AFTERGLOW

PARENTS

*CHAPTER 3 — PARENTS*

She was trying to get him to fire her.

It was day 3. The desk inside his office, the apartment he paid for, the closet full of clothes she never asked for — it was too much. She needed him to be disgusted with her again, like high school.

So she went for the one thing she remembered about Ghost.

The rumors that his mom left. That his dad drank.

They were in the car, his driver up front, privacy glass up. Heading to a client dinner she didn't want to go to in the red dress he'd bought.

"You know what everyone said about you in school?" she said fast, before she lost courage. "That no wonder you were such a freak. Your mom didn't even want you. And your dad—"

The car went silent.

Jax didn't move at first. His jaw locked. Knuckles white on his knee.

Then he looked at her. Slowly.

That cold calm — gone.

"Say it again," he said, voice low. Too low.

Lena swallowed. "Jax, I—"

"Say. It. Again. About my mother."

"I just — everyone said she—"

He hit the intercom. "Stop the car."

The car pulled over on the dark side of the building garage.

He turned to her, caged her against the leather seat, one arm on either side, not touching her but close enough she could feel how angry he was shaking.

"You don't get to talk about them," he whispered. "You don't know anything about them."

"Then tell me—"

"My mother worked three jobs to keep me fed after he left. She died when I was 19. While you were posting prom pictures. My father didn't drink — he was in the hospital. You know nothing, Lena."

Her eyes filled. "I didn't know—"

"No, you didn't. You never asked. You just decided I was nothing. And now you're sitting in my car, in a dress I bought you, living in my building, eating food I pay for, and you still think you can hurt me the same way?"

He leaned closer, forehead almost touching hers.

"You want to be cruel to me? Be cruel to my face. Don't hide behind my parents."

He was breathing hard. So was she.

"You're right," she whispered. "I was a b***h. I am a b***h. So fire me."

He laughed, humorless.

"Fire you? For telling the truth about what you think of me? No, princess."

He reached past her and opened her door. Cold garage air hit her legs.

"Get out. Walk up to 42B by yourself. And when you get there, you'll find a photo of my mom on your nightstand. You're going to look at her every night and remember what you said."

He watched her get out, legs shaking in the red dress.

"And Lena? If you ever disrespect her again, I won't be this nice."