Never Knew

Chapter 3- The flashback

(Guys I promise the story will get juicy, I like a good build-up! indulge in the moments!)

Jax's POV 

My eyes go wide as she and Sophie get closer. What the fuck.

Sophie sees me right away, and her eyes widen. I can't decide whether to tell Ashton what occurred that night and how I know Evelyn, or to keep it to myself. What are the fucking odds that Evelyn used to live in my neighborhood, the neighborhood my parents resided in before I moved in with Ashton? I learn that, although Sophie remembers me, Evelyn fails to recall me when she introduces herself. Sophie's cries and sobs that night are something I doubt she will ever forget. Everything flashes back.

- - -

I'm walking around my neighborhood smoking a cigarette when I see a silhouette sitting down on the curb by a house. She looks really fucked up. 

"Hey, are you alright?" I ask her, putting out the cigarette and stepping on it as I make my way towards her. She looks about 17, with long chestnut-colored hair covering her face. She's slouched over, saying something under her breath. 

"Do you need help? Are you okay??" I ask again, but she's so incoherent I know I'm not getting an answer back this time once I step closer. 

"I don't want to keep doing this," She whispers. That's when she collapses in front of me and before her head could hit the floor, I grab her and start panicking. 

- - -

"She's beautiful," Ashton says, more to himself than to me after Evelyn walks over to the water. I don't know why that annoyed me, but I didn't let him see the hint of irritation on my face as I agreed with him in my head. Fuck, what is going on right now I think to myself as I see him walk over to her. I light up a cigarette as Sophie gets closer to me. 

"Are you going to tell him?" Sophie asks.

 I look at her, blowing out the cigarette smoke with a frustrated sigh. 

"She doesn't remember me Sophie, and honestly I rather keep it that way. I don't want to make her relive what we all went through that night, especially you." I sit back down, and she sits next to me in front of the fire. 

"You saved her life Jax-" She starts, and I cut her off.

 "No, I was at the right place at the right time, and I did what anybody with a soul would've done. Do you understand?" I snap at her and immediately feel guilty for being so harsh with her.

"I couldn't even save my best friend's brother, Sophie, that's something that will always stick with me. I should've done something, anything sooner." I look at her and now she has tears in her eyes. I know how hard that night was for Sophie, she thought she was never going to see Evelyn again. 

- - - 

Ashton's POV

The expression in her eyes told me that she wanted me to kiss her, and I wanted to. I just met this girl, therefore, I don't want to rush things. Now that I'm on her roof and the proximity between us isn't vast, she seems even more stunning. Her hair is brown with blonde streaks at the bottom, and tiny droplets are trickling down her back from the pool.

 I haven't been able to talk to anyone about my brother in so long for a second, for just a moment with her, the weight of the world stopped pressing down on my chest. I was so incredibly thankful for her inviting us over. I grab her hand and make my way to the middle of the rooftop and lay down pulling her a bit, so she lays down with me. 

- - -

Maybe this is just a distraction, but what if it's not?

There's something Jax isn't telling me, and I know it because I know him probably better than he knows himself, so what is he hiding and why? I caught him looking at Evelyn a couple of times, and when we were at the pool I caught them staring at each other. I didn't like that, especially after what Sarah had said. Something wasn't adding up but I'm not about to press him about it, I trust him. 

I'm lying in bed at home, reflecting on the night I just had. I wonder what she was thinking when Ally started flaunting herself to me the moment she met Evelyn. I'm intrigued by her and I want to know what makes her tick.  Everyone has a story, even the parts that they'll always keep secret count. Her green-blue eyes and the softness of her hand in mine during our comforting moment on her rooftop are impressions that I can't get out of my head. I can sense that girl is troubled. The manner in which she listened to my own troubles intently and expressed empathy for me, the way she sympathized. 

What Evelyn stated on the beach regarding her parents' need to relocate and their growing boredom with her brother's altercations while protecting her—and from what, exactly? Who hurt her? Who would wish to cause her damage? Even if all we do is hold hands in the reassuring way we did earlier tonight, I want to see her again and feel her touch. I'm such a moron; how could I have forgotten to acquire her number? DAMN IT.

That's when I hear my room door open and Ally barges in. "Hey, handsome." 

Who the hell let her in? 

 "Ally, what are you doing here? It's late, I'm tired you should go home and get some rest. Where's Sarah?" I asked, hoping she'd get the hint and leave.

"I dropped her off at her house she's fine," Ally answers, rolling her eyes at my question.

I used to screw about with Ally, but it was only because I was devastated by my brother's death and felt that it was my life's work to ruin myself by having hookups. The week of his funeral, Ally consoled me; one thing led to another. In addition, at that time in my life, I couldn't bear to be alone myself. She would claim that it didn't matter that she wanted me differently and that I allowed her to have it that way because I needed it at the time, but it was never anything serious and she knew I wasn't emotionally available.

She starts undressing herself and I stop her dead in her tracks.

 "No, we're not doing this anymore," I say holding her wrist gently, so she stops taking the straps off. Ally looks insanely offended at that and scoffs.

 "What you fancy Evelyn now or something? You don't even know that girl give me a break." She laughs with a hint of poison. "Hell, she'll never know you. Not really, not like I know you," she smirks, and I start getting angry knowing where this is going. 

"You don't know anything about her, and you've already decided you don't like her?" I ask irritated. 

"Oh honey, I may not know her, but I know she used to be a junkie slut. It's a small town, Ashton, moving from one part of it to the beach doesn't stop the gossip." 

Junkie slut? 

"Get out," I say calmly. "Ashton come o-"

"GET out," I half yell, not so calmly anymore. She takes one last look at me and slams my door on her way out. 'Junkie slut' are the words that keep repeating in my head for the next two hours. Now I know Jax knows something I don't because yeah Ally may be the queen of gossip but she's not a fucking FBI agent. Jax has some explaining to do.