“Yeah. Just take me home,” I brood with my head down, avoiding his gaze as I storm toward him.
"You bitch!" Trey curses with hostility, and I look over my shoulder as he charges towards me. Jack stomps down the hall a few steps and freezes as I bring up my elbow, swing back, and bust Trey in the face. I twist and push his head down to knee him in the stomach, and he falls to the ground coughing.
“Stay down,” Jack warns from beside me and grabs my hand to lead me out of the house. His body's radiating heat so hot I start sweating again.
We jump in the car and peal out. Jack glances over to me with concern, his anger boiling under the surface. “What happened?”
“Nothing.” My head throbs, and I reach up to touch my right eye. There's blood on my fingers when I pull them away.
Jack reaches over and pulls my chin to face him. “You’re bleeding again.”
“Yeah,” I wince.
Jack shifts into fifth gear as we pull onto the highway, then maneuvers his shirt off as he steers. He hands it to me, “Here. Put this on your eye. It’ll help stop the bleeding.”
I take the shirt from him and hold it to my eyebrow while I try to avoid gawking at his body. “Sorry. I’m not trying to bleed all over your car.”
“I’m not worried about the fucking car, Ivy! What the hell happened?” he raises his voice in anger.
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it. I can take care of myself,” I repeat in monotone.
His face falls, then he grins at me. “I can see that, but I should have been there. Yet again! I told you I would look out for you. You shouldn’t have had to do that.”
Quickly sobering up, I question, “Where the hell were you all night anyways? I went to go do some shots, and turned around to give you one, and you were gone!”
“I got caught up talking to some guys from out of town,” he admits. I'm silent against his excuses. “Where did you learn to fight like that? That’s the second time I’ve seen you kick someone’s ass.” Jack smiles with pride.
I smirk at him and quip, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Jack chuckles and continues to drive us home.
We park in front of the estate, and Jack takes my free hand to lead me inside. “There’s a first aid kit in the kitchen.” He guides me to the dining table to sit down. I lean my elbows on the wooden table and wince. Jack comes back, taking my elbow to see the damage. He pulls another chair close to me, sits down as he takes out an alcohol swab, and dabs my elbow to clean it up. He drops the dirty swab on the table and pulls out another to clean my eyebrow. “Here,” he gestures for me to pull his shirt away from my face. I recoil at the sting as he applies the alcohol. “It’s a pretty good cut, but you should be good in the morning.” Jack cups my face, leans forward, and blows on the open wound to stop the stinging. By pure instinct, I reach up and grab his wrists. He stops blowing, and I open my eyes, releasing my hold on him. He looks at me with concern, then proceeds to find a bandage in the first aid kit. He opens a butterfly stitch and places it across the split above my eyebrow, smoothing it over with tenderness. I let out a breath as he finishes, and he kisses my forehead.
“Thanks, Jack.” I hand him his soiled shirt.
“No problem, Sunshine.” He reaches for my hand. “I’ll take you up.”
Jack escorts me to my room and starts a fire in the hearth. The fall weather is starting to set in as September ends, and the temperature’s begun to drop, leaving a chill in the air. I go to the closet and discard my outer layer of clothing. I find a robe, wrap it around my body, and tie it closed. Remembering I brought a bottle of Jäger with me to Jack’s, I dig it out of my bag. I plop down in one of the high back chairs in front of the fire and chug straight from the bottle. I'm alone and suppose Jack has left me to my own devices again. I finish off a quarter of the bottle before Jack returns, knocking on my door. “Yeah,” I hoarsely call from the far high back chair where I've been sending my thoughts into the dancing flames of the fire. There's no way I’m getting out of this chair now.
Jack peaks his head in the door and searches around the room for me. “Ivy?” he voices in confusion as he finds me.
“Yeah.” I can’t look him in the eyes, so I continue to stare into the fire.
Jack kneels before me to observe my situation, relieves me of the bottle, and places it on the table beside me. “Ivy,” he mutters with wistful sorrow. “You ok?” I shrug, and the robe slips off of my shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get you into bed.” Jack reaches under my legs and around my waist, hoisting me up against his chest. I wrap my arms around his neck and lay my head on his shoulder. He smells of sandalwood, lavender, and honey. I inhale his scent deeply, filling my lungs, never wanting to forget it. Jack lays me in bed and covers me with the thick blanket.
He turns the lights out, and I call out to him before he can leave me alone in the dark, “Jack?” He turns to look at me through the darkness. “Will you stay with me tonight?”
He hesitates in the doorway a moment. “Yeah.” Coming back to the bed, he lays on top of the covers next to me. I reach over and hold his hand between us.
I can’t believe Trey acted like that. Is it my fault? Who am I kidding? Of course it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have kissed him. I shouldn’t have let him come on to me so strong. Or I could have avoided this whole situation if I just trusted Jack and stayed away from Trey. Those red eyes… I’m so paranoid! I should have been honest with Jack from the beginning, but I think it’s too late to tell him the truth. He’ll never talk to me again if I tell him I’ve been lying to him this whole time about how I’ve always had a feeling something's after me, or even if I tell him how I truly feel about him. But even if I confess to him my feelings, it’s not going to change who he is. He’s still a womanizer and afraid of commitment. He doesn’t even feel the same way about me as I do about him. And, let’s face it; I’m a closet schizophrenic.
“Ivy?” Jack interrupts my thoughts.
“Hmm?”
“I’m glad you’re here,” he whispers to the ceiling.
“Me too, Jack.” There are a few minutes of silence before I get the nerve to speak again. “I’m glad you convinced me to be friends with you. I’ve had a lot of fun here with you.” I turn into his side and wrap my arm around his waist. I'm drunk and barley making any sense. “I feel safe here…with you.”
Jack turns to face me and stares into my eyes without speaking. I feel myself being drawn to him. He caresses my cheek with his fingertips, leaving tingling trails behind the ghosts of his touch. I close my eyes. As I feel sleep take me over, I sense Jack kiss my forehead and hear him whisper, “Goodnight, Sunshine.”
Chapter 6
The warmth of the sun offsets the chill in the air while I enjoy breakfast from Jack on my balcony again. My robe slides down to reveal the naked skin of my shoulder as I drink my coffee and watch the sun rise higher over the open acreage before me. My phone beeps with a text message.
Jack: I left something 4 u outside ur door.
I slink across the bedroom, readjusting my robe before I open the door leading to the hallway. There are two white boxes at my feet and an envelope laying on top with my name written elegantly in black ink. I bring the packages inside and place them on the bed. I open the envelope, my smile growing as I read Jack’s handwriting.
Good Morning, Sunshine,
I hope I got your sizes right. Meet me in the barn. -Jack
I lay the note down on the nightstand and open the top box first. Inside is a black pair of English riding pants and a white sleeveless blouse with charming pearl snaps down the front. I hold the outfit up to me, and I'm certain they’ll fit well. I know right away that Jack's planning to take me riding. Little did he know, I've been dying to ride since I noticed the horses roaming his property. I took lessons as a young girl and missed the feeling of the freedom. The next box I open contains a pair of tall black riding boots. I drop my robe to the floor and squeeze the pants on first. They fit perfect and snug, hugging the curves of my body. My insid
es flutter with excitement.
After dressing, I approach the mirror in the bathroom and plait my hair. I lean closer into my reflection, examining the butterfly stitch above my brow. I lift the edge of the stitch away from my skin for a peek at the damage. It's gone. Not so much as a red line is visible. I pull the rest of the stitch away from my skin and turn my face at different angles, thinking it's a trick of the light. There's nothing. As if it never happened. What the...? I twist my arm in front of me and remove the bandage across my elbow to reveal smooth skin. I’m going crazy. I know I elbowed him! I know Jack cleaned me up! Where else would the bandages come from? Did I imagine it all? It's gone. Like I thought I sliced my face open two weeks ago when my guitar string popped. I could have sworn I was scarred for life. There was blood, but no mark the next day. I’m a freak! What the hell's going on with me?
I let out an audible sigh and take my time calming myself down before I leave the house. Wondering around the side of the manor to the barn's entrance, I search for Jack. “Jack?” I call out, but I don’t see him anywhere. Dust glitters through the sunbeams shining across the barn like a million fireflies as I inch down the stalls. Peeking into each one, I find most are empty. A white Mustang in the last stall catches my eye. “You’re a beauty!” I tell the stallion. His coat is so bright it appears to glow, and I imagine he's almost sixteen hands tall. He pushes his gray nose to the gate of his stall, and I offer my hand for him to smell. When he's satisfied, I rub his nose, fascinated with his beauty. “Good boy,” I coo.
“That’s Maximus,” Jack claims from behind me.
“He’s gorgeous!” I exclaim with a gleam burning my cheeks as I continue to pet his snout. “Are you taking me riding?”
“Actually, I thought maybe you could help me clean the stalls.”
I spin around to Jack, and my face falls as I quirk my brow. “Really?” I deadpan.
Jack laughs at my tone. “No. Not really. You seem comfortable around him. Have you ever rode before?”
A knowing smile meets my eyes. “In fact, I have. I rode as a little girl. My adoptive mother insisted on it so she could build her status by keeping better company at the country club. In all honesty, I miss riding.”
“You’re adopted? I feel like I learn something new about you every day,” Jack admits.
“You have no idea.” My face glows with happiness. “And I feel the same way about you. Since I’ve been here, you’ve shown me a whole other side to you I would have never expected.”
Jack gleams in delight, “I told you.” A comfortable silence falls between us. Maximus nickers and bobs his head. “I’ll show you where the tack room is.” Jack leads me back to the front of the barn and lets me pick out the saddle and tack I want to use. Then, I return to Maximus to saddle him up. I'm double checking the girth and the length of the stirrups on the English saddle when Jack smacks me on the rear playfully with a short riding crop.
“Ouch!” I yelp and swat the crop away.
Jack chuckles and hands me the crop, “Here. He can be a little stubborn. You may need it.”
I snatch the crop and swat him across his arm, teasing back in flirtation. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah. Come on.” Jack moves to the opposite stall from Maximus and leads out a black silk Friesian. She's eighteen hands tall with powerful muscles, a long thick mane and tail, and her lower legs are feathered with soft black hair. She's stunning, her presence radiating ‘War Horse’.
I lead Maximus out of his stall to stand next to Jack. “And who's this?”
“This… is Andromeda,” he remarks as he pats her neck with swollen pride.
“A Friesian war horse, and her name's Andromeda.” I'm in awe of her. Jack shakes his head and chuckles under his breath. “What?”
“Nothing. It’s just… Here I was, thinking I was going to teach you something today. But here you are, proving me wrong and impressing me instead.”
A shy smile graces my lips, and we lead our horses through the barn to the open field beyond. I mount Maximus first and feel his eagerness underneath me as he prances in excitement. Jack follows, and I notice Andromeda's as still as a statue as Jack settles into his western saddle. She's a well behaved war horse awaiting Jack’s every command. While she's a magnificent creature, I prefer my stallions a bit on the wild side.
Jack directs us further into the field with a slow walk, letting me get use to the feel of Max. I pat Max's neck and coo occasional reassurances to help ease his feelings towards a new rider. “So, are you going to tell me what happened last night?” Jack pursues.
I think about brushing it off as nothing again, but decide I don’t want to lie to him anymore. “I’m not even sure it did happen. I don’t have a mark on me as evidence.”
“I told you that you would be fine in the morning,” he reminds me, and I wonder if he knows something about me he isn’t saying.
I sigh. “Well, I guess I sent Trey the wrong signals by kissing him at the race. We both had a lot to drink at the party, and he started coming on to me a little strong.” And all I could see was ‘the darkness’ from my dreams. “I started getting a bad feeling, and I didn’t like the way he was making me feel. So, I pushed him away and left to come find you. He caught up with me in the hall and pushed me into the wall. I head-butted him right before you got there and… you saw the rest.” I chance a nervous glance at Jack beside me.
“I saw you head-butt him. I’m sorry, Ivy. I should have been there,” Jack states, regret seeping through his words. “And don’t think for one second, it's your fault he attacked you. I told you. Trey's not who you think he is.” I'm quiet in thought as the warm breeze caresses my skin. “For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you for handling the situation the way you did… It was kind of hot,” he admits with a cheeky grin. “If I had been there, I would have beat him within an inch of his life.”
“Thanks, Jack.” I see his muscles relax as he drifts off in thought. The grass in the field billows before us for as far as I can see. I inhale a large breath through my nose and take in my surroundings. “How many acres are out here?”
“We have about eighty acres,” he replies.
My eyes widen, then the corners of my lips rise in mischief, “Ready to pick this up, then?”
“If you think you can handle it,” he retorts.
“Ha!” I bellow to Maximus as I squeeze my calves against his sides, and he darts forward. I give him free reign and let him run as fast as he wants for as long as he wants. Jack and I take turns taking the lead as we ride. The wind in my face and the thrill of the ride overcomes my senses with complete bliss. When I think we’ll run out of land to run, we slow back down to a walking pace.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy,” Jack notes.
I can’t stop smiling, my face is numb from the wind, and my cheeks burn from their overuse. “I don’t think I’ve been this happy in a long time. I’ve missed this. Thank you, Jack.”
“Well, let’s stop here. I’ve got some food for us, and there’s a trough just over by that set of trees. We can tie off over there and take a break,” he instructs and directs us to the shade of the trees. Jack dismounts Andromeda and comes over to help me down. I swing my right leg over Max's back and step down as Jack grabs my waist to help lower me to the ground. My knees buckle beneath me, and I giggle as Jack holds me up from collapsing.
“Whoa,” I chuckle. “I guess we should have stopped sooner.” Jack holds me up until I can stand on my own shaky legs. We tie our horses off to the trees so they can cool off in the shade and drink some water. When Jack comes back to the other side of Andromeda, he's holding a small satchel. “What’s that?”
“Lunch.” He opens the satchel, pulls out fruit salad, bottled water, and four red apples, setting them on the ground. Then, he shakes a blanket out, constructing a makeshift picnic for us to sit on.
“You're too much,” I giggle.
Jack beams and hands me a bottle of water. We eat our lunch in com
fortable silence while we enjoy each other’s company in the peaceful landscape around us. I look over to Jack to see he has a serious look on his face.
“What?” I pry. Something appears to be bothering him.
“Do you ever feel like you were meant for a bigger purpose?” he utters in a low voice.
“Whoa, Jack. Are we getting deep here?” I joke.
Jack turns to me, straight faced. “I’m serious. I mean, you’re about to turn twenty. Your life's going to change. Do you honestly want to keep up with your reckless habits? Or do you want to turn yourself around and accomplish something significant? Who do you want to be, Ivy?”
“Where's this coming from?” What a cliché he’s using to ‘keep me clean’. Jack doesn’t answer me as he waits for my reply. “Look. I’ve never been the type to plan ahead. I've always gone with the flow and enjoyed my life.”
“Enjoy? Like how you’re always running from something?” He knows I’m paranoid. Anxiety builds in my throat, making it tight and hard to breath. “What are you running from, Ivy?” My mouth hangs open. “You can tell me. I promise not to judge. We all have our own skeletons.”
I know I'm going to sound insane when I tell him the truth. Alright. Here we go. This will surely test his friendship towards me. “I…I smoke pot because it keeps away my paranoia. I know that’s odd, because most people claim it makes them paranoid, but not me. It numbs my senses. I can see myself from a different perspective and navigate through my fears easier.” I can’t look him in the eyes from the fear he’ll think I'm crazy. I focus on a blade of grass I'm tearing apart in my fingers as I continue, “Without it, I feel like… like someone's watching me. Like someone's after me. And even if I’m numb or not, I have night terrors about things I wake up screaming from. I’m surprised Alice never told you. I know she’s heard me, but she seems to know I don’t want to be coddled. She’s never come to check on me, but I know she’s heard me. And now, I sound like a lunatic, and I’m rambling.”
“What do you dream about?” Jack sits up straighter with intrigue.
MIDNIGHT DIVINE (The Helio Trilogy Book 1) Page 8