Jake snapped and then they gave each other a side high-five that led into a weird bro hug, and I shifted to keep from laughing.
Once Jake walked down the hall and Dax turned back to me, he smiled and asked, “What are you laughing about?”
“You guys tend to have the weirdest ways of saying goodbye.”
“Please. And girls don’t?” His voice changed, going an octave higher. “Goodbye. Oh wait, I forgot to tell you a minute-by-minute replay of my day.” He had to stop because he was laughing too hard to keep up the change in his voice.
I was laughing so much that I had to draw in long breaths. I reached out to steady myself, holding on to his arm. Wow, he was a lot stronger than I thought.
“Kate, what are you still doing here? Don’t you have an appointment or something?”
I sighed. Mom.
I dropped my hand and turned. “Hi, Mom. I’m just thanking Dax for his help with math. Because of him, I got 100% on my pop quiz today.” I turned and gave him an excited grin, melting a little at his surprised expression.
“Really?” Dax said, his voice a bit choked.
I nodded and turned back to my mom. “I think that’s pretty awesome, don’t you, Mom?”
Her lips were pinched together, her eyes giving Dax a once-over from top to bottom. A few awkward seconds later, she nodded. “Yeah, that’s really great. Especially since you’ve been having a lot of trouble with math this year. You must be Dax Stratton, right?” She took a few forced steps forward, her hand extended toward Dax.
He nodded and shook her hand lightly. “Yes, ma’am.” The way he dipped his head in sign of respect made my insides flutter.
“Thank you for helping my daughter. I have to run to another meeting, but don’t be late for dinner tonight, Kate. We’ve got a lot to discuss about the school events coming up before Christmas.” She waved goodbye, and I closed my eyes, blowing out a deep breath.
I opened them back up and turned toward Dax, whose eyes locked on mine, sending some kind of soothing energy through me. “Sorry about my mom. She can be a little…”
“Intense?” Dax finished, his eyebrow raised as he glanced in the direction she’d gone. Probably hoping she didn’t pop out of the shadows.
“Yeah, she’s been like this ever since my dad died.” I glanced down at my feet, tracing the small style of the carpet.
His hand touched my bicep lightly, and I looked up, seeing the emotion playing on his face. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea you’d lost your father.”
I shrugged. “Not too many do. He died in a car accident when I was nine. My mom remarried Bill about four years ago, and things have gotten a little better now that she doesn’t have to work such long hours, but it seems her intensity is now in torturing me.”
“I bet it’s hard, but I’m sure she just wants you to know she’s there and that she cares. I’d give anything to talk to my mom again.” He gave me a small smile, and I felt even more guilt than I had when my mom first walked away.
“Great, now I feel like a jerk.” I chewed on my bottom lip, hoping to fend off the surging emotions playing in my throat and eyes. It had been hard to lose my dad, but that felt like so long ago now that the feelings had been soothed somewhat, whereas Dax had just lost his mother a year ago. “I’m sorry.”
Dax wrapped his arms around me and pulled me toward him. My five-foot height reached his lower chest, and if I hadn’t been so sad, I might have found it funny. The fresh, clean smell of him only aided in helping me feel more comfortable, something I hadn’t taken the time to enjoy with any other guy in school. Relationships had always been a no-no with my mom. She said high school was a time to experience as much as I could, and then I could think about having a boyfriend once I got to college.
But the more time I spent with Dax, the more I wanted to be around him. His persona was completely different than I’d expected, especially since all the rumors I’d heard about him were that he was some arrogant baseball jerk who went out and hooked up with every girl around.
From what I’d seen of him, he was quite the opposite. He hadn’t been a jerk to me and actually treated me like a gentleman would, something not many of the high school guys at Rosemont would do.
“I didn’t mean it like that, Kate,” Dax said, and I loved the way he said my name, really deep. “I just meant that families can get on our nerves, but we understand how much we need them once they’re gone. I try to keep that in mind when my dad comes home on the weekends. Sometimes I think it would be easier for him to stay away, but he has his own issues. He lost the love of his life when my mother passed away.”
I stepped back and smiled, wiping at a stray tear streaking down my cheek. “Thanks. Yeah, I get what you mean. Sometimes those experiences make it hard to see past their quirks.”
“Are you okay?” he asked, using his thumb to wipe another tear. The care he showed only caused those butterflies to flap wildly in my stomach.
I shook my head and then nodded. “Yeah, sorry. I’ll be good. Thanks for the chat.” I tilted my head back and grinned at him. “I’ve got a date with your sister to the store after I run to an appointment at this, uh, service place.” I hesitated, hoping he didn’t hear that last part. “Good luck at work.”
I walked down the hall, turning back as I got to the stairs. He still stood there, his expression a mixture of confusion and happiness.
So many emotions played through me when it came to Dax. His reputation versus the guy he was in real life. Such a contrast that I hoped I wasn’t starting to have feelings for the guy I’d heard about instead of the one I was coming to know.
Chapter 13