28 DAYS STUCK TOGETHER

CHAPTER 13 ❀

❀ Jackson's point of view ❀

The air was thick with tension.

Not just the kind that came from the building storm overhead, but the kind that simmered between us—between Isabella and me—like a spark waiting to ignite.

Ever since last night, something had shifted, and though we hadn't spoken much since, I could feel it. It was in the way she moved, the way she avoided looking at me for too long, and the way she'd stiffened when I brushed past her this morning.

We had been walking for hours. The sky above us was still clear, though I knew it wouldn't stay that way for long.

The clouds on the horizon were dark, swirling in slow motion, and the wind had started to pick up, stirring the branches of the trees. The temperature was dropping, too—a sure sign that whatever storm was brewing wasn't far off.

Isabella walked ahead, her steps quick and determined. I could tell she was avoiding me—again. She hadn't said a word since we broke camp earlier, not even a sarcastic quip or a biting comment, and that was unusual for her. She wasn't one to stay silent for long.

I wanted to say something, anything to break the quiet, but every time I opened my mouth, the words got stuck.

What was I supposed to say, anyway?

Everything between us felt so complicated now, like there were a thousand things left unsaid and neither of us was brave enough to bring them up.

I hated this—the silence, the uncertainty. I wasn't good at dealing with emotions, especially my own, and with Isabella, everything always felt magnified. 

Every look, every touch, every word had weight, and I wasn't sure if I was strong enough to carry it.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Are you ever going to talk to me again?" I called out, my voice sharp, harsher than I meant it to be.

She stopped, her back stiffening, but she didn't turn around.

"I'm talking to you now, aren't I?" she said, her tone cold.

I closed the distance between us, standing just a few feet away. "Barely. You've been avoiding me all morning."

She finally turned, her eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not avoiding you."

"Really? Because it sure seems like it." I matched her glare, my frustration bubbling to the surface.

She scoffed, shaking her head. "You're imagining things."

"No, I'm not," I shot back. "What's going on, Bella?"

She bristled at the nickname, her jaw clenching. "Nothing's going on. I'm just focused on surviving, Jackson. You should try it sometime."

I took a step closer, my voice lowering. "That's not it, and you know it."

Her eyes flashed with anger, but beneath it, I saw something else—something she was trying desperately to hide. Fear, maybe. Or pain. I wasn't sure which, but it was there, lurking just beneath the surface.

She turned away, her arms dropping to her sides. "I don't have time for this," she muttered, starting to walk again.

I grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "Bella, talk to me."