💘( Mending the King! )✨

SIXTEEN

[ Lochan Mor ]

( 🤴🔨👸💋💑🏍 )

" You're not like anyone I've ever met, Ana Ortiz. Not even close. "

~ JAX TELLER to ALU ORTIZ 

☆《》¤

ALU STOOD OUTSIDE JAX'S ROOM INSIDE SAMBEL'S CLUBHOUSE, a bundle of fresh linens in her arms. She knocked lightly on the door, her knuckles barely making a sound, "Hey, it's me. Open up," she called through the wood.  

Jax's muffled voice came from within, "Yeah, hang on."  

The door creaked open, revealing Jax in his usual casual attire; white t-shirt, jeans, and a cigarette perched between his fingers. His expression immediately softened at the sight of her.  

"Tammy told me to bring you these," Alu said, holding up the sheets. "She doesn't trust the ones in here. Said something about them being soaked in, uh, pussy juice and semen."  

Jax nearly choked on his cigarette as he laughed, stepping aside to let her in, "Jesus, she actually said that?"  

"Word for word." Alu smirked, setting the clean linens on the small table by the window. "Apparently the guy that used to stay in here had a bit of a reputation with the ladies. If you know what I mean?" she said with a playful wink. 

Jax shook his head, grinning, "Well, she's not wrong. I wouldn't trust these sheets either."  

Alu crossed her arms, leaning against the table, "Guess you're lucky Tammy sent me to play maid, huh?"  

"Lucky me," Jax said, his tone light. He took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling slowly before speaking again, "You know, I've been thinking...I need to get out of here for a bit. Clear my head. Sitting around waiting for news about Abel—it's driving me nuts."  

Alu nodded, her teasing expression softening, "Yeah, I get that. Sitting still doesn't exactly seem like your style."  

"I was thinking about going sightseeing," Jax continued, his voice casual. "Figured it might help, you know? Keep my mind off things for a while."  

She raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at her lips, "Are you...asking me out, Teller?"  

Jax chuckled, shaking his head, "I wouldn't dare. I just don't want to go alone, and I figured you'd be good company."

Alu tilted her head, pretending to consider his offer, "Hmm...so I'm just a distraction to keep you from going crazy?"  

"Pretty much." He smirked. "What do you say?"  

She let out a small laugh, "Alright, fine. But I need an hour to shower and wash the plane fumes off me. Meet me at my room, and we'll go."  

"Deal." Jax flicked the ash from his cigarette into the ashtray on the nightstand, "You sure you're not just using this as an excuse to keep me waiting?"  

"Wouldn't dream of it." Alu grinned, heading for the door. "See you in an hour, Teller. Don't be late."  

As the door closed behind her, Jax found himself smiling despite the weight of everything else on his shoulders. And for the first time in days, he felt like he could breathe.

***

ALU'S OUTFIT 

Alu slipped into a tight black leather jacket, her hair tousled just the right amount. She couldn't help but grin at her reflection in the mirror. It wasn't every day she got to spend time with a cute guy, especially with everything that had happened recently. And there was something comforting about Jax, even during all the chaos that was her life at the moment. The thought of having fun for once—just enjoying a night without the weight of everything else—sounded perfect.

She heard a knock on the door.

"Ready for 'sightseeing'?" Jax's voice came through, teasing yet laced with something she couldn't quite place.

Alu grabbed her purse and opened the door to find Jax leaning against the frame. His eyes immediately raked over her, the lustful look in them making her cheeks flush.

"Damn, you look incredible," he said, his voice low and sincere. "You sure we're just sightseeing?"

Alu raised an eyebrow, "Well, since you didn't have the balls to call it a date, I guess it's just that. Sightseeing. No labels, no complications, just...fun."

She noticed the way his jaw tightened slightly, a flicker of something unspoken in his eyes before he grinned, "Whatever you say, darlin'."

He stepped back, letting her pass as they left the clubhouse together, the cool Belfast night air greeting. 

***

The streets were alive with energy—music from nearby pubs, the sounds of laughter in the air. Jax put his hands in his pockets, walking casually beside her, but there was an unspoken connection between them that neither could ignore.

The night felt easy, the way their conversation flowed effortlessly. They wandered through streets they hadn't seen before, laughing at nothing and everything. Alu teased him about his serious facial expressions, calling him out when he couldn't stop himself from glancing at her.

Alu glanced over at Jax, her lips curling into a grin, "Race you," she said suddenly, the words slipping out before she could second guess them. 

Jax raised an eyebrow, eyes glinting with mischief, "What are you thinking, baby girl?" he asked in a challenging tone. 

"I think it's time we let off some steam, don't you?" she said, already walking toward the parked cars on the side of the road.

Without waiting for his response, she slipped into the driver's seat of a random sports car, a sleek black Audi, the keys hanging from the ignition as if they were just waiting for her. The city had a way of making everything feel possible, and tonight, it was hers for the taking.

Jax's eyes went wide for a moment, but then his lips curled into a smile. He pulled his motorcycle keys from his pocket, already walking toward his bike parked nearby, "You sure you can handle that thing, darlin'?" he called out, his tone playful but laced with an unspoken challenge.

Alu didn't even look back. She twisted the keys in the ignition, the engine roaring to life beneath her. She grinned, tapping the gas pedal, "Let's see if you can keep up."

The two of them didn't waste another second. Jax revved the engine of his harley, and before Alu could blink, he was off, leaving her behind in a cloud of dust. But Alu wasn't the type to be outdone. She slammed the car into gear and shot down the street, the tires screeching as she pushed the Audi to its limits.

The night blurred into a whirl of neon lights and adrenaline as the two raced through the streets of Belfast. Alu's heart pounded in her chest, a mixture of exhilaration and defiance. She glanced over at Jax, who was riding the motorcycle effortlessly, his head tilted back as he laughed in the wind. It was reckless. It was wild. It was exactly what they both needed.

She took a sharp turn, nearly losing control of the car, but she grinned, feeling the rush of the speed and the freedom that came with it. They weren't thinking about Abel, about Oscar or about the mess they'd both gotten themselves into. In that moment, all that mattered was the race.

Jax pushed his bike harder, catching up with her as they barrelled through the streets, adrenaline coursing through their viens. The wind whipped through their hair, and the night felt like it was theirs. For once, they weren't trying to solve problems or live up to expectations. They were just...alive! 

As they neared a red light, Alu glanced over, her smile wild, daring Jax to push it. He met her eyes with a smirk, and before the light could even turn green, both of them gunned their engines, racing through the intersection.

It was a blur of lights, speed, and reckless abandon as they cut through the streets like they were the only two people in the world. Alu wasn't sure when the race would end—if it ever would. But she didn't care. For the first time in ages, she wasn't thinking about the past or the future. She was living in the moment.

They finally slowed down, both of them pulling up to a stoplight on a quieter street, still breathing heavily, their eyes locked, both grinning like they were just two kids out to cause trouble. Jax leaned over and looked at her, still catching his breath.

"Goddamn, you're crazy," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Alu shot him a grin, "You're one to talk. You're the one who followed me."

The silence between them stretched for a second. And then Jax spoke again, his voice quieter this time, a hint of something deeper beneath his words, "You're not like anyone I've ever met, Ana Ortiz. Not even close."

Her heart skipped a beat. She didn't want to let herself feel anything, didn't want to give in to the undeniable pull between them. But it was there, impossible to ignore.

***

They arrived back at the clubhouse later that night, still buzzing from the fun of the evening, though a quiet tension had started to build between them. Alu noticed it first—how Jax seemed to linger just a little too long whenever their eyes met. She wasn't blind to it. She knew what this was—what he wanted, what he was feeling. Hell, she felt it too.

Jax stopped at the door, his hand resting against the frame, blocking her way, "Thanks for tonight," he said, his voice quieter than before, almost too serious. "I needed that. I think we both did."

Alu looked up at him, heart thudding a little faster in her chest. She'd told herself they were friends. Just friends. But as she stood there, so close to him, the line between friendship and something more felt thinner than ever.

She smiled, though it was bittersweet, "Me too, Jax. Really. But we both know this can't go any further."

Jax frowned slightly, "Why not? We had fun tonight, didn't we? You can't deny there is something between us." 

Alu swallowed, fighting the pull she felt towards him, "Jax, you're...you're great. But this..." she gestured between them. "...I like you, I do. But I don't think jumping into anything new right now is good for either of us."

His eyes softened, and for a moment, she could see the vulnerability there, the same side of him she'd seen on that first night she really looked at him. She could feel his disappointment, but she couldn't give in—not yet, not like this.

She turned toward the door, but as Alu reached for the door handle to her room, Jax's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist with a firm but gentle grip. The sexual tension that had been simmering between them all evening erupted as he spun her around, pulling her flush against him. Before she could say a word, his lips crashed onto hers, hungry and desperate, slamming her back into the wall. 

Her hands instinctively tangled in his hair, his fingers tracing the curve of her waist as their bodies molded together like two puzzle pieces. The kiss was raw and unrelenting, their tongues battling for dominance, each trying to take control but neither willing to relent.

Jax's hands roamed, exploring her back and hips, while Alu's fingers wandered down his chest. The intensity consumed them, threatening to drown out the world around them, until Alu suddenly pulled back, gasping for air. Her eyes were wide, her chest rising and falling as she tried to steady herself.

"I'm sorry, but I can't," she whispered, her voice trembling, breaking the spell as she stepped back, leaving Jax standing there, breathless and alone. 

As the door slammed shut behind her, Jax stood there in the hallway, unable to shake the feeling that this wasn't the end, just the beginning of something neither of them were ready to face yet.

***

Words: 1982