Underneath My Skin

Ch. 41

People build up walls not to keep others  out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.

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"You called?" he says with a smirk on his face.

I gulp. "Uh, Yeah."

He takes a step closer to me. "What's wrong?"

"What did you do to Abigail?" I ask.

He rolls his eyes. "I gave her a piece of my mind. Like, what the hell is wrong with her? She can't just show up here and try to kill you."

My heart warms. "Where did you take her?" I ask.

He furrows a brow. "I don't know. I grabbed her to pull her away from you, then we just appeared into darkness. Everything was dark." He shrugs.

That doesn't make sense to me, but okay.

I sigh. "Do you ever wonder why you're still here?" I ask.

He smirks. "I already know why I'm still here."

I raise my brows. "And why is that?"

"You're not finished with me yet."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. When I open my eyes, Jackson is staring at me. He looks like he's in deep thought.

"There's something I have to tell you," I say.

My heart hammers inside my chest. He nods his head.

"I loved you," I say softly.

He smiles. "I loved you too. Well, I still love you."

My heart sinks.

"That's not what I mean Jackson."

His eyebrows raise. "What do you mean?"

Idiot.

"I loved you as more than a friend. I was in love with you," I say quickly.

A lump forms in my  throat and I don't swallow it. A few tears fall from by eyes so I quickly shut them. I take deep breath to calm myself.

I finally said it.

I open my eyes and Jackson is standing close to me. So close that if he could breath, his breath would be dancing along my cheek.

"You know what's funny?" he whispers.

I gulp and shake by head.

"I was in love with you too," he whispers.

Instead of being devastated and upset, the corners of my mouth turn up and I let out a light laugh.

He was in love with me.

Me, plain Jane Briella Johnson.

He smiles and presses his lips to my cheek. I don't feel it, but my fingers start to tingle.

He takes a few steps back.

"You won't forget me?" he asks.

My happiness is replaced with pain and realization of what comes next.

I shake my head. "No, never."

He smiles. "Good. I love you Bri."

"I love you too. What's happens now?"

He smirks, but it's not his cocky smirk, it's a smirk that masks the pain he's feeling.

"I'll tell you when we meet again."