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“Nice to meet you ladies.” Trevor greeted them and Jackson watched in absolute fascination as his friend turned on the charm. “I’m Trevor, and these are my friends Carson and Jackson.”
There was a chorus ofhi’s around the table and the ladies launched into talking about how they were new in town and looking for someone to show them around. They were pretty, no doubt—one had glossy blonde hair and the other had jet black hair, they had on a whole lot of makeup and wore tiny dresses. They were clearly out to get attention and Trevor and Carson were eating out of the palm of their hands. Jackson was less interested. Not that he wasn’t attracted to them—you’d have to be blind to not notice them—but he was definitely not the kind of person to indulge in one night stands or flirt with women at the drop of a hat.
While he convinced himself he was over it, Jackson was still a little sore over his last break up. Honestly, he thought Ursula would bethe one. Despite her evil Disney queen name, she’d been the perfect girlfriend. They met through a friend at a party and he’d teased her about her name, she’d teased him about his because she was obsessed withSons of Anarchyand expected everyone named Jackson to look like Charlie Hunnam. After they’d spent the whole night talking, he’d driven her home and she’d pinned him against her front door and kissed him goodnight and walked away.
A week later, they flirted over text before she agreed to meet him for drinks. And one thing led to another and they were tangled up in her sheets. Jackson had been single for a long time before Ursula and he’d indulged in one night stands when he had the courage, time and patience for it, but she completely took him by surprise.
One minute he was Jackson, the guy from Afocus Designs and the next minute he was introduced as Ursula Banner’s boyfriend. And for two whole years, he basked in the title. Till she got bored of his witty banter and pop culture references and invited someone else for drinks and let them get tangled up in her sheets. The crazy part was, Ursula didn’t apologize for cheating on him. She said,“Things were getting so…boring, right? So I figured I’d save you the trouble.”
Jackson didn’t get his favorite t-shirt back, lost his Ninja Turtles toothbrush and the girl he thought he was going to marry.
It had been six months and his friends were still unsure if Jackson was okay. Somedays,hewasn’t sure if he was okay. He was chugging along and doing the best he could. But on nights like this, he missed knowing when he was done, he could go home and curl up with someone. The only person he went home to was his turtle, named after his favorite Ninja Turtle—Raphael.
Ursula told him his unrealistic expectations of relationships came from all the romantic comedies he watched. But he didn’t think any of it was unrealistic. Look at his dad. Sure, he’d married one woman and had three kids before she abandoned them. But Callum Huxley finally found his soulmate. Mindy, his stepmother, was incredible and she loved his dad with abandon. Mindy put a smile on his father’s otherwise drawn face and she brought joy into the Huxley house. Witnessing that, as well as every romantic comedy on the planet told Jackson if his father could find love again, why couldn’t he?
He wanted to find hisperson. Sure, Jackson had a bad habit of falling in love too fast and forgetting you had to gradually infuse yourself into the lives of people, but was it so bad that he let himself go with Ursula? She seemed to think so. And like every other woman on the planet, she didn’t think hisStar Warsand Turtle love was healthy.
Apparently, those were meant for kids and not adults. That should have been the first sign Ursula was going to leave him for someone else.
“Earth to Jack!”
Jackson blinked and looked at his friends, noticing their worried expressions, “Sorry, what were you saying?”
“You okay, bud? You zoned out there for a long time,” Carson frowned and Jackson shrugged.
“Just got lost in my head.”
“Yeah, Mia and Lily noticed that too,” Trevor pointed out with a frown of his own and Jackson’s shoulders sank.
“Shit, guys, I’m sorry.”
“It’s cool, they were worried about you for a minute there, but we convinced them you do this often.”
“I take back my apology.”
Carson laughed and gave Jackson’s shoulder a squeeze, “Besides, they seemed more interested in us than you, so you’re fine.”
“Let’s not rely on me to be a wingman next time, okay?”
“Fine,” Trevor said as he grabbed their empty bottles. “Only because you have sucked at every wingman attempt since we became friends.”
“I don’t know what made you think I’d be a good wingman in the first place.”
“Because of your approachable face and disarming smile.” His friends laughed and went off to get them more beers. Jackson rubbed his face and headed to the restroom, trying to think of anything but how much his ex-girlfriend had messed him up.
