𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐏𝐎𝐕

The following morning, I find myself waking up at an unusually early hour, just as the first rays of sunlight began to peek through the windows of my bedroom. It's so early the sun is barely up, so why on Earth am I awake? It must be all the sleeping in I've been doing since being on vacation. Last night, Ana and I stayed up with Nora and watched hopeless romantic movies per Nora's request until she dozed off.

With heavy eyes I roll out of bed and trudge to the bathroom. I place my phone on the counter and lazily turn the shower head on, stepping into the already escaping steam. I let the hot water massage the knots that have appeared on the back of my neck as I attempt to rub them out. While I'm applying the pressure, my mind can't help but bring me to the memories of the previous night with Jax, and how upset I was to not be able to take it further.

As I'm reliving the moment of that kiss, I feel an incredible pressure building between my thighs, begging to be released. Unable to resist the urge any longer, I take the shower head off the holder, looking at it with uncertainty. I've read about people doing this in books, but I've never actually personally acted on it. I close my eyes, imagining the feel of Jax's soft lips on mine and the way it felt when his tongue danced with mine. I lower the shower head, and point it to where I feel sensitive the most between my legs. Just as it starts to feel good, a sudden, amplified vibration reverberates from the counter, startling me to the point of dropping the shower head as it sprays all around the shower.

Well. At least now I can say I attempted it.

After returning the shower head to the holder, I reach for my phone on the counter and answer the call not bothering to check who's calling.

"Hello?" I greet, confusion in my voice as to who would be calling this early.

"Hey, beautiful," Jax's voice echoes through my speaker. "Glad I'm not waking you from the sound of it."

I smile at the sound of his voice as I shut the water off and step out of the shower.

"I wanted to let you know I talked to Gareth and also wanted to run an idea by you," he adds.

"Okay, shoot," I say with skepticism evident in my voice.

"How about a back yard barbecue this afternoon? We'll bring the food and what not of course since it's last minute. Gareth wants to apologize to Nora," he suggests.

"I think a barbecue would be great. I'll see you in a few hours, then?" I say, trying to disguise the excitement in my tone.

"You'll see me in a few hours. Bye, Al," he says before ending the call.

I clutch the phone to my chest with a million butterflies swarming my lower stomach at the thought of him coming over again. Although, I am worried about what will happen with Gareth coming over. He better have one hell of an apology planned for Nora.

Walking back to my bedroom I look through my clothes deciding to wear my canary yellow sundress with a white bikini underneath since we're planning to spend time by the pool today.

I hurry downstairs and prepare a fruit salad before I have to convince Nora that this is a good idea and that she shouldn't spend the whole day in her bedroom, wallowing in her self pity. At least Gareth wants to apologize and everyone can go back to being civil and hopefully being friends again. I hate having to keep Jax and I a secret from my two best friends, but right now it's for the best.

By the time I finish cutting and assembling the fruit it's already eleven o'clock and the girls still haven't come downstairs. I debate going upstairs to wake them when I hear footsteps descending the stairs.

Nora comes into the kitchen as she stops in the entry way when she sees me putting the bowl into the fridge as I look over at her with a smile.

"How are you feeling?" I ask emphatically as I close the refrigerator.

"I'm okay," she says as she saunters over to the coffee pot. 

"How would you feel about having a barbecue today?" I ask her cautiously as I lean against the island, a weary look on my face.

Nora shakes her head in disbelief as she reaches for a coffee mug from the wooden cabinet and sets it on the counter. She stands there in silence as she grips the counter, and holds herself there for a few minutes before turning around to face me.

"I guess so, Allie. Just don't expect me to be friendly with Gareth. He destroyed my self esteem yesterday when he was hanging all over that girl. I know you're still infatuated with Jax, so I'm doing this for you. Not for him," she states firmly as she storms out of the kitchen without pouring herself a cup of coffee.

I feel selfish for suggesting a barbecue and acting as though she didn't have a choice. Not only that, but this vacation was supposed to be for the three of us and not revolve around the guys, but I can't help but want to spent my time with my friends and Jax, too. If that makes me seem a little self-centered, then so be it.

I open the sliding doors to the back patio and start laying out empty platters and utensils on the tables as Ana comes outside and joins me.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asks curiously as she takes a seat in one of the lawn chairs, wearing a one piece black swimsuit.

"I assume Nora told you?" I say as I set down another tray.

"She sure did," she answers, slipping on her sun glasses as she leans back, propping her legs on the chair on the opposite side of her.

As we wait for the guys to arrive, I lower myself and sit on the edge of the pool as I emerge my legs in the cold water, feeling the sensation as it playfully nips at my calves. I move my legs in rhythmic circles beneath the water's surface, losing myself in the soothing sounds of the lapping water. Suddenly, I hear the faint creak of the gate slowly open and close behind me.

With a warm smile, Casey walks through the gate, his hands filled with bags brimming with burger buns. "Starting without us?" he playfully asks.

I chuckle at the comment, standing slowly as I walk over to greet him. "Of course not," I reply, holding my hand out to take the bags.

Casey gives me a look like I'm crazy as he shakes his head with a chuckle. "I got it, Al," he says with a friendly smile.

I stand by the gate, looking out onto the roadway catching a view of Jax unloading cases of water from the trunk of his SUV while sharing a conversation with James. His baseball cap is on backwards today, making it so the sun dances across his face even from a distance. When he turns his head and steals a glance my way, a bright smile is strewn across his face as if he'd won the lottery, causing butterflies to swarm deep in my chest.

Opening the gate, I stroll down the walkway to meet Jax by the car as I take a look at what I can help unload.

"Hey, Al!" James exclaims, grabbing a few cases of beer from the trunk. "I'll bring these up and be right back," he says as he walks ahead to the backyard.

Jax stands at the back of the car as his bright blue eyes glisten as he turns, his mischievous smile plays across his lips before he leans in slowly and gently presses a soft kiss against my cheek. In that moment, my heartbeat nearly skips a beat.

"You look beautiful," he murmurs against my ear before pulling away.

A blush creeps up my cheeks as I instinctively cast my gaze downward with shyness, murmuring a quiet, "Thank you."

I turn around to check if there's more items to be brought up to the house when I run into a solid, tall frame.

"Sorry, Al. Was trying to grab a few bags to bring up," Gareth says sheepishly as he scratches the back of his neck, eyes drawn to the ground.

My eyebrows furrow with confusion as I struggle between feeling empathy for someone who appears remorseful for their actions, or being angry at the person who mistreated my best friend.

"That's okay," I ask, looking up at him. "What can I grab?"

"Oh, nothing," he replies, shaking his head. "I got it, thanks."

I give him a tight lipped smile as I slowly turn on my heels to walk away.

"Hey, Allie?" Gareth asks cautiously.

I turn around to face him again, using my hand to shield the sun from my eyes. "What's up?" I ask.

"How is Nora?" he asks as he leans against the car, his eyes still looking to down at the ground with shame.

"I think that's something you should ask her yourself," I say with a sympathetic smile as I turn and walk away to join the guys in the backyard.

By the time I step into the backyard, I'm greeted by the sight of a well-laid table. From the tantalizing spread of burgers ready for the grill, to the scrumptious pasta and potato salads, and the tempting selection of desserts, everything is perfectly arranged. What's even better is that I didn't have to lift a finger – they managed the entire setup without requiring any assistance from me.

Jax notices me walking through the gate as he meets my gaze and sprints over to me.

"I hope this is okay. We were a bit uncertain about what to bring to an American barbecue, so we looked up some recommendations on the internet," he says with a sheepish smile.

"It's perfect," I say with a wide smile, fighting back the urge to kiss him.

"Why don't you go relax and I'll start up the grill?" he says with a wink, turning to grab the burgers off the table.

I've never been in a situation where I was told to relax while someone else took charge of an ongoing party. I've always been the one handling all the preparations, from setting everything up to making sure the guests are looked after. It feels strange to be told to relax, so my mind naturally starts thinking of ways I can still help out in some way.

I head over to the patio table beside the grill to stay near Jax, ready to lend a hand if he needs it. Taking a seat in a chair, I find myself utterly captivated by the way he confidently maneuvers around the grill. His wide smile is infectious as he expertly flips the burgers with a metal spatula in hand. Caught in my gaze, he meets my eyes and winks while taking a sip of his beer. He grabs his phone off the side table adjacent to the grill as I hear my phone ding. I turn it over with a smile, knowing the message would be from Jax.

Jax: If you continue to look at me like that, I might just give you something worth gawking at, love.

Heat rushes to my face as I hurriedly turn my phone face down in my lap ensuring nobody sees the text on my phone. I look over at Jax who is chuckling to himself, flipping a burger.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Nora rising from her seat and making her way to the food table. Gareth trails closely behind, attempting to engage her in conversation despite her lack of response. I settle back against my seat, attentively monitoring the situation, prepared to step in if needed.

"Just leave me alone, Gareth!" Nora shouts.

"Let me explain, please!" he pleads.

"I think you've done enough," she replies as she goes to walk away before Gareth gently grabs her forearm.

I jump up from my seat, feeling a surge of anger deep in my chest as I feel an arm encircling my waist. "Let them work it out, Al," Jax murmurs in my ear.

I gaze up at Jax, my brows furrowed with uncertainty, as he tenderly kisses my temple and whispers in my ear, "trust me."

Gareth pulls Nora toward him, holding her close, and smooths her hair out of her face.

"Nora, I'm sorry I hurt you. I don't know what I was thinking. I want nothing but to continue to get to know you. We can't guarantee we will be forever, but I want to see where it goes for now, please," he begs.

"How romantic," I mutter to myself with an eyeroll.

Nora lets out a sob as she nods her head a few times and leans in as she connects her lips with Gareth's. They wraps their arms around each other as Gareth whispers into Nora's ear.

I'm happy for her, but the concern is still evident with how that apology played out. I just hope he means it, and will do right by her this time.