feeling sick for the line I made us cross.
“What do you remember?” she asked again.
“Why are you asking me this?” I asked, avoiding her question. “Why do you think anything happened last night?”
“So you don’t remember then,” she said in an ominous voice.
“Wait, what happened, mom? What’s wrong?”
There was heavy sigh. “You were really upset last night, Jackson.”
How does she know that?
“You were really drunk and you came home and set off the security alarm system.”
“I did?” This was news to me and I walked out of my room and looked down the stairs to make sure the front door was closed. It was.
“Yeah, you did. The alarm company called me at three in the morning, asking me if I was at the house because the alarm was set off. I told them that my son was currently staying there temporarily and told them I’d call you first before having them call the authorities.”
“You called me? Did I pick up?”
“Yes, you picked up.”
“Oh.” I frowned, wondering how long I’d blacked out for last night.
“You started screaming at me when you picked up.”
“I did? I’m sorry, mom. I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t remember any of this. It’s not an excuse, but I just had a really bad day yesterday and—”
“Jackson,” she cut me off, and from the tone in her voice, I immediately fell silent.
“What is it, mom?”
“We need to talk.” She paused and then let out a tired sigh. “There are some things I think you should see. I didn’t think they were important to tell you before, but it seems like that’s changed. Can you come by my condo today? The sooner the better.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Chloe
I didn’t usually wake up early, but this morning, my eyes opened before the sun peaked through my windows. The heaviness I felt when I walked away from Jackson and closed the door between us—and our relationship—stayed with me, and as soon as my eyes opened this morning, it was there, reminding me of what I’d lost.
My thoughts went back to last night and the pain in Jackson’s eyes was forever etched into my memory. I hated myself for all that’d happened—for finding those letters, for hurting him time and time again, for not giving in to him last night when he poured out his heart to me.
Last night was the first time he’d ever told me he loved me. They were the words I’d been dying to hear from him. They were the words I’d daydreamed about. They were the words that I’d thought would make me the happiest person on Earth.
But they came too late. When he’d said those words last night, I’d wished he didn’t say them. I’d wished he didn’t feel that way. Those words only further broke my heart.
I hated myself for hurting him. I hated myself for being cold and distant against his emotional declaration of love. But as much as I had felt the same things he had said, I forced myself to stay strong against his desperate pleas. I knew I couldn’t let us cross this forbidden line anymore. I was a sinner. I’d done far too many unforgivable things in my life—some of them, I chose knowingly, some I hadn’t. But Jackson was innocent in all this. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I dragged him down with me.
I tried to closed my eyes, forcing myself back to sleep so I could escape this reality. But it was useless. I finally rolled out of bed sometime later and jumped into the shower.
By the time I got downstairs, Aunt Betty and Uncle Tom were already downstairs in the kitchen.
“Good morning, honey,” Aunt Betty looked up from the eggs cooking on the stove. “I’m making omelets. What would you like in yours?”
I forced a small smile. “Thanks, but I’m not really hungry. I’ll just have some coffee.”
“You sure, honey?” She eyed me with a concerned look. “You just got out of the hospital. You should get some more nutrients in you. At least have a few bites.”
“Okay, sure,” I said out of guilt. The last thing I wanted
“What do you remember?” she asked again.
“Why are you asking me this?” I asked, avoiding her question. “Why do you think anything happened last night?”
“So you don’t remember then,” she said in an ominous voice.
“Wait, what happened, mom? What’s wrong?”
There was heavy sigh. “You were really upset last night, Jackson.”
How does she know that?
“You were really drunk and you came home and set off the security alarm system.”
“I did?” This was news to me and I walked out of my room and looked down the stairs to make sure the front door was closed. It was.
“Yeah, you did. The alarm company called me at three in the morning, asking me if I was at the house because the alarm was set off. I told them that my son was currently staying there temporarily and told them I’d call you first before having them call the authorities.”
“You called me? Did I pick up?”
“Yes, you picked up.”
“Oh.” I frowned, wondering how long I’d blacked out for last night.
“You started screaming at me when you picked up.”
“I did? I’m sorry, mom. I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t remember any of this. It’s not an excuse, but I just had a really bad day yesterday and—”
“Jackson,” she cut me off, and from the tone in her voice, I immediately fell silent.
“What is it, mom?”
“We need to talk.” She paused and then let out a tired sigh. “There are some things I think you should see. I didn’t think they were important to tell you before, but it seems like that’s changed. Can you come by my condo today? The sooner the better.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Chloe
I didn’t usually wake up early, but this morning, my eyes opened before the sun peaked through my windows. The heaviness I felt when I walked away from Jackson and closed the door between us—and our relationship—stayed with me, and as soon as my eyes opened this morning, it was there, reminding me of what I’d lost.
My thoughts went back to last night and the pain in Jackson’s eyes was forever etched into my memory. I hated myself for all that’d happened—for finding those letters, for hurting him time and time again, for not giving in to him last night when he poured out his heart to me.
Last night was the first time he’d ever told me he loved me. They were the words I’d been dying to hear from him. They were the words I’d daydreamed about. They were the words that I’d thought would make me the happiest person on Earth.
But they came too late. When he’d said those words last night, I’d wished he didn’t say them. I’d wished he didn’t feel that way. Those words only further broke my heart.
I hated myself for hurting him. I hated myself for being cold and distant against his emotional declaration of love. But as much as I had felt the same things he had said, I forced myself to stay strong against his desperate pleas. I knew I couldn’t let us cross this forbidden line anymore. I was a sinner. I’d done far too many unforgivable things in my life—some of them, I chose knowingly, some I hadn’t. But Jackson was innocent in all this. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I dragged him down with me.
I tried to closed my eyes, forcing myself back to sleep so I could escape this reality. But it was useless. I finally rolled out of bed sometime later and jumped into the shower.
By the time I got downstairs, Aunt Betty and Uncle Tom were already downstairs in the kitchen.
“Good morning, honey,” Aunt Betty looked up from the eggs cooking on the stove. “I’m making omelets. What would you like in yours?”
I forced a small smile. “Thanks, but I’m not really hungry. I’ll just have some coffee.”
“You sure, honey?” She eyed me with a concerned look. “You just got out of the hospital. You should get some more nutrients in you. At least have a few bites.”
“Okay, sure,” I said out of guilt. The last thing I wanted
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