Jack Hughes | Golden Boy

Chapter Ten | A Fool to Temptation

The great poets of our time spoke in length of the depth of love.

The pleasure, temptation and desire for the emotion that was believed to give life meaning was the purpose of their soliloquies, verses and sonnets.

It only seems fitting that in my lackluster life, the words that were riveting in my highschool experience were just that.

Words.

I hadn't felt an ounce of love or a tablespoon of devotion in my life.

There was a time when my greatest wish and deepest desire was to experience the love so many felt, but it was something I never found.

In an ironic way, Jack was the closest I'd ever come to it, but even he seemed to run for the hills.

Now, love was something that was foreign to me, and I'd become prejudiced of it in a way.

I feared the capacity for destruction it had.

For if a lack of love could destroy me so, what could love itself do?

I was so fearful of love that it felt foul to speak its name, tar seeping into my veins at the first syllable alone.

Maybe, in another life, I was a poet.

But I certainly wasn't one of love, but one of pain and torment.

Loneliness was something that was effortless to me, and it seemed to eclipse my heart at every turn.

It likely would in another life too.

The only thing that seemed to bring me happiness was the orange fur ball that sat precariously within my arms.

Maverick was calm, as always

He stared up at me with his soft green eyes.

His tail swung up into my face, brushing along my nose.

I giggled, almost feeling like sneezing.

Hesitantly, I approached the door of Jack's room.

My fingers that once fisted Maverick's fur bristled as they knocked on it.

The door slowly creaked open and Jack's features quickly greeted me.

The contours of Jack's chest glistened before me.

He was damp with sweat, beads of it carelessly falling from his form.

His sweatpants hung low across his waist.

Suddenly, his captivating eyes met my own, a generous smirk gracing his lips.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

His eyes ignited with a flame that I hadn't seen since the night I spent under him.

"Just wondering if you wanted a cup of coffee, or... or a tea?" I responded.

I stammered as his eyes remained trained on my figure.

Jack began to shake his head gently.

"I'm fine, Farah. Goodnight," he said as he shut the door with a soft smile.

I huffed with relief, shifting my gaze to the cat that lay within my arms.

My wide eyes met his own.

"Goddamn, Mav... Goddamn," I murmured.