"I'm so sorry, Gabi." Jackson breathes out. I shut my eyes against the grief, listening to the sound of the wind blowing around me.
I look up at Jackson and reach out to put my hand into his. "I'll be fine." I lied. I turn away from him, but not before seeing the disappointment on his face. He thinks that I don't trust him. And he wasn't wrong. I could tell that Jackson was a sweet guy, cared a lot about others, and was genuine, but you can never be too careful. Sometimes it's the people you're closest to that turn against you. I never talked to Jackson about my parents and he the same, so now didn't make a difference for me.
"Okay." He said without argument. His thumb ran back and forth against my knuckles as we sat in silence, only the noises of nature around us. The trees rustled above us while the grass swayed under us. It felt so peaceful. Like the world wasn't where it was now. Like everything was good again and I could live a drama free life. That's all just a dream though. No one can ever live that kind of life. "I want you to know that I really care about you. Okay? If you need something, come to me. I'll always be here waiting for you. Don't ever think or feel like you have to do something alone. I'm right here. Use me. Take advantage of me. Let me make you happy."
Glancing back at him, his eyes weren't on me, but on the landscape in front of us. I looked him over, taking in everything about him. His brown hair disheveled, willingly blowing with the wind. His eyes, a pool of honey under the sun's light. His skin, so clear, that I wished my future could be the same. And his lips, soft and inviting, there whenever I needed them to take away my pain.
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He was beautiful.
I never once wanted to rely on a man to take care of me or to protect me, but Jackson changed that. I finally understood that I needed him, no matter how big my pride was. I couldn't do everything by myself. No one could make me feel wanted or loved like Jackson did. Not my parents. Not Eve. Not anyone.
*Jackson's POV *
I had been watching her the entire time that I was on the phone with Tony. She didn't know that I could see her down casted expression from the corner of my eye. The way she sat there, away from everyone else, like she was waiting for me to come back to her in order not to feel as lonely as she did. I knew she missed her parents, but I could also tell that she was too stubborn to admit it. She was talking to someone over the phone, her face full of alarm. I didn't think twice before running to her when I saw the tears fall. The look of defeat. I was there to catch her.
Being here right now, I wanted to let her know that. I wanted her to know that I had strong feelings for her, whether she reciprocated those same feelings or not. Her pain was my pain and I would do anything in my power to keep her happy.
She was still watching me after I had told her how I felt, so I turned to meet her gaze. My eyes, without hesitation, swept over her face. I loved the way she licked her lips when she wanted to kiss me. Loved the way she would try to hide her smile at my stupid jokes. Loved the way her smile brought butterflies to my stomach. Loved the way she ran her fingers through my hair, stopping every few seconds to pull at the strands, making me want to push her down and eat her out like she deserves.
