Page 54 of Strong Side

1. Sweet Symphony - Joy Oladokun ft. Chris Stapleton

35

Finding Books?

Rockwell

It’s the end of April, and the tournament is so close I can practically taste it. The end of our senior year is creeping up on us fast, and with that comes finals. With that being said, Clay and I are in the library studying our little hearts out. Correction: Clay has been studying his heart out; I’ve just been staring at him, admiring each vein on the top of his hand that’s holding his pencil, the long thick lashes fanned over his cheeks as he reads, and wondering how I’ve gotten so lucky to be able to call him mine.

We’ve been living in our happy bubble, newly dating, winning games, and keeping up with schoolwork. Clayhasn’t brought up whatever happened outside of his apartment with his father nor have I asked him to. He will talk to me about it if and whenever he’s ready. I’m not going to lie, finding him unconscious on the floor scared the ever-living shit out of me. But once he came to, the light that showed in his eyes as he realized I was the one that was holding him—and what happened after—the way the two of us connected on an entirely different level was… it healed something inside of me that I didn’t even know needed healing. Yet, there’s still an ache inside of me. An ache so deep in my soul for him to have the love he deserves. I know I can give that to him, and so can my family.

“Where the hell is Jax at?” I ask, forcing myself to stay in the moment.

“I have no clue. He was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago.”

I grab my phone off the table and send out a text in our ridiculous group chat.

Rocky

Where the hell are you, Jax?

Clay grabs his phone off the table, too, not wanting to miss the opportunity to give his best friend shit.

Garotão

Even computer geniuses like you need to study, Jackson. Chop chop.

Clay’s text is nothing but jokes, but when I look over at him, he’s staring into the distance, concern etched across his face. “I really hope he’s okay. He’s been acting off the last couple of months. I chalked it up to him getting hurt his senior year, but I think it’s more than that.” Clay doesn’t need anything else to worry about on top of how his dad treats him, but that doesn’t mean I want him to ignore the clear signs that something has been going on with Jax.

It’s been the same old, same old as far as Charles Aldrich is concerned. When we win games, he leaves Clay the hell alone. But if we lose… or don’t absolutely demolish our opposing team, I have to have a pick-up order ready at Delectable Desserts. Sometimes, I don’t know if it’s the baking or Nancy’s sweet smile and Kevin’s groans of annoyance that put Clay in a better mood.

Keeping him away from his phone is my highest priority after losses, though. It shouldn’t be like this. A child shouldn’t want to avoid their father for the fear of crippling anxiety taking over from a simple text message.A child shouldn’t never speak or hear from their mother. As much as I’d love for my partner to have a relationship with their parents, I’ll never push Clay to put himself in that position. Not to mention, I’ll have a hard time ever laying eyes on Charles or Evelyn Aldrich again without saying something I shouldn’t. I have no kind words for people who treat their child the way they’ve treated him.

Jax

Pulling into the parking lot. And fuck right off, Clay. You wish you were as smart as me. *middle finger emoji

Jax comes strolling in a couple of minutes later, looking a little better than he has the last couple of times I’ve seen him. I haven’t known him well the past four years, always keeping to myself and avoiding people like him and Clay at all costs. But since I’ve been with Clay I’ve gotten to know his best friend a little bit better. Jax is usually chill and the life of the party, just like Clay, but where Clay is very much a “what you see is what you get” kind of guy, I know under that joking exterior, Jax is fighting some serious demons. I can see it in his eyes. What demons? I have no clue, and regardless of how close they are, I know Clay doesn’t either.

He sits down beside Clay, setting his backpack onto the table with a huff. “Never thought I would see you using the group chat,Rockwell.”

“I use it all the time now,Jackson, don’t start your shit with me.” I pin him with a glare before remembering why I had to get in the group chat in the first place. “And don’t change the subject. Why the hell were you so late?”

A smirk lines his lips. “Unlike you two… I don’t need to study. I had to install some new programs on my computer, and I got caught up watching…”

Clay tilts his head, and a knowing look crosses his face. “Watching what, Jax?”

“No one. It’s none of your business.”

Jax is a computer science major and probably one of the smartest fuckers I know. So, acting oblivious doesn’t exactly suit him.

I goad him, making sure to keep my tone hushed.“Oh, so it’s a person?” I look at Clay, and he’s practically staring a hole through Jax’s head. It’s then I realize there’s more going on that I don’t know about. And based on the tick in Clay’s clenched jaw, I’d assume he doesn’t approve of whatever is happening.

Clay breaks his stare with a frustrated sigh. “I’m going to find the book that I need for my marketing class.”

??1Clay gets up and heads toward the back of the library. As I watch him go, his perfect ass filling out his dark blue joggers, an idea comes to my mind. But first, I peek across the table at Jax and ask, “Jax. Seriously, are you okay? Are you in some kind of trouble? I can help.”

His face softens, and he responds with an exhausted sigh, “I’m fine, Rocky. I promise. I just have some shit going on. But nothing I can’t keep an eye on.” Taking him at his word I nod and stand from my chair. I don’t know what, or I guess who, he’s talking about, but it’s not my place to prod.

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