Jackson's Girl: Being His Duology

by Charlie R. Love

  I laughed, tightening my hold on Jackson before burying my face in his chest.

  “I probably would have done it if you remain mad at me throughout the day,” he said softly so that I was the only one who heard.

  I pushed him away slightly and met his eyes. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Have you to myself for an infinite amount of time? You underestimate my self-control, baby. Maybe I should still do it.” He made a move to grab me, and I laughed, playfully shoving him away.

  Jackson didn’t let me stay away long. Mere seconds later, I was back in his arms.

  “Thanks, Aiden,” Jackson said softly.

  He smiled. “I like Emily. She is so much better than the girls you used to bring around.”

  Jackson scowled at this, and Aiden laughed. “I’m just saying.”

  Grant was back by my side at this point. “We should probably get to class soon.”

  I nodded and turned to Jackson. “You don’t have to walk me to class this morning. I need to use the restroom, and I don’t want to make you late.”

  Jackson shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll wait for you.”

  “Outside the girl’s bathroom? Now you’re being ridiculous. I’ll be fine.” Jackson didn’t look like he wanted to move, so I pulled away and push him toward the direction of his class.

  He frowned but obliged. Giving me one last lingering kiss, he walked away. Aiden was next, which left Grant and me.

  “Did you really have to use the restroom?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “How did you know I was lying?”

  “We’ve been friends since middle school. I’ve learned all about your bad habits by now.”

  “I want to ask for a favor.”

  “Okay, what is it.”

  I bit my lips, before saying, “I want you to drive me to the fight tonight.”

  Grant frowned. “Didn’t I already agree to do that?”

  “Yes, but I don’t want you to tell Jackson about it.”

  “He doesn’t want you there. That’s what the fight was about, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah. But I want to go. I need to go. Jackson only fighting Jude because of me.”

  “I don’t think so. He’s fighting Jude because Jude’s been looking for a fight since, well, since ever. And now he’s messing with you to get to Jackson.”

  “Still. I need to be there and make sure Jackson is okay.”

  Grant hesitated. “I don’t know, Emily. I’ve never been to the fight, but if Jackson doesn’t want you there, he must have his reasons. He doesn’t think it’s safe for you.”

  “But you’ll be there. And so will Aiden. Please, Grant.”

  I moved closer and looked up at him from under my eyelashes. He let out a sigh. “Fine. But you don’t leave my side during the night. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  21

  Past: Emily

  After school, Jackson dropped me off at home, kissing me so desperately, I almost begged him not to go.

  His kiss was in place of his apology because he wouldn’t budge. He was going off to the fight, with the promise of coming back for me as soon as it was over, and we would drive up to his house.

  I didn’t say anything, but I didn’t put up a fight when he closed my front door behind him and drove away.

  I stood by the window for five more minutes, looking out to the gray sky before making my way to the kitchen in search of food.

  Forty minutes later, Grant’s car pulled up into my driveway. Grabbing my house key, I walked out and locked the door.

  I was surprised to see Aiden in the passenger seat.

  “For the record, I don’t like this, Emily,” Aiden said as soon as I climbed in the car.

  “Not you, too.”

  He sighed. “Jackson’s right. The crowd gets rough, real quick. If something went wrong and you end up hurt, Jackson will never forgive us for taking you.”

  Grant’s hands tightened on the wheels. “How rough are you talking about?”

  “Imagine booze, drugs, and violence, all in one place, along with teenagers.”

  Grant met my eyes through the rearview mirror. I shook my head. “No. I’ll be fine. Jackson treats me like I’m made of glass. I’m going. And you’ll be there with Grant.”

  Aiden looked at me. “If you come, you stay by my side along with Grant, no matter what. You are not allowed to use the bathroom without both of us escorting you, understand?”

  “Yes,” I said, knowing I didn’t have a choice. Aiden was right. I didn’t know how it was going to be, it was best if I stayed close to the two of them.

  “At some point in the night, I have to go run the bets and collect the money.”

  I nodded. “You want me to stay with Grant?”

  Aiden shook his head. “I want you both to follow me, no matter what. Where I go, you go. Grant as well. You don’t understand, Emily. There’s already talk about you. And the majority of the people that comes to the fight goes to our school. They’ll recognize you, and some of the boys from the other schools are very interested in meeting the girl who got Jackson’s attention.” Aiden turned to Grant. “Do you understand?”

  Grant nodded. “Yeah, I understand.”

  “Good.”

  “Wait, what are you talking about?” I asked.

  Aiden smiled a bitter smile. “Everyone loves a challenge.”

  He didn’t say any more, and I didn’t ask.

  Not for the first time in the night, I missed Jackson and wished he was by my side, and even as I knew I would see him soon enough, I also knew he wouldn’t be with me. He would be too busy beating the crap out of Jude.

  It took forty minutes to get to wherever the fight was held, and I didn’t recognize where we were. The sun had already set when we got there, casting the place in an eerie glow. It was to be in an abandoned building, in the worst part of town, and at first glance, there seemed to be not many people around. Just the usual that you would expect when coming to a place like this.

  A few women dressed provocatively, all stared into the car as we drove by with distrustful eyes, and a group of young men, no older than us by a couple of years, sleeves tattoo, all ranging in different shapes and size, all making me wish, again, that Jackson was with me.

  The place consisted of nothing more than run down building, though oddly enough, just a few miles out, trees that stretch out for miles. It was the line that separated the city and nature, and if not for the poor living conditions, this place would have been beautiful.

  I was going to ask where all the people were when Aiden instructed Grant to drive three blocks down away from the abandoned building that I knew the fight was going to be held.

  Grant parked in a densely wooded area, his black car made it easy to hide. I thought that was a good idea, considering where we were.

  Aiden got out and opened my door for me. When I climbed out of the car, Aiden grabbed ahold of me. I looked at him questioningly.

  “You go where I go, remember?” I nodded. “Don’t stray from my side, Emily.”

  “Okay.” I moved in closer to him, and Aiden walked us away from the car and to the building.

  “Why are we parked so far away?” I asked.

  “Because if we had cars parked nearby the abandoned building, it would draw unwanted attention.”

  “Oh, I see. Is that why it looks so empty?” I indicated toward the building no more than fifty feet away from us. I could see a few people hanging around in the front, but I couldn’t tell if there was someone inside or not.

  Aiden nodded. “Wait until you get inside.”

  “How do you keep it under control? I mean, you parked away so not to draw attention, but what about during the fight when everyone is occupied?”

  Aiden pointed to a couple of men in front. “See those men? They’re not just hanging around. They only let in a certain amount of people. And they will be there all night.”

  “Okay.” I shared a skeptical look with
Grant, who was walking on my other side. He had been silent on the way over, and I assumed he wouldn’t be very talkative for the remainder of the night.

  He was worried.

  Aiden smiled as if he knew just what I was thinking. He pointed to another man, sitting on the hood of a crappy green car, playing on his phone. “See him, right there?” I nodded. “He’s a cop.”

  “What?” Grant said. Even that surprised him into talking.

  Aiden’s smile widened. “Yup. I have someone to keep Intel on the other side. I’d know the very minute a cop catches wind of what is going on here, and I can shut it down and kick everyone out just as fast.”

  “How did you get a cop on your side?”

  “With the right price. And with the help of this guy,” he said, pointing to another man, this one blended in with the surrounding so well, I would have missed him had Aiden not pointed him out. The man seemed familiar to me.

  I frowned, trying to figure out why, until I saw the similarities. “That’s your brother?”

  Aiden nodded. “He’s also a cop. It helps to have family with connections.”

  Grant laughed. A loud laugh that was part admiration and part amused. “I can’t believe you’re able to pull this off.”

  Aiden shrugged. “It wasn’t easy at first. I’m learning through a lot of trial and error.”

  I let Aiden pull me along as I processed all that was going on. “Is Jackson here?” I asked.

  Aiden nodded, his lips set in a thin line. “He won’t be happy to see you.”

  My eyes crinkled. “I know.” But I was already here. There was no way in hell I was backing out of it now.

  When we got to the front door, the two big guys greeted Aiden with firm handshakes before opening the door for him.

  Inside was not what I was expecting.

  Almost everything was destroyed. The walls especially, making it into one big room. There were graffiti everywhere, indicating that this building had been abandon for quite some time.

  I had no idea how Aiden even found this place, considering how long it took us to get here.

  People covered most spaces in the building, but in the very center, nobody dared crossed into it. I assumed that was where the fighting was taking place. There was already a large group gathering, circling around it. Claiming front row seats to what would surely be a bloodbath.

  The windows were blocked out with black curtains that wouldn’t let any light from coming in or out the building. Now I knew why it looked so empty from the outside. You can’t see the inside through the windows. And there weren’t many.

  This place was brilliant.

  Aiden pulled me along. He didn’t want me to linger in one place for long, and I could see why. I was already garnering the attention of a lot of people.

  And I understood what Jackson meant then, why he was keen on me not coming here.

  Everywhere I looked, there were empty bottles of beer on the floor, along with some full ones in the hands of people who were no older than me.

  And if I looked close enough, I could see some people getting high off of crack in the corner, and laughing about it when they were done.

  I turned my attention away only to find more people passing around tiny little bags that looked like they contained some sort of pills, all in a variety of colors.

  Most of the people in here were drunk, drugged out, or both.

  And I was surprised to see there were just as many girls here as there were guys, all of them looking at me with varying degree of disbeliefs, interests, and hatred.

  It was like being in high school, except with no adult supervision.

  I moved in a little closer to Aiden, Grant following close behind, making sure there wasn’t much space between him and me.

  We stopped at a wooden table with a single chair behind it. Aiden gently pushed me to it. “You are to stay seated here and don’t go anywhere.”

  “Okay.”

  Aiden stood by my side, and placing his hand on my shoulder, he gave it a reassuring squeeze before he faced the crowd that was already gathering near him. Most of them eyed me curiously, but they didn’t say anything. I didn’t think they would, not when Aiden looked like he was going kill someone if they so much as look at me wrong.

  Grant stood on my other side, and bending down low, he said, “This is crazy.”

  I nodded in agreement. It was easy to see what was happening. Bets were being placed. And they weren’t made in small amounts. One guy walked up to the table, a cocky smile on his face as he placed down a stack of bills that had to amount in the thousands.

  He kept his eyes on me as he uttered out a single word. “Jude.”

  There was silence, most watching for Aiden’s reaction, who was quiet for a moment before his lips tilted upwards in a cocky smile that I knew well.

  “Matt. It’s good to see you without all the bruises covering your face. Though if you keep looking at Jackson’s girl like that, he won’t be the only person you have to watch out for, do you understand?”

  Matt straightened, and though he smiled, it seemed off.

  He was afraid, I realized. And he and Jackson got into a fight recently, if he was now just recovering.

  “So you’re the girl that turned Jackson into a total pussy? It’s nice to meet you, but if you ever get bored, sweetheart, you should call me up. I’ll show you a good time.”

  I eyed him cautiously, pulling Grant in so that he was standing slightly in front of me. My stomach wanted to revolt at the nickname he used. The one Jackson often use.

  Aiden let out a low growl and was about to pounce when suddenly the crowd clear and a boy bigger than life walked through.

  Jackson glanced briefly at me before looking away, his expression unreadable.

  He walked up to Matt, and the smaller boy took a step back. Even from where I sat, I could see that menacing smile of his. I was glad I was never on the receiving end of it. Because looking at Jackson now? He looked like a total stranger, someone who scared even me.

  He didn’t chase Matt down. His only purpose was to intimidate the boy, and he succeeded. He pivoted around and walked over to me. Standing behind me, he placed both hands on my shoulders.

  Even though he was mad, I relaxed into his touch. I hadn’t realized how on edge I was, how frightened until Jackson showed up.

  “What is it you were saying to my girl, Matt?” Jackson asked.

  “N-nothing, man. You know I was only messing with her.”

  “Don’t. Don’t talk to her, don’t even look at her, you piece of shit. You mess with her, and I’ll mess you up. Understand?”

  Matt nodded curtly.

  “Now, place your bet and get out of my sight.”

  Matt walked over to the table, the stacks of bills still laying there. “Like I said. I bet on Jude.”

  Jackson smiled, and it wasn’t nice. “I bet you would. You’ll be disappointed.”

  Matt shrugged. “Jude’s a big guy. I’ll take my chances.”

  Before Jackson could say anything, Matt walked away. Quickly and without looking back.

  “You know you can’t be here,” Aiden said quietly. “It messes with the bet.”

  Jackson’s jaw tightened. “You know I didn’t want Emily here.”

  “Yeah, well, she’s here. So you can either take her somewhere with you before the fight, or you can leave her here with me. You know I’ll look after her. But you can’t be here, man. No one will place down any bets if one of the fighters is present.”

  Jackson didn’t look happy, but he didn’t wait. He helped me out of the seat and pulled me away from the table.

  “Twenty minutes,” Aiden shouted out.

  “I know,” Jackson responded, never stopping. I was barely able to keep up with his long stride.

  I looked back before Jackson pulled me out of there, and met Grant’s eyes. He didn’t seem so worried then. I supposed he trusted Jackson to take care of me.

  I shot him a small smile, which he
returned promptly, before turning back around to where Aiden was collecting money.

  We walked out through the back door, into the chilly night air.

  It felt good against my skin, especially when the building seemed to be getting more and more crowded.

  I turned around, an apology on the tip of my tongue, but before I could get out the word, Jackson was there, his lips pressed against mine harshly, his arms wrapped tightly around me.

  I relaxed into his touch, letting him kiss me, to take me any way he needed.

  “Jackson,” I moaned out when he broke free from the kiss and rested his forehead against mine. Our breath mingled in the tiny space between our lips.

  “I don’t know if I’m angry at you or so damn relief you’re okay, I can just forget about my anger.”

  “I like the second option better.”

  He smiled, and even under the darkening night, I could still see it wasn’t his usual carefree smile. Jackson wasn’t going to let it slide that easily.

  “I’m mad, Emily.”

  “I know. I missed you.”

  “Don’t do that, sweetheart.”

  “Do what?” I asked innocently.

  “Don’t try to sweet talk me into forgetting about this. And it’s not just you I’m mad at. Grant and Aiden, too.”

  I sighed. “For what’s it worth, they tried to talk me out of coming.”

  “Well, they didn’t try hard enough.”

  “I’ll be fine, Jackson. I want to be here… with you. This is a part of your life, and I want to be a part of it.”

  “You don’t get it,” he said, his arms tightening around me. “This may be a part of my life, but you are my life. You don’t need to be here, sweetheart. This isn’t even the biggest part of my life. It’s not even the most important.”

  “What is the most important?” I asked, wrapping my arms around his waist and nuzzling my face in his chest.

  “The life I’m going to build with you. The life we’re building together now. That’s the most important.”

  I smiled. “I love you, Jackson. So much.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “And if this bothers you, I won’t come here again.”