Learning All Things Owen Jackson

Chapter V

Holding two mugs in my hands, I slowly walked back into the living room, careful not to spill any hot liquid.

"How's the patient?" I asked Henry as he was carefully stitching up Owen's wound.

"Better than I originally thought," he spoke. "Wrapping that fabric around his wound saved his life, you know that right?"

I halted in my movements and stared at Owen who looked at me gratefully.

"Wow," I exclaimed aloud, placing one of the mugs down onto the coffee table. "Guess you owe me, 'Owen'!"

"Ha ha, very funny," he responded to my joke before hissing in pain. "Thanks for that, Cameron. For a girl who hates my guts, thank you."

Smiling at him warmly, I headed for the armchair but then hesitated.

"You alright there, Cameron?" Owen chuckled slightly. "Have you mechanically stopped working? Do we need to celebrate?"

Plucking up the courage to sit in the seat, I collapsed into the comfortable chair with my mug clasped tightly in one hand.

"I'm all good thanks, unlike you," I replied smoothly, trying to shake off the weird, nauseous feeling I got as I sat down.

"Hey! I'm fine now," he said before gesturing to his almost completed stitches. "I'm getting stitched up."

"I wasn't talking about you physically," I remarked, leaning back against the seat and attempting to relax my muscles as I took a sip of tea.

"Oh, she got you there, Jackson," Henry guffawed after finishing up the stitches. "Right, you're all brand new now."

Reaching for the coffee mug, he took a sip and sighed.

"Thank you, Henry. How much do I owe you?" Owen asked, lowering his t-shirt so it covered his stomach.

"Completely free of charge, mate," he answered before turning to me. "This lovely lass has made my week."

"What? How?" Owen asked, completely baffled by his friend's comment.

I, on the other hand, continued to relax my muscles, knowing exactly what I'd done.

"By resisting this charm that you have going on," he replied, then took another sip from the mug. "Plus, her coffee is absolutely delicious."

I smiled lightly, closing my eyes for a second but not before I took a look at Owen's bewildered expression.

"So, Jackson, would you mind telling me what you got mixed up with this time?" he asked with the tone of a very strict but concerned father.

"Cyrus and his crew...they found out about something," he said, looking uncomfortable.

"Like what?" Henry asked, rubbing his eyes under his black framed glasses as he feared for the worst.

"You remember Steven right?"

"You two were like two peas in a pod," he replied, appearing as if he was reminiscing old times.

"Cyrus found out about us trying to leave the gang and things got a bit out of hand."

"Wait, hang on a second? That unconscious man we tied to a tree trunk was your friend?!" I said, feeling sick and turning my head away from them.

"Jackson?" Henry looked startled. "Please tell me that isn't true!"

"Yes I tied Steven to a tree trunk but you and Vanessa left before you saw me call up his girl and cover him up with leaves," he explained, causing me to exhale out a breath in relief and lose all of the tension in my body.

"So Steven's definitely with his sweetheart and is ok, right?" Henry enquired. "You did wait for her to come and get him, didn't you?"

"Well that's where the plan went a little bit wrong..." He responded but waved his hands out. "Steven is safe with Chloe, his girl, but it turns out she's also Cyrus' sister which Steven forgot to delightfully mention."

Henry tightened his jaw whilst Owen gritted his teeth.

"Stupid boy," Henry muttered out, shaking his head.

"Chloe, minutes before picking up Steven, was on the phone with Cyrus and he mentioned that they were trying to find the 'other rat' which was me if you couldn't guess," Owen explained further and then screwed up his face. "So yeah, I was their next target and Cyrus and his crew never fail. Somehow they found me and here we are."

"Chloe didn't dob you in, did she?" Henry asked within deep thought.

"Nah, she's the sweet, sympathetic type who just so happens to be a dangerous, criminal's sister," Owen answered.

"Ah, those women are always such gems," Henry replied, getting a dreamy look in his eyes. "My Mrs is just the same. Cuddly and warm like a teddy bear she is."

I smiled softly at that, loving how a scary looking guy like him could become so soft and possessive for a woman. It was rather sweet.

"Well that is enough stupidity for one day," Henry roughly spoke, closing his brief case and standing up from the sofa. "Thanks for the coffee, love."

"Thank you for saving this idiot's life," I responded, nodding respectfully at him. "At least I'm free of a court trial."

Following Henry out, I opened up the door for him and waved him good bye as he walked to his car.

"Well he was lovely," I said once I got back to the living room.

"Yeah, Henry's such an amazing man," Owen responded, standing up from the sofa. "Do you mind if I stay here for the night?"

"Yes I do mind," I said but beckoned him to follow me. "But you're injured so if I must..."

I lead Owen to my mother's room and began to change the sheets.

"You can sleep in my mum's room tonight," I stated, fixing up her bed and then walking back over to Owen who leaned against the door way.

"Wow, she took all of her clothes just for a week away," Owen commented, staring at the open wardrobe which was very empty.

"Uh, yeah." I coughed, rubbing my neck nervously. "She just couldn't choose so she decided to bring all of them. They managed to fit into her suitcase so... why not?"

The end of my answer trailed off a little as if I was unsure myself but if he noticed, he didn't comment on it.

"Night, Jackson."

But as I was about to leave, he called my name lightly.

"Yes?" I asked, turning around to meet his eyes.

Breathlessly, he said," Do you have any aspirin?"

I rolled my eyes and headed off to grab some painkillers for the wounded idiot.