Pinkie Promise

by Sarah Clay

  “Jackson, it’s Monday.” She calls out in a tone like I should know better.

  I huff out a laugh as I walk towards her packing her books into her bag, she grins over at me when she notices me stalking towards her.

  “Tony can handle one lunch without you baby” stepping closer to her so I can wrap my arms around her.

  She leans back into me a little.

  “Tony dragging me out for Lunch that first time helped in getting me to the place I’m at now, I’m happy. Having lunch with him makes me happy” she protests innocently and I feel pathetic for whining.

  Tony had been a huge supporter of Liv getting back out there and taking her life in her own hands.

  I’d never be able to repay him for the friendship he offers to us both.

  But I missed my damn girlfriend.

  So right now, I was willing to call him up and play hooky for the day. Either I was being incredibly obvious or Liv was a genius because she looks over her shoulder at me and awards me with one of her sweet smiles.

  “How about you meet me after my two o’clock class? I’m having coffee with Meg, you can pick me up from Maeve’s Coffee House and we can spend all evening together, just you and me?”

  Gripping her hips and grinding against her, grinning wickedly.

  Her eyes glaze over as she pushes her arse against my erection.

  One hand roams up the front of her, reaching for her perky tits that were hidden beneath her dress. While the other skirts the hem of it, shifting it up around her hips.

  Of course, Charlie picks that moment to come sauntering in, trying to nudge in-between us. She chuckles out loud.

  “Oh, Charlie boy” she coos towards him, continuing to laugh when I sigh, before dropping my head to her shoulder.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Olivia

  Today had been so busy. I had classes all morning, of course, they were on opposite sides of the campus.

  Luckily, Hayward University was situated in an amazing spot and the campus buildings and landscaping was all so beautiful that it didn’t really bother me so much that I had to hike around it so often.

  Straight after my business class, I met up with Tony for our standing Monday lunch date. Tony had become someone deeply important to me. I was as close to him as I was Coop.

  Speaking of Coop, I’d been right all them months ago about him and Meg.

  Turns out they had hooked up a few times before she called it quits on him.

  Something about them just being too different for each other. I’m not so sure Coop agrees with her way of putting it, but he doesn’t bring it up.

  Don’t get me wrong, he’s constantly asking me about her. But he doesn’t exactly get too deep with his little sister about their brief encounters.

  “Are you even listening to me?” Meg beckons from across the table.

  After lunch, I’d gone back to campus for one more class, before meeting Megan at our favorite little coffee spot.

  Guilty, I push my phone aside and look back up to her.

  Megan is a beautiful girl, she has long auburn hair and a flawless face, she barely ever wore any makeup.

  A better person than I might have found that charming, I just felt a fit of immature jealousy towards her because of it.

  You’d be surprised to see the body she was rocking under them scrubs she wore day in and day out too. To put it simply, Megan was a knockout.

  “Sorry, Jacks just texted me telling me he was on his way” I can’t help but grin when she rolls her eyes.

  “That man needs to learn how to share.”

  I think back to the first few weeks we’d been getting to know each other, he’d admitted early on he wasn’t fond of sharing what was his, nothing had changed there.

  Although I’d been stretched out thin lately between freelancing for Anperson, classes and studying.

  Jacks had been working long days too, trying to fine-tune their new app that was launching next month.

  I was just about to start defending him when two cups get placed down in front of us.

  I take a mouthful of my coffee while gawking over at Meg, her attention caught up with the intrusion.

  Turning my sights to our new visitors. I notice two guys about my age are leaning between us, coffees of their own in hand.

  “Two hot drinks, for two hot ladies” he looks pointedly at the mugs that had just been placed down.

  I practically spit my mouthful out, trying to contain my laughter at the cheesy pick-up line.

  The guy to my right smirks at me, “It was the best I could come up with, you’re very distracting.”

  Reaching out for my napkin, I wipe my chin while grinning.

  “That was awful.” I nod.

  When he pulls the chair out beside me and takes a seat, I peek over at Meg. Not sure what I’m supposed to do or say.

  But she’s no help, she doesn’t even notice, to busy talking with the other similar looking guy.

  “I’m Noel Davis and you are?” A hand appears in my peripheral and I quickly draw my attention to it.

  He continues holding it out to me before I hesitantly shake it “Olivia Matthews” I mumble back.

  I’m more intrigued by my best friends’ interest in the other arrival.

  Noel must see he’s struggling to hold my attention because he interrupts their conversation.

  “This is my brother, Tom.” Tom shakes my hand, while Meg and Noel introduce themselves to each other.

  When I finally catch Meg's attention, I lift my brow in question. But the bitch just smirks back and shrugs her shoulders at me and tunes back into her conversation with Tom.

  Nole nudges the drink he’d purchased towards me.

  I shake my head in his direction, “um, thank you.. but I can’t accept that…”

  The grin he’s wearing only grows.

  “It’s safe, I’ve not added any other ingredients” He motions his hands in a scouts’ honor salute.

  I laugh a little at his theatrics. “I still can’t accept it… I actually have a…”

  Before I can get my last word out I’m cut off by a familiar voice, “boyfriend.”

  I spin around and spot Jackson standing behind me, just beside him stands Coop.

  Jackson's attention is solely on me and Noel, while Coop is frowning over at Megan and Tom.

  I turn back to Noel, offering a sympathetic shrug.

  He lifts his hands to his heart, “Olivia Matthews, you wound me.”

  I chuckle again and hear Jackson growl in his direction.

  That seems to get both Noel and Tom’s attention because they quickly say their goodbyes before disappearing.

  I notice however Tom, takes a little longer. Opting to exchange numbers with Megan before he goes.

  Jackson doesn’t move from his spot behind me, but Megan’s ready to go.

  Grabbing her bag, she stands up and leans over dropping a kiss on my cheek “Talk tomorrow Liv.”

  I nod and watch on as she waves goodbye to the guys. Coop follows after her though, looking more pissed off then I’d seen him in a while.

  Not until the door closes behind them does Jackson pull the chair out beside me and sit in it, the same one Noel had just occupied.

  “Jacks, it was nothing” I try for gentle, reaching out to touch his arm.

  But the look he cuts my way tells me he doesn’t care if it was nothing or everything.

  “Babe, I’ve been waiting to see you all day and then I show up here and some random guys are hanging all over you two.” He shakes his head in frustration.

  “I was telling him I had a boyfriend just as you walked in.”

  It doesn’t seem to commute to him that I wasn’t interested in the slightest. So I stand from my chair and nudge him back a little, sitting down in his lap. His arms instantly wrap around me, holding me in place.

  Reaching up to his jaw, I pull him into me, kissing him softly.

  “I hate that other guys are constantly hitting o
n you.” He grumbles against my mouth.

  When I stop kissing him and move back he frowns towards me, nudging me back to him and placing his lips on my jaw, trailing kisses down my neck.

  “One random guy Jacks… don’t worry about him” I say breathlessly.

  He stops kissing me instantly, “it’s not one random guy. It’s the guys in your classes, on campus, even some of my fucking staff are dumb enough to try.” He growls out.

  Shoot, I’d forgotten about the few other encounters I’d had recently.

  “I only want you Jacks.” Some of the tightness in his face relaxes a little, but I can tell he’s still worked up.

  “Then I’m just going to need to put a ring on that finger, big enough for any fucker to see from a mile away.”

  I groan in his direction; he’d do something like that too.

  My sweet, protective, irrational man.

  “Jacks, don’t propose to me to keep other guys away. Just trust me when I say that as long as I have you, nobody else even registers for me.”

  All the tension in his body evaporates as I lean into him. He plants one more kiss on me before tugging on my hand.

  “Let’s get out of here pretty girl, I believe you owe me some alone time” he winks as he pulls me up to a standing position with him.

  “Oh, if I must” I roll my eyes, exaggerating what a hardship alone, naked time with him would be. He swats my arse as we walk out of the coffee house together, causing me to laugh the whole way back to his car.

  EPILOGUE

  Olivia

  Standing out in front of this huge building. I take it all in.

  When I’d first shown up at Anperson I wasn’t sure what to expect.

  Deep down if I really thought about it, I knew Coop would never send me away.

  I think I was just scared of all the unknowns I still had to face. But I could have never imagined how much I would gain from leaving my father that night and coming here.

  I have a family now that loves me and cherishes me, that chooses me.

  It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns to get here though, no.

  I fought every obstacle life threw my way, and for that I was proud.

  I mean, it doesn’t hurt that I have Jackson by my side every step of the way.

  Cooper, Tony, and Meg too.

  I’d made some amazing new friends at college too and life was good.

  No life was great.

  I was so completely happy that anytime Meg and I hung out she’d groan and moan about knocking me back unconscious, just to get away from me smiling.

  I was able to joke about the attack now, not in an ‘I’m completely over it and it didn’t affect me at all’ way, but more so in an ‘, I got shot and was unconscious for days because my boyfriend's ex-girlfriend has issues’ type scenario.

  I mean if I didn’t make light of the situation than I don’t know where I’d be at this point.

  The people in my life though, they knew the struggles I had after the attack and they trudged alongside me and watched me pull myself back out of them.

  Always willing to offer a hand or a nudge when I needed it.

  Victoria never went to court. Instead, she now resides in a psychiatric center where she is getting the help she so obviously needs.

  I didn’t really know how to handle that information when I first found out what was happening.

  I knew everyone was worried about me, even more so when I told them I’d sought out Dean, and would be meeting him to talk.

  I wanted to understand Victoria and why she’d done what she had.

  Jackson adamantly refused me meeting up with Dean, to begin with. But luckily I had Tony on my side.

  After a heated argument between Jackson and I, Tony managed to talk some sense into my man.

  Who, of course, was in attendance the following day to have coffee with Dean.

  Dean filled us both in on everything that had happened prior to and after the attack.

  He apologized profusely for not seeing the signs earlier.

  I was grateful to him for allowing me more insight into his sister.

  He’d told me Victoria wanted to see me, to speak with and apologize to me.

  But I wasn’t interested in letting her sleep easier at night, I wanted to be a good person and give her that peace she so obviously wanted, but I wasn’t quite there and if I’m honest; I don’t know that I ever will be.

  After we’d finished our coffees and stood to say goodbye, Dean, leaned in for a hug while still apologizing on his sisters and his behalf. I wasn’t angry with Dean and I felt no ill will towards him, I couldn’t blame him for his sister’s actions.

  Jackson, however, did not feel the same way. He’d barely spoken the whole time we’d been there, instead he kept a steal like grip on my hand while glaring at Dean.

  But the second Dean wrapped his arms around me, I was ripped back out of them and sheltered in the warmth of Jacksons.

  Dean wasn’t even the slightest bit surprised by his actions, I was even sure I’d seen a slight smirk on his face. But regardless, I was glad I’d spoken with him and I felt a little more at ease afterward.

  Jackson had taken me away the following day, a spare of the minute get-away. Just the two of us.

  It wasn’t a difficult decision to agree to go with him. A beach, a private condo, and a naked Jackson.

  I’d have been the one that needed institutionalizing if I had of declined the invitation.

  And I’m so glad I hadn’t.

  Still to this day, it was the most amazing holiday I’d ever been on.

  Jackson, all to myself and at my beck and call. A dream come true for any woman.

  The morning we were supposed to catch our flight home, I’d woken to Jackson laying lavish kisses all over my body.

  When he was taking to long to make his way up to my lips, I’d gripped his hair and dragged him up, freezing, only when I noticed the weight on my finger.

  There on my left hand lay a captivating, emerald cut diamond ring, surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds.

  It was gorgeous and obnoxious, just like Jackson. And I had no doubt at all, it wouldn’t be hard for others to spot.

  I’d barely been able to swallow, let alone find my voice.

  But I remember exactly what he’d said before finding my lips and sealing our fate.

  “I’m not asking you to Marry me, I’m begging and pleading with you to pick me. Pick me to spend the rest of your life with. Pick me to be the man that is graced with your beauty each and every day. Pick me to be the one to bring you comfort when you need it. Pick me and make me the happiest man in the world.”

  Jacksons stopped talking, needing a second to clear his throat.

  “I didn’t know what life could be like before I met you. I didn’t know this type of love existed, and I’m still not so sure that anyone else has ever felt this way about another. I promise I will love you for the rest of our lives.”

  I’d felt the tears building the second I’d noticed the ring, but with his last words, I was full-blown sobbing.

  When he pulled back from his tender kiss, wiping my tears away, he waited for me to speak. His eyes darting all over my face.

  I could only think of one thing to say… “Pinkie Promise?”

  Jackson

  I hadn’t moved from the side of the street; Instead, I continued to stare at my beautiful wife.

  I’d walked up a few minutes ago after finishing up with a meeting down the road. I’d noticed her standing out here as soon as the entrance came into sight, she still hadn’t moved, obviously lost in her own thoughts.

  This was something she did often and each time she did, I took full advantage of admiring what was mine.

  The way she frowns a little while chewing on the inside of her cheek. The way her hair falls into her face, something I’ve noticed doesn’t seem to bother her at all. It’s like she’s resigned to the fact that it always happens. I loved it, I loved getting to tuck
that same piece of hair, knowing my hands would get the opportunity to touch her whenever I spotted it hanging loose.

  When I see a small smile dancing on her lips, I step forward and place my hand on the small of her back. I feel her tense a little before I drop my lips to her ear and whisper.

  “What are you doing standing out here beautiful?” her smile grows as she turns in to me, wrapping her arms around my neck before pressing the softest kiss against my lips.

  When she pulls back, I get my chance to tuck her hair behind her ear.

  Leaving my hand to rest on her jaw.

  “I was just thinking about how lucky I am. Feeling grateful for all that I have.”

  The shy smile she offers me almost brings me to my knees. But instead, I steal one more kiss before taking her hand in mine.

  “Come on, Tony will have my arse if I keep you from your lunch date with him, but I’m all for going home for the rest of the day.”

  I don’t miss the smirk she throws my way, before shaking her head.

  Yeah, Monday lunches were still happening.

  And even as her husband, I was not permitted to attend.