Chapter Sixty One

Boston

*Two weeks later*

Folding a pair of jeans, I place them next to the other pairs that I've folded, then reach for one of my shirts as the wrap of knuckles against my open door startles me.
Looking over my shoulder, I find Linc making his way over to stand next to me, Jax and Dal following behind him.
Jax plops down on the only unoccupied corner of my bed, as Linc and Dal reach out, each picking up an article of clothing, then proceeding to fold it.
"I can't believe he's actually making you guys move out," Linc says, heaving a heavy sigh.
"I can't believe that you two were stupid enough to get caught fucking. I mean, in the game room—come on, Bos!" Jax says with a snicker. "We both know that you're smarter than that."
"Maybe when he's not thinking with his dick, he is." Dal teases. "And then to get caught again after talking Dad and Ashlynn into giving him a second chance." He shakes his head, snickering as he grabs another shirt and begins folding it.
"I didn't know that he meant that I couldn't even *kiss* my girlfriend while under his roof." I say in defense of our actions, "We weren't doing anything nefarious."
"Still," Jax says, snorting a laugh.
Heaving a sigh, I shake my head, "It is what it is." I say, shrugging my shoulders as if it doesn't bother me in the least, and begin putting the folded clothes in the box with the others that I had already placed into it.
"I can't believe that Aspen agreed to go with you. She *just* moved in here, and after everything—aren't you two moving kind of fast?" Linc asks after a few moments of silence.
"It's my decision," Aspen says suddenly from the doorway of our bathroom. "I'm just as much at fault for what happened as what he is. He shouldn't be the only one to have consequences."
Coming to my other side, she wraps her arms around my waist and lays her head against my chest. "Besides, we have wasted too much time being apart already. I want to be wherever Boston is at."
I love knowing that she will be with me, that she's ready and willing to take this step with me.
The phrase *When one door closes, another door opens,* taking on a whole new meaning.
I never imagined when I closed the door of Ashlynn and Aspen's loft the day that we had moved them out, thinking about how we were closing the door on that chapter of our life, that we'd be beginning this new chapter of our lives by moving into our own place together, but I'm not complaining. Even if it does suck with how everything came about, as well as the fact that we will have to drive half an hour to and from school every day—which I am in no way looking forward to, but I get to have her all to myself every morning and night.
I couldn't ask for more.
"I love you," I tell her, leaning down to place a kiss against her hair.
"And I love you." She says, looking up at me from beneath her lashes. After a few silent moments, one of my brothers clears his throat, which brings us out of our little moment we had been having.
"I'm all packed. Are you about ready?" She asks with a cheeky smile.
I glance around my room, taking note of the bare shelves lining my walls, the posters of football players still lining the walls that I have no interest in taking with us, and the place where my TV and empty dresser currently sit until Dad gets back with the moving truck for the big stuff—beds, dressers, the couch that Ashlynn found on sale last weekend, a TV stand and coffee table—and realize that I am ready.
"Yeah, just finishing up this last box," I say, placing one last shirt inside and then folding the top up.
"We could always move out now, too. If you wanted us to, ya know?" Linc says, nudging me with his elbow. "There's plenty of space in that house that Dad found for you guys."
"Do you really think that they would rather have the house full of all three of Boston's brothers every night, instead of having the place to themselves for the next several months? Or at least until we move in before classes start in the fall?" Jax remarks sarcastically. "You do realize that this way they can fuck like bunnies whenever, wherever, and however they want. They can be as loud as they want, and they won't have to worry about anybody walking in on them or hearing them."
"Alright, alright. That's enough." I say, butting in before an argument breaks out.
Aspen shifts awkwardly next to me, removing her arms from around my waist and folding them over her chest in a protective stance as if shielding herself from whatever insults Jax may decide to spout off next.
I don't know what the fuck Jax's problem is, but he has been one surly son of a bitch ever since Aspen came back into our lives. Hell, maybe he's been one since even before that, but I wouldn't know. I was too caught up in my own shit to notice.
"Come on now. " I say, trying to lighten the mood in the room. "You guys will be there every chance that you guys get anyway, and we all know it."
"Nah, I've got better things to do than hang out with you two." Jax retorts with a look of disgust.
"What the fuck?" I snarl, rounding the corner of the bed until I'm leaning over Jax, getting up in his face, "Apologize." I say, pointing at Aspen.
He just glares at me.
"Fuck you!" Jax shouts, shoving me out of his face and getting up off of the bed. He turns around, smacking me on the back of my head, and then makes for the door. Fortunately, with all the extra workouts and training that I've done over the last several months, I react faster than he expects and tackle him to the ground.
"What the fuck is your problem man?" I growl. He tries bucking me off of him, but I adjust my hold on him and put my knee in the middle of his back.
"You!" He growls, still bucking, trying to knock me off of him. "*You* are my fucking problem!"
"Why? What the fuck did I do now?" I ask, pushing down with my knee and putting more of my weight onto him.
"Just go on and live your perfect little life, with your perfect little girlfriend and leave us all the fuck behind. You know that you want to."
"Is that what this is about?" I ask, slowly moving off of him and moving so that I’m sitting next to him, hoping that he will allow a truce instead of taking advantage of the mercy that I'm showing him and pinning me down to the ground this time.
"I'm sorry that we fucked up and got kicked out. Like I said, I didn't realize that kissing my fucking girlfriend was against the rules." And I really am, it's not just a line. I do feel guilty about getting us kicked out, about leaving my brothers behind. But I'm also really looking forward to having my own place with Aspen.
Starting our lives together.
"It's not fucking about that!" He snarls, spittle flying from his mouth with each word spoken.
"Then what the hell is this about?"
"It doesn’t even matter." He whispers with a shake of his head, suddenly sounding so damn broken.
"Jax..." I whisper, not having expected that response at all.
"Just—forget about it." He says with a sigh, getting up and attempting to leave once again.
"No, I'm not going to forget about it." I say, rushing around to the front of him and wrapping my arms around him, and whisper, "Talk to me."
"You wouldn't understand." He says, shrugging and then trying to shove me off of him.
"Try me."
"I-I...I can't do this right now." And with that, he shoves me off of him. I stand there, watching him as he takes off down the hallway and then descends the stairs. A few moments later, I hear the front door slam shut behind him.
Aspen comes up to stand behind me, wrapping her arms around my torso and resting her cheek against my back. "I'm worried about him." She murmurs, her voice soft.
"I am too," I tell her honestly. "Do either of you know what's going on with him?" I ask, turning my head in the direction of Linc and Dal who are still standing next to my bed, finding matching worried expressions on their faces—likely mirroring that of my own.
They both shake their heads, but Dal is the one to speak up. "Whatever it is, I think it's something that's been festering for quite a while now."
And unfortunately, I have to agree with him on his assessment of that.



This is the end of Boston and Aspen's book, but don't worry because this is *not* the last that you will see of them.
Read on to find Lincoln's book and read all about him and Raleigh, and see snippets from our other favorite couple along the way.
Thank you so much for reading this far.
And as always, happy reading everyone! 😊