glad it happened. He was in dangerous territory and putting Paxton in a tight spot, asking her to choose between them.
Duke watched Jack turn and look at both of them. He smiled and headed towards Paxton. He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up into a kiss. He set her down and she looked at the floor, no doubt feeling guilty that moments ago, she was kissing Duke.
"Why are you two up?" Jack asked breaking the silence between the three of them.
"I was cleaning and woke Paxton up. I didn't know she was here," Duke quickly explained.
"You okay man?" Jack looked at him and Duke wanted to tell him he was, but he knew he wasn't.
"Yeah," Duke looked over at Paxton. "Just need to get my head on straight, figure out what's going on in my head."
"Wanna talk?"
"No, I'll be fine. I'm just going to head to bed soon. Waiting to switch my clothes over to the dryer."
"If you are sure, I think I'm going to head to bed. I couldn't sleep at the cabin by myself after Paxton's call earlier. Just decided to come over here."
"Yeah, you guys head back to bed. I'll be quieter."
He watched Jack as he turned and headed back towards their room, towing Paxton behind him. She continued to stare at Duke as Jack led her back. Duke saw her reluctance to go. Let her go. She chose him, not you. Don't do this, his conscience voiced. He took a deep breath in knowing that his conscience was right. Paxton chose Jack, she chose to keep information about his family from him, he should want nothing to do with her, but his heart said otherwise. He really did fall in love with her and that's what hurts the most. The fact that she lied to protect him, but then discarded him when Jack came back. His mind then brought Jennah to the forefront, which meant Ella was back on his mind. He hated this war going on inside of him. How can he possibly allow his heart to reach out again? It desperately wanted to go after Paxton, but at the same time was shattered because of the future he lost with Ella and now Jennah was slowly making her way in for unknown reasons. He heard the buzzer of the washer telling him his load was ready to change over.
SIXTEEN
Jennah was packing up things in her room. Moving weekend came faster than she thought. She was excited to have her own place with her daughter. She was finally making sense of the world around her. It had been far too long and she had depended on others over the last couple of years. She hated being a burden. She promised herself one day, despite all her setbacks, she would make something out of herself. She had to so she could give Dobry the best life possible. She had come a long way, but she had so much further to go.
"Aunt Jennah?"
Jennah turned and saw Chase in the doorway of her room. She decided now was a good time to take a break, "Hey kid, what's up?"
"I was wondering if you could come to the baseball team's awards night. It's this Friday. I want you and Mom to be there with me."
It warmed her heart that he wanted her there to help celebrate the team's season. They had a close bond over the last year and Chase was a sweet kid. Jennah knew it meant a lot to Chase that she be included in everything. "Sure, what time is it and where? I'm sure I would need a break by then since I'm starting to move to my new place. Dobry will be at the sitter's. Maybe she can watch Dobry for the event too."
"Friday, 7pm, at the Clarion ballroom. Coach said there would be signs."
"Great. I will be there kid as long as the sitter agrees to keep Dobry."
"When are you going to stop calling me kid?"
"Never," she chuckled. She rubbed her hand through his hair even though she was reaching up to do it. He batted her hands away trying to put his hair back in place.
"Jeez! I just spent ten minutes doing it for my group study tonight."
"Group study? You do your hair for that?"
He rolled his eyes and started out the doorway.
"Who
Duke watched Jack turn and look at both of them. He smiled and headed towards Paxton. He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up into a kiss. He set her down and she looked at the floor, no doubt feeling guilty that moments ago, she was kissing Duke.
"Why are you two up?" Jack asked breaking the silence between the three of them.
"I was cleaning and woke Paxton up. I didn't know she was here," Duke quickly explained.
"You okay man?" Jack looked at him and Duke wanted to tell him he was, but he knew he wasn't.
"Yeah," Duke looked over at Paxton. "Just need to get my head on straight, figure out what's going on in my head."
"Wanna talk?"
"No, I'll be fine. I'm just going to head to bed soon. Waiting to switch my clothes over to the dryer."
"If you are sure, I think I'm going to head to bed. I couldn't sleep at the cabin by myself after Paxton's call earlier. Just decided to come over here."
"Yeah, you guys head back to bed. I'll be quieter."
He watched Jack as he turned and headed back towards their room, towing Paxton behind him. She continued to stare at Duke as Jack led her back. Duke saw her reluctance to go. Let her go. She chose him, not you. Don't do this, his conscience voiced. He took a deep breath in knowing that his conscience was right. Paxton chose Jack, she chose to keep information about his family from him, he should want nothing to do with her, but his heart said otherwise. He really did fall in love with her and that's what hurts the most. The fact that she lied to protect him, but then discarded him when Jack came back. His mind then brought Jennah to the forefront, which meant Ella was back on his mind. He hated this war going on inside of him. How can he possibly allow his heart to reach out again? It desperately wanted to go after Paxton, but at the same time was shattered because of the future he lost with Ella and now Jennah was slowly making her way in for unknown reasons. He heard the buzzer of the washer telling him his load was ready to change over.
SIXTEEN
Jennah was packing up things in her room. Moving weekend came faster than she thought. She was excited to have her own place with her daughter. She was finally making sense of the world around her. It had been far too long and she had depended on others over the last couple of years. She hated being a burden. She promised herself one day, despite all her setbacks, she would make something out of herself. She had to so she could give Dobry the best life possible. She had come a long way, but she had so much further to go.
"Aunt Jennah?"
Jennah turned and saw Chase in the doorway of her room. She decided now was a good time to take a break, "Hey kid, what's up?"
"I was wondering if you could come to the baseball team's awards night. It's this Friday. I want you and Mom to be there with me."
It warmed her heart that he wanted her there to help celebrate the team's season. They had a close bond over the last year and Chase was a sweet kid. Jennah knew it meant a lot to Chase that she be included in everything. "Sure, what time is it and where? I'm sure I would need a break by then since I'm starting to move to my new place. Dobry will be at the sitter's. Maybe she can watch Dobry for the event too."
"Friday, 7pm, at the Clarion ballroom. Coach said there would be signs."
"Great. I will be there kid as long as the sitter agrees to keep Dobry."
"When are you going to stop calling me kid?"
"Never," she chuckled. She rubbed her hand through his hair even though she was reaching up to do it. He batted her hands away trying to put his hair back in place.
"Jeez! I just spent ten minutes doing it for my group study tonight."
"Group study? You do your hair for that?"
He rolled his eyes and started out the doorway.
"Who
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