Chapter 91
The buzzing were loud again in Jackson’s head and he could feel the walls closing, trapping him in a trauma he couldn’t escape from. He could hear the gunshot again the pain exploding his knee like it was happening all over again.
“Jackson!” he could hear his name in the background but his head swirled with memories of his father. He was his father’s favourite “Jackson!”
This time the person was visibly shaking and when he came to, it was Emily holding his stare and when he looked around they were in the emergency room, he wondered when they arrived there, from the fundraiser to the hospita;. He had been out of it since Emily broke the news to them.
“I’m fine” he wanted to say but the look on her face showed that she wasn’t buying it, he didn’t even believe it himself. His head swarmed with a lot of possibilities and none of them had a happy ending, it scared him, reaching the darkest part of him that he hid all his traumas.
“Where’s mother Ethan?” he asked, trying to steady his breathing
“They went for a walk and to get coffee for everyone ”
“I should go be with them” he tried to sit up on the chair where he had sat slumped and defeated but Emily placed her dainty palm on his shoulders, pushing him back softly.
“You need to sit down Jackson, they’ll be back soon and besides you don’t look so good”
Jackson stayed quiet, but relished in her firm hold of his hand. Soft and almost caressing the pain out of him, but it was internal and deeply placing its root inside of him.
“He he I was his favorite son, you know. I mean, I knew I was immensely pampered more than Ethan and he was kinder to me and I never took the chance to tell him I loved him because let’s face he wasn’t an emotional dad with sunshine and roses but still what if he never makes it. People don’t survive heart attacks”
“Don’t say that” Emily shushed him immediately “He’ll be fine I promise Jackson and you can tell him all you want to say”
Jackson looked at her, he took his hands to her face and caressing them softly while she melted at his touch, her hands going on top of his and feeling the softness he melted out to her even though he had none to give that moment.
She felt liquid mush and he was the only one that could make her feel that way.
“About earlier, at the red carpet I’m sorry. I didn’t have to put you in a position like that” he said to her, his fingers softly grazing her lips.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.
“You have nothing to be sorry about” she said back. The media houses were blowing up already with pictures of herself and Jackson kissing, also of Ethan punching the lights out of Jackson. She could still the red bruise on his cheek bright and pulsating like it had a feeling of its own and she touched it carefully, expecting he would wince but he only kept his eyes fixed on hers.
“Does it hurt?” she asked and he shook his head, her hands stil caressing his face “Not as much as here” he took her hand and placed it on his chest, against his heart so that she could feel his raging heart beat. Her hands lingered and she slowly began to pat his chest, and if she could to take some of his pain away. She saw the tears pool at the corner of his eyes, and how he tried to blink them away so that she could not see but she did and it caused a stab in her chest. She brought her lips closer to him, to his eyes with her breath on his face and she softly kissed the corner of his eyes. His tears wetting her lips it was a gesture, she wanted his pain even if it was just for a little bit. Just then, Jackson pulled her closer to him and he kissed her his tears away from her lips because he didn’t want her sharing in his pain it was the last thing he wanted to share with her.
“I want you to choose me Emily, just me, I can’t help but be selfish right now” he said and Emily said nothing yet till the next question followed.
“When are you going to leave Ethan?”
***
Ethan watched them again for a thousandth time from where stood with two cups of coffee in his hands for the both of them but he had stopped in his tracks when he saw her kiss his face and it didn’t even feel abnormal anymore for the jealousy that took hold of his entire being.
He knew they loved each other, him even more than she loved him but why couldn’t he let her go? Why did the thought of Jackson happy with the woman he loves as well send rage through him? The answer was in the question itself but he couldn’t let Emily go, pregnancy or no pregnancy she was his wife, they were still married and he planned to keep it that way.
Suddenly he heard a voice beside me, a feminine voice he didn’t recognize but seemed to strike something in him.
“They’re so in love aren’t they?” the voice said and when he turned he had a brow raised in confusion. It was the girl from the toilet stall but what was she doing here?
“Who are you?” he asked and he saw the slight change in her expression that shifted to annoyance but it disappeared before it could register, but she ignored his question and went on.
“It’s the way he stares at her like he’ll rather look at only her for the rest of his life, his eyes sparkle even though he’s in pain and look at her too her rosy cheeks. She’s pregnant for him isn’t she?” Amanda revealed slowly, she kept her tone low and lackadaisical, in an attempt to appear indifferent but suddenly Ethan had seized her arms roughly and tightly and surprisingly the cups that he held still stayed intact.
“Who the hell are you and what do you want with my family?”
“It hurts that you don’t remember me Ethan Hatton” Amanda said, her eyes never leaving his even though the venom burned in his eyes and his hold grew tighter on her arm, she was determined to wait it out, to tough it out to the end.
“What?”
“How does it feel to lose your wife to your baby brother when you equally lost the first person you ever loved for his sake” Amanda spat and she watched a flicker of recognition sparkle in his eyes as he looked back at her, his eyes searching and she allowed him the time until it clicked and he stepped away from her like a virus
“Amanda?”