Skye takes a shaky breath, looking steadily at Jax. She tries to will herself to speak, to let Jax know how she truly feels. She opens her mouth slowly, preparing herself. Just as she is about to speak, Jax puts a finger to her lips, causing her to gently close them again.

"Let me go first," he says, worried that hell lose his nerve if he doesnt say something soon. She nods slightly, searching his face for a clue as to what he might say. "I dont really know how to begin," he says quietly, still unsure of what he is doing.

"Is everything alright?" Skye asks him. Nodding slowly, he takes a deep breath.

"Somethings different though, Skye. Something has changed over the last couple months. Ive been trying to fight it as hard as I could, but I just cant any more." Skye looks at him, hoping against all hope that he is talking about what she thinks he is talking about. "Im not really quite sure how it happened," he continued, "but something changed. When I first met you Skye, I considered you to be a smart businesswoman who knew what she wanted. But since Ive gotten to know you better, I can see youre so much more than that. Theres something different about you, something I dont see in anyone else Ive ever known. I feel almost as if Im drawn to you in a way." Her heart pounding, Skye considers what she should say. Speak with your heart, she reminds herself.

"I, I...I know what you mean," she says slowly, pulling back so she can see his face. "I feel the same way. When I first met you, I thought you were just a shrewd businessman, someone who could help me finally put Sonny in his place. But as I got to know you, I realized that you were slowly getting to me, getting to that hole in my heart. And the more Im around you, the more I want to fill up that hole and close it once and for all. Im not going to complain about my life, but there has definitely always been something missing. And Ive always just tried to ignore it and tell myself I was better off that way. But since Ive met you, something has changed. I can see now that Im NOT better off that way, even though I want to be. As much as I hate to admit it, not letting anyone in through my whole life has been so hard. And now that I want to let someone in, Im so scared of being hurt." Jax gently takes her hands in his before continuing on.

"Im not going to hurt you, Skye," he promises intently. "You have to believe that. Ive been hurt too, and Im scared of being hurt again. I never thought I could love again after Brenda. In fact, I didnt WANT to love again. I just didnt want to set myself up to be hurt. That pain was so unbearable for me, so since Brenda has been gone Ive isolated myself emotionally, built up a shield that I refused to let down. And lately, Ive been wanting to let that shield fall, and Im trying to, but its so hard. But you make me want to try. I want to be with you Skye, more than anything. I just cant fight the way I feel anymore. When I saw you lying there, by the road yesterday..." Jax trails off. Skye inhales sharply, trying to compose herself.

"You know what?" she whispers, looking down at the blanket. Jax gently places his hand underneath her chin and tilts her head up.

"What?" he asks.

"I promised myself I would never let anyone break through MY shield. I considered it to be a protection from the world and a barrier against pain. But I see now that its just causing me more pain. All my life, Ive thought with my head and not my heart. It was almost as if my head wouldnt let my heart and my feelings come through. But for the last couple months, its almost as if my feelings were breaking through the barrier. Ive been trying as hard as I can to fight them back, because Im so frightened. Ive never had feelings like these before and that scares me. But I want to be with you too, Jax." Skye falls silent, looking hesitantly over at Jax, her hands now lying gently on the blanket. She feels light-headed again, but this time shes positive it isnt from her concussion. Its from the impact of what she just admitted. Jax gently scoops up her hands, holding them in his.

"What now?" he asks her softly, staring into her eyes. Her heart races as she stares back at him. She can feel the blood rushing through the veins in his hands as he doesnt move his gaze.

"Im not sure," she admits quietly. "But I can tell you one thing I am sure of. I can almost FEEL that hole shrinking inside me. And I cant tell you how scary that is. But its a good kind of scary." He squeezes her hands gently, nodding.

"Im scared too, Skye," he says in a soft voice. "I honestly thought Id never take a chance like this again. And at first I didnt want to. But I think were good for each other Skye. Theres just something special between us." Skye nods slightly, almost imperceptibly. She has never been so scared. As she stares into Jaxs blue eyes, she cant help but wonder what will happen next.