When Our Stories Collide

Chapter Twelve

I clear my throat and begin to speak when I notice Sam and Jackson are glaring at each other. I could cut the tension in here with a knife.

"Hey Sam, this is Jackson." I say politely but my voice is shaking.

"We've met." Sam says between clenched teeth.

I feel like I'm standing between two wolves about to tear each other apart. I never signed up to be Bella Swan, so I'm not quite sure what to do in this situation.

"Oh, how did you two-" I start.

Sam interrupts me, "He came looking for you last week and I told him you were busy working and to stay the hell away."

"You what?" I'm shocked. How dare he intervene in my life. Is this after Jack and I had our first fight? If it is, that means he came to find me after I walked away from him. 

Jack wraps his arm around my stomach and pulls my back closer against him. "Why is your boss here Maggie?"

"My boss?" I'm confused. "Sam isn't my boss Jackson."

"Then what the fuck is he doing here?" Jackson growls.

"Sam is one of my good friends, I told you at the party." I say and notice Sam look a bit disappointed in my choice of words.

Jackson smiles through his clenched jaw and turns me to face him. He gives me a long showy kiss then says, "I'll see you tomorrow, baby."

Jack smacks my ass then turns to leave and Sam gives a disgusted look to his back. I'm aware this sudden show of masculinity is to stake his claim. I make a mental note to speak with him about it later, deciding embarrassing him in front of Sam wouldn't be fair.

I slip past Sam who's still standing in the doorway and walk inside my apartment. I'm contemplating how to explain to him what he just saw. I suppose there's no tiptoeing around it now.

"What the hell was that Maggie?" Sam says aggressively. "You slumming it now?"

"Excuse me?" I almost shout. He's never spoken to me this way and it's not something I'll ever tolerate, not even from Sam.

Sam seems to realize the mistake he's just made so his eyes soften slightly and he speaks again. "That guy is bad news."

"You're just judging him because of the way he looks." I'm absolutely fuming.

I'm sure we look like an odd couple.  Jack is covered in tattoos, has metal in his lip, combined with his dark hair and brooding attitude he seems dangerous.  But I love that about him. 

I may look like a goody-two-shoes, maybe even a valedictorian who graduated at the top of her class, a woman who spends her days at the salon with a nice mimosa. However, looks can be deceiving. I can be a wild woman and Jackson is a good man.

Sam reaches out to touch me but I pull away.  "No, that's not it. I've seen him around with tons of women Maggie, just none of them with your caliber."

"What do you mean my caliber?" I ask, placing my hands on my hips ready to verbally rip him a new one.

"I see him all the time with different women, all half-dressed and sloppily hanging all over him. Occasionally he brings in multiple at a time! But these women clearly know what they're in for, you're-" He seems to struggle finding the right words. "Maggie you're too good for him. You're not one of these filthy women. You're different."

It certainly doesn't feel good to hear about Jack's liaisons, but I know this must be before we started seeing each other. Jack wouldn't do that to me, would he?