Restored Together

7

Over the next week, Jackson submitted to Ava's authority and continued to work the few jobs she demanded of him. He just couldn't help but feel guilty about the whole thing, especially since he hadn't mentioned anything to Sam or Kristina.

Kristina began getting ready for her date with Jackson. A feeling of giddiness and butterflies in her stomach rushed through her. When she went downstairs, she saw her mother sitting on the couch reading a book. She took a deep breathe before entering the room and announcing her presence. She figured now would be a good time to face the music.

"Going out?" Alexis asked, looking up from her book and seeing her daughter all glammed up.

"Yes, actually but I wanted to talk to you first." Kristina kindly greeted as she sat on the couch.

"Certainly," Alexis responded, glancing at her daughter before taking a double glance. She seemed to be in a really good mood, that was odd.

"I'm sorry about flaking on dinner and avoiding you." Kristina started, "I know it's been rough for me to open up to you about everything but I'm really going to start trying. You deserve better than the way I've been acting."

"Thank you, sweetheart." Alexis told her daughter, feeling relief of tension between them. "I really appreciate that and I will do the same for you." The two joined in a loving hug.

"Let's do dinner next. Molly can choose the time and place. Now I've got to finish getting ready." Kristina announced as she glanced at the time.

"Are you going on a date?" Alexis asked her daughter with a look as she sensed Kristina's excitement. "Molly tells me you've been spending time with Jackson?" Alexis inquired, she did worry Kristina was being too gullible on her choice of men. It's not exactly the best look to go from being in involved with a cult leader to a felon. But then again, Alexis didn't exactly have room to judge considering her past choices in men.

"Before you get defensive, Jackson is actually the one that opened my eyes about how self righteous I was being about skipping on dinner." Kristina told her mother with a grin.

"Oh, well in that case, I owe him a thank you." Alexis chuckled, "But I just ask that you keep your guard up." Alexis told her daughter honestly, coming from a place of protection.

"I won't be fooled again, mom." Kristina nodded in agreement, "I'm just seeing where things go. If they don't work out than they don't but I feel really good when he's around."

—

Jackson was meeting Kristina at The Metro Court for dinner. He was already there, in all black fitted dress pants and button down top. Just a moment later, Kristina shows up in a short burgundy dress with corresponding makeup and nails. Her hair lightly curled, followed by stunning makeup. She joined him at the table and he got up to get her chair for her, as well as to greet her with a quick kiss on the cheek.

Once they were seated, they began to catch up on their day. "I made up with my mother earlier. I apologized for missing dinner and told her it wouldn't happen again." Kristina told him, filling him in on her relationship with her mother.

"I wish I could do that with my own family." Jackson told her honestly.

"That's right. You mentioned you have a sister?" Kristina asked, wondering more about his family and background.

"Yeah, my little sister— technically half sister. I haven't seen her in years. I wasn't exactly the best brother when our mom passed away." Jackson admitted, "Her dad became a heavy drinker when our mom started to get really ill. I was an unstable young adult, always in and out of the house. When my mom died, I left the house for good."

"You never went back?" Kristina asked.

"I wanted to but I ended up being in and out of trouble with the law." He told her, shaking his head. "My sister tried to find me once and wrote me a few letters. She said she wanted me to come back for good and to stop getting in trouble with the law. That she didn't want to remember me as a criminal."

"I'm so sorry." Kristina told him, placing her hand on his as it rested on the table. "You don't want to try to find your sister now and make amends?" She asked him carefully.

"I don't know." Jackson said shaking his head, "I just feel like she wouldn't forgive me."

"Like you said, we can't change our past but we can change our future. You don't know until you try." Kristina suggested with a smile as she gazed into his eyes.

"You're right." He nodded in agreement before looking at her with a grin.

"What?" She asked, wondering what he was thinking.

"I do have some good news actually." Jackson announced as he pulled out a key from his pocket. "I signed the lease on my apartment this morning." Jackson had decided to use the money he attained from his business with Ava to finally move into an apartment. That way he wasn't in the way at Sam's place and could finally have a place to call his own.

"Is that an invitation?" Kristina arched her eyebrow with a grin.

"Only if you want it to be." He replied back as he caught her gaze.

As Kristina and Jackson finished up their date, she insisted to finish the night over a drink at his place to celebrate the move in. They approached the front door of his studio apartment as he unlocked the door.

"Alright," he said as he opened the door, "it's nothing special, I don't have much furniture yet." He explained as they entered the nearly empty apartment. Kristina looked around the small yet spacious apartment. The only furniture he has was a bed and a worn down couch. "The couch is actually more comfortable than it looks." He told her as he grabbed them both a beer from the fridge.

"I'm definitely going to need to help you with the interior design in her." She chuckled as they sat down on the worn down couch.

"I definitely wouldn't mind that." He told her as they clinked their beer glasses together.

"Tonight was great, I really enjoyed it. It's been forever since I've felt like this." Kristina told him with a smile.

"Like what?" He asked her.

"Like myself." She said truthfully. "I feel good when I'm with you, like I can be myself. I don't feel defined by my past when I'm with you, I can just be." She told him truthfully, as she looked into his soft cocoa-colored eyes.

"I feel the same way." Jackson told her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. He left his hand to cup her cheek as he caressed it lightly with his thumb. The space between them closed as their lips connected. Kristina deepened the kiss, pushing him back against the couch. She straddled his lap, kissing him eagerly. Things quickly began to escalate as she unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside. Placing kisses on his bare chest, her hands began to fiddle with his belt buckle.

"Kris-" he paused for a moment, stopping her. "Are you sure?" He whispered into her ear as she kissed his neck before their eyes connected.

"I want you." She told him with a nod before placing her lips on his. Jackson lifted her up and walked them over to his bed where he laid her down. Getting lost in each other, the two deepened their connection and took their relationship to the next level.