“For fuck’s sake…” I mutter and let go of her.
“Yeah?” she calls.
Jax continues to sing the song as he opens the door, then stops dead as he sees me. “Oh. Hey, Jem.”
That bloody song. Jax sings it around Ruby a lot and I’ve yet to figure out whether he’s attempting to communicate something. I’m aware that he’s torn between not accepting her involvement with me and needing to hide this because of the role I have in his life.
Jax is shirtless, hair as damp as Ruby’s, every bit the rock star he’s morphing himself into. Ruby’s T-shirt barely reaches her thighs and if he doesn’t stop staring at her legs… Jax has his own chicks now; he can keep his eyes and mind off mine.
“Did you want the room?” I ask. “Got someone with you?”
“Nah. Not tonight, too tired. Besides, we’re celebrating with Ruby, aren’t we?”
“No, we’re not,” warns Ruby.
“Why? What happened?” I ask.
Ruby shoves her discarded dress in her bag and pulls her jeans on. “I’m tired too. Let’s go home, Jem.”
Jax crosses his arms and pulls his brows together. “It’s your birthday!”
“And we went through this last year; I don’t do birthdays!”
Jax looks at me and waves hand at Ruby. “Tell her!”
Ruby focuses on the wall over my head.
“Tell Ruby what? You can’t force Ruby to celebrate her birthday.”
“You knew?” he asks.
“No. But I don’t like celebrating mine, so I understand.”
“But it’s your twenty-first!” protests Jax, ignoring me. “At least have a drink with the guys.”
I recognise Ruby’s stance, the tension beginning in her stiffening shoulders, and spreading towards her hardening mouth. I get the brunt of this Ruby enough to know when to calm things down. But it’s her trembling hands as she puts her shoes on that worry me because I’m not entirely sure this is anger.
“Ruby doesn’t want to do anything,” I say. “Leave it.”
“Jesus, Ruby!” snaps Jax.
“If you hadn’t nagged me or mentioned my birthday I might’ve stayed, but you’re stressing me. I’m going home.” Ruby grabs her bag then pushes past him and he swivels his head to watch her go.
“But, Ruby…” Jax is rewarded with a one-finger salute given to him over her shoulder.
“How long have you known her?” I ask. “Long enough to understand Ruby doesn’t operate on the same level as you. This is a situation connected to her past and you pushed it!”
“What, so she’s like you? You understand each other?” he asks, voice laden with sarcasm.
“I understand the world is different shades and not black and white. Maybe when you grow up a bit, you will too.” I pause. “And yeah, we understand each other.”
Jax chews hard on his bottom lip, his silence telling.
“Spit it out,” I say.
“Don’t hurt Ruby.”
“We’re none of your business.”