Dark Paradise

Sixteen

Third Person POV

Jaxon had officially been discharged from the hospital and was getting ready for school. "Did you take your pills?" Caroline inquired as she entered the kitchen where Jaxon was having breakfast.

Mouth full, Jaxon responded with a thumbs-up, prompting a smile from Caroline as she took a seat beside him. Immediately, Jaxon's gaze shifted to the bandage on her head.

While he was hospitalized, Caroline was assaulted and found herself admitted to the hospital as well. He was distressed that he couldn't be there for her, a feeling that intensified every time he saw her bandages. However, Caroline consistently reassured him that he was not to blame.

"I'm alright, Jaxon," Caroline insisted, snapping her fingers to draw his gaze from her head to her eyes.

Jaxon exhaled deeply before placing his plate in the sink. "Are you ready?" he asked Caroline, and upon receiving her nod, they both left the house and headed to their car.

Time Skip

Upon arriving at school, Caroline departed with her cheerleading friends, while Jaxon meandered through the front yard. As he strolled, he noticed Bonnie and started to approach her, but halted in his tracks when the woman appeared, startling him greatly.

"Oh yes, you must visit the Bennett witch and interrogate her about what she has uncovered regarding you," she said.

Jaxon scoffed and glanced around before pulling out his phone and pretending to be on a call. He then asked, "Would it kill you to knock or something? It's embarrassing to jump when there's no one beside you."

The woman rolled her eyes and remarked, "Knock on what, the air that surrounds me?" Jaxon then rolled his eyes in response and said, "You know, when we agreed that I would stop taking the pills, it didn't come up that you would become more annoying."

A Day Ago

Jaxon paced his room in irritation. He had just been informed that Caroline was injured, and because he was in a Psych Ward for monitoring, they wouldn't allow him to see her.

"You know, I can't possibly see why they think you're crazy," the woman joked as she observed his pacing. Jaxon shot her a dirty look, prompting an innocent smile from her.

Jaxon glanced at the cup on the small table beside the bed, which the nurse replenished with water each time he needed to take his pills.

"I have a question," Jaxon stated, turning to the woman. She moved closer to him and inquired, "And what would that be, beloved?"

Pointing to the cup, Jaxon asked, "Why do I still see you even after I take the pills?" The woman smirked and responded, "I thought you were determined to ignore that fact."

Jaxon rolled his eyes and replied, "Well, when I'm stuck in here with just you and my thoughts, I might as well accept it and get a few answers."

The woman shifted her position to sit on the bed, while Jaxon watched her intently from his place in the center of the room.

Her elegance was undeniable. He could never ignore that fact. Her movements, her speech, her appearance—everything about her exuded grace, even though her outfit seemed oddly out of place to him, as if it were from another era.