“I may have fucked things up between us, but I never stopped loving you. I wanted to know you were safe and happy.”
“So, what, you stalked me?”
“Stalk is a little dramatic.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I checked in on you. I asked questions. I paid attention to the tiny details when Ashton or Mum mentioned you. I followed your Instagram posts.”
“I don’t share the important things on Instagram, Jack.”
Fuck, I love the way her eyes are shining with fierce vulnerability. Jessica’s feeling everything I want her to, but she’s fighting it so damn hard. That fight tells me I’m as much a part of her soul as she is mine. “Baby, the most important thing is your heart, and I mapped that years ago. I have the legend to it. I mightn’t know all the things you haven’t shared on Instagram, but I know how to unlock everything inside you.”
That causes her to still.
When she doesn’t say anything, I return to my original question. “I’m meeting with Rose in thirty days to go over my future goals and plans. Do you want to come with me?”
Her eyes widen at that. “I’m not your assistant, your partner, your anything, Jack, so no, I do not want to go with you to discuss your future with Rose. I can find you an assistant to take, though, if you need.” She pauses and narrows her eyes at me. “Actually, I think I’ll just find you one regardless. God knows you’ll drag your feet on this if I don’t.”
Without waiting for any further response from me, she turns and goes back inside. I watch her head into the kitchen and make herself a coffee. Her mouth is moving at a great rate of knots like she’s having a conversation with someone. I can’t hear her, but like I just told her, I know the map of her heart. I know Jessica is in there talking to herself about all the things that piss her off about me, and all her plans to manage me and my life. She’s in there doing exactly what I want her to be doing.
15
Jessica
Mira: One more sleep!!
Jessica: Thank fuck.
Mira: Are the paparazzi still there?
Jessica: Yes, but our security guys have that under control.
Will: Jack still breathing?
Jessica: It’s an unfortunate fact that he is.
Will: Great news for me.
Jessica: Go away. Don’t text me again today. I’ll be busy consuming caffeine and plotting ways to not murder men who annoy me.
Mira: See you tomorrow, babe x
I drop down onto the chair at Jack’s dining table that has become mine and inhale my first sip of coffee for the day. I wasn’t lying when I told Will I’d be consuming copious amounts of caffeine today. Jack has made it so I need it all.
He stepped up his campaign to win me back yesterday, moving from grins and fitted T-shirts to flat-out, in-my-face proclamations about his plans. It’s a good thing today’s our last day together. I have no doubt this won’t be the end of it, but at least any future interaction we have won’t be in forced proximity. Me being here has made this easy for him. Nothing will be easy going forward. In fact, I intend on going home and texting Mike to let him know I’m ready for drinks again. I’m going to clean myself of Jack completely this time.
I open my laptop to begin work, and while I’m busy ignoring the stories about Jack and me that are still being published at a crazy rate, and clicking through to check emails, I note the date.
Shit.
This month has crept up on me, as has the seven-year anniversary of my mother’s death. It’s next Monday. And it’s a day I usually take off from work and avoid everyone except Will who never lets me be completely alone even though that’s what I want. With everything going on at work and with Jack, I’ve forgotten to organise the day off.
I inhale more coffee.
The anniversary of Mum’s death is just another day.
I don’t need to take a day off work for it.
“I’m going into Grafton with Axe,” Jack says, cutting into my thoughts. “Do you need me to pick anything up?”
“A fishing spear.”
That slows him down. “Anything else?”
“A frying pan.”
His lips twitch. “That all?”
“An iron.”
“And if I can’t find any of those things, how about I settle for some carrot cake?”
Why does he have to be the person who knows things about me like what my favourite cake is? “I don’t eat carrot cake anymore.”
More of that lip twitching. “I’ll grab all the cake I can find so you have a selection to choose from. Text me if you think of anything else you need while I’m gone. Besides all those things you’ve already told me.”
“Do not come home without all those things, Jack,” I call out as he exits the room.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, sweetheart,” he calls back and I swear I hear that damn smirk of his in his voice.
I grab my phone and stab out a text to him.
Jessica: I forgot I also need a gun.
Jack: I already had it on my list.
Men.
Although, I can’t say women are any better.
This is why I don’t people in general.
I really need to get a dog.
Jack impresses me by staying away for three full hours. What doesn’t impress me is how often I think about him and what he’s doing in those three hours.
I drink two cups of coffee.
I furiously draft an email to the New York hotel that’s still screwing me around over Ashton’s meetings there in a month and a half. I’m clear about my lack of awe in them. They reply letting me know they’ve finally sorted out the problem they created and that they’re looking forward to our stay. I make a note of all the staff members’ names I’ve dealt with so that when Ashton owns his New York hotel we never hire any of them.
I go back and forth with Johnathon on the London debacle, trying to help him sort things out so that Ashton can avoid flying over.
I drink two more cups of coffee.
I do some research for Lorelei for the resort development she and Ashton are working on.
I handle a range of admin tasks that need my attention.
And in amongst all of that, I can’t stop myself from researching assistants who could be a good fit for Jack.
I’ve just finished eating lunch when he arrives home, carrying many shopping bags that he deposits on the kitchen counter. Hitting me with one of his sexy smiles, he says, “I think you should be able to find something in here that you’ll like.”
“Since guns don’t come in those kinds of bags, I doubt I will.”
“Fuck, I knew I forgot something.”
My interest is piqued as to what’s in the bags, but I don’t want to ask him or investigate for myself, so I divert my attention back to my laptop.
I hear Jack open the fridge and then I hear the rustle of bags. Food. He brought food home for me.
I’m saved from thinking about this when Ashton calls.
I snatch up my phone. “Tell me this is the phone call in which you will advise you just acquired a New York hotel so we don’t need to stay in that dreadful one we’ve booked.”
He gets straight to the point. “I haven’t spoken with Jack about this yet, but I’m going to get him to fly to Sydney with you in the morning and then to London with me. I have to leave tomorrow.”