Page 123 of Jax & Knox

"Sometimes," I admit. "But not as much as I used to."

"Does it still scare you?" she asks.

"Not like it did," I say. "I mean, I still have nightmares sometimes. I still flinch when someone raises their voice. But it's different now. I'm different now."

"How?" Hadley asks.

I think about it for a moment.

"I used to think I was broken," I say slowly. "Like Justin had taken something from me that I'd never get back. But I'm not broken. I'm scarred, yeah. But scars are proof that you survived. That you fought. That you won."

Tessa reaches over and squeezes my hand. "Damn right."

"And I have you guys," I add, my voice thick. "I have Jax and Knox. I have Owen. I have this whole family that chose me. That loves me. That makes me feel safe."

"You are safe," Lucy says softly. "You always will be."

I nod, blinking back tears.

"Okay, enough of the heavy stuff," Tessa says, wiping at her own eyes. "Let's talk about the party tonight. I heard Mason is doing a speech."

"Oh God," Scarlett groans. "He's going to make everyone cry."

"Probably," Hadley says, laughing.

By the time we get to Perdition, the sun is starting to set.

The parking lot is already packed with bikes, and I can hear music and laughter coming from inside.

We walk in together, and the place is buzzing with energy.

The bar is decorated with string lights and flowers. There's a long table set up with food, and the jukebox is playing classic rock.

I spot Jax and Knox immediately.

They're standing near the bar with Steele, Tiny, and Cole, all of them laughing about something. Owen is on Knox's hip, playing with the chain around his neck.

When Jax sees me, his face lights up.

He crosses the room in a few long strides and pulls me into his arms, kissing me deeply.

"Missed you," he murmurs against my lips.

"I was only gone a few hours," I say, laughing.

"Too long," he says.

Knox appears beside us, Owen still in his arms. "You have fun?"

"Yeah," I say, reaching up to kiss him too. "It was perfect."

Owen reaches for me, and I take him, holding him close.

"Mama, look!" he says, pointing at the lights.

"I see, baby. They're so pretty."

The party is everything I hoped it would be.