embrace, he didn’t let her, holding her hand tighter.
They didn’t exchange a word during the ceremony. Elle didn’t move a hair, afraid it would break the spell and Jack would remember he was a badass, in no need whatsoever of comfort. He was a badass, true, but whatever he was involved in was eating at him. He was tense and grim. Worn out, although he was standing stoically and would probably rather die than admit it. He needed the comfort, the human touch, even if it was just a small gesture, and damn if she wasn’t going to give it to him.
After Max and Annie were presented as husband and wife, everyone rushed to congratulate them.
Jack released his grip on her, and Elle moved to kiss the newlyweds.
When she turned around, Jack had already disappeared.
Chapter One
One and a half months later, Alden
Jack adjusted his tie, feeling uncomfortable as all fuck. The service at the chapel had been bad, but the mingling and the chitchatting at the reception was much worse. That it was a very informal one, barbecue-style, at James’s, didn’t make matters better. The other way around, actually. It made them chattier. He’d rather eat glass.
He couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there.
“What have I ever done to you to deserve this?” Jack muttered to James.
He hadn’t been back in the States forty-eight hours and he was already in Alden, neck-deep in babies, parties, and marital bliss. Under normal circumstances, this family fest would have been hard. In his present state, it was unbearable. He was still too raw inside. All he wanted was to be alone, drink himself unconscious, and zonk out for at least a week.
“Come on, man. You know I love you,” James said, laughing.
“Thank God. I don’t want to know what you would do to me if you hated me.”
Being back among normal people doing normal stuff was fucking hard. Not life-affirming. Just uncomfortable and pointless. Making him feel disconnected and more of an outsider. The small talk, the smiles. His stomach roiled at it all, but James was a persistent son of a bitch who had refused to see reason.
“You could have declined to be my son’s godfather.”
“And I would have if you’d told me who the godmother was,” Jack grumbled.
James chuckled. “No, you wouldn’t.”
True. Refusing wouldn’t have been an option for Jack. Whatever James would ask of him, he would do, no questions asked. And the motherfucker knew it.
“And I didn’t lie to you about the godmother,” James continued with a smirk. “You never asked. You must be losing your touch.”
True again. It was all this happy-happy, love-is-in-the-air, pink-marshmallow gooeyness around Jack that was melting his brain.
Alden and the Bowens were bad for his mental health.
“I told you I wasn’t up for this.”
“And that’s exactly why you need to be here,” James stated. “You need to be reminded of the good things in life. Get a haircut. Shave and go get laid.”
“Whatever.” Like it was that easy to unplug. He’d scrubbed himself bloody, but the stench of misery still stuck to him. It was difficult to wash away.
At that moment, one of the main reasons for his piss-poor mood tapped him on the shoulder.
“Come on, T-800,” Party Girl said from behind him. “The photographer wants a picture of Jonah with his godparents. I tried to convince him that the godfather is not really photogenic and might break the camera with his growls and shitty disposition, but he wants to risk it, professional that he is.”
Without waiting for a response, she briskly walked away.
James clapped him on the back. “As I said, the good things in life.”
“T-800?” That was a new one.
“Infiltration unit. Model 101, series 800,” James whispered. Then, probably realizing that meant nothing to Jack, added, “The dumbest of all terminators?”
It figured.
He’d been told many times he came across as threatening and unapproachable, that everyone was intimidated by him. He
They didn’t exchange a word during the ceremony. Elle didn’t move a hair, afraid it would break the spell and Jack would remember he was a badass, in no need whatsoever of comfort. He was a badass, true, but whatever he was involved in was eating at him. He was tense and grim. Worn out, although he was standing stoically and would probably rather die than admit it. He needed the comfort, the human touch, even if it was just a small gesture, and damn if she wasn’t going to give it to him.
After Max and Annie were presented as husband and wife, everyone rushed to congratulate them.
Jack released his grip on her, and Elle moved to kiss the newlyweds.
When she turned around, Jack had already disappeared.
Chapter One
One and a half months later, Alden
Jack adjusted his tie, feeling uncomfortable as all fuck. The service at the chapel had been bad, but the mingling and the chitchatting at the reception was much worse. That it was a very informal one, barbecue-style, at James’s, didn’t make matters better. The other way around, actually. It made them chattier. He’d rather eat glass.
He couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there.
“What have I ever done to you to deserve this?” Jack muttered to James.
He hadn’t been back in the States forty-eight hours and he was already in Alden, neck-deep in babies, parties, and marital bliss. Under normal circumstances, this family fest would have been hard. In his present state, it was unbearable. He was still too raw inside. All he wanted was to be alone, drink himself unconscious, and zonk out for at least a week.
“Come on, man. You know I love you,” James said, laughing.
“Thank God. I don’t want to know what you would do to me if you hated me.”
Being back among normal people doing normal stuff was fucking hard. Not life-affirming. Just uncomfortable and pointless. Making him feel disconnected and more of an outsider. The small talk, the smiles. His stomach roiled at it all, but James was a persistent son of a bitch who had refused to see reason.
“You could have declined to be my son’s godfather.”
“And I would have if you’d told me who the godmother was,” Jack grumbled.
James chuckled. “No, you wouldn’t.”
True. Refusing wouldn’t have been an option for Jack. Whatever James would ask of him, he would do, no questions asked. And the motherfucker knew it.
“And I didn’t lie to you about the godmother,” James continued with a smirk. “You never asked. You must be losing your touch.”
True again. It was all this happy-happy, love-is-in-the-air, pink-marshmallow gooeyness around Jack that was melting his brain.
Alden and the Bowens were bad for his mental health.
“I told you I wasn’t up for this.”
“And that’s exactly why you need to be here,” James stated. “You need to be reminded of the good things in life. Get a haircut. Shave and go get laid.”
“Whatever.” Like it was that easy to unplug. He’d scrubbed himself bloody, but the stench of misery still stuck to him. It was difficult to wash away.
At that moment, one of the main reasons for his piss-poor mood tapped him on the shoulder.
“Come on, T-800,” Party Girl said from behind him. “The photographer wants a picture of Jonah with his godparents. I tried to convince him that the godfather is not really photogenic and might break the camera with his growls and shitty disposition, but he wants to risk it, professional that he is.”
Without waiting for a response, she briskly walked away.
James clapped him on the back. “As I said, the good things in life.”
“T-800?” That was a new one.
“Infiltration unit. Model 101, series 800,” James whispered. Then, probably realizing that meant nothing to Jack, added, “The dumbest of all terminators?”
It figured.
He’d been told many times he came across as threatening and unapproachable, that everyone was intimidated by him. He
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