Page 89 of Jax & Knox

"You okay back there?" Jax's voice cuts through the spiral, gentle but concerned.

I force my lips into something that might pass for a smile and nod, even though I'm pretty sure I'm about to throw up. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Knox turns in the passenger seat, his hazel eyes narrowing as they sweep over me. He sees too much. He always does.

"You're a terrible liar," he says, his voice low and gruff.

"I'm not lying," I protest, but my voice comes out thin and unconvincing.

"Baby." Knox's tone drops into that register that usually makes my knees weak, but right now it just makes me want to cry. "Your hands are shaking, and you've been chewing on your bottom lip for the last ten minutes. You're nervous."

I look down at Owen in his car seat beside me. He's babbling happily, completely oblivious to the fact that his mother is spiraling into a full-blown panic attack. He's playing with the little toy truck Jax gave him this morning, making engine noises with his mouth, his chubby fingers gripping the wheels.

He's so innocent. So trusting.

And I'm about to drag him into a situation where we might not be wanted.

"I'm just…" I trail off, my throat tightening. I don't know how to put it into words without sounding pathetic.

"Just what?" Jax prompts, his voice still gentle.

The words tumble out before I can stop them. "What if they don't like me? What if they think I'm not good enough for you? What if they think I'm just some… some broken single mom who's using you guys?"

The truck slows.

My stomach drops.

"What are you doing?" I ask, panic spiking as Jax pulls over to the side of the road.

He puts the truck in park and turns to face me fully. Knox does the same, both of them looking at me with an intensity that makes my chest ache.

"Listen to me," Jax says, his green eyes locking onto mine. "My parents are going to love you. They're going to love Owen. And if they don't, which they will, then fuck 'em."

"Jax.”

"I'm serious, Ainsley." His voice is firm, leaving no room for argument. "You're ours. That's not up for debate. Not by them, not by anyone."

Knox reaches back and takes my hand, his thumb brushing over my knuckles in slow, soothing strokes. "You're not broken. You're not using us. You're the best thing that's ever happened to us, and my parents are going to see that the second they meet you."

"But what if⁠…”

"No what-ifs," Knox says, his voice leaving no room for doubt. "You're family now. And the Carters take care of family."

I swallow hard, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. I want to believe them. God, I want to believe them so badly it hurts.

"Okay," I whisper.

"Okay?" Jax asks, his expression softening.

"Okay," I repeat, nodding.

Jax grins and puts the truck back in drive. "Good. Now let's go meet the family."

The Carter family home is beautiful.

That's the first thing I notice as Jax pulls into the driveway, a large, two-story house with a wraparound porch and a perfectly manicured lawn. There are flower beds lining the walkway, bursting with color, and a swing hanging from a massive oak tree in the front yard.

It looks like something out of a magazine.