𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐏𝐎𝐕

I awaken from my nap to the gentle sound of a soft knock on my bedroom door, which slowly creaked open, allowing a sliver of light to filter into the room. The lingering grogginess makes me feel as though I need a few more hours of rest to truly feel human again.     As I lay there, struggling to gather the strength to get up, Nora ambles into the room and sits on the edge of my bed.

    "Are you feeling okay?" Nora asks as she rubs small circles on my back.

    "Yeah. Just tired," I say, rolling onto my side.

    "I wanted to apologize for how I reacted earlier, I know you guys are just looking out for me," Nora says as she plays with the hem of her shirt.

    "It's okay, we get it babe," I reply.

    "I just like Gareth a lot, and don't want to think about him possibly not feeling the same way. I will be careful though, I promise," she says quietly as she stands from the bed. "You should get up though, we have to leave soon if we want to make it to Boston Common for six."

    "Yeah, I don't think I'm going," I say, sitting up in the bed to play with a fraying piece of fabric from the comforter.

    "How come?" Nora asks with a concerned expression.

    "I'm not feeling that great, I think I might try to go back to sleep."

    "Alright," she replies as she bends to hug me before walking to the door. "Just let me know if you need anything. You should probably let Jax know, he'll be disappointed you're not going."

    Yeah, I'm sure he'll be devastated, I think sarcastically.

I continue laying in bed for the next hour, trying to fall asleep again with no such luck. Rolling over in bed, I reach for my phone on the end table and checking for any messages to find a message from Ana.

Ana: Did that Carly bitch poison you?

I chuckle at the message and send a quick text letting her know I am fine, and surprisingly not poisoned. I check the time and find it's just about six o'clock, which means they should be at Boston Common by now.

I sit up in the bed and readjust my messy bun, dialing Trevor to talk to the girls before they go to bed.

"Hello?" Trevor answers on the third ring.

"Hey, just calling to say goodnight to the girls," I say excitedly.

"Oh, I'm sorry Al, they're already in bed," he says apologetically.

"At six o'clock?" I question.

"Yeah. They were outside majority of the day at my dad's, they fell asleep in the car on the way home. Do you want me to wake them?"

Yes.

"No, that's okay I can just check in tomorrow," I say, feeling disappointed.

We say our goodbyes as we end the call. Now that's twice I couldn't say goodnight to them. I know they're having fun and, more than likely, barely notice I'm gone with all the fun they're having. Rather than wallowing in self-pity, I decide to seize the opportunity to unwind. I can order pizza, watch a movie, and have a glass of wine in the jacuzzi. What's better than that?

I pick up my phone and order a pizza through an online platform with contactless delivery options. Even better, that means I don't have to change out of my robe. Getting up from the bed, I walk over to the dresser, slip on some fuzzy socks infused with aloe, and make my way down the stairs. Walking into the kitchen, I pull open the fridge doors as the light illuminates from inside, and grab a bottle of Moscato and a wine glass from the cabinet.     Shuffling my feet against the sleek wooden floor, I walk back to the couch and plop on the sofa as I click the television on and skim through the channel until I cave and put on my comfort show—Hell's Kitchen.

After thirty minutes has gone by and an entire episode has ended, I check my phone to see if there's an update from the delivery service I chose for my pizza delivery. This is why I don't try new apps, and prefer to order straight from the store. When you order straight from the store, you're guaranteed it's coming and that nobody decided to keep your bacon mushroom pizza. Just as I am dialing the store to check the status, there's finally a knock at the door. Good timing.

I jump up from my seat excitedly, ready to dig into something hot and cheesy as my stomach growls with anticipation. I peek through the window to see if the delivery person is gone and see a black car sitting in the dark driveway. I clicked contactless delivery; I wonder if the payment didn't go through or if I clicked the wrong option since it was my first time using it. I make my way to the front door as I carefully search through my purse resting on the table in the entryway, retrieving some cash just in case. I secure my robe tightly to ensure I'm not giving the driver a peep show.

I gently pull the door open, holding a handful of cash in one hand while the other is making sure my robe stays closed. As I peer my head around the cracked door, I see Jax standing under the front awning. The warm glow of the porch light highlights his handsome, smiling face as he stands there, holding my pizza in one hand and a plastic bag from the corner store in the other. I swear he looks more delicious right now than that pizza, but what is he doing here? I stayed home to distance myself, not to wind up alone with him in a big empty house.

"Since when did you start working for Doordash?" I ask jokingly as I pull the door open further.

"Ha ha, very funny. I found it sitting on the porch when I arrived" he mocks.

"So, you drove all the way here to ensure I brought my pizza inside?" I say with a raised eyebrow.

"No," he chuckles. "Ana said you weren't feeling well, so I figured I'd bring some stuff by," he says, lifting the plastic bag.

I open the door more, inviting him inside as I turn around and walk back to the couch and claim my spot again. Jax follows behind me as he sets the pizza and the bag on the coffee table and takes a seat next to me. He leans toward me as he removes the hair from my face and feels my forehead.

I struggle to maintain my distance as he sits close, his cologne drifting over to me, tempting me to give in to the desire I'm desperately trying to suppress. I swallow hard, pushing thoughts of him to the back of my mind, but it's getting increasingly difficult to resist. I clear my throat and snap back to reality, sitting up straighter as he removes his hand from my forehead.

Jax leans forward eagerly, reaching for the plastic bag and settling it in his lap.

"Ana didn't specify what was wrong, so I got the essentials," he explains as he starts unpacking the bag. "I got Gatorade, Ginger Ale, Pepto, Tylenol, and even a container of chicken noodle soup from Panera," he says as he lines them up on the coffee table. His face lights up with a warm smile, causing his eyes to crinkle at the sides.

Tears threaten to spill from my eyes as I blink rapidly, trying to control my emotions. I can't understand why he's being so thoughtful and kind. It makes me feel incredibly special, but at the same time, I wonder why someone would go to such lengths for someone they know won't be around for long. I only have three weeks left here, and he knows I have two daughters waiting for me back home.

Jax seems to notice, turning his body on the couch and looking at me head-on, his eyes filled with concern.

"Did I upset you, Allie? I'm sorry, I just wanted to make sure you had everything you needed," he expresses, carefully observing my facial expressions.

I sigh. "You didn't upset me, Jax. It's just that I wasn't expecting company," I explain, gesturing to my attire. "I appreciate the thought, I'm just trying to take control of how I feel and put a stop to whatever may or may not be happening."

"What may or may not be happening?" he asks, shaking his head with confusion.

"Look, I'm going to be honest with you," I say, shifting my body so I'm facing him now, taking a deep breath. "I realize you're here passing time while you guys are here for recording and this has been surreal for me, but I'm not that type of girl. I can't spend time with someone for a few weeks, and then go back home and pretend like nothing happened. Watching Gareth flirt with that waitress right in front of Nora made me see it clearly. I'm not used to your lifestyle of touring, overflowing attention from fans, and girls throwing themselves at you guys. I realize I'm just a Summer fling, and I hold myself higher than that."

"Summer fling?" he reiterates, shaking his head in disbelief. "Allie, Gareth's actions are separate from mine. Do you honestly believe I would dedicate my nights to texting you if I had other girls to message?"

"I don't know, I mean Gareth—" I start to say before Jax abruptly cuts me off.

He raises his hand to signal me to stop, "Can we please forget about Gareth? I can't control his actions. But I need you to look at me and honestly tell me if you think I would betray you like that. After all our conversations, do you truly believe I'd be searching for something better? When I defended you against Carly, was it just to win you over or because I genuinely believe that nobody should speak to you in that manner, as I mentioned at the mall?" he scoffs, his tone carrying a hint of hurt.

"I don't know!" I exclaimed, feeling a surge of frustration as I shrugged my shoulders. "I was really hoping that wasn't the case, but this situation is completely new to me, Jax! You haven't stated your feelings whatsoever. I started to think I might have been overanalyzing everything, which is why I chose to stay home tonight. I needed to create some distance to shield myself from the potential hurt in the end."

"I haven't expressed my feelings? I honestly didn't think I needed to come right out and say it. This is new for me too, Allie. Yes it's true we have fans give us their numbers but do you know what we do with them? We toss them," he says, shifting in his seat again, inching closer to me as he looks me in the eyes as I see a storm brewing behind his light blue eyes. "When I met you in that grocery store, you took my breath away. And when I saw you again at the meet-and-greet, I immediately recognized you and thought it was incredible the way you treated me like a normal person, even if you were a fan first."

"I'm sorry, okay?" I say, choking back tears. "I don't want to be hurt, again."

My eyes start to blink rapidly again, trying to hold back the tears that are welling up. I refuse to let them fall. It's only been a week, but this already feels like the aftermath of a painful breakup, even though I wasn't even with him.

Jax leans in closer, his eyes locking onto mine as he gently cradles my face in his warm hands, creating an intimate and intense feeling between us.

"I would never dream of causing you any harm, Allie. You've spent most of your life being selflessly attentive to everyone around you," he says gazing deeply into my eyes, his longing evident in the fiery intensity of his stare as it travels to my lips. The sensation leaves a warm, tingling feeling in the pit of my stomach, tempting me to simply let go. "I understand your hesitation, but I refuse to let you slip away that easily. Please, don't shut me out."

The tears start to fall as I close my eyes for a moment, allowing them to be free.

"You better not hurt me, Jaxon Owens," I whisper as I place my trembling hands on his arms while he continues cradling my face.

Jax's eyes widen in surprise as my words register. His lips gently curve upward into a small smile, tugging at the corners of his mouth as he reaches out and guides my face closer to his. Our lips crash together, moving in sync as they part, allowing us to savor each other's taste. The sensation overwhelms me with a powerful need, making me feel dizzy as my cellphone starts ringing on the table.

That can go to voicemail.

As Jax leans over me, his body drawing closer, he continues to kiss me while I run my hands through his hair, gently tugging on the ends. As his hands leave my face, they trace a path down my arms, still enveloped in the plush fabric of my bathrobe. Slowly, he glides his hands back up my arms, causing the robe to slip to the side, revealing the delicate lace of my bra as my phone begins to ring a second time.

Seriously? Take a hint.

Jax leans back, separating our lips as he looks at me with fierce longing.

"Should you get that?" he asks with a husky voice.

"No, it's fine," I reply slightly out of breath.

He gazes downward, taking in my bra as he lets out a soft groan. "Are you sure you weren't expecting me to stop by?" he teases, planting soft kisses along my collarbone.

I let out a brief laugh at his remark before I gently grasp his jaw and lead him back toward me, bringing our lips together once more. He gently places his hand on my arm and slowly guides the robe off my shoulder more while I wrap my legs around his waist. His lips move from mine as he brings them to my neck, as he sucks lightly, releasing a soft moan to escape from my lips. The sensation of my hands running down his back sends shivers down my spine as I slip them beneath his shirt, feeling the warmth of his skin. Gently, I begin to claw at his back, lost in the moment, until my phone rings once more, jolting me back to reality.

Okay, something might actually be wrong.

Jax hears the phone vibrating again as he supports himself with his arms. He reaches over and retrieves my phone from the coffee table, handing it to me. Looking down at the phone, I see Nora's name flashing across the screen. I quickly answer the phone, feeling a sense of worry.

"Hey, what's going on? Is everything okay?" I quickly ask, shifting under Jax to sit up more.

Nora's hysterical cries are the first thing I hear, "Allie, we need you to come get us."