Jax gives me a rare smile. “Hi.”

I huff out a breath. Hi, really that’s all he has to say to me after three weeks of silence. “I’m out of here,” I tell my brother as I stand.

“Want to meet at my gym later this week?” Logan asks as he engulfs me into a hug.

“Sure.”

“Where you off to in such a rush?” Connor asks.

I meet Jax’s green eyes for a second before turning to Connor. “I have a coffee date,” I lie.

“With who?” Logan asks.

Crap, I didn’t think this far ahead. This is why I’m horrible at lying. I toss out the first name I think of. “Kohen . . . the doctor who lives in my building.”

At everyone’s stunned expressions, I flee. I know they’re about to shoot a million questions at me, questions I don’t have the answers to. Because I can’t help myself, I look over my shoulder before closing the door. Logan and Connor have returned to their conversation again. I have to force myself to keep moving when I see Jax. He’s smiling. He never smiles. And he’s choosing now to do it. He was supposed to be furious that I was going out with someone. Of course he isn’t mad. He doesn’t care. I rush to the elevators.

As the doors start to slide close, someone reaches a hand out to stop them from shutting all the way. So much for my hasty exit. Hopefully it isn’t anyone I recognize, but I know it’s highly unlikely since my brother owns the company. I keep my head down and let my hair cascade down the side of my face in an attempt from letting whoever it is recognize me.

Any attempts of being left alone fail. That someone who stopped the elevator doors from closing is Jax. Of course it is. It’s always him. I’m so lost, I don’t want him to see me like this. Not again.

He continues to press the open button as he talks. “I got this for you, and before you say you won’t accept it, understand that I’m not taking no for an answer.” He hands me a present with a purple ribbon. “Oh, and you’re welcome.”

It shakes in my trembling hands. I hate presents. I don’t celebrate my birthday anymore. “I haven’t even opened it yet. How do you know I’m going to even like it?”

He shrugs. “I know you.” Then he steps away.

“You don’t —” The words die on my lips as the doors slide shut.

When I get home, I stare down at the present, wondering if I can get away with throwing it out. Not likely, Jax will ask about it. I sigh, hating that he’s does this to me every year. He’s the only one that continues to get me birthday presents. Of course he says they’re just gifts since he doesn’t give them to me on my actual birthday, but we both know what it really is, and why he never gives them to me on May 21.

With shaky legs, I head over to the living room. I set the present on the table before going to the kitchen for a glass of wine. Phone! I hurry over to my bedroom where I left it. I’m stalling. Once I’m seated, I finally grab the present.

The first thing I notice is a note in Jax’s handwriting.

Seven years ago you were consumed with swimming, you began to lose yourself. This helped . . . maybe it can help you find yourself again. It’s time to live again, it’s time to move on. I’ll be here every step of the way.

-Jax.

Without seeing the gift, I know what it is. A camera. As much as I try to be angry with him for deciding it’s time for me to move on, I can’t. I wouldn’t be able to without him pushing me. I want to ask him what he means by being here. I want him to mean it as more than a friend, but I know he doesn’t. We’re not those teenage lovers who sneak behind everyone’s back to be together every chance we got anymore. Too much has transpired.

Taking a deep breath, I pull the camera out of the box. My eyes go wide when I realize exactly what camera he bought me. It’s a SLR Leica. It’s so expensive, I’m almost too afraid to touch it . . . almost.

My phone goes off, startling me. I plan to ignore it, but when I see it’s a text from Jax, I carefully set down the camera.

Jax: You actually get a choice . . . Thai or subs.

Me: Yeah real big choice there. Subs.

Jax: Great choice, I already have them. Be there soon.

Me: Why do you even ask then?

Jax: So you think you actually have a choice.

Me: Thanks for the camera . . . You shouldn’t have . . . but thanks.

Jax: Don’t mention it. You’re going to use it, maybe not tomorrow, but soon. And I can’t wait to see you come to life again when you’re behind the lens.

I smile as I set my phone down and I decide that I need music to fill the silence until Jax gets here. Picking the playlist feelgood on my iPhone, I hit shuffle and plug it into the Surround Sound. The first song has my head bumping, but it isn’t until Sammy Adams Only One comes on that I actually begin to move. I jump around, shaking my butt, and whipping my hair back and forth. When the chorus comes on, I’m screaming about the one that is way out of my league with Sammy. Fitting.

Forgetting about all of my stresses, I dance it out. Cheap Trick’s She’s Tight comes on next and I’m lost in the music. I use a water bottle as a makeshift microphone. Closing my eyes, I go all out.

It isn’t until I hear Jax sing, “I had a smoke and went upstairs,” that I realize I’m no longer alone. Kill me now please.

Mortified, I turn around to see Jax mimicking my ass shaking. “Oh no, please don’t stop on my account. I was enjoying myself.”

I don’t think that I can blush a darker shade of red even if I tried. I realize that I have two choices here: I can be embarrassed and stop, or I can let go for once and have fun. I go for option two and hand Jax the other “microphone.” Shania decides to come on next. Man! I Feel Like a Woman is the perfect song to let go! Putting my arms up in the air, I twirl around and start singing along with Shania.

When the first verse of the chorus blares through the speakers, I strut up to Jax, turn around and grind my ass up to his pelvis. Walking a few steps, I shake my ass, bend over and touch my toes. I tilt my head to the side and wink at him. When his jaw hits the floor, I laugh. Men are so easy. Closing my eyes again, I let the music wash over me and give Jax the best floor show in the world. Of course I may be biased.

PJ Simas comes on next and to my surprise Jax lifts the water bottle I handed him and starts rapping to the song Ocean Drop. I double over in laughter because I have a Greek God in a suit rapping in my living room. Jax “drops it like it’s hot” and I can’t even breathe, I’m laughing so hard. He holds out his water bottle for me when the girl starts singing. Smiling, I scream along. Singing is so overrated.

By the time our duet is over, I have tears in my eyes. Being the showman, Jax bows dramatically and I applaud him. Who wouldn’t applaud him? He rapped the entire song, not missing any of the words.

“I can’t even hide the fact that I’m surprised you know that song,” I shout over Dirty South.

Jax saunters over to the speakers to unplug my phone. “Yeah, well same here. I can’t believe I walked into that.”

“Tell anyone and I’ll be forced to feed you your balls,” I say with a wink.

“By anyone you mean Connor?”

“Of course!”

“Don’t worry, your dancing fetish is safe with me.” I smack his arm. “You do realize they came out with this thing called Bluetooth Speakers, right?”

“You do realize that I’m going to have to hurt you if you dis my stereo system, right?” I counter.

“Touche.”

Collapsing onto the couch we both lay here for a few minutes and catch our breaths. My abs will ache tomorrow. I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard. Without bothering to get plates, we dig into our sandwiches. We eat in silence, enjoying the food too much to talk. After I eat my sandwich and steal the other half of Jax’s, I’m finally full.