Hörny Boss

Chapter 23

WRITER'S POV 

Jackson heard the noise of a bottle smashed against something from outside the door. He kicked the door open and rushed inside in fear.

What he saw wasn't what he expected. He had thought that someone must've broken into his house and was hurting Vera and his son, only to see that Vera had smashed a bottle of John Barleycorn's brandy on the wall.

She's drunk as she twirled around in circles and laughed loudly. That must've woken Tim because he came downstairs immediately.

He went to him first and told him to go back and stay in his room while he fixed it. 

"Hey! Who do you think you are?!!" Her voice could wake the dead.

"Vera, calm down, you need to get a hold of yourself." He went closer to her.

She moved away from him by running around one of the couches. 

"Don't tell me to calm down! Do you think you are the only crazy person? How dare you force my friend into giving out information about me to you?!" She yelled at him.

"Fûck! That son of a gun! Why does he have to behave like a woman and tell her?!" He muttered.

"Oh, you think everyone is like you that thinks about you and only you! No wonder everyone left you. Who would stay under the same roof with a selfish and ruthless man?!!" She shouted.

Jack tried everything in his power to suppress his anger. He told himself that she was just drunk and the brandy was doing the talking.

"You're drunk. Come on, let me help you upstairs so…"

"I don't need your fûcking help! I hate you! Stay far away from me you beast!!" She screamed.

There they go again. He is a beast, he knows that. Why do they have to keep reminding him over and over again? Was it his fault that he was sick? He didn't wish for it and he tried hard not to hurt her earlier today.

Hasn't he tried? He is trying to change for her, and here she is, raining abuse on him because he wants to help her. What did he do wrong now? Just when he thought they were getting along well. 

"I was only trying to help you! What, it's wrong for me to know about your problems and try to help you while you are helping me as well?!" He shouted back at her.

"I don't need your help! And I'm not just helping you for free, you are paying me to fûck you silly! Don't you get it? I don't fûcking want you to get involved, it's my problem, not yours!" She snapped.

"Really? Now I get it. Your problems aren't mine, but my problems are yours! Clap for yourself!" He retorted furiously.

She threw up immediately and his anger faded away and was replaced by worry. He went to hold her as she became weakened by the aftereffects of the alcoholic beverage.

"I told you to stay away from me." She said weakly when he gathered her into his arms.

"If you still have enough strength to argue then tell me to put you down. How can you consume so much alcohol? You are full of surprises!" He accused.

"You're the one who never ceases to amaze me. Jeez, my head hurts," She blurted.

Jack carried her into his bathroom and helped her take a warm bath before he tucked her into bed and went downstairs to clean the mess.

When he was done cleaning the parlor and removing the pieces of the broken bottle, he went outside and dumped it in the refuse bin.

He sat down by the pool and buried himself in thought. Vera keeps reminding him how much she hates him, and today, she even called him a beast that should tell him that there's no hope of anything between them in the remaining seven days.

And what if his doctor comes back before those few days are over? It's definitely the last day he's ever gonna set his eyes on her.

Why is he even bothered by it? If she wants, she can leave this night for all he cares and stop getting more and more into his life.

It would hurt him more if she stayed any longer, and it's already hard for Tim to say goodbye to her in the three days he has known her.

He was lost in thought and didn't know when Tim came outside to join him. He had been awake in his room when his father told him to go back to his room and came out when he couldn't go back to sleep.

"Dad?" He called him.

Jack almost bolted when his soft and small hand touched his shoulder. He sighed and asked him what he was doing outside while he told him to get some sleep.

"But you are seated here lost in thought, all by yourself… Dad, are you okay?" Tim asked worriedly.

"Don't worry son, your father is made of steel. I'm an adult, I am just thinking about work and how to get more investors into my company." He lied, though he's also going to give that a thought.

His company is having problems with sales and marketing. The rate of distribution is getting lower by day which is something that hasn't happened ever since he started running his business until this year.

Lately, he hasn't been thinking about the mishap, but more about a beautiful and sexy lady that sets him on fire, craving for more of her magic. A lady who has taught him how to control his aggressive way of making love.

Every time he thinks they are getting along well, then either of them will start an argument that ends up making him wanna cry out. There's no way he's ever gonna tell a little boy that kind of story.

"You don't have to worry about that, Dad. If the investors prove stubborn, take me to them, and I will show them how capable J. T. C is; we don't disappoint," Tim gestured to his desire to share in his father's problems.

"Okay, buddy! I'm gonna do just that." He smiled proudly at Tim.

"Dad, when will Mum come back to us? Does she not miss us?" Tim asked sadly.

Jack hugged him. If he was the Jackson Taylor that was before Vera came in, he would scold him for bringing up his mother again after he warned him to forget about her because she would never come back.

But this new Jack is not venting his anger on his son but blames himself for being a bad father who kîlled his marriage and almost ruined his son's life.

"Right, she's never coming back. You know, ever since Miss Vera came here, I haven't had the nightmares again. Will she leave us too? I don't want her to go, she's more accommodating than Mum." 

Jack looked intently at Tim. His little boy is talking like an adult. He was short of words to say to him.

"She said we are going grocery shopping tomorrow. Will you come with us?" 

"Oh, she said that? I will be very busy tomorrow," he said calmly so he won't offend him.

If Vera wanted him to come with them, she would invite him. He took Tim inside his bedroom and read a bedtime children's book for him until he dozed off.

The rest of the night was all tumbles for him. He stayed awake all night thinking about Vera and what Nathan and Hannah told him.

Who could be the so-called secret admirer? He wants to believe it's Nathan, but he is against it because the guy is too good to be scaring Vera like that.

If not Nathan, then who?