“What's this?”
“What does it look like?”
She shakes her head. “I had like one sip of alcohol. I'm fine to drive, really. I don't need to spend the night.”
“You live over an hour away. It's already 2:30 in the morning. I'll take the couch, you can take my bedroom.”
She stands up. “No, Jackson. You've already helped me way more than I deserve for one night. I can't keep taking advantage of you.”
Her entire expression softens, and I can't help but think that maybe, she's finally going to let her guard down with me.
“It's not taking advantage if I offer,” I insist.
With a sigh, she holds out her hand and accepts the clothes. “Why are you being so nice to me?” she whispers.
“Why not?” I counter.
Then, to my complete surprise. She stands up on her tiptoes and plants a kiss on my cheek. “Thank you, Jackson.”
I watch as she closes the door to the bedroom...and I can't help but think that maybe, Tyrone's right after all.
This girl is trouble...but I still can't help but want to know what her demons are.
A few hours later, I hear the sound of the balcony door close and I'm on my feet.
I scrub a hand down my face and walk outside. The sunrise is coming up over the horizon and Alyssa's curled up on a chair with a blanket draped over her.
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you,” she says.
I take a seat on the chair next to her. “It's fine. Are you okay?”
She twirls her hair into some kind of knot on top of her head. “Yeah, I just kind of have a thing when it comes to being at other people's houses. I really don't like it.”
Hmm, that's interesting.
“I won't hurt you, Alyssa.”
She grips the edge of the chair. “Then what do you want from me, Jackson?”
I decide to be honest with her. “That's the thing. I don't want anything from you.” I look at her. “Actually, that's kind of a lie. I would really like to get to know you. Maybe even...if you let me. Be your friend.”
“My friend? Yeah, right. That's new,” she scoffs. “Look, you already know I'll put out...if that's what you're after.”
I place my hand on her shoulder. “It's not. Please, don't take offense to this, you're beautiful...but something tells me that you need a real friend much more than you need another guy to fuck right now.”
“I don't even know what to say to that,” she whispers.
“Say you'll have lunch with me today.”
“Lunch?”
“Yeah, lunch. That's all, I swear.”
She seems to contemplate this as she stretches out in the chair. “I don't even know your last name. Or anything else about you.”
I extend my hand out to her and grin. “I'm Jackson Reid. I turned 27 in August and I'm formerly of Boston, Ma- which gives me my wicked cool accent...but now I reside here. ”
She takes my hand and smiles. “Alyssa Tanner...I'll be 24 at the end of next month and consider yourself lucky. New York City is the best place in the whole entire world.”
“So why do you live just outside the city limits then?”
She closes her eyes. “My parent’s house is there.”
“Oh, so you still live with your parents?”
She gets up from the chair and walks over to the balcony door. “No, I don't.”
I open my mouth to find out more about her, but she interrupts me.
“I'm going to try and get some more sleep. But, I'll join you for lunch, Jackson.”
Chapter Five
Jackson
To my astonishment, Alyssa stayed true to her word and ended up going out to lunch with me.
Since I let her pick the place, we're currently sitting at some hole in the wall diner...seated in a corner booth in the far back.
She looks around the restaurant before she tugs her sunglasses off her face and sticks them in her purse.
I can't help but wonder why she's even wearing them in the first place...given that it's raining out and all.
"Being in public bothers you," I say, making it a statement and not a question.
She folds her hands in front of her before she looks me right in the eye. "How long are you going to go on pretending, Jackson?"
I tilt my head to the side. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I really wish you would just tell me, though."
She studies my face for a few moments. "Tell me, Jackson. Do you have a computer?"
I take a sip of my drink. "Yeah, why?"
"Do you watch porn on your computer?"
I nearly choke on my drink. That was certainly the last thing I was expecting to come out of her mouth.I open my mouth to say something, but luckily, the waitress comes to our table to take our order.
After she's gone, I decide to attempt to break up the now awkward silence between us. “So, you're a porn star. That's the big secret?"
She shoots me an icy cold stare. "Not by choice," she mumbles.
"I don't understand," I say, my confusion growing with every moment that passes between us.
She rubs her temples. "Fine. You really want to know me, Jackson? You really want to know everything?"
"Yes. I won't judge you, I promise."
She leans back against the booth. "I went to NYU a few years ago. If you can believe it, I was on track to become a newscaster. It was my dream, ever since I was a little girl." She closes her eyes for a second before she clears her throat and continues. "Anyway, I was a year away from graduating when my mother decided to get remarried. She ended up marrying a Politician. You've probably heard of him before, John Travine."
The name mildly rings a bell. "Yeah, I've heard of him. I don't remember what he ran for, but the name sounds familiar."
"He ran for mayor of New York City 3 years ago," she tells me.
"So, what happened at NYU?"
She looks down nervously before she begins. "Well, like I said. My mother ended up marrying that piece of shit politician." Her jaw hardens and her entire body becomes rigid. "I hate him, Jackson. The way he exploited my family's tragedy in front of the media. The way he turned my own mother against me. He could drop dead tomorrow, and I honestly don't think I would be able to feel one ounce of sympathy for him."
I reach across the table for her hand. "Family tragedy?"
She pulls back her hand with abrupt force, like my hand is made of lava and I'm about to singe her. There's so much pain in her eyes it almost hurts to look at her. "I can't talk about that. Please."
"I won't force you to tell me anything you don't want to, Alyssa."
She pinches the bridge of her nose. "I was doing really well at NYU. I maintained a 4.0 and everything. I was focused on my goals and kept myself out of trouble. Anyway, my stepfather ran for mayor and my mother and I were thrust into the political spotlight and all that comes with it. Like I said, he exploited my family, he used my mother, and..." She pauses and looks at me. "Just trust me when I say that he's not a good guy, Jackson."