Jackson's Girl: Being His Duology

by Charlie R. Love

  We walked me out of there without saying another word, and I let him pulled me along, too numb to even look around for Ethan.

  I didn’t need to waste my time though because I knew, Ethan left the diner. He ditched me on our so-called date, and if Jackson hadn’t shown up, I would have no money to pay for dinner and no ride home.

  He led me to the passenger side of his car, a black Prius.

  I leaned back against the soft seat and closed my eyes. I didn’t realize Jackson had bent down by the door until I felt his arms go around me once more, putting the seatbelt in place.

  My eyes opened and met his.

  He cupped my cheek and used his thumb to wipe away the tears that fallen and instead of moving away from him like I should, I leaned into his hand.

  “Are you okay?” He asked me like I was breakable.

  I felt it.

  I nodded. It looked like he wanted to say something more, say something else, anything, that would make me feel better. I didn’t think there was really any words left for him to say that would make any of this better.

  He nodded once, almost as if to himself, and then he stood up and walked to the driver’s side.

  Jackson started the car and put the heat on full blast when he noticed I was shivering.

  Now, whether I was shaking because of the cold or from something else entirely, I wasn’t sure, but I was thankful for the warm air that was quickly filling the car.

  I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

  A real genuine smile that I couldn’t help but fall for. “Thank you,” I said softly.

  He made a soft sound in acknowledgment, and then put the car in reverse and pull out of the parking lot. The drive was quiet, mostly of me looking out the window, doing whatever I could to avoid Jackson’s inquisitive stares, relieving what could possibly be the most humiliating moment of my life.

  I wasn’t even sure how Jackson had found me. Perhaps he was meeting people there for dinner.

  I wasn’t brave enough to ask.

  When he finally put the car in park, I looked out my surrounding then back to him. We were somewhere I was unfamiliar with. He grinned and got out the car without answering. Moments later, he opened the passenger door and helped me out. Again, his hand held onto mine, and he refused to let go. I didn’t even try to remove it.

  “You must be hungry,” he said. “And I haven’t eaten, yet. I thought we can have dinner here and then I’ll drive you home.”

  “Jackson…”

  “And before you refuse, you should know that they have the best steaks here in all of Seattle.”

  I bit my bottom to lip to keep the please smile that was threatening to show. “The best steak?” I asked.

  He nodded, his expression turning serious. “Yes. And since I brought you here, dinner is on me.” He winked, and I swore my heart stuttered.

  We walked into the warm, soft lighting of the large restaurant, surprisingly busy so late in the night. The hostess gave us a welcoming smile before walking to where we were, greeting us.

  “Table for two?” she asked.

  Jackson squeezed my hand briefly before answering her with an easy smile. “Yes.”

  He seemed happy. And when he stared down at me, I was happy. “Follow me.”

  Jackson continued to hold onto my hand until we were at the table. I used the walk over to check him out. He was wearing a thin gray shirt with no sweater despite the sixty-degree weather out, and fitting dark blue jeans with black leather boots. As usual, he looked hot, and I wondered if him getting ready in the morning was as effortless as he made it seem to be.

  He pulled the chair out for me and helped me get settled in before he took the seat nearby, moving in so close, our shoulders almost touch.

  “Your server should be with you shortly.”

  No longer did she leave, a tall, lanky looking man with black square frame glasses and short blond hair showed up at our table. “Good evening folks. My name is Adam, and I will be your server today,” he greeted. “Can I start you off with something to drink?”

  “Just water for me,” I said.

  “Same,” Jackson chimed in.

  Adam nodded, and with a polite smile, walked off. And then it was the two of us alone. Jackson ignored the menu the hostess place in front of him. Instead, he settled on sharing the menu with me, pointing out all of his favorites.

  “I can’t decide,” I said. “They all look so good.”

  He laughed. “Do you feel like eating steak or chicken?”

  “Steak,” I answered without hesitation.

  His smile widened. “Steak it is.”

  Adam came back with our two cups and looked at us expectantly. “Are you folks ready, or would you like some time?”

  “We’re ready,” Jackson responded. “We’ll both have the eight-ounce sirloin steak with loaded baked potatoes and vegetables.”

  “How would you like it to cook?”

  Jackson looked at me. “Well done,” I replied.

  “Medium rare for me.”

  “You got it. The food will be right out.” Adam collected the menu and left.

  “This place is wonderful,” I said. “Thank you for taking me.”

  “I’ve wanted to take you out for a while now. I’m glad to have the excuse to bring you here.”

  And like that, whatever good mood Jackson had been able to bring out of me evaporated as he reminded us both of what happened back at the diner.

  “You’re probably wondering what happened back there,” I said quietly.

  Jackson grabbed my hand from underneath the table and held it in his lap. “You can tell me if you want. Or if you don’t want to talk about it tonight, that’s understandable, too. But know this, no one will ever treat you the way those people did back at the diner.” His eyes flashed with something fierce. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  I tried to pull my hand away, but Jackson was quicker. He held on tightly. Not enough to hurt me, but enough to make sure I wouldn’t be able to pull away.

  “You can’t make people be nice to me, Jackson.”

  “Yes, I can. And I’ll make sure they get the message.”

  “Why are you doing this?” I asked.

  “Why am I doing what?”

  I motioned between us with my free hand. “This… whatever this is. You didn’t even know I existed a week ago.”

  “Oh, that’s where you’re wrong. I’ve seen you in the hallway many times before. I’ve noticed you.” He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ears as he brought our face closer in together. “You’re hard to miss.”

  “Why now?”

  “Because… because I know you had a boyfriend.” He shrugged. “I didn’t think I had a chance.”

  “Have,” I corrected. “I have a boyfriend.”

  Jackson’s expression tightened. “I hope by the end of tonight, it would change, considering he ditched you at that diner.”

  “How do you know?”

  Jackson seemed angry all the sudden. “Because you wouldn’t have been there by yourself.” His eyes softened when he took in my humiliated face. “You’re painfully shy, I can see that. Any man good enough for you should have known it, too, and would never leave you by yourself. He can’t take care of you, Emily.”

  He moved the chair closer to me, wrapping his arm around my waist before he pulled me into him. “I can take of you. I will treat you with care.”

  I bent my neck back to meet his eyes. I willed my lips to move, to reply, but I couldn’t. My mouth opened, but no words came out, just a soft whimpered and a small sigh in frustration.

  Adam chose that moment to come back with our food. I tried to move away from Jackson, but he held on tight, not allowing even an inch between us. Adam shot us a knowing smile as he set down our plate. “Enjoy,” he said before leaving.

  I stared after him, hoping he would come back so that I wouldn’t be left alone with Jackson. No such luck.

  Jackson unfolded the linen napkin and placed
it on my lap.

  I held completely still as he adjusted it, and I may have stopped breathing. The corners of his lips tugged upwards in a small smile as he continued to do as he please. Even when he was doing something as simple as that, there was an air of intimacy about it that rendered me speechless.

  He placed the knife and fork in each of my hand, and with a boyish smile, he did the same thing for himself.

  I was still staring at him as he cut a small piece from his meat and place it in his mouth. His moan was exaggerated, done so to get me out of my reverie and my focus back on the food.

  He failed.

  He tapped his finger to the back of my hand, indicating for me to eat. I did as he asked, only because I didn’t want to embarrass myself further.

  Wordlessly, I cut into the meat, though I was still aware of every little movement from him, from the way he breathes, to how he slowly chewed his food before he swallowed.

  I brought the morsel of meat to my mouth, and that was when I pushed Jackson away from my thoughts and focused on the food. Flavors immediately exploded in my mouth, and I closed my eyes to savor the taste. It was that good. I usually preferred my steaks well done, but making a well-done steak without it going dry or becoming tasteless was a feat not many cooks could do.

  The piece of heaven on my plate, however, had the right amount of flavor. I almost called Adam over and ask him to kiss the chef for me for being so good. Jackson wasn’t kidding when he said the restaurant had the best steaks in Seattle.

  “Good, huh?”

  “The best. I have never had anything so good.”

  “Then eat while it’s still hot,” Jackson said, his voice suddenly gruff, his eyes darkened with some emotions I couldn’t name.

  I smiled up at him, and I swore I heard his breath caught, his shoulders stiff. Mere seconds later, his posture relaxed, and we went back to eating.

  We didn’t talk. Each in our own mind, the only sound coming from the endless, incoherent chatter around the restaurant, and the occasional clattering of forks and knives.

  The noise was oddly comforting.

  I wasn’t sure what he was thinking about, but by the looks he shot my way every once in a while, I didn’t exactly want to know.

  When the check arrived, Jackson handed his card over without looking down at the bill.

  “Are you please?” Jackson asked quietly.

  I took in his face, trying to decipher his expression. “Yes,” I answered quietly. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Adam returned with his card. Jackson signed the receipt, and without another word, stood up and held out his hand to me. I hesitated for about half a second before I took it and let him help me up.

  Being with Jackson was an adjustment.

  Certainly, Ethan had never treated me with so much care.

  Jackson’s thoughtfulness always came to me in pleasant surprise. Was this how it was supposed to feel? To date someone like Jackson Wright, who was so out of my league, it wasn’t even funny. And yet he continued to treat me as if spending time with me was a privileged not many had the chance to experience. He was making it hard for me to say no to him, no matter how much I wanted to.

  And I wasn’t even sure if that was what I wanted anymore.

  He placed me on the passenger seat, and like before, bent down and buckled the seatbelt in for me. “You know I am more than capable of doing that,” I said when he leaned forward. I held my breath when his forearms brushed against my belly.

  “I know. I like doing it. Humor me, will you?”

  I nodded.

  Once he started the car, he turned on the heater, looking at me expectantly. “Yes?” I asked on a yawn.

  “Um, I’m a little lost. I know you’re tired, but I don’t want this night to be over. I don’t want to drive you home.”

  The walls around my heart shook on its foundation at his declaration. He needed to be careful. He could make me fall in love with him so easily.

  I was going to answer when another yawn pulled through, and Jackson smiled at me. “Tomorrow then?”

  “What?”

  “Tomorrow. Say you’ll hang out with me tomorrow,” he said.

  “Jackson…” I wasn’t sure if his name coming out of lips was a warning or plead.

  “I love hearing you say my name,” he interrupted, taking my hands in his and resting them on his lap. “Don’t make me beg, Emily. But I will if that’s what it takes.”

  “Okay,” I whispered.

  “What was that?”

  “Okay.”

  I was sure his smile matched mine. My heart was racing inside my ribcage, begging to be let out.

  Somehow, me agreeing to hang out with Jackson the following day felt so much more than something as simple as me agreeing to hang out with him

  It was as if I had agreed to be his.

  And I wasn’t sure if that made me feel ecstatic or terrified. Perhaps a little bit of both.

  He looked over at me again at a red light, and my heart nearly gave out.

  Definitely both, I decided.

  I woke up the next morning to the insistent ringing of my cell phone.

  I blindly reached for it on the floor next to my bed and without looking at the screen, picked up. “Hello?”

  “Emily,” a deep familiar voice rasped out, waking me up completely.

  I sat up on the bed, pulling the blankets over my shoulders to fight off the morning chill. “Ethan,” I finally replied after an unnaturally long pause.

  “I’m at your house. Can you come out?”

  “Yeah, give me a minute,” I told him, climbing off my bed. I knew we would have to talk eventually; I didn’t think we would have to talk so soon, though. But I needed to get it out the way. I didn’t want it to hang in the air between us. I also didn’t want it to hang in the air between Jackson and me, since I had made the decision the night before that I wanted to be caught in the chase between Jackson and me.

  Grabbing the robe hanging on the hook behind my door, I padded to the front door, the floorboards creaking beneath my weight.

  When I opened the front door, I wished I could say I was surprised to find Ethan’s eyes bloodshot and droopy, but I was more surprised over the fact that he was awake so early in the morning.

  Or maybe he never went to bed.

  I motioned for him to step back and went outside, sitting down on the two-step concrete stairs connected to the porch.

  Goosebumps rose across my skin from the cold. I looked to Ethan and found him standing in front of me, his eyes taking me in. He looked almost… angry, and I wasn’t sure why, considering he was the one who ditched me.

  “What?” I asked when the silence became unbearable.

  “You left with Jackson last night.”

  “How did you know?”

  Ethan laughed, the sound abrasive and grating. “Everyone is talking about it.”

  “I see,” I said quietly. I knew everyone would talk, but I didn’t think it would start so soon. I thought I would at least have the weekend to myself without having to worry about the crude rumors I was sure was already spreading like wildfire.

  “How could you, Emily? How could you leave with him?”

  It was my turn to laugh, the sound equally abrasive. “You mean after you ditched me?”

  At least he had the decency to look ashamed. But it wasn’t enough for me to forgive him. “So what are you trying to say? That we’re through?”

  I gave him a sad look. “I think we’ve been through for a very long time now. What we’ve been doing was dragging each other along, hoping it would somehow make everything okay. But you and me? We’re not… I don’t think we can be fixed anymore.”

  I stood up and looked at him. “I think it’s time you leave. And it would be best if you don’t come here again.”

  As I pivoted around, Ethan stopped me with one hand to my elbow. “No.”

  I moved back in surprise from the harsh sound of his voi
ce and almost tripped backward on the stairs. “What do you mean ‘no?’” I asked, narrowing my eyes on him.

  “It means no. You don’t get to string me along for two years, only to end it when you see someone better coming along.”

  “You did this!” I yelled, shocking us both. I pulled away and glared down at him. “You treated me like I don’t matter to you, and then you get mad when I find someone who actually treats me like a princess? Leave, Ethan. And don’t come back.”

  His eyes flashed with vicious intent, causing me to move back a step. For the first time in my relationship with him, I was terrified of the things I knew he was more than capable of doing.

  Ethan made a move forward when a deep voice stopped him in his track. “I think it’s time you leave.”

  We both turned to the voice, and I almost cried in relief at the sight of Grant.

  He walked toward us until he was between Ethan and me. Grant had several inches and at least fifty pounds on Ethan.

  Ethan was no match for him. And by the looks on his face, he knew that as well.

  With one last lingering look at me—making me shake in revulsion—he walked to where his car was parked and drove off, the engine loud in the stillness of the morning.

  I was still shaking. I came to that realization when Grant wrapped his arms around me. “Come on, let’s get you inside where it’s warm,” he mumbled into my hair.

  “Not really.”

  “What was that?”

  “It’s not really warm inside either.”

  Grant softly curse beside me when we got in, and I closed the door behind us. “Why isn’t the heater on?”

  I shot him a look. “It’s never on. Come on, let’s go to my room. I have blankets.”

  I took the lead and walked to my room, Grant following silently behind. I wanted to ask him what he was doing at my house so early in the morning, but I could probably guess. He obviously heard about what happened the night before. Rather or not what he heard was accurate was a different story.

  “Jackson took me out to dinner last night,” I said as soon as I closed the door to my room and settled on the bed, wrapping the blanket around me.