Page 3 of Faking It With My Pucking Protector
A sob builds in my throat as tears stream down my face. Suddenly, a blur of motion throws me off, and I slam straight into someone. Hard.
Strong arms catch me just before I fall.
“Whoa. Hey, hey. Careful.”
The voice is deep. Familiar.
I blink up through watery vision into a pair of piercing blue eyes I’d know anywhere.
Jackson.
He steadies me, hands still lightly braced on my upper arms, brows furrowing as his eyes scan my face.
“Ava?”
He takes a small step back but doesn’t let go, eyes locked on mine.
“What happened?”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. My chest heaves, and I struggle to see through the tears.
I glance at the chapel, then back at him. “I can’t go back in there.”
His gaze follows mine, then returns to my face, sharper now.
More focused. Protective.
Just like I remember.
He used to get that look in middle school, too. Any time someone cornered me at my locker or called me four-eyes, Jackson always stepped in.
He shrugs off his suit jacket and drapes it over my bare shoulders before I can protest. “Okay. You don’t have to. Let's get you out of here.”
I nod mutely, too stunned and too grateful to argue. He gently guides me farther away until we reach an old stone bench tucked behind a row of trees, and out of view of the chapel’s side doors.
Jackson crouches in front of me, his voice quiet but sure. “You’re safe here. Take a second. Breathe.”
I do. Or try to. The cool evening air burns my lungs, but it’s better than the suffocating heat inside. I clutch his jacket closer around me. It smells like musky cologne, fresh laundry, and something warm underneath it all…
Him.
Solid. Familiar.
“What happened, Ava?” he asks again, softer now.
And this time, the words find me.
“I found out my fiancé Brad cheated. With his secretary.”
Jackson doesn’t flinch, but his jaw tenses. “Just now?”
I nod, and a fresh tear slides down my face in a hot stream.
He exhales slowly. “You did the right thing getting out of there.”
“I didn’t know what else to do.”
He doesn’t hesitate. “Come with me. Just for a while. Catch your breath.”
