I write back to my friend on the message, assuring him that everything is fine with me. I have to lie to Kai, in this situation I have no choice. It's hard for me, but I can only blame Jackson for causing these problems.
Again.
It's been a few days since we moved to an apartment of sixty square meters. The place is cozy and very nice, definitely safer than the previous house, which was similar in size to a shopping mall.
Now it stands empty and waiting for a buyer.
We sit on the couch in the living room, staring at our phones. We exchanged messages with friends until Jackson speak to me first:
- I have to go to the club. I haven't been there for too long.
- I want to go with you. I'm afraid to stay here alone," I reply hastily. Jackson smiles at the corner of his mouth.
- Relax, I was going to take you with me. As I mentioned earlier: I won't leave you unattended. I have to keep an eye on you twenty-four hours a day.
Since we cleared up the misunderstanding from the past, everything is fine between us. We get along like in the good old days. Unfortunately, what was between us is rather gone. Although I still have a weakness for him and when I look at his lips I think about how much I want to kiss them. I know that I have to know the limits of my desires because he has a girlfriend.
Old love does not rust, but life changes. You can't live in the past all the time.
- I think I should change my clothes, so I don't bring you shame at the club. After all, you're the boss," I declare, pointing with my hand to the gray tracksuit I'm wearing.
- No worries. In this outfit, you look like a million dollars. Pretty in all things pretty. - This drag makes me blush up to my ears.
- However, in the club you have to look somehow," I mutter in an embarrassed voice. I get off the couch and hastily disappear into my room. I close the door and lean against it with my back, feeling my heart beating hard.
It's sick, but after so many years, feelings have revived in me. Living with him is a torture for me. I fight with myself, knowing that it is forbidden. I can no longer love him because he has a new woman, and now she is the most important to him.
I am his past, which he only has to protect because he brought me trouble.
Furthermore, I wear a white blouse whose sleeves have slid down to my shoulders, tight jeans and white pumps. I look at myself in the mirror, fixing my long hair.
I know I'm in danger, and at this point I should think only of myself and blame Jackson for ruining my life, but somehow I can't. Surprisingly, deep down, I am glad that this allows me to be close to him. If it weren't for this situation, it's unlikely we would have cleared up the misunderstanding from the past, and he would still hold a grudge against me.
However, all these years I have been thinking about him, not hiding the fact that I missed him.
- Alice, are you ready? - I hear his voice outside the door. I take one last look in the mirror, quickly applying lipstick to my lips.
- Yes, I'm on my way out.
Is there a chance that even though Jackson is in a relationship, I can still win his heart back?
*
Different colors of lights fall on us as we enter the club. All the employees greeted Jackson with respect. The brunet holds my hand the whole time, so I don't get lost in the crowd. I'm happy and don't want him to let me go.
We head down the stairs, where Jackson disappeared from me the first time we met. The security guard wouldn't let me in, and I was curious to see what was down there.
It's not a big surprise to me that the basement of this building is developed for gambling. Surprisingly, I don't only see men here, there are also women who are competing to win money.
However, the most frightening sight to me is Jackson's girlfriend, who looks like she's going crazy. She snorts under her breath as her gaze finds our joined hands. I want to get out of Jackson's grasp so as not to anger her more, but he doesn't let me.
- Is this a joke!!!? - she yells at him, not caring that she is in a public place and everyone is looking at her. - You didn't even tell me where you moved to, and you came with this dumpster to the club, in front of my eyes holding her hand?
I glance at Jackson with frightened eyes and see that he is smiling mockingly.
- I had reasons not to tell you that.
- You had reasons not to tell me about it? - he repeats with disbelief in his voice. - Then who am I to you!
- Until now, I thought you were my ally.
- Until now, I was your ally? That what? - It seems that the girl does not understand anything that the brunet says to her. Besides, I don't have a clue either. - I'm your girlfriend, you bastard!
- I don't recall that we are in an official relationship. And that's fortunate because I would spit in my face even more," she announces, squeezing my hand harder. - And it pains me so much that I trusted you so much.
Instantly, my heart revives. It starts to beat harder and even does pirouettes of happiness.
They are not together and, so far, have not been in a relationship!
- What are you talking about, Jackson?
- I didn't come to hug you and apologize, but to capture you and punish you for your evil deeds. - His voice becomes slightly more hostile. With a movement of his head, he orders one of his bodyguards to grab Suzy. She tries to escape him, but not even the martial arts she has in one finger help her. - We need to talk in a more secluded place. There are too many people here.
The bodyguard leads her to a closed room, and Jackson apologizes to the customers for stirring and, holding my hand, follows his man.
I feel a sense of unease as the boy slams the door, and my attention is drawn to an empty room with only one chair.
A powerful man ties up Suzy, and Jackson grabs a bottle of water and takes a sip. Out of the corner of his eye, he looks at me.
- I'm sorry, Alice, that you have to witness this, but I really can't leave you alone and by this fake bitch," he announces, pointing with his hand to the trapped girl.
- What are you doing, Jackson? Are you crazy! - screams Suzy, jerking back in her chair.
- You have been soaping my eyes nicely all this time, but the soap has just run out. I will no longer be your puppet, Suzy.
I see the girl swallowing her saliva harder.
- What do you mean?
- You made a small mistake that betrayed you as a spy. You approached me on the orders of your boss, didn't you?
With wide-open eyes, I look at Suzy. So what? She is a man of the enemy group?
- The presence of this whore has messed with your head! What nonsense are you talking! - reacts with anger.
- You appeared in my life a moment before my friend died. How to think about it now.... it couldn't have been a coincidence.
Her face pales, and that betrays her enough.
- Are you crazy? What kind of supposition is this? I have nothing to do with the death of your friend! Don't you remember that at that time I was by your side, and I was the one who put you back on your feet? I supported you all the time.
- Of course. You took advantage of the situation to get closer to me. That's how you gained my trust. Stupid me. I was such a naive fool, thinking you were a sweet girl who was really on my side.
- I would never let anyone hurt you. I love you," Jackson said.
You can see the sincerity in her eyes. Her feelings are real.
- How can you fall in love with an enemy?
- You are not my enemy," she announces in a weak voice. Her eyes glaze over, filled with tears.
- You must have been one from the beginning, since you agreed to your boss's idea.
Suzy lowers her head and sheds tears. I feel sorry for her, even though I shouldn't. Until now, she was a rat who reported everything to her boss. She cheated on Jackson, toyed with him.
- Sorry, I had no choice. I was forced into it.
The sour smile on Jackson's face is a sign that he was waiting for her to finally confess.
- It was you who betrayed my friend's whereabouts. It was because of you that he died! - he shouts, pointing his finger at her. - I let you in rat, and what's worse, I trusted you. I have to admit that you're not bad. Now I understand why your boss assigned you this task.
- Ever since I fell in love with you, I protected you.
- Did you protect me? You protected me so much that you were the one who told them about Alice! It is because of you that she is in danger!
- I just wanted to eliminate her because I felt threatened. I thought this was the perfect chance to remove her from your life.
I remain silent, not saying a word. I lift my face and look at Jackson. I can see how angry he is.
- You destroyed the life of an innocent girl just because she accidentally appeared in front of me? You still have the nerve to say that you wanted to get rid of her!
Jackson is so furious that I'm afraid his emotions will take control of him, and he will do something crazy, so I grab his hand with both hands, trying to keep him close to me.
- She did it out of jealousy. I am able to understand her," I reply in a whisper.
The brunet looks at me with disbelief in his eyes and I see that even Suzy lifts her head, looking surprised by my words.
- Are you defending her, Alice? She's the one who brought trouble on you! If she hadn't told her people about you, you would still be safe and living an ordinary life! - she jumps on me.
- A jealous woman, however, is capable of anything. She must really love you very much.
All my life, I have been too good. It is the same at this moment. I'm defending a woman who brought danger to me, and what's worse, she loves the same man as me.
I know, I'm an idiot, but I just know how to put myself in her shoes.
- I would rather not see you with my eyes again. You hurt the people I care about the most. First you brought death to my friend, and now you try to do it to the girl who is everything to me," he turns to Suzy in a sharp voice. I, however, stop at the words he used to describe me. - You know what you have to do with her, Mike. Now we have a bargaining chip. We will see how much the boss cares about her safety," he says to his man.
I am horrified at how ruthless Jackson can be. I look at him with frightened eyes as he embraces my hand. We leave the empty room, then head between tables where people are gambling.
As we leave the basement, we are hit by the noise of loud music and partygoers having a great time. Jackson holds me tightly, leading me to the exit of the club.
- What are you going to do with her? - I ask when we find ourselves in the motorcade. He doesn't answer, just puts the helmet on my head. - Jackson, I asked you something.
The brunet closes his eyelids.
- Suzy deserves to be punished. She's the mole my friend is dead because of. It's the mole who brought danger to you.
- And didn't you think about the fact that she was afraid and had no other choice? She did what her boss told her to do to be safe.
- I can't understand her because I would rather sacrifice myself than drive other people to the grave. You know me very well, Alice. You know how I am, that's why I won't change my mind. I think Suzy deserves to be punished.
- Would you do the same to me if I were in her position? - I ask in a whisper as he gets on the motorcycle.
- No, because you are different," he answers immediately.
- With what?
- I care about you, about her in general.