Jax is a gentleman, and I’m glad he doesn’t push.

All I know is I’m growing attached enough to Jax that I don’t want him to go anywhere for a very long time.