Stifling. Annoying.
Painful.
Those were all words that haunted the house around them.
And Jackson could only watch, lashes narrowed as the couple crumbled in front of him.
This wasn't what he signed up for.
"Hey, I'm home." Kaitlyn greeted as she walked in through the door. Her classic heels stepping in at 6 on the dot--like she always did on the days she worked.
But today, it just annoyed him.
Jackson turned away, not bothering to greet her verbally. Instead, he merely lifted a hand and waved at her, waiting for her to walk on by like she did every other day this week.
That night at the club, it felt like a bad joke. At least, it had ever since Randy came home.
The status quo back in effect as sadness washed over the house like an obnxious rain cloud.
Kaitlyn resembled a broken doll these
'I will be.' The words were a candle, and Jackson was determined to light the flame. Because even if it wasn't with him, the man found himself determined to make it happen. Come hell or high water, Kaitlyn would be happy. He'd make sure of it. And that's exactly how he ended up where he was, elbows leaned precariously on a desk as he eyed the pretty receptionist. "Hey, I'm here for Randy Folts. Do you mind letting me up to see him, dollface?" Jackson leaned against the counter of the lobby more securely, staring down at the good-looking, college-aged secretary. She was cute, eyeing him back without even a hint of subtlety. It was very different than the flustered looks Kaitlyn gave him, the perky brunette in front of him oozing nothing but confidence. She was adorning a tight blouse that showcased her cleavage and from what he could tell, she was wearing a pair of professional dress pants that hugged her t
"Would you really do anything for me?"The softness of her giggle left nothing to the imagination.Hearing enough, Jackson all but busted into the door--stepping in with a loud cough as hurried in to take in the scene before him.To his surprise, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.Two pairs of shocked eyes meeting his as he stood there awkwardly.Randy's office held a pristine metal desk, a comfy neutral colored couch across from a large windowpane. The window overlooked the bustling streets below, but surprisingly it was quiet. Most likely filtered for noise from the outside.It looked neat and professional, aside the pictures that were placed all over the walls and along the edge of his desk. It was a touch of personal belongings that made Randy seem that much more personable.It probably helped him get on with his patients."Sup, Randy
Kaitlyn couldn't help but notice that Jackson had been acting strange.Quiet, a little withdrawn.His usual snarky smiles missing its bite as he seemed to leave the house more and more frequently.It felt like a prick in her side.Their fight in the kitchen lingering in her mind. She wondered if his bad mood had been her fault.But more importantly....She found that she missed him terribly.She missed the night he randomly dragged her away, she missed his laugh, his company.It actually surprised her just how much his absence hurt her.It almost physically hurt sometimes, when she walked into the living room to bug him ( waiting for her chance to apologize to him ) only to discover a little Jackson sized dent on the couch. But the raven nowhere to be found.It was like that every morning this week.
Kaitlyn felt worse today than she did yesterday. With a groan, she sat up in bed, feeling dizzy and covered in drops of sweat. Her clothes damp as they stuck to her legs. Her lips grimaced, and she shuddered at the unpleasant feeling. Her nails picking at her clothes as she sighed in disgust. She desperately needed a shower. With her nose giving a sniffle, she jumped when she noticed Randy packing a suitcase in the corner of the room. Quiet, as if trying not to wake her. Immediately, she frowned. Her fist coming up to her mouth as her throat gave into a cough. "Where you going?" Randy paused, looking up at her. "Oh hey, you're finally up, K." That sunny smile was on his face again today. She wondered when it stopped looking warm to her. "I'm getting ready for a business trip. I didn't want to wake you. But wow, you look horrible. Are you sick?"&
“Ahhh.”Kaitlyn felt ridiculous as she sat there, leaning forward on her hands with her mouth open.As a few seconds passed, she was tempted to suck up her pride that had run away from her.But just when she was about to chirp out a quick ‘I was just kidding’, Jackson’s hand dropped down to the plate and stabbed into the fluffy mass of scrambled eggs. Her lashes fluttered once, then twice.“Here.” The tip of the silvery metal prongs touched her lips, and she immediately turned a brighter pink. Her eyes narrowed as he gave her a suspicious smile.“Oops, sorry, I missed.” She glared but then the food was placed into her mouth, and she quickly bit down on it.He pulled away and she watched him, hyper focused on his movements as she chewed slowly.The taste was fluffy and airy, lightly peppered and honestly, it was incredibly good. The fact he took the time to cook for her despite how
Two days had passed, her symptoms clearing up nicely as Kaitlyn stretched her arms high above her head."Finally, I can somewhat breathe!" The happiness in her voice must have been contagious, because Olivia laughed as she came to sit down across from her."Well someone's looking better! Has Jackson been taking good care of you?" The way she said it made her blush, frowning at the smug woman. She shook her head, releasing her red strands from the tight bun that was placed on top of her head. Relieved at the tight sensation that faded away, easing the pain she had endured for her five hour shift. Jackson and Olivia had both insisted that she still take it easy, so she figured a half shift would be enough to sate their worries."You're horrible sometimes, Oli." She chided, blowing her nose into a small tissue before she tossed it. With a delicate squeeze of hand sanitizer, she glanced at Olivia before rubbing her hands together.&nbs
With her arms crossed, Kaitlyn stared Jackson down as he raised his hands up in defense. Joshua only chuckled, cocking a brow. "Jackson didn't tell you, I take it? He came by the office awhile ago to see Randy. He more or less told me to come visit you. Said something about you missing me." He paused, kicking off his shoes at the door. "By the way, I'm sorry it took me so long to take his advice, work has been swamped. But I managed to get some time off to come see you." The way he said it, Kaitlyn recognized that he sounded almost guilty. His face looking a bit more weathered than the last time she saw him. Of course, he was still as handsome as ever though. No doubt, girls still peobably swarmed around him like they did when they were kids. She understood why, but she had never viewed him that way personally. He was the pretty boy brother she never had. So she didn't understand why he felt
Kaitlyn tried hard to hide the bile in her throat, her hands becoming finicky when the anxiety grabbed hold of her throat.She blinked away the irrational fear that caged her, looking down at her hands that had become fisted in her lap."I... see. I'm just surprised he didn't tell you, Randy tells you everything.""No, I know. That's why it's strange. I could tell you everything he's had for lunch for the past week, it's not like him to keep me in the dark."When she glanced up, Joshua had a scrunch to his brow, and a tension to his jaw. It reminded her a lot of when he used to scold them as teenagers, especially when they made plans to sneak out one night against his vocal protests.It meant something was bothering him, something he didn't like.It didn't help her worries at all.Because no matter how she tried to make sense of it, she failed. Something was strange, despite her hopes, her log