Chloe had always been good at keeping things in control, at maintaining order and structure in her life. It was a skill she had inherited from her father, from the small-town life that had always told her what was expected of her. It was easy to play the part of the perfect daughter, the perfect sister, the perfect teacher. She'd spent her whole life carefully balancing the expectations of everyone around her, constantly running the tightrope between what she wanted and what she was supposed to be.

But somewhere, in the quiet moments between teaching and pretending, Chloe had found something she couldn't ignore. Something that shook her entire foundation.

Jax.

The kiss they had shared the night before was still fresh on her lips. She had woken up with the taste of him lingering in her mouth, the feeling of his touch still burning in her skin. It was the first time in a long time that she didn't feel like she was running. It was the first time she had made a choice for herself, not because it was expected, not because it made sense, but because it felt real.

She wasn't running anymore.

She had always thought she needed to choose between her family and a life of her own, a life she could make for herself outside of their suffocating expectations. But now, standing in her small kitchen that morning, Chloe realized something. She didn't need to choose. The choice had already been made.

The decision felt liberating and terrifying all at once. Chloe hadn't realized how much she had been holding herself back until she let herself fully embrace the feeling of wanting Jax. Her heart was still racing, but now, it wasn't from fear. It was from the realization that she had crossed a line, and there was no going back.

The doorbell rang, snapping her out of her thoughts. She took a deep breath before walking to the door, her hands steady despite the nervous anticipation bubbling inside her. She knew who it was.

When she opened the door, there he was, standing on her front porch with that confident, devil-may-care look that had always drawn her in. But now, in the soft morning light, there was something more in his eyes—something softer, more vulnerable, that only made her want him more.

"Hey," Jax said, his voice calm but laced with something else, something she couldn't quite place. He didn't look like he had come for answers, not like before. His presence felt different—more certain, less guarded.

"Hey," Chloe replied, her voice barely above a whisper, but the look in her eyes said everything. She wasn't hesitating anymore.

Jax smiled softly, his eyes flickering over her face as if he were searching for something. Maybe the same thing she had been searching for in him. "Can we talk?" he asked, his tone quieter now, almost tentative.

Chloe nodded, stepping aside to let him in. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but this time, it wasn't from anxiety. It was from a sense of purpose, of knowing what she wanted.

They sat in her living room, the space between them filled with the kind of tension that had been building for weeks. But this time, it was different. Chloe wasn't holding back. She wasn't second-guessing herself anymore.

"I've been thinking a lot about last night," Chloe began, her voice steady, her eyes fixed on Jax. She needed to say this out loud. She needed him to know. "About everything. About you and me."

Jax's expression softened, his gaze never leaving hers. "Yeah?" he asked, his voice low.

She took a deep breath, her chest tightening with emotion. "I've spent so much time running from what I wanted. From what I felt. From you." She shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. "But I don't want to do that anymore. I don't want to keep pretending I don't feel this pull. You're the one I want. No more back and forth."

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and raw, but there was something freeing about saying them aloud. She hadn't realized how much of herself she had been holding back until that very moment.

Jax's eyes softened, and he leaned forward slightly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Chloe," he said, her name on his lips like it was the only thing that mattered. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear you say that."

Chloe's heart skipped a beat at his words. She could feel the weight of everything—everything she had been afraid of, everything that had held her back—fall away in that single moment. This was it. This was her choice.

"I don't care what my family thinks," she continued, her voice gaining strength. "I don't care if they don't understand. I'm not going to hide from this anymore. I'm not going to hide from you."

Jax's face softened, a small but genuine smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Chloe," he said again, this time with a tenderness that almost made her heart stop. "You don't have to hide from me. I've been waiting for you to decide this, to choose yourself."

She moved closer to him, unable to stop herself, needing the closeness, the certainty. She took his hand in hers, the warmth of his skin against hers grounding her, making her feel like everything was finally falling into place.

"I'm not going anywhere, Chloe," Jax whispered, his thumb gently brushing over her knuckles. "I'm here. And I'm not leaving."

Chloe looked up at him, her breath catching in her throat. In his eyes, she saw something she hadn't expected. It wasn't just passion or desire—it was something deeper. It was trust. A promise.

Without thinking, she leaned forward, closing the space between them, her lips finding his in a kiss that was soft but full of everything she had been feeling. No more hesitation. No more doubts. Just the kiss they both needed.

The kiss deepened, slow and deliberate, as if they were both savoring the moment they had been waiting for. The rest of the world faded away, and in that moment, there was only them. Only the two of them, finally, fully together.

When they finally pulled away, Chloe's heart was racing, but this time, it wasn't from fear. It was from a sense of certainty she had never known before.

"I don't need to choose anymore, Jax," she said quietly, her voice full of conviction. "I know what I want."

Jax smiled, his hand resting gently on her cheek, his thumb brushing over her skin as if he couldn't believe this was real. "You don't have to choose, Chloe. I'm right here."

And for the first time, Chloe felt the truth of his words. The choice had already been made.

Jax was the man for her.