I hear her sobbing softly and I lose it. I'm not the only one though, Lou-Lou's also weeping quietly in the corner. I don't miss the look Ricardo gives her. For a moment, I think he's going to walk over to her, but instead, he gives Momma and Jackson one last hug and leaves the waiting room altogether.
I look at Jackson and I want to confront him, but with everything else happening, I don't have the heart to just yet. I don't want to accuse him of lying to me and committing the ultimate betrayal until I have absolute proof and I know for a fact that it's DeLuca he's involved with. I'm going to need a little more to go on than just a gut feeling about Ricardo.
That doesn't mean I'm not still pissed to know that DeLuca or no DeLuca he's obviously been keeping something from me.
He walks over to me and holds out his arms. I take a deep breath and look down before he hugs me. He senses my hesitation and says, “I'm so sorry, Alyssa. I would never hurt you on purpose. Please forgive me.”
The tears fall harder then...because if he's lying to me about DeLuca...I'm not sure that I can. Hell, for all I know, Jackson could be the one setting me up for DeLuca.
Oh, god. What if he is?
That thought sends a chill right through me and I have to push myself away from his embrace.
The look he gives me breaks my heart, but I can't stand the thought of being in his arms right now.
I slowly back away from him and he looks both crushed and stunned.
Luckily, Lou-Lou comes to my defense by taking my hand and saying, “I think she's in a lot of pain, Jackson. Probably not the best time to be hugging her. She did just get punched by two huge guys, remember?”
He winces and rubs his face. “I'm gonna go get those ice packs for you.”
Momma looks at us. “I'm gonna go see if there's any news.” Before she leaves, I run over and throw my arms around her. “I'm so sorry, Momma. I know he'll make it through this. Because he's tough just like his Momma.”
She hugs me tight and gives me a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room. That's when Jackson's eyes connect with mine. There are so many emotions in those eyes of his right now, I have to force myself to breathe.
He walks over to me and hands me two ice packs. “Here.” Then he turns and walks out the door.
“I'm being a real bitch, aren't I?” I ask Lou-Lou, because let's face it, who would know better than her?
She considers this for a moment before saying, “It's probably not the best time to be so angry with him seeing as Tyrone's still in surgery and we don't know the outcome.” She shrugs. “However, you can't really control how you feel when someone you love hurts you. And the fact that you can't even stand being touched by him combined with that look you gave him...tells me that whatever Jackson did to you was unforgivable.”
I turn around and face her. “Like what Ricardo did to you?”
She closes her eyes in agony and I feel bad for even asking the question. “No,” she says, opening her eyes which are now glassy. “Let's just say that I've been right where Jackson's standing. I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of that look and have the man you...” She pauses and wipes a tear. “The man you love, look at you like the thought of touching you is unbearable and he'd rather die.”
She clears her throat. “I'm gonna go grab some coffee. You want anything?”
I want to know more about what happened between her and Ricardo, but I know she's not going to tell me. I sit down in one of the chairs. “No, I'm good. Thanks.”
She leaves and I curl my arms around myself while saying another prayer for Tyrone.
A moment later, I look up to find one of the most gorgeous women I have ever seen in my life staring at me. Her eyes are bloodshot and there's a look of utter despair on her face, but that does nothing to diminish her beauty. Her skin is smooth and mocha colored, her dark hair falls around her shoulders in soft curls, and her bright green eyes are mesmerizing.
“I'm sorry. The nurse told me this was where everyone was waiting. But I must have been mistaken, seeing as there's hardly anyone in here,” she says in a Southern accent.
The accent gives her away and I immediately know who she is. “Shelby?”
She blinks and looks surprised. “Why yes,” she says. “I don't believe we've ever met before. I'm not from around these parts. How do you know my name?”
I stand up and hold out my hand. “I'm Alyssa. I'm Jackson's—” I don't have a chance to finish that statement because her arms are around me and she's hugging me so tight I have to force myself not to yelp.
“I've heard so much about you, Alyssa,” she says. Then she starts sobbing. “Have you heard anything? Is he still in surgery?”
“The last I heard he was. I know a nurse who works here, she's my—” I pause because I'm not entirely sure what to refer to her as at this point. “Friend and she promised to update me as soon as she can.”
“Thank you, tell her I appreciate it. I'm so scared, Alyssa,” she sobs. “I won't be able to go on if I lose him.”
“He's a fighter, Shelby. He's going to make it.”
She pulls away and wipes at her tears with a tissue. “I can't believe this happened.” Then her green eyes turn angry. So angry I become alarmed. “I swear, if that son-of-a-bitch DeLuca did this to him. I will raise hell.”
My heart constricts and I'm pretty sure I make a choking sound from somewhere deep in my throat.
There's a world of a difference between suspecting something and having it outright confirmed.
Because now I have to face facts, I have no choice but to acknowledge what's happening.
I have no choice but to realize that DeLuca wants his revenge. I have no choice but to accept that Jackson was setting me up.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recall Jackson telling me not to go to the club. But before it can hit the surface of my thoughts, I stuff it down. He has to be setting me up, this is the only reason I can come up with for him lying to me. Why else would he be actively working and fighting for a man who he knows brutally killed my father?
The room spins and I'm struck with the feeling of wanting to call Ford for some kind of protection, but I force myself to stay strong. Despite my father, I already know that I can't trust Ford, he's already shown his true colors to me. There's no way in the world I would ever put myself at his mercy again.
“Alyssa?” Shelby calls out.
Her name sounds so far away now but I don't know why. It's only when Jackson's face appears right in front of me and I let out a scream that I realize I'm on the floor.
“Talk to me, baby. What happened?” Jackson says, searching my face.
I quickly crawl away from him and stand up. I look up just as Lou-Lou walks in the room.
The face Jackson's makes when I walk over to her and reach for her hand is unlike any I've seen.
As messed up as it sounds, it's my way of letting him know that I'm on to him. It's my way of telling him that I'd rather hold Lou-Lou's hand than ever touch him again, the traitorous motherfucker.
He steps closer to me, but to my surprise, Lou-Lou lifts her chin and glares at him. “Leave her alone, Jackson. I have no clue what you did but she doesn't want you near her for the time being. You need to respect that.”