Page 82 of Jackson
22
Summer
When I woke, I was surprised to see the sun high in the sky; its rays brightening the room. I checked my watch. I’d slept for nearly twelve hours straight. I smiled as I looked at my laptop, which had put itself to sleep. I closed the lid and chuckled. Jackson had written a song for me. He wasn’t going to win any awards for it, but he’d done that for me. No one had ever done anything like thatbefore.
I stretched and climbed from the bed. I could hear movement downstairs as I made my way to the bathroom. I showered and dressed before joining my mum in thekitchen.
“Morning, or is it afternoon?” she said with alaugh.
“I haven’t slept that well in ages. I spoke to Jackson on Skype, he sang a song to me, I must have fallen asleep halfwaythrough.”
“He’s such a nice guy. I hope you can work things through with him. Take a seat, I want to talk toyou.”
I had told my mum a little of what happened in California, she had placed her arm around my shoulders and told me how proud she was of the way I was handling itall.
“Do you love him?” sheasked.
“I do, and I hate to say this but more than I loved Dane. Does that make meterrible?”
“No, it makes you lucky. After what you’ve been through, you deserve Jackson. For all his faults and troubles, he obviously loves you, he’s loved you for a long time, by allaccounts.”
“I know. I thought I was doing the right thing, this staying away from him, so he has a goal, but I don’t know how long I can do that andthen…”
“And then what, darling? Are you hesitant because ofus?”
“Yes. I don’t want to be so faraway.”
Mum smiled and took my hand inhers.
“If you stay here, if you lose that chance of a second love with Jackson, that would break my heart far more than you being only a few hours away. You need to go, you need to start a new life, and all the time you are here, you’ll be reminded of what an utter shit Danewas.”
“Mum!” That was the first time I’d ever heard my mum curse, albeit a fairly mild curseword.
“He was, it was just a shame that we didn’t see it before. I think that disappoints me the most, he fooled us all. You have the money from the sale of the apartment and Dad and I have money saved for you. We want you to go, we want you to study, get that degree and do some good with your life. Don’t sit here and fester, there are no prospects here for you, you knowthat.”
“Thanks and, thanks, I guess,” I said with alaugh.
“You know what I mean, you’d need to move back to London to get a decent job. Most of your salary will be taken up with rental and for what? You’ll be miserable because he isn’t with you. Go, heal that man, and enjoy being in love. What I wouldn’t give to live on abeach!”
“I can’t go until I know what’s happening with the course,” Isaid.
“Yes, you can, you can wait it out there. You don’t want to be here, I can see that. Every day since you arrived, you’ve looked a little sadder, more so after you’ve spoken to him. Book that flight, Summer. Do it for me and your dad, if nothingelse.”
I slid from the stool I had been sitting on and rounded the table. I wrapped my arms around my mum and held her tight. For the first time in days, Ismiled.
“Oh my God, I’m going to do it. I won’t tell him, I’m just going to arrive,” I said, trying hard to control theexcitement.
I picked up my phone and called Perri. I told her of my plans and had to pull the phone away from my ear to avoid a burst eardrum from her squeal. I then sent a text message to Dex. I wasn’t sure what his response would be, but I’d stayed away from Jack long enough. I had no idea what would happen to us, I had no idea if I could put aside those memories of my last night there, but I had totry.
Mum spent the next two days washing, ironing, and packing my suitcase, not that I wasn’t capable of doing it myself, of course. Dad handed me an envelope with instructions not to open it until I had arrived, I stuffed it in my flight bag. I emailed UC and explained that although I was waiting on a decision, I would be making the journey to California anyway. I hoped it might help speed up myapplication.
“Hey, how are you?” Dexter said when I’d taken hiscall.
“Good, excited. How is he? He doesn’t know I’m coming but I can’t wait any longer, Dex. I’m sorry. I need to bethere.”
He chuckled. “He’s doing good. I’ll pick you up at the airport if you text me over your flighttime.”
“That would be amazing. I think Perri is going to fly over in a week’s time as well. She’s desperate to see him, too. And I’m still waiting on a decision from UC, the new year starts in a couple of months, would they normally leave it thislate?”
