Oh well, at least it is just spare change that stupid Jackson has in abundance that the kidnappers want! Right? Or is it something more? Read on to find out. And maybe leave a comment or review while you are at it. <3 <3 <3
_________________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.Something was amiss.Jackson had been too calm. Too... rehearsed.The Jackson I once thought I knew was anything but calm when it came to his family. Maybe it was because we were not his family, but the way he acted with Kelsey was sending mixed signals. The thought niggled at the back of my mind as I watched him from the car. He walked out of the bank with a duffel bag that was probably stuffed with money. The transaction was simple, but the situation was anything but."Ready?" He asked as he got in and tossed the bad into the backseat.I squared my shoulders and nodded. "As I will ever be."Jackson's eyes stayed on my face for a whole minute even though I refused to look at him before he started the car.The drive to the park was silent, tension crackling in the closed atmosphere of the vehicle. The GPS giving the directions did not help at all.My forehead wrinkled.Of course, he didn't know around the place. He was on the other si
_________________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.I did not say a word on the way back home.Should I have told Jackson that Kelsey knew?My mind was racing with a hundred thoughts as we drove back home. Every minute that passed felt like an eternity.But when we reached the parking lot, I felt as if we had reached too fast - that I did not get the time to prepare myself for what was to come.Jackson parked the car and turned to look at me with wariness in his eyes. "Why are you not happy?" He asked.I ignored him and stepped out of the car, my legs feeling like jelly. "We need to talk." I said, walking towards the elevator."What is it?" He asked as he followed me. "I know you are mad. I know you blame me for what happened. But I swear, if I knew something like this was going to happen, then I would have been much more careful than this." I jabbed on the call button of the elevator and then turned to face him with a glare on my face. "Oh, so you do admit that you could have more car
_________________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~."Oomph!" I tripped backward by the momentum with which my monkey charged onto me as soon as the door of the elevator opened. I would have fallen flat on my butt with her in my arms if it was not for Jackson who caught me from behind, his hands landing straight on my breasts again. I looked up and glared at him as he steadied me and he immediately retreated his hand. Good choice, mate, good choice. I bent down and quickly picked my daughter up, peppering kisses all over her face as I wrapped my arms tight around her while carrying her out of the metal box. "Are you okay?" I asked her.Kelsey nodded her head vigorously, her eyes wide. "I'm fine, Mommy. The misters were nice. They said they had to go on a trip and couldn't play with us anymore. That's why they brought us home."She looked over my shoulder at Jackson."Daddy!" She grinned at him. I stiffened as I turned around to face him.Jackson's eyes lit up as he took a tentative st
____________ ...~ ~ ~ J A C K S O N ~ ~ ~.I had lunch with my daughter, my wife and her annoying friend and then continued to stay with my kid till late afternoon.And then unceremoniously, Sarah Hopkins kicked me out while Kelsey was taking a nap.I smirked as I turned off my car.How long was Hopkins even going to be here?She was going to be gone today or tomorrow and then I will have my girls all to myself. And then, it will be easier for me to have Livy where I wanted her.I got out of the car and passed the keys to the valet, strolling towards the elevator with a bounce to my step. My daughter knew who I was. And Olivia knew that she could not fight me now. Everything had just gotten ten times easier in just a couple of hours. Reaching the hotel room, I was not surprised to find William at the bar. The man had not left the hotel suite since we had gotten here. "Someone looks happy." William raised a brow as he took a sip of his whiskey. "Olivia went down and gave you h
_____________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~."How about this?" Kelsey stepped out of her closet wearing a tie dye t-shirt and a purple tutu."Seven out of ten." Sarah said after pretending to inspect the outfit for a moment.I couldn't help but laugh at the expression on my daughter's face. She looked absolutely confused and adorable. "Why not ten?" She asked pouting."Because, my little fashionista, we need something that will make you shine brighter than a star in the sky!" She exclaimed, kneeling down to her level. "Let's keep looking, okay?"Kelsey nodded and disappeared back into the closet, her giggles echoing around the room.Sarah turned to me with a knowing look, her smile disappearing as soon as Kelsey was out of sight. "You okay?""I will be." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It's just...I can't believe he's back in our lives like this."Sarah nodded solemnly. "I know it's a lot to take in, but we're in this together, Liv. Whatever happens, I'm here for you and Ke
_____________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.William smirked, looking over at a confused Jackson - or pretending to be confused Jackson - and back at me. "Your husband has been keeping detailed tabs on you since the day you left."I turned to Jackson with a glare on my face."Husband?" Kelsey grabbed my attention with her big confused eyes. "Mommy, you are married? To who?"I looked at her, my heart racing. This was definitely not the time or the place to have this conversation. "We're not married, Kelsey. Not anymore.""But who is your husband?" Kelsey asked. She looked around at Jackson. "Is Daddy your husband?"Jackson cleared his throat, looking at me with a mix of hope and hesitation. "Well, technically, we're still married, Kelsey," he began."But that's not what we are here to talk about, sweetheart," I interjected quickly, cutting him off. "We're here to have a nice dinner and enjoy each other's company, remember?"Kelsey looked back and forth between us, clearly confused by t
_____________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~."She is out like a light," Jackson said as he closed Kelsey's bedroom door behind him."Thanks for carrying her," I murmured, trying to keep my voice steady.Jackson nodded and followed me into the living room."What is it that you want to talk about?" I asked, my arms folded tightly across my chest.Jackson took a deep breath, his eyes on the floor before he looked back up at me. "I know I have a lot to make up for, Olivia. I've been thinking about everything since I saw Mom's letter. And now, with Kelsey... I just want to be in her life. To be there for her in a way I never was for you.""Jackson, this isn't just about you and me anymore," I said firmly. "It's about Kelsey and what's best for her. I need you to understand that."He nodded slowly, taking a step closer. "I do understand. And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to earn your trust back. Both of your trusts."I shook my head. "Nothing is ever going to happen between the two of
_____________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.Jackson had texted me earlier in the morning saying that he would pick up us.I was still doing some last-minute packing.Jackson had said that he would take care of accommodation when we got there. But I could always stay at Sarah's.I did not want to stay with my parents.I had not even told them that we were coming, or that Jackson was back in our lives, or that he had dropped the bomb on the status of our marriage.But I knew that I had to.The last thing I wanted was to cause more drama, especially for Kelsey.So, I took a deep breath and picked up the phone to call my mom.Cassandra Smith had not changed one bit in the last five years - she was still the charming socialite and host and overbearing mother, who was never satisfied with what I did.The phone rang for the longest time before she picked up. Knowing that my mother was attached to her hand device like a second skin, I could imagine she was in the company of someone else. And
_________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~ .The dude did not even let me see what he got for Kelsey.He went straight to the parking without any shopping bags. I wonder if he got her some jewelry that fit in his pocket or something. That would be stupid. She was four. She was not interested in jewelry. But he was stupid, wasn't he? And it was not like he was going to put in any real effort because... why would he? He wanted to pretend to be the good father so he was going to get something to make her happy, without putting any thought into whether she liked it or not. I rolled my eyes as I put the bouquet and the shopping bags in the backseat of my car after making sure that the idiot was nowhere in sight. I sighed. Should I get her something else? I knew she would love the toys. And she had been asking for more toys for Pickles. But still... What if she felt disappointed by what her Daddy got her? I slumped my head against the roof of my car. Well, I guess she would just
_________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~ ."Jackson left Monkey with you?" I asked as I stepped out of the elevator and walked to the exit of the company. "Yeah. He said he had some work to finish and that Kelse was missing Pickles." I sighed. I was missing Pickles too. "Maybe I will also come over, spend some time with Pickles." "What's left of the renovation anyway?" My Mom asked. "I thought most of it was already done before you three moved in." "We are pet-proofing the place and getting in a high fence. I don't want Pickles or Monkey to wander into the water unsupervised." I explained to her. "Well, you should have thought it all through before getting a beach house for your permanent residence!" She exclaimed. I rolled my eyes. "I remember you telling Jackson what a wonderful idea it was." "I wasn't thinking about the practical implications then. What do I know? I am a airhead socialite. How can you expect me to figure out what you corporate moguls haven't figured out?"
_______ . . . ~ ~ ~ J A C K S O N ~ ~ ~ . I called William as soon as I reached my office. But the motherfucker didn't pick up until I rang three times. "You know," He spoke as soon as he picked up, without any greetings. "If I am not picking up your calls, it obviously means that I have no interest in talking to you so early in the morning and ruining my mood, Reign. Why the hell are you acting like a desperate girlfriend?" I rolled my eyes. "I have news." I told him, knowing how much this asshole loved gossips. "What? Olivia wants to divorce your ass?" He snickered like a retard making me wonder if he was drunk in the morning? Or had he not gotten his first cup of coffee yet? "Yeah, she wants the divorce." "What? Really?" I could hear the chair creak suddenly as he must have hopped off it. "What happened to 'I am going to get you better and ruin my own life in the process'?" He did an unflattering imitation of her which made me cringe. "Please never do that agai
__________ . . . ~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~ . "ABOUT the wedding." I almost yelled at him. "Let's get married again." Jackson stared unblinkingly at me for a long moment. A very long moment. And what did he do after that? He snorted. Like I was a clown cracking a joke. I was THIS close to cracking his skull! Jackson held up his hands in surrender again, before stepping forward and pressing the back of his hand to my forehead and then my cheek. "You don't seem to be having a fever..." He murmured. He stepped even closer, his lips inches away from my face. He took a sniff. "Not drunk either..." I shoved his face away, harder than necessary. Actually, it was necessary. That was what he deserved. "Ouch!" He laughed, he actually laughed at me. "Aren't you going to look for any head injury?" I asked drily. "Should I?" He laughed. "Did you hit your head somewhere?" I will hit you in the head. He laughed. Shit, I had said that out loud, hadn'
_________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.I parked my car in the garage, and walked out to stare at the lights on in the living room through the window. Jackson had called me twice, but I didn't pick up. Should I have picked it up? I don't think so. It felt right now as though the more I talked to him, the more I was giving him opportunities to manipulate me again. I did a mental checklist of all he had done. One, he approached me and my family five years ago to take revenge on my mother by hurting me, a revenge that I could not understand to date. What did he gain? My mother did not even feel a tremor of the earthquake that shook my life forever. And he had succeeded in his revenge. In his own twisted way. Two, he did not let his dying mother not have a glimpse of her grandchild. Why? Because his ego was bigger than her dying wish. Three, he decided that it was time for a comeback when his interests got involved in this message. He did not care about me. He did not care about
__________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~ . "What's wrong?" I asked as soon as she opened her front door. My best friend looked ready to kill someone. "Where's Kelse?" Her voice was hoarse as if she was either crying or yelling, but by the looks of it, I guessed it was the latter. "What's wrong?" I asked her again. Sarah grabbed my arm and pulled me into the apartment and closed the door when she realized that Kelsey was not with me. "Why didn't you bring her?" She asked as she walked back into the living room, dragging me with her. "I told you to bring her!" Her voice rose as she sat down, filling two glasses with whiskey. She held one up to me. "You want Monkey here when we are going to sit and have a drinking marathon?" I asked, raising a brow at the almost empty bottle. "I failed." She sighed. "I failed as a lawyer and I failed as a best friend." She said as she rubbed her face with her palms. I looked at her confused. "What are you talking about?" I asked as I sat down nex
____________...~ ~~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~."Mommy!" Kelsey squealed as Jackson dipped into the water with her in his arms.I laughed at the scene, taking out my phone to capture the moment.Jackson looked over, the water droplets glistening on his tanned skin. "Want to join us?"I hesitated, feeling the warm sand between my toes. "I'll just watch for a bit," I said, trying to keep the sadness from my voice. The breeze picked up, carrying the scent of saltwater and sunscreen.Kelsey giggled as Jackson splashed water at her, her eyes lighting up with joy.I sat on the picnic blanket, watching them. The sun was setting, casting a soft glow across the beach.Jackson's eyes met mine, and I tried to smile again, the problem at the kindergarten getting to my head. I am pretty sure it was more of a grimace than a smile at that point.He waded out of the water, Kelsey still in his arms, and approached me. "Your turn," he said, extending a hand.I shook my head, my eyes wide. "I am not going i
__________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~."Monkey is not going to be happy that you left without meeting her," I told Harry as he wrapped his arms around me, lifting me off the ground and giving me a shake before putting me back down."I will come visit. I really need to go this time." He mumbled as he stepped back. "Give her all the gifts. I tell her I sent them, not that I was actually here. Thanks for having me.""No, thank you for spending time with me when your schedule is so packed." I smiled.He nodded and put his hand out to Jackson who took it. "It was good to see you, man."Jackson simply nodded, not saying anything. He was awfully quiet since lunch. And I think I know what this is about.I waved until the cab disappeared and turned to Jackson. "Jackson, it's all in the past." "I didn't say anything." He muttered before abruptly turning on his heel and stalking into the house.I rolled my eyes before following him. "So you are not pissed Harry was with me during the preg
_____________...~ ~ ~ J A C K S O N ~ ~ ~ .Stress. I guess when God made me, he accidentally poured a whole tanker of stress into my life. I rubbed the back of my neck as I stared at the message from my asshole best friend. WILLIAM HARVEY: It's taking longer than I thought. Both of the works. I swore as I threw the paperweight across the room. I wiped the sweat off my forehead. "LILIANA!" I yelled. "LILIANA, GET IN HERE!" My middle-aged PA hurried in, looking wide-eyed at the shattered paperweight on the floor. "Why isn't the air conditioner working?" I spat at her. She looked at me weirdly. "WHAT?" "I will get it checked right away, Sir." She said. "And get one of those paperweights." I waved dismissively at the wet mess on my floor. It was a gift from Olivia when we were first engaged. I didn't know if she had noticed it the last time she had visited, but if she did she would make some other pathetic assumption about the whole situation. "Of course, Sir." She pick