Chapter 24.
The slam of the door shook her awake, a tension in her shoulders as she all but jumped from her crumpled spot at the end of the bed. An odd sense of dejavu coursed through her system and she looked around with a groan.
"Jackson?" she called weakly, trying and failing to adjust her blurry eyes to the darkness. "What time is it?"
The overhead light flicked on, and to her surprise it was Randy standing there, not Jackson.
The man in question was at her side in an instant, his brown eyes crinkled. "It's midnight, K. What on earth have you been doing?" he chuckled, and she wasn't sure why he was laughing at her until he began wiping the beads that had been stuck to her cheek. His warm and tanned hands brushing the crafting items off her face with a gentleness she craved.
For a moment, she found herself leaning into him. The touch of his fingertips making her sigh in content.
She could recall their first k
Chapter 25. Randy's posture dipped down, almost sluggish. He looked exasperated and his silence only shattered the bit of peace that Kaitlyn had left. To her, it may as well have been a confession. It was true. Randy was cheating on her and she had actually agreed to let him go with the woman he preferred over her. She had stupidly gave him permission to go off with the woman he was seeing behind her back! The bile was churning in her stomach, and she didn't know what to do. When he had said he'd wanted her to go with him, had that been a lie to? One of his psychology methods to get her to agree to his actual request? To go with Natalie? The thoughts broke her. "I don't know what to say, K." She hated how he spoke her name. She hated how he dared to even call her by that old nickname. It was something that the people who loved her were allowed to call her. Not him.
"We'd be more than happy to have you here. Welcome aboard Jackson! We're looking forward to working with you. When will you be available for training?" Jackson didn't hesitate, his smile tight as he answered, "immediately." As soon as the interview came to a close, his offer letter and hiring papers weighing heavy in his hands, Jackson crashed down into the seat of his car. The tangle of emotions inside him sporadic as he tried to focus on which one he could really process. On one hand, he was happy, fucking ecstatic even that he had finally landed a job. It meant he could finally move on with his damn life. On the other, the events from last night stained everything that happened on his entire day. Like a cut that wouldn't scab over, the angry wound kept bleeding. "God fucking dammit!" His fist slammed into his steering column, and he slumped forward into his seat, unsure on how to avo
Chapter 27Kaitlyn stared down at the phone in her hands, feeling an odd mixture of trepidation and temptation all at once.It was innocent. A simple device laid precariously across her palms.So she wasn't sure why she had the intense urge to look through it. As if something was physically pulling her to take a peek.Kaitlyn knew his password, but honestly she had never had a reason to check his phone before.So she wondered why the urge was suddenly so strong.Her lip pulled between her teeth, a habit she truly needed to break as her bottom lip felt physically sore.Randy had more than reassured her last night. His rough devotion still heating her core as she thought about his sudden touches.He had told her it was a misunderstanding, apologized even.So why was it that now that she had something of his in her hands, the doubt had resurfaced?Randy would neve
"Princess, c'mon, you have to give me a little more than that." Jackson was basically pleading as he said it, his face feeling tense and uncomfortable as he found his jaw grinding with his worries. Kaitlyn looked almost psychotic from where he was sitting. As if something had actually drove her into a psychosis; he had seen her suffering many times within the last few months, but never like this. It left cold ice in his chest, the fear making it hard for him to think. She was buried into a ball like she was three, rather than almost thirty, and was almost completely unresponsive again. Taking a gamble, he snatched the phone from the spot a few paces away from her feet. And when he picked he up, he cussed, realizing it had locked again. "Kaitlyn, can you help me out here? Let me see what hurt you." He knew he was acting like he was talking to a child right then, but right now, he didn't know how else to get her to
Chapter 29 If it wasn't for the fact that Kaitlyn was still sleeping, Jackson would've lost his shit. His eyes blazing, his rage seething, as he stared down the person who dared to walk through the fucking door. "You've gotta a lot of nerve showing up here." Jackson breathed, his voice a magma that melted everything it touched. Randy was breathless in the doorway, his eyes wide and panicked. It was the most off balance he had ever seen him, but Jackson couldn't bring himself to feel even an ounce of remorse. If anything, the guy had it coming. Randy's brown eyes zeroed in on him, and they instantly narrowed. Much more hostile than they had been in his office that day. It was as if the man had just registered what he said. "I live here." He scowled. Moving to shove his way past him, Jackson grabbed his arm, his grip like a vice. "Yeah, I really don't give a flying fuck. You're n
Chapter 30Kaitlyn wasn’t sure how to process anything. The solemn air of the house, down to the emptiness that seemed to radiate from within her chest.It was hard to focus, her precious paid time off being used to secure her last few days at home.She hadn’t wanted to do much of anything. Eating seemed like a chore, like it was sand in her mouth. Work seemed distant and far away, her crafts were untouchable, even the television seemed vacant.It seemed all she could manage to do was sleep, cry, and repeat.Honestly, the only good that seemed to come of it seemed to follow Jackson.His presence a foothold that kept her sane as she tried to traverse uncertain waters.She didn’t know how to act now that Randy was gone. A pain so sharp it left her feeling like half the woman she was. She couldn’t even remember how it ended, all a blur as she woke up one morning after finding the texts between him and Natalie. The
Chapter 31The next few days had been fragile, passing by in a blur as people came and went.Joshua had made sure to stop by her house multiple times a day, her growing collection of flowers a true nod to his constant visits. Olivia had stopped by a couple times, mostly to check on her and to inform her of the latest gossip at work. Their company a treasure that she kept dear, as Kaitlyn fumbled to fall into her new routine.To be honest, she wasn’t currently sure when it’d get easier.Jackson had finally convinced her to try and go back to work tomorrow; claiming a sense of normalcy would do her good.And while Kaitlyn knew he was right, she wasn’t sure what was normal anymore.Normal had been cooking dinner for Randy, cleaning his clothes, lightly doing her job while waiting for his texts or calls. Normal had meant her time had been spent waiting.Now, she didn’t know what to wait for.There were no me
Chapter 32 "K, you can't keep going on like this. Jackson sounded exhausted last time I talked to him." Olivia was staring at her from across her desk, all bright curls and pretty lashes as she lounged there. The two of them had decided to eat lunch together, taking advantage of the time they now had available to spend away from their chaotic lives. It was the first time they had managed to have a real talk since her abrupt leave of absence. Kaitlyn knew Olivia had begun to have pretty regular contact with Jackson, but Kaitlyn was surprised she brought him up so confidently. She wasn't jealous, per say. But with everything that had happened with Randy, she would be lying if she said she hadn't missed her conversations with the raven as well. Things still hadn't evened out between them, and ever since her outburst at the table about her ex-fiance, it actually seemed to have gotten worse. Jackson was avoidin
Epligue ( 77 ): It was everything she had ever wanted. Kaitlyn had never known she could be so happy. Kaitlyn breathed in. Her world coming together as she held her chin high.She was dressed to the nines, gliding in time with the music as her mermaid style dress flowed around her. It was white with pink lace, and she still wore the red heart necklace over the open V-Shaped bodice. She felt like a real princess then, the audience gaping at her as her curled red hair spilled from her pink diamond rose clip. Her arm was laced with Joshua, who was prepared to walk her down to the alter. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sure you wish your father or uncle could've been the one to.." He started, but Kailtyn smiled. Cutting him off. "No, this is perfect. You're exactly who I wanted to be here." Joshua quieted down then. And then, to both of their nerves, the music started. Josh began walking beside her as he tried to hide the flustered crinkle to his eye
Chapter 76:When she finally sat down at home, it was like everything had suddenly caught up to her, snagging her down by her ankles.Tears had fell from her eyes, and she had held onto Jackson, desperately. The harsh images she had seen, the violate relationship brought back unwanted memories.She wondered, if that broken scene she'd witness between Randy and Natalie, had been how Jackson had viewed her and Randy? Was it as heartbreaking to watch?She hadn't asked that though, no matter how much she wanted to. Because as he cuddled her close, and she wrapped herself up in the scent she had come to love, she knew it just didn't matter anymore.And this time? She truly felt that way. It was like the sound of a chapter closing, and all the new pages were just of Jackson. And she couldn't help but be grateful for that.Randy was gone.Natalie was gone.So, too, would Josh. She had no
Chapter 75: "She wasn't happy that I left." "When is she ever happy with you?"Natalie countered with a sigh. They were sitting together in her apartment, her body snuggled close to him. He froze at her words, as if they struck him like a brisk slap. Those delicate fingers twirled around in her hair. "You could give your life for her and she'd still find something to nag you about. It's kind of sad..." Her whispered words were so sweet despite their message. "S-She didn't nag me," Randy defended, trying to understand why Natalie would say something so cruel about his fiance. Randy knew Kaitlyn wasn't like that. She was the most patient woman he knew. She was always putting up with his absences and long work hours without complaint. Her smile always on her face whenever he came through the door. Well... except lately. It felt like every time he came home, there was a fight.
Chapter 74:Lies and truths had melded into one, and he didn't know how to make his way out.He could see the three of them standing there, but it felt blurred and surreal. Like his grip on reality was slipping.Randy had never felt like such a failure before as he stood in nothing but his boxers and t-shirt. It was one Kaitlyn had bought him years ago.He felt dirty and filthy, as he sat beneath their stares. They all knew what he had done.It wasn't supposed to be like this.Natalie was supposed to make him feel better. She was supposed to love him.But right now, he felt so fucking cold.Josh's angry words splattered all over his ears, but he couldn't make sense of any of them. He couldn't make sense of why everyone was so angry, couldn't make sense of why he had gone back to the same woman he swore to never contact again.He glanced at her now, and her blue
Chapter 73:He had seen her cry, so many times.Yet somehow, as she stood in the center of the decaying lawn, looking lonely and tired, watching her eyes swell seemed even more painful. Her red curls were hanging over her shoulders in wild abandon, her lips set in a furious scowl that didn't suit her gentle features.At least, Jackson didn't think they suited her. But then again, Kaitlyn was like his own special brand of sunshine, and she was always smiling with him.So to see her eyes look so cold, it unnerved him. But that coldness faded away when her blue eyes met his.And then, she looked so vulnerable. Standing there with her dirty jeans and cardigan that hung off her shoulder. Her bottom lip had started trembling when she spotted him."Jackson..." She said his name again, and he wasted no time. He hopped the fence, not giving a fuck whose property it was. He crossed the space in no time to pull her i
Chapter 72: Branches scraped her knees, reaching out for her ankles like a warning to stay away. Yet, Kaitlyn didn't listen.She kept walking in the trees that were so large that they blocked out the sun above, her hands coming up to rub her arms. It was eerie, being alone in the woods. But she swallowed up her nerves and pressed forward. Randy's lies were twisting her insides, and she fought hard to hold onto anything that proved her suspicions wrong. She realized that once again that she wanted to believe the best in him. Yet for some reason, those hopes never went far. That hope was dwindling again, when she finally came across an old, worn down house. Kaitlyn faltered as she eyed the odd looking home, feeling out of place as she stepped past the fence. The lawn was torn up, and the abandoned atmosphere made her think twice about entering. Her mind conjured up the worst possibilities. Was Randy in danger? Was th
Chapter 71:Leaving the house had been harder than she thought. She was nervous the whole way, her fingers clenching and unclenching on her keys as she traversed through town. It was hard to enjoy her walk when she couldn't shake the feeling someone was watching her.Maybe, she was paranoid. But with everything happening, it was hard to tell. She knew she should tell someone, but it felt childish. Like a prank or maybe she was trying to downplay it because she didn't want to believe it was happening.She had finally caved and called Randy, and he had sounded skittish the entire time he was on the phone. It had done nothing to calm her nerves. She had sweetly asked him if he had happened to send her something in the mail, and he asked no why, sounding horribly confused. That had been answer enough.It wasn't him.She frowned. She should've known better, each envelope had no return address. It was clear they were being manuall
Chapter 70:The drawings had unnerved her for days, her moods fluctuating as she gathered her apartment together.It was hard to keep them a secret by this point, Josh and Jackson both noting her odd behavior as she drew into herself the last few weeks.It made starting over hard, as she tried to keep on a brave face in Jackson's presence. A part of her wanted to tell him about the weird drawings that kept winding up on her doorstep and mailbox, but given their recent reconciliation, she didn't want to do anything to hurt their relationship. She had a feeling the drawings had something to do with Randy, as he was featured in most of them.But she knew he wasn't capable of drawing at all. She also couldn't see him doing something like this--no matter how manupliative he could be, it didn't seem like him.So who?She didn't really know, but she was growing increasingly worried. Every picture was a moment she
Chapter 69: Jackson's warmth enveloped her. The feel of his arms causing her to freeze in place. He was so warm, and it was a jolt inside her veins. Slowly, her fingers came up to clutch at his clothes. Sandalwood. Home. The smell invaded her senses, and without even thinking, she burrowed her face into his neck. The little strands of his hair tickling her eyelids as she breathed in the scent of his shampoo. Jackson was finally home. She didn't dare say a word, afraid that she'd start crying again if she did. Or that he'd move away. But it seemed her fears were for nothing. Because his arms were pulling her closer, tugging at her body like he was afraid she'd disappear. She blinked once, realizing then that she could feel his heartbeat along the side of his neck. His heart was racing. The knowledge made her face grow warm, her chest tight. "Don't cry because I'm fucking stu