Lila's POV
After lunch, Theo and Miles had to leave for their afternoon classes. They said goodbye with easy smiles and quick waves, leaving me alone at the table with Jax. The cafeteria wasn't very crowded, but the few people still there kept glancing our way. The whispers grew louder — I could hear them clearly now. "Why is she sitting with him?" "Isn't she the cleaner?" "Look at her… and him?"
I felt awkward, like I was taking up too much space. My hands twisted together in my lap as I stared at the empty trays on the table. Jax noticed right away. He shifted closer in his seat and tilted his head to look at me.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, his deep voice gentle.
I shrugged a little, still not meeting his eyes. "I just… feel weird about all this. Everyone's staring and talking."
Jax leaned back slightly and gave a soft chuckle. "Ignore them. They're just jealous they can't be in your position."
That made me look up at him. "But I also feel like I don't deserve to be here. Among the three of you… you're the basketball captain, Miles is the star swimmer, and Theo is really skilled at gaming. How can I, a nobody, sit with you guys? I'm just the girl who cleans the dorm at night."
Jax chuckled again, the sound warm and low. He was still sitting right next to me, his arm resting casually on the back of my chair. "Is that how friends are made? Look, Miles, Theo, and I never question who you are or what you do. We all know you're a cleaner in the boys' dorm, but that's not a bad job. What else matters?"
I lowered my head again, looking down at myself. My soft round belly pressed against the table edge, my thick thighs spread a little on the chair, and my arms felt heavy. I wasn't like the slim, confident girls I saw chasing after guys like them. Those girls seemed more deserving of sitting here, laughing with Jax, getting all the attention.
Jax stayed quiet for a moment, watching me. Then he asked softly, "Is this also because you feel fat?"
I glanced back at him, surprised he said it so directly. After a second, I nodded slowly.
"Lila, listen to me," he said. He reached over and took both of my hands in his, holding them tightly. His palms were warm and big, completely covering mine. The touch made me nervous instantly. I glanced around the cafeteria, worried someone might see us like this.
"You're not fat," he continued, his voice steady and sincere. "Well, maybe your body isn't as slim as the other girls — but that's your charm. That's what makes me… attracted to you."
My cheeks instantly turned as red as a tomato. Heat rushed across my face and down my neck. I could feel my heart beating fast in my chest. His words kept echoing in my head — "that's what makes me attracted to you." No one had ever said something like that to me before. Not about my soft belly, my wide hips, or my thick thighs.
The simple confession made my body react strongly, the way it always did. Warmth bloomed between my legs, and I felt myself getting wet. My panties grew damp in seconds. I pressed my thighs together under the table, trying to hide how much his words affected me. My hands trembled slightly in his grip, but he didn't let go.
Jax kept holding my hands, his thumbs gently stroking the back of my knuckles. "I mean it, Lila. I like the way you look. Soft. Real. When you bend over to mop the floor or reach for something high, I can't stop watching. Your curves are beautiful. They make me want to get closer."
I bit my lip, too embarrassed to speak. The whispers around us faded into background noise. All I could focus on was the warmth of his hands and the deep, honest tone of his voice. My dirty fantasies flickered in my mind again — his strong hands on my belly, his mouth praising every roll and jiggle, Theo and Miles joining in. The images made me even wetter. I shifted in my seat, feeling the slickness between my thighs.
"You don't have to believe me right away," Jax continued quietly. "But stop thinking you don't deserve to be here. We like having you around. All three of us do. You're sweet, you work hard, and yeah… you're sexy in that uniform even when you're tired and sweaty."
My face burned hotter. I looked down at our joined hands, trying to calm my breathing. Every compliment felt like a spark on my skin. My nipples tightened under my shirt, and the damp spot in my panties grew more noticeable. I was getting so turned on just from him holding my hands and talking nicely to me. It was embarrassing how easily my body responded.
Jax gave my hands a gentle squeeze. "Hey, look at me."
I slowly lifted my eyes to meet his. His dark gaze was warm, not mocking at all. For a moment, the cafeteria felt smaller, like it was just the two of us.
"I'm not saying this to make you blush," he said with a small smile. "I'm saying it because it's true. Your body is different, and that's exactly why I keep thinking about you after my games or when I'm back in the suite. Soft hips, pretty face, those thick thighs… it drives me crazy in the best way."
I swallowed hard. The words sent another rush of heat straight to my core. I could feel fresh wetness coating me, making me squeeze my thighs even tighter. My breath came a little faster, and I hoped he couldn't tell how affected I was.
Jax noticed my nervousness. He let go of one of my hands but kept the other, rubbing his thumb over my skin soothingly. "Relax, Lila. No one here matters except us right now. And if anyone has a problem with you sitting with me, they can keep whispering. I don't care."
I nodded slowly, still feeling shy but also a little warmer inside. His acceptance felt real. He wasn't teasing me like the other guys in the dorm. He was looking at me — really looking — and saying he liked what he saw.
We stayed like that for a while, hands linked on the table, the quiet murmurs around us slowly fading into the background. Jax kept talking in his deep, calm voice, telling me small stories about basketball practice and how Theo always cheated at games. Every now and then he'd squeeze my hand or brush his thumb across my knuckles, each touch making my body tingle and my panties grow wetter.
I still felt unworthy in some ways. I was the chubby cleaner who worked late nights. He was the popular basketball captain. But sitting here with him holding my hands and calling my curves his "charm" made something inside me soften. Maybe, just maybe, I could start believing him a little.