Losing Control : His Madness, His Cure Chapter 224

Steam still clings to my skin as I step out of the washroom, towel tied around my waist.Jax is standing by the bed, shirtless, turning a T-shirt in his hands to the right side with that same focus he gives everything that matters to him.

I lean against the doorway for a second, just watching him. The light outlining every muscle and line, and my mouth curves before I even realize it. I haven’t stopped smiling since he asked me.

Crossing the room, I slip an arm around him from the side, pressing my face into his shoulder. His skin is warm, still faintly sun-kissed from yesterday. He glances at me, one eyebrow raised, and loops an arm around me, hand settling low on my back.

“If you tell me to ask you again, I'm taking it back. You already said yes five times,” he murmurs, amusement tugging at his mouth.

“What if six is my lucky number?” I ask, voice muffled against his skin. He huffs a laugh, shaking his head, and I can feel it vibrate through him.

It shouldn’t make me this excited. We already practically live together. I can’t remember the last time I slept without him right next to me. But this feels different. Bigger. Like something shifting beneath our feet in the best possible way. The thought of sharing a space that’s ours, not just the usual nights between our apartments, makes something deep inside me go still. Settled.

I tilt my head, looking up at him. “So, what do you think....are you moving in with me, or am I moving in with you?”

The truth is, I don’t care. Either way, it’s him. He glances down at me, eyes soft but mouth tugging into that dry smirk of his. Then he leans in, presses a quick kiss to my lips.

“I fucking hate your kitchen,” he says against my mouth.

I laugh. “Okay. Then I’ll move in with you.”

He shakes his head, eyes flicking away as he slips his shirt over his head. “Actually, I was thinking maybe we find somewhere else.”

He pauses, fingers brushing the hem of the fabric, searching for words. “It’s time I found somewhere less...” His voice trails off.

Less tied to the past. Less haunted. I know what he means without him having to say it. I nod slowly, his fingers now tracing the towel at my waist. “Somewhere new then,” I say quietly. “Even better.”

“Okay, now stop distracting me,” he says, voice rough but overflowing with affection. “Get dressed before we miss our flight.”

I smile again as I move to grab my clothes, glancing at him, the man who's somehow turned my whole life right-side up. And I really hope, from here on out, it’s only good things for us.

Damien and Dad volunteer to drive us to the airport. Mum would’ve come too, but she’s self-aware enough to know she’d cry at the terminal and draw an audience, better to sob uncontrollably at home, in privacy. Which she does.

She’s waiting just inside the doorway when we come downstairs, and the moment she sees us, her face crumples. She pulls me into her arms, clutching the back of my shirt like she can hold me there by sheer will. “But you just got here,” she says between hiccupped breaths, voice thick and trembling. When she finally pulls back, she cradles my face in both hands, tears still glittering in her lashes. “Maybe you should stay a couple more days. I’ll call your boss and explain I just missed you too terribly.”

I smile, shaking my head. “I wish we could, Mum. Really. But we’ve got to go back.”

She sniffles, nods, and I pull her in again, hugging her tightly, breathing in the familiar scent of her perfume. “We’ll come back soon,” I tell her quietly against her hair. “Promise.”

When she steps back, I notice she’s wearing the necklace I bought her, it catches the light as she wipes at her eyes and makes my chest ache in a good way.

I’ve already said my goodbyes to everyone else, but they’re all gathered in the living room doorway now... Dad, Damien, Alyssa, Erin, little Gabriel clinging to Alyssa's leg, tears streaking down his cheeks.

“I don’t want you to leave!” He blurts out between sobs, and that.... that one nearly undoes me.

Mum turns and goes to Jax next. She spreads her arms and hugs him tight. I expect him to stiffen like he usually does with anyone who isn’t me....but he doesn’t. He hugs her back easily, like it’s something that comes naturally. And in all the time I’ve known him, I’ve never seen that.

She pulls back slightly, keeping a hand on his arm. “I’ve got your number now,” she tells him, smiling through the tears. “So don’t be surprised if I check in on you from time to time.”

He gives a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Thanks for having me,” he says softly.

“Make sure you tag along whenever Xander visits,” she adds.

“I will,” he promises.

I watch them, a kind of contentment settling deep in my chest. They like him. They really like him. He fits here..... maybe not perfectly, but in his own quiet way that makes it all the more right. And seeing him belong in a place that means so much to me, it’s everything.

Dad clears his throat and says it’s probably time to get going. I nod, swallow, and crouch to scoop Gabriel into my arms for one last squeeze. “Hey,” I murmur, kissing his forehead. “Don’t cry, buddy. I’ll be back before you know it.”

He nods against my shoulder, sniffling, and I set him down, ruffling his hair.

I glance at Erin and Alyssa, give them a small smile. “Bye, guys.”

They wave, and after a long moment and one last look around the house, I turn toward the door.

Jax’s hand brushes mine as we step outside, our fingers finding each other automatically. It’s not easy leaving, but it’s easier knowing I’m not leaving alone.

We get to the airport, and while Damien’s saying goodbye to me, I catch my dad’s voice nearby, low and sincere, asking Jax to take care of me. He answers without hesitation, “I will.” I eventually watch them walk off, my chest feeling tight in a way I can’t quite name.

When Jax turns back to me, he asks, “You feeling sad?”

I let out a breath, nodding a little. “Yeah. A little. But mostly I’m just relieved. I think it all went really well.”

He nods once. “Yeah, it did.”

I look up at him, a small smile tugging at my mouth. “You glad you tagged along?”

“I’m not mad about it.”

That earns him a quiet laugh from me. Then I lean into him. “Hey, do you remember when you asked me to move in with you?”

He exhales hard, already turning away, feigning exhaustion. “I swear I’m gonna leave you here.”