“Wait here,” he says, walking to the entry.
I remain in the living room but walk over to where I can hear them talking.
“What are you doing here, Kristen?” Jackson says. “I told you not to come over here.”
“I had to,” she says, sniffling. “I had nowhere else to go.”
“Kristen, I told you, we can’t keep doing this. I’m with Rumor now and it isn’t fair to her to—”
“This isn’t about her!” she yells. “It’s abouthim! He attacked me! Just now! It’s why I left.” She hiccups a breath. “I didn’t know what to do. I’ve never seen him like that.”
She starts crying. Breathy sobs that echo in the open entryway.
She’s a good actor. I’ll give her that.
“Attacked youhow?” Jackson says, sounding doubtful. It’s a sign he believes me, at least a little. “He went in your room again?”
“No. It wasn’t like that tonight. It was different. He got angry and . . .” She pauses. “He tried to strangle me.”
“And you got away? The guy’s twice your size.”
“I shoved him and kicked him in the balls!” she screams. “Why are you acting like you don’t believe me? I told you what he’s like. He’s a monster!”
“I don’t see any marks on your neck.”
“Right here. Look.”
It gets quiet, then I hear Jackson sigh. “Go in my bathroom. I have stuff in there you can put on it.”
Her heels click on the floor as she walks to his room.
Jackson returns to the living room. “I’m going to let her stay.”
“Are you serious?” I race up to him. “Why are you letting her stay? She’s lying. She made it all up.”
He shakes his head. “The marks were on her neck. When she moved her hair I could see them.”
“She probably made them herself.”
“I don’t see how she could’ve. Someone else would’ve had to do it. Rumor, I’m sorry but I don’t feel right sending her back there if Steven really did this.”
“Isn’t her mom home?”
“She went to her place in LA for the night. She might stay there all week.”
“Meaning Kristen will be stayinghere?” I huff. “I can’t believe this. You think I made it up, don’t you?”
“No.” He holds my hands and leans down to me. “You heard me telling her to leave. But then I saw those marks on her neck. If I thought they were fake, I would’ve kicked her out.”
“I’m leaving,” I say, yanking away from him and heading to the back door.
He comes around in front of me. “Rumor, stop. You don’t have to go.”
I look at him. “Jackson, I really need you to think about this and make a decision.”
“I’m trying to get her out of my life. I’m almost there. I just need more time to figure out what’s going on.”
“What’s going on is she’s lying to you. Manipulating you.”
