My Mom Took In A Stray - He Wants More.

Everyone is 18+

**Chapter Eight: He Wants More.**

The morning light was grey and quiet when I opened my eyes. Jax was still curled into me, his breath warm against my neck. For a few minutes, I just lay there, barely breathing, trying to make sense of the night. Of the heat that still pulsed low in my stomach. Of the weight of him pressed so close.

Eventually, we stirred. No words passed between us. Just small, careful movements as we got up, still avoiding the mess between us, the bigger mess of what it meant. We went and cleaned ourselves off in silence, passing the towel back and forth, still not meeting each other’s eyes. I left the shower to Jax first and headed to my room. Death scrolling on insta.

By the time the rest of the house was stirring, Jax was already dressed. He said he was heading into Manhattan to see his mom. His voice was steady, but I caught the way he hesitated at the door, like he didn’t quite want to go. I just nodded. Watched him leave without saying anything that mattered.

The house filled with movement not long after. Sierra was banging around in the kitchen, my parents murmuring downstairs. I took my time, zoned out a little. Took a long, hot shower. I sat and caught up on editing the rest of my workflow of pictures. It took me a while to get into it, my mind wouldn’t steady itself, but I later found a rhythm. When I finished, my mind got loud again, I needed a distraction. I skipped lunch, slipped out and went to the gym. Needed to sweat it out. Needed space from my own head. When I came back, the house was quieter again. I was beyond hungry by being too distracted to think about food, the rumble of my stomach thinking about food.

That’s when I heard it.

My dad’s voice, drifting from the kitchen.

“That’s good news.”

Then Jax’s voice, softer, answering.

I stepped around the corner, catching them both mid-conversation.

“What’s good news?” I asked.

They both looked at me. Jax’s expression unreadable.

“My mom,” he said. “She finally closed on A Tribeca townhouse.”

He said it like it should be exciting. Like it was good news. But all I heard was the end of something.

“We move in next week,” he added. “I’ll be heading back to New York in a few days.”

It hit me hard. Like a punch I didn’t see coming. My stomach dropped and turned so fast; I feel like the floor shifted right under me. So, I forced a smile.

“That’s great,” I said. “Really happy for you.”

He was watching me too closely. I headed upstairs before he could say anything else.

I sat on the edge of my bed, trying to shake it off. Trying to not feel like something had just been yanked out from under me.

A few minutes later, a knock. Then Jax’s voice.

“Can we talk?”

I didn’t answer. Just let him in.

He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. He stood there for a beat, neither of us sure where to start.

“I didn’t know,” he said quietly. “She only just told me. I feel… stunned, I guess. Like it’s not real.”

I scoffed, sharper than I meant to. “Yeah, well, it was never going to be forever, was it?”

He winced. “Last night felt real. That was the most alive I’ve felt in… forever. Like I could just exist without shame. Just feel.”

He looked at me then. Raw. Open. “You know my dad walked in on me and Savannah once.”

I didn’t move. I can’t tell him I already know. I let him talk. 

“We were never really close. But that moment… I think it validated his dislike of me for him. Savannah...she…she was rimming me. There was a dildo on the bed…”

He said it fast, like if he paused it would get stuck in his throat.

“That was the first time I tried anything. Tried to act on this part of me I always pushed down. But he lost it. Told me I was sick. That I was a disappointment. Called me slurs. I didn’t touch anyone after that. Not until…”

He trailed off.

I didn’t say anything. Just waited.

“Have you ever done anything with a guy before?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“Did you like what we did?”

I nodded once. “Yeah.”

He looked away for a second, then back at me. “Me too, Id be down to do it again…do…more.”

That made my chest tighten. I looked at him, really looked. “More?”

He swallowed. “More.”

My voice was rough. “Jax… I’m not gay.”

He held my gaze. “Then what are you?”

I let the silence stretch.

“I don’t know,” I finally said. “I just know I want you. But not in a relationship way. I’m not… I can’t be that for you. I don’t want to lead you on if that’s what this is. I mean, I don’t know what this is, but I know it’s not that”

He shook his head. “It’s not. I don’t want a relationship either. But I do trust you.”

Then, eyes flicking away, he added, “I was wondering if you’d be my first.”

I stared at him, something sparking deep in my gut.

He met my eyes again, waiting for something.

And I didn’t look away.