Sincerely, Yours. A Jackson Guthy Love Story

Chapter 8: Tethered and Bound

        It had been thirteen months since Jackson had almost told her for the first time. The rest of that year passed and was full of irrelevant trials and triumphs. Jackson and Leah were 18 now and living in their college dorms at  the University of Southern California. Yes, Leah had given Yale up to stay with Jackson. She actually didn't even apply as she saw there was nothing she wanted really to pursue there. Oh, and yes they got the leads in the musical and that was just a success everywhere. 

        Now, it is important to keep in mind when you're in love that life will throw almost anything at you to test the bond between you and your special someone. The relationship was growing tighter between Jackson and Leah, they hadn't experienced any real impediments (per say). But if only they knew what was coming next, things wouldn't change. 

          It was Saturday morning when Leah got the call. She and Jackson were sitting on her couch playing UNO, throwing cards and giggling like crazy. 

      "Alright, it's you" Jackson said with a smile. 

 "Hmmm, all I have to say is" and Leah prepared her scottish accent "If you could chenge yur fet, would yu?"  and thusly threw down a wild card. 

     "AH!!!!" Jackson threw his hands up "How could you!!" 

   He lunged over the two decks of cards that had been set between them and pinned her to the couch. Leah couldn't stop laughing, it was all too wonderful. She looked up Jackson's glorious smile, she loved seeing him so happy. But, the postition she was in wasn't exactly preferable, she would have to trick her way out of it. 

    She purposefully bit her lip and tugged at it and stared right at Jackson's lips. He noticed this and   leaned down, to only attempt to kiss her. This was the moment she thought, he's vulnerable. As he got closer he began to close his eyes. And......now! 

    Leah pushed all her weight and muscle and shifted her and Jackson's body over and on to the floor. She was on top now. 

       "Pinned ya'" 

 His mouth was wide open, he couldn't exactly speak for he was too mesmerized by her trickery and skill at executing such a feat. 

     "I-" 

  Leah placed a single finger over his lips, then began to stand up, and she was almost up too. But then Jackson grabbed her hand and yanked her back down and they rolled across the carpet. 

    "Ah! JackSONNNNN!" 

 They struggled for dominance when finally they stopped to breathe and Leah took the opportunity hanging right in front of her, she pushed and rolled and finally pinned Jackson's arms down with her knees. 

     "ha! pinned ya' again" 

 This time she was careful not to stand up, so instead she scooted back to straddle his lap, allowing Jackson to sit up. Once he did, she rested her forehead on his and proceeded to catch her breath. Accidently, she looked into his eyes, this only made breathing harder for her. Her brain told her to close her eyes and regain oxygen, but all that she could do was stare into those perfectly chocolate brown eyes of his and get lost. She felt his left hand move up her right thigh and that just sent her into an oblivion, and she finally closed her eyes involuntarily. Once she had regained a steady breath, her clarity was balanced out by Jackson smootlhy kissing her neck and moving towards her ear.   She shivered and she felt his grip tighten on her upper thigh, that helps a lottttttt genius, she thought.  She made a rather unusual sound, that was either a groan or a sigh...or a mix of the two. The next thing she heard was Jackson's sigh of content in her right ear. She also heard the familiar buzz of her phone. He felt her twitch in her attempt to answer the call, so he placed his hands on her hips holding her in place.

        "Don't. even. think.about.it." he said through his teeth. 

   Leah complied almost too easily, then turned her face back to its original position. She was careful this time not to look in his eyes, but instead she focused on his lips. She stared at them intensly then leaned her face down and kissed him softly. She took his bottom lip between her lips and tugged lightly, not hurting him, then released. She took her hands and ran her fingers up the back of his neck and through his hair.  He moved in rythm with her, and soon they were back where they started catching their breaths.

        They seperated only to have her on his right side and facing each other, her hands still holding his soft face. She opened her mouth, and as if he knew that she was about to express herself, he hushed her. 

       "Don't speak just write"

 "wh-"

       " I want your love in writing, so when one day if we're ever not together I can hold you to your promises in 22 states"

 She began to giggle, and grabbed her notebook out of her bag and her favorite pen.  She scooted far away and leaned against the couch, Jackson went off to find his own stationary.  

    They wrote and wrote and wrote on opposite sides of the room and they would occasionally look over and smile and quickly look away. Once even Leah threw a ball of paper at him and she actually started Paper WWI.  They were all out of ammo and there was one ball in the middle of them both and they simultaneously lunged for it. They reached it at the same time and their eyes met causing them both to forget their motives for being in the positions they were in. They kissed, then went back to writing. 

     Three hours passed and it was dark outside and the fire place had the warmest flames (they were an uncanny representation of their hearts).  They laid next to each other on the fleece blanket pallets they had  fabricated. They talked about the past and the present, and just as Jackson was about to mention the future she cut him off.

       "No, let me figure it out on my own".

   I bet you are spinning at the moment trying to figure what and when this great fallout is. Though, I forgot to mention that one must always remember that love triumphs everything. Everything even including a coincidental mistake on a drycleaner's list. A mistake that would've resulted in Leah driving to go pick up an order that wasn't even for her. A drive that would've ended with the collapse of the Truman Bridge on the way to the drycleaner's. Love triumphed the doomed fate. Love triumphed it all.