I hate whoever that is lol
i feel sorry for her she’s just flavor of the month
Despite the warm day,a chill ran through me, hurt prickling my insides like a lance.
Damn.
Jackson hadn’t been wrong; some people were brutal. And while it certainly hurt to read, I was more put out by Jackson’s answer. He’d been the one to say he wanted us to be something more, inviting me to meet his entire family at Sarah’s wedding. There were photos of us together. So how would he explain pretending I wasn’t someone important in his life?
Returning to work, I found myself typing a message to see if he was free later so we could talk. He responded quickly, saying he’d be home and that he was looking forward to seeing me. When I couldn’t bring myself to say the same, I just sent a thumbs up. It definitely made me feel worse.
I wanted to laugh at how naïve I’d been. I’d thought being in public would be more about being photographed if we went to an event together or having my co-workers knowing about my personal life; I hadn’t ever expected this.
But Jackson had warned me, hadn’t he?
Weeks ago, he’d mentioned that this was what the women he slept with faced.
That’s what he meant when he joked just now about not being known for being in a serious relationship.
Because if he was seen with someone, they were just a fling.
But that wasn’t what he’d called me.
No one, he’d said.
I was disappointed, I realized. I had wanted him to acknowledge what we had.
And yet … the thought of it beingofficial… of what that might mean for my life and my work. Jackson had already proved with one photo that his influence could sell out an event I was hosting, and that was before anyone could connect us.
Once people knew … How would I ever really know what successes were mine alone or if they happened because I was “Jackson Ward’s girlfriend”?
Even if loving him was worth it, was I even ready for that?
The launch was close now, and I had a lot to focus on. It really wasn’t a good time to be doing anything other than working. I had feelings for him; there was no question about that in my mind. But I had been slipping incrementally out of my routine for weeks now, and the guilt I had about choosing him over my other responsibilities was starting to build into something I found difficult to ignore.
Jet entered my office with a tentative knock.
“Yes?” I asked, not looking away from my computer.
“Um, I just wanted to double-check something. Your email said to pay the invoice to Wilsons.”
“Yes.”
“But we already sent that through yesterday.”
“Oh. We did?”
He nodded. “Did you maybe mean the invoice to Wildflower?”
I flushed, my thoughts erratic. Had that been what I’d meant? “Uh, yeah.”
Jet looked visibly relieved. “Great. I’ll go do that now.”
Once he’d left, I dropped my head into my hands. What the hell was going on with me? I needed to get a grip. Jackson and I had already agreed to chat after work, so why couldn’t I concentrate?
I took a couple of deep breaths while I rubbed at my temple, a dull ache blooming behind my right eye. Another knock came, this one more decisive than Jet’s. Opening my eyes, I found David looking concerned. “You ok, kiddo?”
“Of course, why?”
