Page 34 of Damaged
I want to know everything about her.
Jackson’s hand stops midair as my question sits heavy around us. He’s in the middle of eating a steak omelet, and I’m sure he was hoping I would forget about that little comment in the kitchen. His eyes fly to Kata’s but she just grins devilishly at him. Reaching for her glass of orange juice, she slides it across the laminate table closer to her and wraps her luscious lips around the straw to drink.
Her eyes come to mine as I quirk a brow. I think she’s hoping that distracting me with seduction will get me to forget that. She’s wrong. Dead wrong.
Focusing my attention on my darling beauty, I see her eyes move to Jackson’s, and even though her face exudes relaxation, yet her eyes seem hesitant. My eyes narrow watching them communicate silently. Once again, my jealousy with their friendship wants me to lash out, but I try to calm myself. We will work up to having that kind of relationship eventually.
She gives a little shrug as she pushes her almost empty glass of orange juice away. From the corner of my eye, I see Jackson continue eating; however, his light brown eyes keep bouncing from Kata to me and back again.
“Well?” I prompt, reaching my arm behind her on the back of the booth seat and sitting my cup back down as I scoot down in my seat just slightly to let her know we’re not going anywhere until she puts everything out on this table.
Turning in the seat to face me more, her playfulness is gone. Watching the change in her demeanor worries me. It tells me there is so much more to this story than just a deceitful ex and the girl he cheated with.
She looks as if she’s contemplating what exactly to tell me. I understand having secrets, but I will eventually want them all. I want to know everything there is to know about her. I have a feeling it has to do with Jackson as well, and that could be something more to discuss.
Biting her bottom lip, she looks back to Jackson who just releases a heavy sigh and shrugs as he continues pushing his food around the plate, no longer eating. He seems resigned to whatever it is they are keeping between each other.
Reaching over, I cup her chin with the palm of my hand. Using my thumb, I pull her lip free from her teeth then gently run the pad of my finger back and forth trying to soothe the abused flesh and her nerves.
“I don’t care what you did in your past. That’s not important. What is important is that you’re safe. And that you are with me.”
“Who’s to say you will still want that after you hear the truth?”
“Guess you’re gonna have to trust me,” I say. I know from her conversations with that piece of shit ex, she has trust issues and rightfully so. She’s been betrayed time and time again. I will work hard to put her mind at ease that I won’t do that to her. That type of disloyalty isn’t in me.
“Trust is earned,” she declares.
“Then allow me the opportunity to earn it.”
We stare at one another for what feels like forever. Both of us are stubborn, and both hate being vulnerable, but I’m not going anywhere and she will eventually realize that. I feel like I’ve waited for her my entire life. She’s the puzzle piece I’ve been missing. Somehow, I just know she completes me in a way no one else can.
“Fine. I guess we will see how fast you run away…” she says with a smug smirk, lifting the sides of her lips.
“We escaped Wellard Asylum after killing the charge nurse who beat me during admission and threatened to sexually assault Jackson,” she admits, as if wanting it out there quickly on the table for my judgement so she can get the break done and over with. After the words spew from her plump beautiful lips, she sinks down on the chair, staring across the table at Jackson.
Glancing at her devoted friend, I see he’s giving her a look of sympathy filled with compassion. He seems to have a look that he expects me to run off as well, but he worries that I will go to the authorities with this information.
“Is that it?” Her eyes fly to mine as soon as the words leave my mouth, as does Jackson’s. They both look shocked, as I give her a small half smirk. “Because after last night, that sounds pretty tame for you.”
She barks out a laugh. “Seriously? You still…want to be with me?”
“You need to realize, I am with you. And no one is taking you from me.”
Jackson finally sits back, crossing his arms over his chest. I’m not sure exactly what his problem is now, but I already know they are a package deal, so I guess I need to reassure him just as much as I do her.
“So…” I say leaning closer, resting my elbows on the table and lowering my voice. She follows my lead, coming in close as well. I can smell the scent of smoke still lingering on her. That reminds me, we need to get somewhere to rest and so she can take a shower. I glance at Jackson, who reluctantly comes to rest his arms on the table so that he can hear what I have to say, but not without rolling his eyes. “So…the charge nurse, Ethan, and Vicky are the three you mentioned, right?” I ask, looking between the two of them.
Kata and Jackson nod together. My mind begins working over time, trying to come up with my next question so I can wordit correctly. “What are the several more to go? Is there a list you are accumulating?”
“Ummm…basically, that is accurate. I have a mental list of those who have fucked with me…either mentally, physically, or emotionally. I want them dead,” she admits, whispering so that Jackson and I are the only two to hear this.
“What do you mean? Explain,” I say, directing my question to my darling beauty, tilting my head in curiosity.
And there goes that fucking exchanging of looks again. I know I just need to give it time, but my jealousy and possessiveness is in overdrive right now. I need to come to terms with their friendship, but it’s going to take some time.
She begins ticking off her fingers as she goes through the list. Using her right forefinger, she presses down on her left forefinger. “There’s Sara, my publicpretender…” she says, drawing out the last word making Jackson laugh. “She didn’t even defend me in court. She threw me to the fucking wolves, declaring me insane just because she didn’t want to deal with me,” she says, looking up at me as I nod.
She adds her right middle finger, continuing to tick off her list. “There’s Andy…” she says with a little shiver. Her brow furrows in anger at the same time, and Jackson grunts. I immediately don’t like either of those reactions. “He’s the other dickhead who handled my intake. That motherfucker…he will die a slow and gruesome death.”
