AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I roll my eyes, the heat now forgotten. “I hate how everyone treats me like I’m fragile. I actuallydidget the kidney transplant, if everyone would remember. I’m not sick anymore.”
His brows furrow. “Who treats you like you’re fragile?”
“Everyone,” I answer, much louder than I mean to.
“I don’t see you as fragile.” His eyes go up and down me again, and Lord, he licks those damn lips. “No, that’s not how I see you at all.”
“How… How do you see me?”
His lips pull to one side in a smirk. “Are you sure you’re ready to hear that answer?”
“Yes,” I all but breathe.
“Jackson,” Law calls.
Jackson’s eyebrows raise. “Ah, duty calls.” He begins to leave but stops. “And I was just trying to be a gentleman when I offered tomove all the boxes. Not because I see you as fragile, but because, well, someday, I’m hoping you’ll let me show you I’m not truly a gentleman at all.”
“What do you…”
“Jackson. This box is heavy as hell,” Law says with clear strain in his voice.
Jackson leaves without another word, and I’m left standing in my bedroom, turned on, confused, and anxious for the time when he’s not so gentlemanly. But then I shake my head. No. It can’t happen. He can’t give me what I want anyway. I’ve come to the conclusion that no one can. Not without judging me in the process or making an absolute mockery of what I want. What I need. What I crave.
Yes, he seemed turned on by the idea of my fantasy, but would he be able to fulfill it? I know he wouldn’t. Couldn’t. Wouldn’t truly feel comfortable with me needing his hands wrapped around my throat for me to come. Wouldn’t be okay with me needing him to hold me down, forcing me to do whatever he wants me to. Wouldn’t truly understand the way I was turned on by not having a choice in the way that he took me.
“Get it together,” I murmur to myself.
I hurry to leave the room before he comes back. The living room only has three boxes left in it, so wanting to put even more distance between me and Jackson, I ask Sophie if she wants to just ride over to the house now and help me unpack things there.
“We’re gonna go to Char’s house now,” she tells Law and Jackson when they come back in.
Jackson narrows his eyes at me, as if he knows exactly why I’m leaving. He probably does. It’s not the first time I’ve avoided him.
“Alright,” Law says. “We’ll probably be half an hour, if that.”
Sophie nods, and I help her off the couch. Law walks over to another box, but Jackson waits by the door. I can feel that he won’t let me pass without speaking on that narrowing of his eyes a few moments ago. He’s been letting me avoid him less and less lately. When I go into another room, he follows. When I rush to leave somewhere we’re all at together, he all of a sudden finds a reason to go too, making us walk to the parking lot side by side. Oh, there’s always a reason for it. But nonetheless, it’s starting to feel like he’s chasing me, not content to let me push away what I feel whenever he’s around anymore.
It’s beginning to feel like I’m prey, and him the predator, getting closer and closer, circling me. I have to remind myself that I’m not supposed to want him to catch me.
“See you soon, Jackson,” Sophie says as she passes him.
“Bye, sis,” he replies, even though his eyes never leave me.
“Thanks again,” I state.
But I don’t make it past him. His hand shoots out, wrapping around my wrist, making my eyes widen and lock with his.
“How long are you going to keep running?” he asks, low, only for me to hear.
I swallow, not sure of what the hell to say. “I’m not…”
He lets me go. “You are. But now I’m wondering if it’s from me or yourself.”
My head snaps back, shocked and upset at his words. I scoff and walk out the door, feeling his stare follow me to my car.
“I saw that,” Sophie sing-songs when I get into the driver’s seat.
“Please don’t. We’ve been over this again and again. It’s not going to happen. What if we got together and didn’t work out?Then it’ll be awkward as hell every time we’re all together. Every event for the baby, it’ll be his aunt in one corner and his uncle in another, glaring at each other.”
