A knock at the door, and we all look towards it, none of us wanting to open it. We know it isn’t Jackson. Why would he knock? I feel the tears building in my eyes. I know he is gone. Liam gets up and answers it. He walks back through with Marcus, the lovely Marcus, no longer joking, laughing or winking at me.His face is down and broken. I don’t need to hear the words, but I want to.“I am sorry, we lost Jackson. Maxwell caused a fight again. Someone started shooting, and barrels around us exploded. We all ran, but afterwards, Jackson was nowhere.” His head drops, and I feel my world has just blown up. There is nothing left in this life for me.I feel like I am falling apart. Everything that was keeping me here has gone, and I feel like I have nothing to live for. The pain is unreal, and I can feel everyone looking at me. My vision is blurred. All I feel is anger, anger at everyone, everyone I know for letting him go.“No, no, he said he would be back!” I scream. I lunge at Marcus and
Arriving at the same church we got married in, I walk behind the empty coffin that is carried through. Liam, Marcus and the rest of the team are carrying it.The church is full. People are even standing. Clearly, Jackson had a lot of team members over the years. The ceremony starts. Georgina sits on one side, hugging me, and Jackson’s Mum on the other side. A few people get up to speak. Watching as it gets to my turn, I don’t know if I can cope and do this. How can I do this without him? I get up, walking up slowly, looking at my even bigger bump. The photo of Jackson rips my chest open. I feel like I have died. He shouldn’t be gone.“Jackson was a man who cared for everyone he knew deeply. He had lost his own baby and his sister but still kept fighting. He knew what people wanted, even when they didn’t know what they wanted.” Why am I doing this? I am accepting he is gone, yet I can’t accept it.“He opened me up. I was hidden and scared because of my past, scared because of what happ
I wake up screaming. I had the same dream again; I am shaking and soaked from the sweat. Yet, I long for these dreams. It is Jackson. Sure, it might hurt me to see him like that, but I get to see him and feel closer to him.I grab the laptop and check my emails. Everything is going well with the businesses. They are trying not to call me unless it is really needed. I am grateful. I don’t want to walk in there looking so pregnant, so most of my advice has been over the phone.I went in with the family for the will, but that was all. I now officially own his business. Everything is fine, which is good. I look at the time. 2 am. I walk down and grab a drink, walk back to bed and fall asleep.Getting up, I spend the day picking colours and decorations for the twin’s room. Liam says he will decorate it with the help of Georgina and Marcus. The next few months fly by, and my stomach blooms, getting bigger and bigger.I look down. I have 8 weeks left, just 8 weeks. The room is ready. It look
At 38 weeks pregnant, we decided we will try making the relationship work properly. I have decided I need to move on. It has been nearly 8 months since Jackson left. It feels too soon, but leaving it much longer means Liam will soon find someone else.Sitting here relaxed, everything feels great, laughing at the film. A pain shoots across my stomach, and I wrench. Liam jumps up.“Georgina, grab the bags.” He screams upstairs. I laugh and shake my head.“Liam, calm down. One pain doesn’t mean I am in,… Aaah, F-U-C-K,” I scream and bend forward as the pain shoots through me again.“Something is wrong, Liam. Something is really wrong.” I feel like I am being cut open, or worse like something is cutting me open from the inside. I have no idea what happened to Tallulah; Jackson had said she was born with half a heart. I didn’t even think to ask how they didn’t know, and now it is too late.Georgina grabs my bags, and we get in the car, travelling to the hospital. The pains get closer toget
It feels strange seeing Jackson here again. I have gotten so used to Georgina and Liam. I wonder if they are still here or if they left. They don’t have the apartment anymore.“Georgina and Liam will be back later. I have said they can stay until they sort a place out. They wanted to be out when we got home,” he explains, carrying the twins into the living room. I sit on the sofa, exhausted. “Go to bed for a bit. I am here now so I can watch the babies.” He smiles, but I don’t want to. I am afraid I will wake up, and he will be gone again.“I want to spend this time with just us. Come sit down,” I ask, reaching for him. He walks over and sits next to me.“I am sorry, Alena, I messed everything up.” I look at him, his face covered in fresh cuts and bruises. “What happened? I don’t get why you were locked up.” I look at him, waiting for answers.“It was Max. He flipped when I mentioned I was going to be a dad to twins. We fought, or rather, he kept hitting me.”“Seeing I wasn’t reactin
I walk to him, pushing him back and climbing on top. I look down at him, shaking my head.“That wasn’t exactly a punishment, was it?” I laugh. He looks at me.“You’re lucky I came at all. After twenty minutes, I decided it was wrong to leave you here. I did plan to come up, tease you and leave. Obviously, that didn’t work, and I lost control of myself. We still need to talk.” He looks at me, lifting me off him and walking out of the room.I grab the dressing gown and follow him.“How can we talk if you walk away and won’t talk?” I shout at him. He keeps going, so I continue. “Just talk, shout, scream anything! Don’t just try acting like you don’t care.” This time he stops. He turns and faces me, walking back towards me slowly, my body backing up.“You want me to talk? Fine, I will talk. I feel sick when I look at you, thinking of you and him together. I look at you, and all I can think is how many times you were in my bed with him.” His steps get closer, and my body moves back. This i
Waking up, I am still lying in his arms. I wonder how we got to this point. So much has happened in such a small time frame. Moving, I cuddle closer to him, enjoying this moment as it never happens anymore. He smiles.“Good morning, baby.” He seems in a good mood, considering everything.“Good morning Sir,” I reply, looking up at him. I am hoping for a response, but I don’t get one. He just lies there, his eyes closed, so I stay quiet.“We should move. My Mum will be bringing the girls back soon.” He starts moving to sit up. I move so he can. I watch him get out of bed and walk towards the bathroom, turning the shower on.“Want some company?” I smile. He just shakes his head and steps into the shower. I need to slow down. I am so set on trying to get him into bed that I don’t think about anything else. Once he is out, I get in. I quickly wash, dry off and get dressed.Walking downstairs, Jackson is sorting through the baby bottles. His Mum walks in carrying the two car seats. Jackson
He comes and sits down in front of me. “You know I love you, don’t you? But you went and got me locked up, locked up for something you caused.” I think about his words, and maybe I can try another way. Maybe begging to go home is the wrong thing for me to do, and I should make him realise he needs me.“I know, Max, I am sorry. I was scared,” I admit. He looks at me to see if I am being honest.“Why would you be scared of me?” He looks confused like he doesn’t see what he has done now and what has happened in the past, so I lie.“I was scared of commitment. I was scared that if I committed to you that you would leave me.” I hope this will work. If I could just get him to think I love him, maybe he will let me leave with him.“No, you didn’t. You reported me to the police. You ran and hid. You told lies.” He moves closer, getting angrier.“I did, yes, because I was scared of spending my life with you when you could have walked away so easily. I knew Georgina fancied you the first time