Jackson fulfilled his promise last night. Fil was able to forget about everything; too focused on the initial pain of her flesh being torn apart and the sensational pleasure that came long after. However, now that the long night was over, she was back to her reality.
The reality of being betrayed by her beloved friend and fiance.
What happened last night was simply a temporary fix. And she now understood that deeply. Hence, one of the reasons for her tears.
Would it get better?
Before Fil could think of an answer, she heard a knock on the door. She jolted a little, turning her head on instinct, only to see Jackson standing idly by the door. He held a mug close to his stomach, looking at her without any distinct emotion.
"Good morning, sweetheart." Jackson was smiling from ear to ear until his eyes were squinting. "Maybe not."
For a moment, Fil could only stare at him and observe his face. He was still in a robe, his hair unruly, and his aura quite relaxed. She tried to get up, only to feel the soreness of her entire body. Especially that area between her thighs.
"Ouch…" she whispered, pushing herself to sit up. She succeeded, albeit with great difficulty. "You're still here?"
"Obviously." Jackson marched inside, plopping his butt down on the edge of the bed. "After a long night, I was tired. So, I thought I should stay for a while and enjoy a cup of coffee. The view from here is quite nice."
Fil pressed her lips into a thin line, gazing down, and intuitively lifted the sheet over her bare chest.
"So, how was the experiment?" he asked out of pure curiosity. "Was last night fun?"
"Mhm," she hummed, keeping her eyes down.
"That's all?" he cocked his head to the side. "Won't you tell me in detail? Shouldn't you have conclusions after every experiment?"
Fil peeked up at him as she muttered. "Can't you see I'm crying? Do you think I'm in the mood to detail my experience last night?"
"You have the energy to cry," he argued playfully. "Why not use that energy on me? I'm worth it."
"On you?"
"Talking about last night will make you forget why you're crying in the first place. Isn't that the purpose of last night?" he blinked coquettishly. "Also, talking about it will help me."
"Help you? In what way?"
"It'll quench my curiosity." He shrugged. "So? How was last night? You were screaming so loud and kept asking for more —"
The rest of his words were pushed back into his throat as a pair of hands covered his mouth. His brows rose, and the corner of his eyes creased.
"Can you please…" Fil breathed out, her face reddening in embarrassment. "... stop saying it like that?"
Jack held her wrist and slowly pulled it away from his mouth. "How do you want me to say it?"
"Do — don't." Fil cleared her throat as she drew a deep breath. "Don't say it. Last night was…"
"It was…?"
"Fun?" she worded, only to see him arch a brow. "Uhm… it was great. I mean, out of this world!"
"I know." His smile returned, making her sigh deeply.
"I'm not a customer for you to want feedback," she murmured. "Didn't you say you'd leave first thing in the morning? What are you still doing here?"
"I did say that, but then I changed my mind."
"Why?"
"Because if I leave you alone here, we won't get caught red-handed!"
"..."
"This place was your boyfriend's, right?" he inquired. "If he comes home and I'm not here, how would he find out about last night's affair? That would break my heart."
Fil opened and closed her mouth, rendered speechless at this man's train of thoughts. She moved closer to his blessed beautiful face, yet she couldn't even marvel at his beauty. Was this guy had some loose screws in the head?
"How would that break your heart?" she asked in disbelief. "I didn't take you here because I want him to find us out."
"Huh?"
"I took you here because I know he won't come home," she explained in the same tone. "Also, because he's a nasty man. It was crazy, okay?! Last night, I was crazy! I drank too much and did not think rationally."
Jackson tilted his head to the side, letting her prattle on and on. After some time, he asked;
"Your point?"
"My point is…" Fil was already panting after talking nonstop, looking at him for a moment. "My point is, I didn't plan on dragging a stranger to a mess where you'd get hurt."
His brows creased, now even more confused. "Me? Get hurt? Hah. How?"
"I mean, if he finds us out with you in here, doesn't that mean you two might get into a confrontation? And probably an altercation? It's not your fault, so it's my conscience if you get hurt because of me." Fil sighed once more. "This place is nasty, and he's a nasty man. So, spending a night with another man in this very bed he's sleeping on with anyone he wants will hurt his pride and ego."
She lowered her gaze and puffed her cheeks. "Also, he keeps saying I'm too predictable. So, it would be nice to see his face once I tell him I spent my first night with a stranger and in his place." A subtle smile briefly appeared on her face at the thought.
"Predictable?" Jackson repeated, watching her peek at him once more. "You're not predictable."
"Huh?"
"I've met a ton of people in my life, and what I can tell you with confidence is that you're the least predictable among thousands of them," he explained nonchalantly. "But from what I know is that humans tend to do things to the people they love. For instance, embracing a character or refusing growth for the mere purpose of pleasing that person or keeping them in their lives."
"If anything, you're just a little messed up." Jackson leaned back comfortably until his head was on her lap. He lifted the mug of coffee to her and said, "Coffee?"
"Aren't you too comfortable in other people's homes?" she muttered, taking the half-filled cup of coffee from him. "Thanks."
"You're welcome, sweetheart." Jackson smiled and then glanced at the open door. "Come with me."
"Hmm? Where?"
"Bathroom."
"Bathroom?" Fil frowned. "Last night was —"
Fil halted as she suddenly heard the faint mechanical noise from the entrance of the unit. Her breath hitched, listening to the keys being pressed on the lock, frozen on the spot.
"He's home."