hand on his back. “Tell me,” he urged.
“About a month after Emma was born he admitted that he’d been cheating on me for months.”
Jax closed his eyes as he imagined the pain and betrayal Dane must have felt.
“He didn’t know exactly how many men there’d been but he swore he only loved me. I threw him out and told him I never wanted to see him again.”
Jax felt Dane’s tears against his skin and he wished in that instant that he hadn’t made Dane do this.
“I ignored his calls for a few weeks. When I finally did talk to him I told him I was going to file for divorce but that we would share custody of Emma. He begged me to meet him at this diner we used to go to every week when we were dating and I agreed. He kept telling me how much he loved me and how sorry he was. I told him it was too late, gave him his options for being a part of Emma’s life after the divorce and left. I was at my car when I heard the first gunshot.”
Dane buried his face in Jax’s chest as he began to cry. “He was coming after me when he heard a man screaming at his wife. Isaac tried to intervene and the man shot him in the chest. Then he shot his wife and then himself. I tried to stop the bleeding but it was too late. He told me he was sorry and then he said he loved me and then he was gone. I didn’t even get a chance to forgive him!”
Jax dragged Dane further up his body and held him as the other man sobbed. “I’m sorry,” he whispered against Dane’s ear as he held him tight. He just kept repeating the words over and over until Dane quieted and eventually fell asleep in his arms.
***
Jax packed up the rest of his clothes and took one last look at the empty bed before leaving the room. He wasn’t sure at what point Dane had left this morning but waking up alone had been a good reminder that what had happened between them had been a one-time thing and his life would finally get back to normal today. He was certain the knot of pain in his chest would ease the second he hit the highway and would be a distant memory by the time he reached Seattle.
Jax glanced in Emma’s room as he passed and saw that it was empty. He’d ended up sleeping in longer than he usually did since he’d stayed awake long after Dane had finally fallen back asleep. He also suspected Dane had been extra quiet in sneaking out of his bed so there wouldn’t be that awkward moment where Dane would have to tell him it had been fun and then wish him a safe journey home.
“Should we go visit Kirby today?” Jax heard Dane say. He rounded the kitchen and stopped short at the sight of Dane sitting in front of Emma’s high chair. Every time he reached out to pretend to tickle his daughter, a big smile split her tiny mouth and she’d laugh before Dane even touched her. Jax leaned against the doorframe and realized it would be these moments he’d miss the most.
Dane must have sensed his presence because he glanced over his shoulder and quickly stood. Heat flooded his cheeks and Jax wasn’t sure if it was because the man was embarrassed to be caught playing silly games with his daughter or because he was thinking about the things they’d done together last night.
“Morning,” Dane said as he began cleaning up the breakfast he’d been feeding Emma.
“Morning.” Jax glanced at his watch. “Rhys should be here soon so I’ll head out once he gets here. I’m just gonna go pack up my car,” he said. Packing up his car really only consisted of putting his bag in the trunk but he wasn’t about to extend the awkward moment between him and Dane by waiting in the house.
“He’s not coming,” he heard Dane say as he opened the side door. He stilled and looked up.
“What?”
“Rhys isn’t coming. I called and told him not to,” Dane said, his voice slightly higher than normal.
“Why did you do that?” Jax asked in irritation. Was Dane really going to choose this moment to be stubborn? When he literally had his foot out the
“About a month after Emma was born he admitted that he’d been cheating on me for months.”
Jax closed his eyes as he imagined the pain and betrayal Dane must have felt.
“He didn’t know exactly how many men there’d been but he swore he only loved me. I threw him out and told him I never wanted to see him again.”
Jax felt Dane’s tears against his skin and he wished in that instant that he hadn’t made Dane do this.
“I ignored his calls for a few weeks. When I finally did talk to him I told him I was going to file for divorce but that we would share custody of Emma. He begged me to meet him at this diner we used to go to every week when we were dating and I agreed. He kept telling me how much he loved me and how sorry he was. I told him it was too late, gave him his options for being a part of Emma’s life after the divorce and left. I was at my car when I heard the first gunshot.”
Dane buried his face in Jax’s chest as he began to cry. “He was coming after me when he heard a man screaming at his wife. Isaac tried to intervene and the man shot him in the chest. Then he shot his wife and then himself. I tried to stop the bleeding but it was too late. He told me he was sorry and then he said he loved me and then he was gone. I didn’t even get a chance to forgive him!”
Jax dragged Dane further up his body and held him as the other man sobbed. “I’m sorry,” he whispered against Dane’s ear as he held him tight. He just kept repeating the words over and over until Dane quieted and eventually fell asleep in his arms.
***
Jax packed up the rest of his clothes and took one last look at the empty bed before leaving the room. He wasn’t sure at what point Dane had left this morning but waking up alone had been a good reminder that what had happened between them had been a one-time thing and his life would finally get back to normal today. He was certain the knot of pain in his chest would ease the second he hit the highway and would be a distant memory by the time he reached Seattle.
Jax glanced in Emma’s room as he passed and saw that it was empty. He’d ended up sleeping in longer than he usually did since he’d stayed awake long after Dane had finally fallen back asleep. He also suspected Dane had been extra quiet in sneaking out of his bed so there wouldn’t be that awkward moment where Dane would have to tell him it had been fun and then wish him a safe journey home.
“Should we go visit Kirby today?” Jax heard Dane say. He rounded the kitchen and stopped short at the sight of Dane sitting in front of Emma’s high chair. Every time he reached out to pretend to tickle his daughter, a big smile split her tiny mouth and she’d laugh before Dane even touched her. Jax leaned against the doorframe and realized it would be these moments he’d miss the most.
Dane must have sensed his presence because he glanced over his shoulder and quickly stood. Heat flooded his cheeks and Jax wasn’t sure if it was because the man was embarrassed to be caught playing silly games with his daughter or because he was thinking about the things they’d done together last night.
“Morning,” Dane said as he began cleaning up the breakfast he’d been feeding Emma.
“Morning.” Jax glanced at his watch. “Rhys should be here soon so I’ll head out once he gets here. I’m just gonna go pack up my car,” he said. Packing up his car really only consisted of putting his bag in the trunk but he wasn’t about to extend the awkward moment between him and Dane by waiting in the house.
“He’s not coming,” he heard Dane say as he opened the side door. He stilled and looked up.
“What?”
“Rhys isn’t coming. I called and told him not to,” Dane said, his voice slightly higher than normal.
“Why did you do that?” Jax asked in irritation. Was Dane really going to choose this moment to be stubborn? When he literally had his foot out the
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