Page 70 of Switch

"Jax," she breathes, voice wrecked.

I move slow, deep, wanting to drag out every second of this. It’s not just sex—not just getting lost in the heat of the moment. It’smore. Every touch, every kiss, every movement means something.

I grip her hips, rolling into her, watching the way she falls apart beneath me, the way her lips part on a broken moan, how her hands grip onto me like she’s afraid I’ll slip away.

"Baby, I’ve got you," I murmur against her lips.

She nods, her breathing ragged as she clings to me, and I swear, nothing has ever felt more right than this moment.

Her body tightens around me, and I can feel her getting closer, feel the way she trembles beneath me.

"Let go," I whisper, kissing her slow and deep, dragging my hand up to lace my fingers through hers.

She does, her body tensing, her breath catching as she falls apart, and fuck, I follow right after, burying myself inside her, groaning against her mouth.

I don’t pull away.

I stay right there, pressed against her, her skin damp with sweat, her heartbeat hammering against mine.

Her fingers slide over the back of my head, gentle, slow, like she’s memorizing the feel of me.

She whispers, "I love you."

I press a kiss to her jaw, then her lips.

"Love you too, baby," I murmur.

TWENTY-FOUR

BELLA

It’s beena slow afternoon at the clinic, but Amelia hasn’t said much. She keeps shifting in her chair, drumming her fingers against the desk instead of actually doing her work. Finally, she sighs and looks over at me. “This is going to be a weird question, but have you heard from Mike?”

My stomach tightens. I blink, keeping my expression neutral. “Mike?”

She nods, rolling her eyes. “Yeah. No one’s heard from him in weeks. His mom’s freaking out, keeps calling me like I’m supposed to know where he is. He’s probably off somewhere with some girl, screwing around and avoiding responsibility.”

I force out a small laugh, even though the pit in my stomach only gets heavier. That’s not what happened. Mike’s gone. And he’s never coming back. And after what Mike tried to do—what Iknowhe was planning—I don’t feel bad. Not for him. Not even a little.

But Amelia and her family? They don’t know that side of him. To them, he’s just missing, and they’re left wondering. That part? That part makes me feel awful.

I clear my throat, forcing my voice to stay even.“Yeah… maybe.”

She sighs, shaking her head.“I swear, if he pops back up in a year with some sob story about how he ‘needed to get away,’ I’m going to kick his ass.”

I smile weakly.“I hope everything’s okay.”It’s the only thing Icansay.

She doesn’t look convinced, but she nods.“Yeah. Me too.”

I think back to when Jax told me what happened. It wasn’t some big dramatic confession. No guilt, no hesitation—just a simple statement, like he was telling me the weather. Like he needed me to know, but not in a way that asked for my approval.

It scared me. Not because I didn’t understandwhyhe did it. But because it made everything real. Mike wasn’t just gone—he washandled.But more than anything… I was thankful. Thankful Jax saved me from whatever fucked-up plan Mike had. Thankful I never had to find out what he was truly capable of. Thankful that when I needed someone to protect me, Jax didn’t hesitate.

I should feel worse about it. Maybe a part of me does. But at the end of the day? I’d rather live with the weight of this secret than with whatever nightmare Mike had planned for me.

The sound of pins crashing echoes through the bowling alley, followed by a loud, triumphant cheer from Bri. She jumps up, pumping her fists in the air like she just won a damn championship.

“Hell yeah! That’s how it’s done!” she shouts, spinning on her heel to flash me and Brooke a smug grin. “You guys should really take notes.”

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