MAYA
The hug from Jax was warm, familiar, and completely unexpected. His arms wrapped around me tightly, almost desperately, as if he’d been holding onto something heavy and I was the only thing that could ground him.
I froze for a second, still raw from crying, before gently patting his back.
“Jax… hey,” I murmured, pulling away slightly. My voice was hoarse from all the tears.
“What are you doing here?”
He looked wrecked. His usually stylish hair was messy, eyes tired and a little red. He gave me a small, sad smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“I needed to see you,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry for just showing up like this. I didn’t know where else to go.”
Nicole appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel, eyebrows raised in surprise.
“Jax? Wow, okay… come in, b
