We were scattered around the Velasco house. Jax's brothers and mother chipped in to pay for the party while Brice, the boys and I helped Jax get everything together. I finally got the opportunity to meet Jax's family, and they seemed nice. They weren't in the house, choosing to spend the night at Jax's aunt's house to give us some privacy.

Sabrina sat on Mi Yun's lap as they chatted while Sadaf and Oliver talked. They laughed, and things seemed light, so that was a relief. Ximena danced while Tyler and Bree hung out near the drinks, and Jax was near the speaker, in charge of the music.

"Estella." Brice approached me in the kitchen, and I smiled. "What's up?"

"I'm great," I replied. "We've been through rough times, so it's nice to have everyone together."

He rubbed the back of his head. "I know right. With Oliver and Sadaf going through their shit. Mi Yun and Sabrina's break-up. The whole dramatic shit with me, you, Jax and Ximena. Shit's been hitting the fan."

I chuckled. "Sure has." I examined him. "How are you?"

He bobbed his head. "I'm hanging in there. My mom's getting better, so that's a relief. She's in her normal phase right now. Don't know how long that'll last, but I'm gonna enjoy it."

"That's good," I said while reaching for my Fanta on the counter. "If you need to talk, I'm here."

He was silent for a couple seconds, watching me. "It'll take some time, Estella, but I'll get over it." He smiled. "There's one plus side."

"What?"

"I can care about women," he said. "In a real way. I really do like you. You were right after all. I can like someone else. I'll meet that girl who'll be it for me, even if that's not you."

"You will," I said. "We all meet that person."

"I'm happy for you and Velasco," he said. "I care for you both, so if you make each other happy, I have to support that. I've never seen Velasco this happy, and he's my boy. I'll always want the best for him." He grinned. "I'll always want the best for you, too. If that's not me, then that's that."

I grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. It took him some time, but he held me back. "Thanks, Brice." We pulled away. "I'm glad I got the chance to know you. There's more to you than the popular guy in hip-hop company. I'm glad I got the chance to realize that."

Before, I was borderline obsessed with the idea of Brice, but I didn't know him. I didn't see him for the real, great person he was. He wasn't just some popular jerk. Things didn't work out between us, but I was grateful for the time I spent with him. Brice Abrams wasn't the boy of my dreams, but he was a wonderful person I got the chance to know.

That was worth more than the person I idealized him to be.

"I'm glad you did, too," he said. At that moment, Jax started playing a pop rock song, and Brice scrunched up his nose. "Hell no." He craned his neck to get a look at Jax. "Velasco! Turn that shit off." I giggled, and he turned to me. "I'll talk to you later, Estella."

I waved as he walked off, and I shook my head at him. "Es!" Mi Yun called out, and I spotted my girls sitting on the couch as Sabrina entered the kitchen. "Come sit with us." I made my way over, and I squeezed myself between the two. "Saw you and Brice talking."

I nodded. "We're good."

"You guys are being very mature about this," Sadaf said with an arm behind the couch. "Thank goodness. This drama was too much."

Mi Yun raised a brow. "Are you and Oliver good?"

"We're trying," she said. "There'll always be that elephant in the room, but we're working it out. We're keeping things as platonic as possible. It's probably a terrible idea to stay friends with everything that's happened, but I can't turn away. It may bite me later, but I'm at least going to try."

"It worked out for me and Sabrina," Mi Yun said. "It'll work out for you and Oliver."

"You and Sabrina can date though," Sadaf reminded her. "Oliver and I can't. Our only option is to be just friends or not in each other's life at all. Just friends seems better, even though it's not easy either."

I stared forward. "Dating is hard."

Mi Yun released a breath. "Say that again." Then she stiffened. "Oh, hell no." Sadaf and I glanced to where she was looking, and that was when I saw Jax and Ximena dancing. Well, Ximena was putting in the most effort. "Do you see this, Es?" I did admit, Ximena was all over Jax while he tried to put some distance between them. Mi Yun looked to me. "Are you going to do something about that?"

"Like what?" I asked. "He's dating me, not her."

"Exactly," she agreed. "She shouldn't be all over your boyfriend like that."

"That's just Ximena," I said. "It's nothing serious."

I was shocked by my own lack of jealousy, but I knew Jax was loyal to me. There were prettier and smarter girls, but he chose me.

Mi Yun shook her head in disapproval. "Couldn't be me. I wish some bitch would try to do that with Sabrina in front of me."

"Speaking of Sabrina." I turned to face her. "Everything okay with you guys."

She grinned. "We're great. Our relationship feels stronger than ever. The breakup may have actually been good for us."

"She realized what she lost," Sadaf said.

Mi Yun nodded. "I guess so. She's opening up to me more, and I feel like I'm really getting to know her now. She seems happier, too. I think we may even start getting her some help. She needs it."

"On her time," I made sure to add.

People like Jax and Sabrina couldn't be rushed.

I continued talking to the girls until my drink finished. I walked to the kitchen to get another one, and that was when I spotted Sabrina.

"Hey." I stopped beside her.

"Hey," she responded while I grabbed a Sprite this time. "You're talking to me."

My brows furrowed. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

She shrugged. "You never really liked me."

I couldn't rebut that. I was always quick to judge Sabrina, but Jax and Mi Yun were right. I didn't know her. Who was I to judge? Instead of being obsessed with being mature, I needed to focus on bettering myself. Maybe Sabrina needed that, too—time to work on herself.

Plus, she wasn't so bad after all. She was just misunderstood. Like Jax.

"I know," I admitted. "I'm sorry for that. The way I treated you. It wasn't fair."

She sent me a small smile. "I never thought I'll hear that."

I took a sip from my drink. "It's about time you did."

"You're not so bad yourself," she said. "I always thought you were annoying and immature, but I guess I was wrong."

"I was," I said. "I'm working on it."

"You're doing a good job so far," she said. "If you can become less annoying, maybe I can get my shit together."

We chuckled. "Definitely," I encouraged her.

"It all worked out," she said. "I didn't think it would, but it did. I made mistakes, but things still fell into place. At some point, I thought the worst mistake I made was breaking up with Jax, but it needed to happen. We're not meant for each other. It doesn't matter how much it hurts to lose someone. If you don't find your way back to each other, it's for the better."

Like me and Brice. It may have hurt now, but it was for the better. I thought Brice was the one for me, and Jax was meant to be just my friend. I guess it was the other way around.

She turned to leave, but I stopped her. "Good luck Sabrina—with everything."

She smiled. "Thanks. Good luck with Jax."

I released her and watched her go. Sabrina Fraser wasn't so bad after all. She had her issues, but we all did. I didn't have the same problems as Jax and Sabrina, but we all had them.

I always felt cheated out of my mother, wondering why I didn't get the chance to have one, but that was life. She was never meant to be in my life for long, and I had to accept that. There was no point in ruminating over it. What happened happened. I had Jax, and I wasn't going to let what happened to my mother get in the way of that.

"Hey." Ximena stopped to stand beside me as we leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Hey."

"I'm surprised Jax invited me," she said. "I hope you don't feel some type of way about it."

"I'm fine," I reassured her. "Jax wants his friends here, and maybe he wants you to be his friend, too."

"I'm cool with that."

"Are you?" I asked. "You said it yourself. You're not emotionally affectionate."

"He has you for that," she said. "I always thought Jax was the best bet, but he isn't. The best guy for me isn't taken by someone else, and Jax is taken, which works out." She grabbed a beer. "He deserves to be with a person like you. Not me. Not Sabrina. You. You give him what he needs."

I wasn't Sabrina or Ximena. But I was who Jax needed.

"Thanks for that," I said.

"No problem." She pushed herself off the counter. "Now, I'm going to go dance with Brice. If you won't have him, maybe I will."

She winked, and I laughed as she walked off. A part of me felt some type of way about someone else showing interest in Brice, but I couldn't be selfish. He wasn't mine.

He was never mine to begin with.

With that, I made my way into the living room, and that was when a pair of arms wrapped around my middle.

"It seems like you're talking to everyone but me," Jax whispered in my ear.

I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Jealous?"

"Just want some attention, too." I sent him a look, and he grinned. "Maybe a little jealous."

"Then let's dance."

I led him to the middle of the living room, and we moved to the beat together, staying close with my back to him and his arms around me.

"Hope you didn't feel weird about me and Ximena dancing," he said. "She can be a little touchy at times."

I almost laughed. "Ironic. Mr. No-Touching had a touchy girlfriend."

"I'm touching you now."

I made him hold me tighter. "You better."

"I'm glad I did this," he said. "The Party."

"I am, too," I said. "It's all about the company."

He chuckled. "You know what, you're not that annoying."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

Was I that annoying?

"It's true," he said. "You're growing up."

I turned to face him, and he continued holding me. "You're not so obnoxious anymore."

"I still have to teach you how to cook more Spanish dishes," he said. "Maybe I can teach you some Spanish, too."

I kissed his cheek. "I'll love that."

He gave me a quick kiss, and we continued dancing. After some time, everyone sat in a circle, drinking while playing party games like Never Have I Ever and Cards Against Humanity. The party didn't come to a close until past midnight. Brice was the last to leave, and after the door closed behind him, Jax and I turned to each other.

"Now's the hard part," Jax said. "Cleaning up."

I approached him. "We can do that tomorrow." I pulled him to me. "Right now, I have other plans."

I grabbed his hand and led him to his room. It was already established that I was going to spend the night. Daddy thought I was having a sleepover with my girls, and Jax's family was away for the night. I wasn't sure if they knew I was spending the night, but they decided to give Jax the house for tonight.

We brushed our teeth before entering his room. Jax searched through his clothes for pajamas. "Do you have your things to wrap your hair?" he asked.

I nodded. "I have everything."

He smirked my way. "Good. I don't want to be detrimental to your hair."

"Thanks for not being a douche about my hair."

He knitted his brows together. "Why would I? Many people wrap their hair, even if it's not to sleep. It's not that big of a deal."

"You'll be surprised." He found an over-sized shirt for me and pajama pants for himself. "Come here."

He made his way over to me. "Don't want to get changed?" I grabbed the hem of his shirt and helped him get out of it. "You can get changed in the bathroom if you want." I removed my shirt as well. Then I reached for my bra, and his eyes widened. "Estella..."

I placed a finger on his lips. "It's okay."

I removed my bra, allowing him to get a look at me before I pulled him into a kiss. His hands ran along my bare back, and I relaxed into his hold.

I'd been thinking about this for a long time, and I wanted it. I was ready to take this step with Jax.

We laid back onto the bed, our lips staying together until he pulled away. "How far do you want to go?"

"As far as we can."

He paused. "Are you sure?"

"More sure than I could ever be."

We were kissing again, and I reached for his pants, helping him out of those while he discarded of mine. Our hands ran over each other's body while our lips continued to find each other. Our limbs tangled together as our skin brushed against each other, and there was nowhere else I wanted to be.

"This is the best night ever," Jax panted against my lips, and I chuckled.

It was about to get even better.

With that, I allowed myself to be completely immersed into the experience. His body. His presence. His love. All of it surrounded me, and I couldn't have been happier.

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* I'm SO sorry for the late update! These past two months have been so busy with the end of classes, graduation and trying to get my life together.

* Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. One more, and it's done! 😄