In Love With an Angel

Chapter 11

I could vaguely feel someone pushing on my shoulder. All I was wanting was some sleep. After Nathan had left last night, I hadn't been able to sleep, too busy thinking about why he had kissed me. Why was it that the night the one guy I'd been pining for since day one was finally saying he wanted me another guy had to come along and make my life more difficult. I, mean, La-

"Ms. Stacy, Ms. Stacy!!" A high pitched yell screamed. It pierced through the deep sleep I'd been trying to return to. My eyes quickly shot open, searching for Jackson. I found him sitting on the bed next to me with tears running down his face. Why was JC crying? Where was Landon?

I sat up and took Jackson into my arms. HIs tiny arms came around my waist as he buried his face into my neck and started to cry again. I slowly started rubbing small circles in the middle of his back, waiting for him to stop crying. As the tears began to subside, Jackson pulled away from me.

I pushed some hair out of his face as he stared at me, looking so vulnerable.

"What's wrong, buddy?" I ask and immediately regretted asking as the tears came back full force.

"Daddy's dead!" He wailed, throwing himself back into my arms. My eyes felt like they were as wide as saucers, and I felt like I couldn't move. What was Jackson talking about? Dead? Jackson was sobbing into my shoulder, as I sat stunned.

I pulled Jackson away from me to look him in the eye, "What do you mean dead?"

His little nose was red from crying, his eyes were completely bloodshot, and he was hiccuping from where he wasn't able to breathe from where he'd been sobbing too hard. Jackson sniffled a little before whispering, "I asked him i-if he was going to be t-t-taking me to s-school, and he didn't answer. I s-shook his s-shoulder and he didn't m-move. He always m-makes me breakfast and t-takes me to school!!" Jackson was crying uncontrollably again. I took him back into my arms and waited for him to calm down.

"Do you want me to go see if he's dead? Sometimes, Daddy just doesn't hear you the first time," I said looking down at the distraught little boy in my arms. He shook his head yes, so I laid him down where I had been sitting and pulled a cover over him. Grabbing my house coat from the end of the bed, I threw it on. Landon had better just be sleeping deeply or I swear to God almight that someone was about to catch hell. It would be my luck to have the man I had liked forever to die after I'd kissed him!!

"I'll be right back, little man," I promised him before escaping into the hallway.

The hardwood floor was cold against my barefeet as I tiptoed into the living room. Landon was still on the couch where I'd left him last night. I shivered as a blast of cold air hit me. My eyes scanned the room and stopped on an open window. That hadn't been open when I went to sleep last night, I thought.

I quickly walked over and closed it before returning to Landon. He was curled up on the couch looking like a kid instead of an adult. Carefully, I nudged his shoulder. He didn't move. I pushed him a little rougher this time........still nothing.

"Landon....?" I called out in a normal voice, adding a nudge just in case it took a combination of things to wake him. He still didn't respond. Maybe if I dumped a glass of water on his head? I walked to the kitchen and got a cold glass of water.

For a split second, I thought about not doing this because he will kill me. But, I reasoned, if he is dead he won't mind. Holding the glass over Landon's head I mentally prepared myself for this.

"1, 2, 3," I whispered to myself, squeezing my eyes shut, but I chickened out at last second, pulling the glass away from Landon's head. Stop being a chicken, Beth I chastised myself.