Page 77 of Jackson

God, I need him.

“Did I wake you?” I murmur, my voice low.

“No baby, I was just layin’ in bed with Ava.”

“Is she asleep?”

“Yeah, can’t bring myself to move her.”

Sweet, gentle man.

“I wish I was there,” I say softly.

“Me too, darlin’. How did your visit go?”

I tell him all about the nurse and how the girls got kicked out. He snorts a laugh. “Jesus, can’t take them anywhere. Sounds like the nurse needs a career change.”

“I would say so,” I laugh, and then pause for a minute. “I hate being in here alone.”

“You’ll be home in a couple of days, baby. No more hiding. Everything will be back to normal.”

The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that.

“Yeah. I can’t wait to put Ava to bed, to just spend an entire day with her. I’ve missed so much.”

“You’ll get it all back, I promise you.”

“I better let you get to sleep,” I say softly. “I love you, Jackson.”

“Love you too, darlin’.”

I hang up the phone with a smile on my face.

I really do have it all.

"JACKSON," I WHISPER, my fingers curling around his biceps, shaking him gently. "Jacks, wake up."

His eyes flutter open, taking a moment to focus. Rubbing a hand down his face, he sits up, reaching out to touch mine, as if ensuring I'm real. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"I know this sounds insane, but... Jacks, I saw someone outside the window while I was checking on Ava."

He's out of bed in an instant, tossing the covers back, his powerful stride quickly carrying him across the room as he throws the door open and charges downstairs. He doesn't hesitate, grabbing his gun and bursting through the front door without pause. My heart races as I follow, stopping at the door and watching as he sweeps his flashlight across the empty road.

It's midnight, maybe later, and I couldn’t sleep so I got up to check on Ava. I was watching her when I got up and walked over, closing her window because it was feeling a little cold. That’s when I'm certain I saw a figure outside. I couldn't tell if it was male or female, but whoever it was, they were definitely staring at the house. When I pulled back the curtains fully, they slipped back into the shadows.

It's been a chaotic week since I left the hospital, and I'm still on heavy painkillers for my foot. Maybe I imagined it. Am I just not thinking clearly? I feel fine now, though. I didn't even take a painkiller tonight. Could it be a lingering effect? My mind fills with unease.

I don’t feel like I was imagining this, I am so certain I saw someone.

Jackson paces up and down the silent road, shining his light into the woods. After a few tense minutes, he turns and starts back. He pauses in the middle of the road, bending down to pick something up. He examines it closely, then scans the surroundings once more.

Something feels off.

It’s a sense in my chest that is screaming for my body to listen, for my heart to act, for my brain to make me retreat. Maybe it’s because I was in such a dangerous situation less than a week ago, and I’m on high alert, but I’m still not convinced that I’m making this up.

Jackson returns to the house and extends his hand, a charm bracelet dangling from his finger. That’s odd. I take it, narrowing my eyes as I inspect it. It's not mine, and I haven't seen it on any woman at the club. I have no idea who it belongs to. I guess someone dropped it on their daily walk, I always see people strolling by.

"Found it on the road," he murmurs. "Could have been someone passing by, but look at the charms..."

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