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“I don’t need your help!”
“Then what, Jackson? You’re just going to spend the rest of your life, not needing anyone? Is that the way you want to live?”
“I said get out!” he snarled through a clenched jaw. His fists pumping at his sides.
“Or what? Huh? What are you gonna do? I’m not scared of you. If anything, I feel bad for you. You push everyone away. Every single person. Including your own family. One day you’re going to need them, and I hope it’s not too late. Because regardless of the bullshit you keep putting me through, I’m not going anywhere. I love your baby sister, and if you gave me half the chance, I could be here for you too.”
He shook his head in disgust and disdain. “I don’t need your pity. So why don’t you go sell your spiel to someone who gives a shit about you? Because we both know, I sure as hell don’t.”
I jerked back, not hiding how much that hurt me. “I’m sorry your parents aren’t around, okay? But it’s not my fault. I didn’t make them go away, Jackson. I was hired because they’re not here. You need to realize that and stop blaming me for things that are out of my control.”
I took a deep breath, stepping back toward the door. Not allowing the anger rolling off my body to take over, even though I wanted nothing more than to shake the shit out of him. Make him see reason.
I wasn’t the bad guy.
He was just treating me like I was.
“Don’t ever touch my phone again. Do you understand me?”
He eyed me up and down, cocking his head to the side. Taking in what I just said with as much curiosity as I had about his parents.
“There’s a reason his name is under ‘Don’t answer’ in my phone. You could have…” I sighed, being at my wits end.
“Who is he?”
“Someone I want nothing to do with.”
“Huh, well then maybe now you’ll understand. Seeing as I want nothing to do with you. Now get out.”
“Alright.” I nodded. “I’ll get out of your room, but I’m not getting out of your life. I’m here to stay.”
“Yeah, for Journey.”
“And for you.” With that, I turned around and left him there, praying something I said may have gotten through to him.
Knowing I probably wasn’t that lucky.
I tried to calm down as best as I could before going back into the living room, but it was the look on Jagger’s face in the hallway that pulled my attention to him instead.
“He wasn’t always like this, Camila.”
I swear it was the first words this kid had ever spoken to me. And there I was, glued to the floor, waiting for him to say something else. Like he was the Dalai Lama who held all the answers. Jagger kept to himself, didn’t say much. Half the time, I forgot he existed, he was that quiet.
“He’s mad at my dad. It’s not you. Journey really loves you. You make her happy. My mom didn’t have the chance to do that, and Journey is one of the reasons my dad isn’t around.”
I grimaced, understanding what he had just openly shared. I mean, I assumed Dr. Pierce had never held his baby girl, and now I knew he really hadn’t.
But why?
“It doesn’t matter what you say or do, my mom isn’t coming home. That much I can tell you.”
“Is she—”
“I’m sorry Jackson is treating you like this, but Journey isn’t the only one who wants you here.”
“She isn’t?”
“No. I want you here too.”
