I looked up to the ceiling, swallowing the lump in my throat as tears began to pool in my eyes.
I didn't love him, but it didn't mean it didn't hurt. So, this is how it feels to be cheated on. Hey Mommy, is this how it felt? Is this how Dad made you feel?
I turned over, Moonlight moved off me as I grabbed the pillow to bury my sobs and tears while I cried. Moonlight snuggled next to me, the only warmth I could feel in my cold heart.
“He doesn't love you anymore. Nor do you love him. Move on.”
Those are the words that echoed in my head; my consciousness too far gone to realize they weren't my own.
Chapter Ten
"Jaxson, I'll be there in five minutes. Yes, I'm fine. Seriously, I am...sigh. In five minutes, you will see me. You don't have to come all the way down here to make sure I can walk properly. No. No. I slept the entire night. Yes, I did eat the breakfast Ethan made, which was delicious by the way. Okay. Yes. Bye."
I pulled my hand away, smiling at the screen.
Interesting how my current "cheating" boyfriend hadn't called once last night to check in on me after Cece informed him of my fainting episode, but Jaxson had called me three times within twelve hours.
The boys had been stuck at PINC Headquarters the entire night, working on narrowing down our prime suspects in multiple murders across the country – Xerxes was connected to all of them somehow. All the cases ended up at dead ends, resulting in them landing in the unsolved case folder in the back corner of the file room.
I could only imagine the families who waited every day, hoping to hear that the person or people who took away their loved one was finally found and would serve justice.
I walked out of the Uber car, thanking the driver once more before closing the door. I turned to stare at the large structure before me – PARANORMAL INC Headquarters.
I had no idea where they got their name from, but I guess if you want to stand out you’ve got to be different and daring.
The building was fifty floors tall – the glass windows were tinted, and the exterior walls were a dark blue. It reminded me of a high-end condo that would cost five-hundred-thousand dollars or more. I walked into the main entrance, pulling out my student identification.
Jaxson assured me that I was on the schedule to see him and he'd give me my temporary badge and other equipment needed. I wonder if I get to carry a firearm.
The secretary was helpful, giving me a long up and down look before she gave me a smirk, showing me to the security clearance.
My appearance was simple – my bright, orange hair left down in its curly glory, black pants, red top and a black blazer to complete the look. With my red Louboutin’s, courtesy of Cece, and red lipstick, I was set. I had my fingerless gloves on and decided to wear my black rimmed glasses. I still hadn't figured out what was going on with my eyesight lately, but I didn't want to take any chances. Overall, I looked ready to work.
In this field, you had to show how fierce you were, or you'd be run over by the higher ups. I was confident in my skills, I just needed the experience to match it.
"Just wait here. I'm going to get clearance from Mr. White before sending you up to his floor." The blonde secretary informed me before turning and walking down the hall.
I was standing in front of two sets of elevators – one required an access key while the others went from the basement to the – fortieth floor. He gets his own floor with an access code too. Jaxson's worked really hard for his reputation and position here at PINC. I wonder what motivates him.
"Well, well, well. Look who the cat dragged in. If it isn't the fainting lady of Mc. Ryerson."
I rolled my eyes, fixing my glasses before turning to face the most annoying, stuck up bitch in my class – Rebecca Harrison. I smiled, innocently.
"Rebecca. What are you doing here?" I asked sweetly as I faced the five-four, blonde-haired, country chick. She only got into Mc. Ryerson due to her father's pocket, not her brain – I questioned whether it worked or not.
"Oh, nothing. Just had an interview with one of the associates. Of course, you've heard of Jaxson White's Team Seven. They're the top team of PINC, solving more cases than any other. It's not even those average, stupid cases investigators get to like someone stealing a kitty or something. It's unsolved murder cases and cases no one else can solve. They're on a winning streak; PINC is becoming so popular. I applied to be a part of their team." She boasted proudly.
I kept my innocent act, not wanting to ruin my image. She wasn't somebody to worry over. My presence alone was intimidating enough for her to try and boast about her accomplishments.
"Wow, that's amazing. I wish you all the best. Jaxson's team is truly unbeatable, and I look up to him and the other members." I replied. She frowned giving me a raised eyebrow.
"How do you know the other members? Even I've never gotten to see them other than Michael, Jaxson’s right-hand man." She narrowed her eyes at me. I continued to smile.
"Oh, you didn't know? My final assignment was with their team, on an interesting case. Of course, I can't talk about the details due to confidentiality, but you know the drill. I guess being an Ace has its benefits." I shrugged my shoulders, acting like it wasn’t a big deal. I had grown used to being called the ‘Ace’ of Mc. Ryerson – having completed all my courses, while maintaining a perfect grade point average.
I could see the building anger in her black eyes as she glared at me. I remained calm as I stared back, not affected in the least by her attempt to intimidate me.
“Agent Sinclair."
My eyes widened – my heart fluttered at the sound of my name rolling off that familiar, deep voice and sent shivers down my spine. I looked over my shoulder to see Jaxson approaching; the secretary rushed to catch up.
I looked back at Rebecca who stared wide-eyed at me. I winked before turning to give my full attention to my leader.
"Good Morning, Agent White. Reporting for duty." I stood at attention.
He took his time to review my appearance, those enchanting, amber eyes reflected both pride and a hint of desire.
I bit my lip, attempting to distract myself from the flips and cartwheels going on in my stomach. I was especially trying to ignore my attraction for this sexy man.
"Nice and early. Just the way I like it, Sinclair. Sorry for the delay, I was working on getting your badge and clearance approved." He explained, raising his hand to show the black leather badge – flipping it open to reveal the words and badge – PARANORMAL INC in pink metallic metal.
My name was printed in cursive. A black card that looked like an access card peaked out from behind my badge.
"Thank you, Sir. It's an honor to get this privilege to work with yourself and the others from Team Seven. I will try my best to surpass your expectations." I replied bowing my head.
"Well, if you work the way you did during your final assignment, you may be the first female on our team. Keep up the good work. Now, let's go get that contract signed and get to work." He urged, gesturing to the special elevator.
I did a quick glance at Rebecca.
"It's nice seeing you again, Rebecca. Good luck, and I hope you get that position with Team Seven. Maybe we’ll work together one day." I bid farewell as I walked confidently to the elevator doors, Jaxson right behind me.
I tried to keep my blank facial expression as the doors opened; Jaxson and I stepped in and turned around to see Rebecca’s red face which was filled with anger as she clenched her fists.
A small smile formed on my lips as the doors slowly came to a close. Jaxson inserted the card key; the elevator began to rise to its destination. I couldn't hold it in any longer.
Laughter escaped me to the point my shoulders shook, and tears formed in my eyes.
"I'm sorry, just hold on. Give me a minute to recover. That was just priceless." I tried to control my giggles but struggled, unable to stop the bubbly, laughing fit I was experiencing.
I rose to stare up at Jaxson who smiled from ear to ear.
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"I can't deny, that was the funniest shit I've seen all day." He began to chuckle as his shoulders shook.
"Right. Omg, she was boasting about how she had an interview for your team. I swear, I bet she felt so proud. I'm sorry; I shouldn't be shit talking. Totally unprofessional." I apologized, clearing my throat as I wiped the tears in my eyes.
"Don't worry. I hate her with a passion, so please, don't hesitate to continue." He relaxed against the wall as the elevator continued its ascent to his office floor.
"Why do you hate her? If you don't mind me asking?" I questioned, relaxing on the opposite side of the elevator.
"I never mind you asking anything, Scar." He whispered; his tone low. I licked my lips, already feeling the sexual tension between us. Ugh, how I wish the elevator would break down and we could have made some passionate love. Silly movies. I need to start readings books. Maybe they're more realistic.
"And to answer your question, she's my ex." He announced as the elevator came to a stop – FLOOR 47 greeted us when the doors opened.
“I’m sorry, your what?” I began, stopping to watch him exited the elevator – leaving my stunned self behind. I blinked, shaking my head before reluctantly catching up to him. I’ll question him later.
We went through the first set of glass doors, a black-haired secretary greeted us in the center of the room. Jaxson nodded in acknowledgment, not stopping his stride as he made a left; my heels made my presence known throughout the halls as they echoed on the white, marble tiles.
He gave me a quick rundown of his floor: the left hallway led to his office, while the hallway on our right lead to the kitchen, bathroom, break room and darkroom. He stopped at the door to his office, pressing a few keys on the security pad before he swiped his card – the green light blinked as a ping sounded. He turned the knob, opening the door to let me in first. I thanked him, walking into the spacious office.
I took my gloves off as my hands needed to feel the fresh breeze of the air-conditioned room.
The office was all black and white décor – giving off a pop culture appearance. It was very neat and organized. I wonder why he loved the black and white combination?
What caught my attention was the transparent, crystal plaque on his desk read - JAXSON L WHITE, Paranormal INC Agent in bold, black letters.
My eyes continued to look around the room; the silk black curtains, black bookshelf on my left, and a few chairs in the corner. There were two, standard, black chairs in front of his desk. I looked to my right to see a row of drawers; my eyes landed on the only item out of place and currently located on the floor.
"Why do you have a gold paperweight on the floor?" I asked, walking towards it to pick it up.
"Scar, glov–" He began, but I already picked it up, inspecting the object.
The room shifted quickly, an image of Rebecca smiling at Jaxson as she attempted to give him the little item.
"Here's your gift. Congrats on the promotion." You could hear the snarkiness in her voice as if she wasn't truly happy with his success but envious.
"Leave it on the desk, Rebecca." Jaxson said dryly, not even looking up from his computer screen as he continued to type away.
"You could at least show some more appreciation." She barked at him, dropping the gift on his desk. He stopped typing, giving her a glare – something I had yet to see from him.
"Why? I've worked ten fucking years for this promotion and what do I get from the woman who's supposed to love me? A fucking paper weight. But you get a good grade at school and want me to buy you a fourteen karat gold necklace. Funny. Next time you're going to give me something Rebecca, do it from the heart." He snarled the last comment before returning to his work; fingers typed away.
"Why are we even together?" She yelled before leaving, slamming the door behind her.
"I wonder why too." He whispered; his eyes landed on the gift before he sighed. His hand rubbed at his eyes before ruffling his hair and returning back to his work.
The vision ended – my surroundings shifted back to the present. I blinked a few times; my vision cleared to see a worried, amber-eyed male, kneeling before me.
"Scar?" He questioned.
"Hi. Sorry, did I worry you?" I asked back, smiling lightly.
"Wait, you're not gonna pass out?" He asked confused.
I rose to my feet, waiting for the dizziness to fade. Jaxson urged me to sit, pulling the chair out. I sank into the soft, leather cushions, a sigh of relief escaped me.
"I don't pass out with every vision. It just takes a toll on me. Short visions like that just make me feel light headed and a tad dizzy. The longer and more intense a vision is, the stronger an impact it has on my body." I explained.
I waited for him to move to sit in his office chair, but he pulled the chair next to me out to sit down, rotating himself to face me. I smiled.
"You sure you don't need anything?" He questioned.
"I'm fine Jax. Thanks."
"Jax, huh." He smiled; the expression reached his eyes as they twinkled with delight.
"Can I call you that?" I whispered.
"You can call me whatever you want Scar baby." He whispered. He leaned forward; his lips aimed to press against mine when I put a finger on my lips, shaking my head.
"I need to break up with Jake first."
I'd come to terms with the fact I was falling hard and fast for the man before me, but I needed to get Jake out of the picture before this went any further. He smiled, moving up to kiss my forehead. My eyes widened at the soft touch of his lips; my body craved for those same lips to please me like he did during our night together.
He pulled away, looking at me with compassion and pride.
"I love that you stick to your morals. I'm ready whenever you are, Scarlet." He reassured me.
It made my heart soar with joy that he was so accepting of me. He didn't care about my weird gift or the fact I had to wear gloves, even when I went to sleep. He just liked me for me.
"Okay." I replied. We shared a silent moment, just staring into each other’s eyes before the phone rang.
Jaxson reached for his cell phone which was on the desk.
"What's up, Michael?" He questioned. I could hear the noise coming from the speaker pressed against his ear. It took about a minute before Jaxson frowned.
"I'm with Scar."
More mumbling. He sighed, looking annoyed.
"Let Christian and Ethan start the search, narrow down all the options. It should take two days before we can finalize that plan, if you guys are a hundred percent sure he's targeting that house. I'll assign you and Scarlet to investigate, while Junho and I assess the surrounding perimeter. Check everywhere. If we can lay a trap to find him or find out what he's looking for, we'd be one step closer to finding out what Xerxes wants."
Jaxson pulled the phone away from his ear after Michael said goodbye, hanging up. He looked at me with a sad smile.
"Duty calls. Let's get this paperwork out of the way. I'm gonna need you two or three days from now, on a new case. I'll give you all the details the night before. Is that enough time for you to review everything in detail?" He questioned; his voice serious.
I nodded.
"Easy." I replied with a cocky smile, which made him lose his seriousness as he laughed.
"That confidence of yours is going to get you killed." He remarked, rising from his chair to walk around his desk.
"Kendrick says that all the time." I mumbled before I realized they weren't supposed to know about our acquaintanceship. Jaxson must have noticed my change in expression.
"Relax. Kendrick explained to us that he sees you more as a daughter and knows you outside of school. Don't worry about it." He winked as he collected the papers, presenting them to me with a pen.
"He told you. But he's just a professor. Isn't he not supposed to tell you that?" I pointed out as I began to read the contract; my eyes scanned the terms and conditions.
"He's our boss, Scar baby." I looked up wid
e-eyed.
"Boss? As in boss-boss? Like, leader? Of Team Seven?" I questioned, shocked. He nodded.
"Yup. He uses his position as a professor as a cover...and I think just to keep an eye on you. That's just my assumption. You get into a lot of trouble. I can see it." He joked with a smirk.
"I don't always get in trouble you know." I mumbled.
I felt the tension leave my shoulders. Life would be a lot easier if I could see Kendrick a bit more. He was like the father I never had in my life.
My dad didn't care about me. He was an alcoholic, who liked to beat my mom once in a while and had a mistress. I guess he still loved my mom in a way, seeing as he accused me of being the cause of her death – or so he claimed. Either way, he abandoned me…
“Scarlet.”
I looked up to Jaxson's worried expression.
"Ah, sorry. Just deep in thought. Nothing to worry about." I brushed off his concern. He didn't need to worry about my shitty past.
I finished off the paperwork, pushing the paper back to him to review. My eyes returned to the paperweight which was in my lap.
"What did you see?" He asked quietly.
"Rebecca gave it to you when you got promoted. She was mad that you didn't look excited about her gift." I summarized.
"She only dated me to benefit herself. Not for love. I was attracted to her, but I didn't love her. We broke up two years ago." He confessed.
"I can tell. She didn't love you." I whispered to myself as I looked at the paperweight. Same way Jake doesn't love me.
"Are you nervous?" I looked back up to him.
"About?"
"Breaking up with Jake, your boyfriend." He urged.
"Yes...and no. I don't really know. I feel guilty for waiting so long. Maybe...I didn't want it to be like my parents. They had a rocky few years when I was born, and I guess when I got my visions....it got worse. Dad started drinking and well...the cheating began and the abuse...then my mom was murdered." I whispered; my voice cracked at the last sentence.
I looked away as I blinked back the tears. I hadn't told anyone about my daddy issues or my childhood. Only Cece and Kendrick knew about the abuse.
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