Jax's Little Obsession

Chapter 24

Jax’s Pov

I tossed the keys onto the passenger seat and looked at Maya, who was crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at me from across the car. We were parked outside the iron gates of a sprawling, neon-lit entertainment complex on the edge of the city. It was a private amusement park owned entirely by the Worth family, usually reserved for corporate events and VIP investors. Tonight, it was completely empty, glowing with thousands of colorful lights that reflected in Maya’s dark, curious eyes.

"So," Maya said, a teasing smirk pulling at the corner of her lips. "Are you going to tell me why the great Jax Worth is taking me to a luxury amusement park on a Tuesday night, or are we just going to pretend this isn't a date?"

I felt a muscle jump in my jaw, and I forced myself to look away from her smile. "It is not a date, Maya. I told you that. It’s simply... a tactical outing."

She laughed, a bright, musical sound that bounced off the dashboard and made my chest tighten in a way I still didn't know how to handle. "Right. A tactical outing. Because nothing says business like cotton candy and rollercoasters. You can call it whatever helps you sleep at night, Jax."

"I mean it," I muttered, opening my door and stepping out into the cool evening air. "Keep calling it a date, and I'll take you back to your dorm right now."

"You wouldn't dare," she shot back, stepping out of the car and walking right up to me, her chin tilted up in that defiant way that drove me half-crazy. "You brought me all the way out here. You're stuck with me."

She was right. I was stuck with her. And for the first time in my entire life, I didn't want a way out.

We walked through the gates into the massive, silent park. The rides were humming, the neon signs buzzed softly, and there wasn't another soul in sight. We didn't head for the high-speed coasters. Instead, we stopped at the rows of carnival game booths lining the central walkway. I figured I could easily win her something, show off a little competence outside of a boardroom, and remind her that I wasn't completely useless at physical challenges.

I was wrong.

Twenty minutes later, I was standing in front of a ring-toss game, glaring at a wooden block while Maya stood beside me, holding an armful of stuffed animals she had won with terrifying precision.

"How are you doing that?" I demanded, watching as she effortlessly tossed another plastic ring onto a glowing bottleneck.

Maya grinned, holding up a small plush dog she had just won. "Physics, Jax. You just have to calculate the rotational drag and the weight distribution. Didn't they teach you that in your fancy private schools?"

"They taught me how to run corporations, not how to win cheap toys," I grumbled, stepping up to the basketball hoop challenge. I rolled up my sleeves, focused on the rim, and threw the ball. It bounced off the backboard and missed completely.

Maya burst out laughing, stepping closer so her shoulder brushed against mine. The heat of her touch sent a shockwave straight through my veins. "Oh, wow. The mighty Jax Worth, defeated by a carnival basketball hoop. Do you want me to show you how it's done?"

"Shut up," I muttered, though I couldn't keep the corners of my mouth from turning up.

We spent the next hour walking through the park, arguing over stupid things like whether mechanics or engineers were more important, sharing a funnel cake that she insisted on shoving into my face until I had powdered sugar all over my sweater, and laughing until my ribs actually ached. It was bizarre. I had spent my whole life surrounded by people who laughed on cue, who smiled to get a promotion, and who treated every interaction like a transaction.

Being with Maya was messy, loud, and completely real. For the first time, I forgot about my father, I forgot about the Calloway board, and I forgot about the contracts holding us together. I just watched the way her eyes lit up under the neon lights, and realized I was completely, hopelessly hooked.

As the night started to wind down, we walked up to the highest point of the park—an old-fashioned observation deck that overlooked the glittering skyline of the city in the distance. We sat side by side on the wooden bench, our shoulders touching in the quiet dark. The distant hum of the city traffic was the only sound around us.

Maya looked out at the lights, her expression growing soft and thoughtful. She pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on her arms as she turned her head to look at me.

"Jax," she said softly, breaking the comfortable silence. "Can I ask you a real question?"

I turned my head, meeting her gaze in the shadows. "Ask whatever you want."

"Have you ever..." she paused, searching for the right words. "Have you ever actually had a normal relationship? Like, before all of this? Have you ever just cared about someone without turning it into a strategy?"

The question hung in the air, heavy and sharp. I looked down at my hands, feeling the familiar, cold walls of my upbringing trying to creep back in. I thought about the girls my father’s circle expected me to date—daughters of wealthy executives, polished, quiet, and entirely replaceable.

"No," I answered honestly, my voice rough. "I haven't. I never wanted one. People in my world don't do relationships. We do alliances. We do mergers. Caring about someone is just a liability."

Maya didn't look away. She kept her dark eyes locked onto mine, searching past all the armor I had spent my life building. The silence stretched between us, thick with everything we hadn't said yet.

She shifted closer, her voice barely a whisper above the night breeze. "And now?"

I looked at her—at the girl who had broken into my world, outsmarted me on the track, challenged my authority, and completely ruined my carefully planned life. My heart was hammering against my ribs, loud and fast, drowning out every logical thought in my head.

I reached out, my fingers gently brushing against her jawline, feeling the soft warmth of her skin beneath my hand.

"Now," I whispered, my voice dropping lower as I stared into her eyes, "I'm not so sure."