by L A Cotton
“They’ll be okay.” It was a whisper, and I wasn’t sure if it was a question or a statement, so I said, “They'll be okay.”
Ana nodded. “I don’t want to go far though.”
“Actually, I didn’t plan on leaving the house.”
“But I thought—”
“Come on.” I took my wife’s hand and led her down the hall into the kitchen. The soft flicker of candlelight danced around the room and Ana sucked in a harsh breath beside me.
“Jackson, this is... Perfect.”
I pulled out her chair and waited for her to sit. “I can’t take all the credit. Dinner is courtesy of Sal’s.”
A soft moan escaped her lips matching the grumble of her stomach. “Tell me you got the chicken with sauce.”
“I got the chicken with the sauce. And the pasta you love.”
“You are so getting rewarded for this.”
Heat pulsed through me as desire swirled in Ana’s eyes. “Maybe we should skip dinner and move straight to dessert,” I said around a half smile.
“How long do we have?”
“Ana, I’m joking. This isn’t about sex.” Okay, it was about sex a little bit. But I wanted Ana to feel special. To remember that she was more than just ‘mom’.
“You deserve a break.” I fetched the bottle of sparkling water and basket of bread, offering Ana some before taking my seat next to her.
“I can’t believe you did this.”
Reaching over, I clasped her hand in mine. “I know the last few months have been tough on you. But you are an amazing mother, Ana. I watch you with them and I don’t think it’s possible to love you anymore and then I wake up and watch you again and fall in love even more.”
Her breath caught, but she managed to choke out, “Just as long as you don’t get any ideas. I’m done at two.”
“Are you sure?” I was playing. We’d both agreed we were done. But imagining her pregnant again, her stomach round with my child, made my heart jackhammer in my chest.
“Jackson,” Ana warned. “You have that look.”
“I don’t have any look.” I leaned in, kissing the corner of her mouth. “No more, I promise. Our family is complete.”
I had everything I needed.
“You’re sure?” she whispered, her lips gently brushing mine.
“I’m sure. Besides, we’re almost out of the baby phase. Soon Emma will be old enough to watch Michael and we might actually get some alone time.”
“Jackson, she’s not even four.”
“With the mental age of a twelve-year-old. Trust me, another year and she’ll be running this place.”
Ana’s face lit up. “She’s something, isn’t she?”
“She is. And we made her. You and I. I love you, Mrs. Pierce.”
“I love you, Mr. Pierce. Forever.”
“And always.”
Jackson POV Scenes
A collection of alternate POV scenes from Loyalty and Lies
Orientation
"So the party's going to be off the hook, right Braid?" Shaun heehawed and danced around pretending to lasso in some cute girls passing us. Their eyes sparkled with desire as they practically eye-fucked us where we stood. One of them lingered on me and the petite blonde smiled coyly. I tipped my head in a dismissive nod.
"Last year I heard they made the freshmen swim in the ocean and then walk back to campus butt naked." Kyler laughed, but Braiden was quick to cut him off.
"Yeah, well this year it's freshmen rule. O'hara knows I'm the one in charge now. And the party at Dead Man's will seal the deal." He stepped forward and scanned the campus. "Welcome to a new era at Chastity Falls Academy, now let's go find some college pussy."
I stalked behind them as they laughed and joked about plans to score with the hottest, oldest chicks they could find. It didn’t interest me anymore. We'd done it enough in high school, but I soon learned girls were only interested in one thing: hooking up with a Donohue. Not that I was a Donohue, not really. But I'd grown up a part of their family for as long as I could remember and in a small town like Chastity Falls that meant something.
It meant too much.
"Pierce, get over here." Braiden called, and I moved. That's how it was with us; he barked the orders, I followed. He looped his arm around my shoulder and grinned. "You and me, bro. We'll be fucking untouchable."
Kyler replied for me, and although I already hated the way he was permanently up Braiden's ass, I was thankful he'd taken the heat from me.
We rounded Carver Hall filtering into the crowd of freshmen arriving, getting their room allocations. There would be no student dorms for any of us. We had already settled into our rooms at Fallen House, the team's exclusive house. For me, it was just a room, but for Braiden it was like he was being inaugurated into Office. Fallen House had history with the town, with the Donohue family. It was like a rite of passage for him, I guess. I was just happy to be living out of the house, away from Uncle Marcus and the family business.
"Fuck yes, look at all that ripe freshmen pussy for the taking. It's a good day to be alive." Travis's eyes were homed in on a brunette talking to a small group of people.
We might have been freshmen ourselves, but there were no first day nerves in our group. We had each other, and we knew things about the Academy, about the town that gave us an advantage. Braiden would have said we were the town, but I knew respect wasn’t a birthright, it was earned.
I leaned back against the bench and lifted my face to the sun, letting the warmth soak into my skin, drowning out talk of pussy and football. A minute's peace amongst a lifetime of crazy. When I finally dropped my head, my eyes were looking straight at a yellow taxicab parked in the drop zone. Following my line of sight, Braiden smirked. "What fucking loser arrives at college in a cab?"
The guys shrugged and continued with their conversation, but I stayed focused on the cab intrigued about who was inside. Most people arrived at college with their teary-eyed parents in tow, or a girlfriend or boyfriend demanding promises that would be broken on before freshman orientation week was over.
The door opened, and slim legs swung out and landed on the ground. A girl stood and made her way around to the trunk to retrieve her luggage. One single duffel bag.
Who is this girl?
She had her back to me, so I couldn’t get a good look at her, but she was dressed in tight skinny dark jeans, the kind emo chicks wore at high school, with a loose checkered shirt over the top. The total opposite to most of the girls huddled around waiting for freshmen orientation to commence.
Slamming the door, the cab pulled away and the girl slowly turned toward me, and I sucked in a breath. Her eyes scanned the growing crowd and landed on me. She was looking straight in my direction. Through me. But she wasn’t seeing me. Her whole stance was defensive and there wasn’t a single ounce of emotion on her face. There was nothing welcoming about her. But her eyes, they told a different told a different story.
She was sad.
And I was staring at her like I'd been waiting my whole life for her to appear. It was fucked up. There was no explanation for it, the pull I felt toward her. But I felt it. She looked so fucking lost, I wanted to storm over there and take her under my wing.
But that was exactly the reason I couldn’t.
We were from different worlds.
I didn’t know her story yet, but she had one, and I was almost certain it wasn’t pretty. The last thing she needed in her life was a guy like me. I needed to forget all about her and focus on getting through the year.
The girl blinked a couple of times and headed off toward a table. My eyes followed her until she disappeared into the line.
Yeah, I just needed to forget.
The Party
I didn’t notice her before it was too late.
She careened straight into Braiden. It was like watching a car crash happen right in front of you. I wanted to yell, to stop it, but it was too late. Even though you knew it would change everything.
"Ahhh, shit." She rebounded off his solid chest.
"Watch it, beautiful," he said, and my chest constricted at his words.
Walk on by, Donohue. She wasn’t Braiden’s type. He liked his girls confident. Compliant, but confident, nonetheless. Everything about this girl screamed damaged. And as she cupped a hand to her nose, I winced. That had to have hurt, but I couldn’t go to her. Not while Braiden was there. He was the predator and she was the prey, and nothing would get in his way.
Fuck.
"Sorry," her voice quivered.
"I'm sure you can make it up to me?" he said.
Her hands sought for the wall behind her as she moved back. "Hmm, I don't think so."
My heart lurched into my throat as I watched him crowd her against the wall, pinning her in place. I moved, ready to intervene, but something held me back. If Braiden even so much as suspected I was attracted to her, he would use it as leverage. He didn’t like being told no, but worse than that, he didn’t like coming second.
To anyone.
As I watched his hands grip her hips, it took everything not to drag him the hell away from her. But should a bold move would place a mark on her back—a mark I didn’t want to be responsible for. Braiden was drunk. High on adrenaline and power. Come tomorrow, he’d hopefully forget all about the girl with the sad eyes.
But she did the worst thing possible. She lashed out, pushing and shoving against him. "Get the hell off me," she hissed.
"Most girls here would pay to be in your position," he snarled, and I watched in horror as he leaned into her, whispering something else in her ear. My fists clenched at my sides imagining all the fucked-up things he could be saying.
The fight left her body and her shoulders sagged, and it broke something in me. "What the fuck, man. Leave her alone,” I called out unable to watch for one more second.” Look at her, she's terrified.”
I didn’t step out of the shadows, it was better she didn’t know her faceless protector. But my voice was enough for him to release her, and she almost slid down the wall.
"Lighten up, Pierce,” he laughed. The fucker actually laughed. “I'm just having some fun. Isn't that right, beautiful?"
She didn’t speak. She didn’t move. Just watched, her eyes wide and filled with fear.
"Dude, leave it. There are enough girls downstairs." Girls that wanted in our world. Girls that would sell their soul—and bodies—for a chance to bag a night with a Donohue.
"Fine. Let’s go,” he said, and relief pumped through me. Until he paused and leaned back into her, “I’ll see you around, beautiful.”
Even in the dark, I could see her body trembling, the unshed tears in her eyes. I wanted to go to her. I didn’t understand the overwhelming urge I felt, it was almost primal. But Braiden stalked past me, throwing me a smug smirk. Bastard. I moved to follow him but risked one last glance at her. Making a silent vow to myself—to her—to stay away.
I wanted to know her. To discover her secrets, her truths. I wanted to erase the pain in her eyes and make her smile. But she didn’t belong in my world.
And I didn’t belong in hers.
First Coffee
“Jackson … Pierce … motherfucker.”
Something hit me on the head and stifled laughter filled the air. I blinked, scowling at Braiden as he glared back at me. “Where the fuck is your head at?”
“What?” I said. “I’m here.”
“Pay attention or get the fuck out.”
I pushed off the wall of the cabin and folded my arms over my chest. “I’m all ears.” My voice dripped with sarcasm, but my head was a mess. Ever since watching him with her at the party, I couldn’t get her out of my head. And then to my surprise, when classes rolled around there she was in not one, but two of my classes.
It was like the universe was trying to tell me something.
Or punish me.
I hadn’t quite decided yet, but when Professor Shacks had instructed us to work in pairs, and I’d ended up working with Ana, I knew I had a problem.
Despite barely knowing her, she had already buried herself deep. So much so, I found myself inviting her coffee. Coffee. I’d never had coffee with a girl in my life.
I was screwed.
"So, isn't there anywhere on campus that has coffee?" Ana laughed but it was strained, and I wondered again if I’d done the right thing persuading her to have coffee with me.
It was a terrible idea, but the second I saw her sitting there, in class, I knew I couldn’t stay away. I had to try and get to know her.
Consequences be dammed.
I just had to be discreet. For both our sakes.
"Nowhere does coffee like Blacks." I reversed out of the parking lot and took the small access road leading toward the forest instead of the main road in and out of the campus.
"Blacks? Am I supposed to know what that means?"
"You'll see.” I smiled. “Hold on."
It was a good job I knew the route to Black’s. I could have driven it with my eye’s closed, which was a good job since I couldn’t stop stealing glances at her. She was quiet, contemplative even, and I wanted so much to know everything she was thinking.
Ana had to think it all very cloak and dagger how I’d insisted she meet me at the back of the building. But the less people knew about us, the better. If this ever got back to Braiden … No, that wasn’t an option.
If I was going to explore this thing with Ana, it had to be a secret.
My secret.
She tilted her head, her eyes taking in the beautiful landscape as we took the coastal road to the diner. "Something else, isn't it?" I said. I loved it out here. Always had. "It’s rough out there."
"Yeah, it looks so fierce," she replied, lost in her own thoughts.
I pulled off the main route and parked outside Blacks. "Okay, so it doesn't look much, but I promise it has the best coffee in a twenty-mile radius."
We got out of the car and I guided her inside, unable to resist touching her. Otis beamed when we entered and came straight over, wrapping me into a hug.
"And who here is this pretty lady?"
"This is Ana.” He gave me a curious look and I knew what he was thinking. “We have a couple of classes together. I-" I cleared his throat. "I promised her coffee."
The old man’s lips upturned in a smile. "Welcome, Ana, classmate of Jackson. Any friend of Jax is a friend of mine. What can I get you, girl?"
I watched as she scanned the menu board. "I'll have a banana shake and a turkey sub, please."
"No coffee?” I gasped. “Be still my beating heart."
Ana laughed, and it was music to my ears. I ignored Otis’s shit eating grin. "Usual, Jax?" he asked barely able to disguise the amusement in his voice.
"Sure thing, Otis."
"So, how do you like it?" I asked her once we were seated in a booth.
"It isn't quite what I imagined, although I guess I just imagined a Costa coffee." She chuckled. "It's great. So close to the sea. Otis seems nice."
"He's as good as family; we go way back. Like me in diapers back. He knew my dad..." I hesitated unsure of how much of my past to divulge. "Anyway, what about you, Ana Parry? What's your story?"
Her whole demeanor changed and I wondered what she was hiding. Before I could stop myself, I reached across the table and took her hand in mine, relieved when it seemed to lighten her mood.
"My story?” Ana smiled wryly. “It’s far too boring for coffee with Shakespeare."
I couldn’t imagine anything about this beautiful broken girl being boring. But before I could probe her any further, Otis brought over our drinks. And I decided to keep to safer topics.
"So, how do you like CFA?"
She shrugged. "It's okay, I guess."
I tried to school my features. If only she knew the truth. "Not what you expected?"
"You could say that. I was expecting quiet. I get the feeling it's anything but."
Otis appeared again with our food, a
nd I didn’t know whether to be relieved or annoyed by his constant interruptions. We ate in comfortable silence, stealing discreet glances at one another. And then she said the worst thing possible.
"So, is Dead Man's Cove around here? Elena mentioned a party."
Caught off guard, I slammed my fist against my chest. "Ye- yeah. Not far from here," I yanked off my ball cap and raked a hand through my hair. "It's usually a bust, though. Probably a waste of time to make the trip, especially with the forecast."
"Oh. So, you're not going?” She sounded disappointed. The thought filled me with something it shouldn’t. Shit, I was in too deep and it had only taken one coffee. “I thought it was some kind of freshman thing?"
"Nah, I doubt it."
I paid the check and said goodbye to Otis. His curious stare followed us out of the diner, but his questions would have to wait.
"I have a couple of things to take care of in town,” I said to Ana coolly. “So I'll drop you back at campus?"
"Sure." The dejection in her voice was obvious and it stung but this had been a bad idea. I was selfish for thinking I could do this.
By the time we arrived back at campus, the uncomfortable silence was almost too much to bear. I didn’t take the back road, instead I drove to the gates and pulled over. Ana realized and went to open the door. "Thanks for the shake. See you in class."
She ducked out of the car and I cussed under my breath. I couldn’t leave things like this. She deserved more.
She deserved so much better.
"Ana, wait," I called through the half-open window. "Thanks for coming. See you in class."
It was lame, but it was all I had.
The Thunderstorm
The rain was relentless. The party was a wash out, but Braiden insisted I show up. I was almost at the gate leading to the path down to Dead Man’s when I caught sight of something sitting in the path. I strained my eyes to see through the sheet of water.