Page 69 of Jackson
I slowly nodded as I poured. We took our glasses into the living room andsat.
“Tell me,” sheasked.
“I don’t know where to start, what you know, even.” I twirled the glass in myfingertips.
Perri shuffled up the sofa until she was beside me, she took one of my hands inhers.
“He’s loved you for years. Did you know that he saw you in the bar? He pointed you out to Dane and wanted to approach youfirst.”
“Why didn’the?”
“I guess Dane decided that wasn’t going to happen.” There was a slight bitter edge to her voice. “I’ve known Dane since they were at school together, he was never the nicest of friends Jackson could havehad.”
“I wish Jackson had been the first one to talk to me,” I saidquietly.
“So what happened in Cali? I guess that’s why you need to talk tome.”
“He…I saw him…” Tears welled in my eyes and I choked on mywords.
“He self-harms, that’s what you saw, isn’tit?”
I nodded. She sighed and leaned back into the sofa, taking a sip of herwine.
“I thought we’d gotten that under control. I hate that he is there, Summer. I hate that I’m not. I’ve tried for years to keep him in therapy. Do you know why he doesit?”
“I know your father had him believe he killed his mum, and I think the cutting to his stomach is symbolic of the fact she didn’t have the C-section.”
Perri nodded. “I hate my father, Summer, so much. And I guess you want to know why I work alongsidehim?”
“It crossed mymind.”
“I can keep control of Jack’s trust fund. It’s substantial, very substantial. It’s enough to set him up for life, but he won’t touch it and I won’t allow my father to, either. I’m biding my time, like Jack. Soon that bastard will be dead and I can breathe, Jack canbreathe.”
Hardness settled over her face. “He adores me, Summer, only because I resemble my mother. For years I dyed my hair, changed my eye colour with contact lenses. Now I make a point of looking like her, it torments himfurther.”
“Wow, I wasn’t sure how you felt about him,” Isaid.
“I called the police once. I found Jack slumped on the bathroom floor, surrounded by his own blood. It was one of many suicide attempts; he’d slit his wrists, as he’d been taught to do, but not deep enough. A mistake on his part, I think. My father is a very influential man, unfortunately. Nothing came of it but more torment for Jack. I had to make a decision, I had to keep quiet and help Jack without it being made public. I was fourteen years old, Summer, just a kidmyself.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Istammered.
“I’m okay, I toughened up, and I had the advantage. I could behave like my mother and my father fell at my feet. He would do anything I asked, except one thing; he wouldn’t leave Jack alone. I got Jack out of the house as soon as he was old enough to fend for himself. I used my trust to pay for accommodations, bills, not that Jack knows. He thought the apartment he rented was super cheap,” she chuckled a little at thethought.
“I’ll do whatever is necessary for him. It’s why I bought that house. I don’t want an investment property in America; I wanted Jack out of the country with somewhere wonderful to live, to heal. I thought if he was abroad he’d be able to move on, I guess I waswrong.”
“I think he was doing well, until I arrived,” Isaid.
“Don’t blame yourself. Who knows what set him off this time. He went long periods of time without hurting himself. All he wants is to beloved.”
“I love him, I told him I loved him more than I ever loved Dane, and that’s the truth, as painful as that is toadmit.”
She squeezed the hand she still held. “I heard about the child, I’m so sorry foryou.”
“It was a shock, for sure. I’m in the process of selling the apartment so the mother gets the child’sshare.”
“Have you taken legal advice onthat?”
“The solicitor that held the will said it was legallybinding.”
