AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was like Dylan just stopped trying, or even pretending, to be a good boyfriend. Amelia blamed herself but I knew it was my fault. I knew it was my rejection, my silence, my cowardice that caused the downfall of the relationship she was desperately clinging to.
I know now that if I'd told Amelia, she would've believed me. If I'd told her, none of this would have happened. Just another one of my shitty calls.
After what feels like an hour of tense silence, I finally muster up the courage to look at Jackson. The hard look in his eyes shocks me a little, such an enormous contrast to their usual warmth. “He assaulted you,” he grinds out, a muscle in his jaw jumping erratically. “You're so angry that Amelia didn't report him but you didn't either.”
“It's not the same.” What happened to me was short, over before I even realized what was happening. It was one time. What happened to Amelia was prolonged and vicious and purposeful. He wanted to hurt her. He just wanted to fuck with me.
Or to fuck me.
“Like hell it isn't,” Jackson spits, tone riddled with frustration. He expels a heavy puff of air as he rolls onto his back, his hands leaving me to scrub at his exasperated expression. “Jesus, Luna.”
“I'm sorry,” I whisper because it's the only thing I can think to say, because I owe someone an apology and she’s not here to hear it.
“Don't do that. Don't apologize because he's a piece of shit.”
I press my lips together to keep another from spilling out.
Jackson’s head lolls towards me, his expression softening, a gentle hand smoothing over the top of my head. “You never told Amelia?”
“I couldn't. I can't. It's too late now, it would just make things worse.” And I’ve already done enough of that. “She'd hate me.”
“No, she wouldn't.”
He's right, she wouldn't. She's too good, too kind, for that. But I'd hate myself. For really being as shallow and self-absorbed and dramatic as people perceive me to be. For suddenly revealing my own 'assault' at Dylan's hand and stealing the attention away from Amelia. What convenient timing.
Jackson opens his mouth to speak again, maybe to ask something else, but I cut him off. “Can we please stop talking about him now?”
“Can I just say one last thing?”
I nod.
“No one is at fault here but Dylan. Not you, not Amelia, no one but him.”
I can’t speak past the lump in my throat, so I nod again.
Exhaling deeply, Jackson wraps his arms around me again, crushing me to his chest, holding me like I might disappear. “Fuck, I hate him.”
“Join the club.”
23
JACKSON
Chirping birds,the smell of coffee and a slight pinch in my knuckles wake me up the morning after Nick's disastrous birthday.
Well, that and a string of loud, colorful curses.
My muscles pop as I stretch out, my forehead creasing as I find the spot beside me empty, a warm pillow where Luna should be. Cracking open an eye, I'm greeted by the sight of her naked except for a pair of my sweats halfway up her legs, hissing rapidly into her phone, words unintelligible but irritation evident. I choke on a laugh when she trips over her own feet, only just managing to catch herself before she goes tumbling to the floor.
Luna whips around, scowling something fierce, mumbling something before hanging up. As she chucks her phone aside, she loses her grip on the sweats and they slip down her thighs, momentarily flashing me. “Going commando?”
Her scowl deepens as she fists the loose material in her hands, depriving me of all that smooth, tan flesh. “Someoneripped my panties again.”
Damn right I did. After everything that went on last night, we were both way too wound up to fall asleep, her with guilt, me with anger. So we took out a bit of that pent-up energy on each other; I've got the scratch marks on my chest and she's got the shape of my hand imprinted on her ass to prove it.
A yawn blurs my vision as I prop myself up on one elbow. “Why the hell aren't you in bed?”
“I have class.”
