"I never found out. It sounded like the wind blowing something around."
"Jackson." Roman walks into the living room. "You should get to bed. You have a long day tomorrow."
"I can't sleep." He puts his arm around me. "Dad, this is my girlfriend, Rumor."
"We've met," he says, giving me a nod. "You should be getting home, Rumor. It's late."
"She's going to stay here tonight," Jackson says.
"I am?" I say, looking at Jackson.
"If you want to."
I smile. "I definitely want to."
"It's a bad idea," Roman says. "You two shouldn't be together with everything that's going on."
"That's exactly why we SHOULD be together." Jackson pulls me into his side. "We need each other now more than ever."
"Jackson, I—"
"I'm an adult now, Dad," Jackson says in a stern tone. "It's what you wanted. I've been living on my own for years. Just because you're here doesn't mean you can tell me what to do."
Roman looks at him, his lips pursed, eyes narrowed. "I'll see you in the morning."
He turns and walks off.
"Have you guys been fighting?" I whisper.
"Not until just now. He's actually been decent to me all day. He's doing everything he can to get me out of this."
"That's good. I didn't think he ever helped you."
"He usually doesn't, but this affects his reputation. He doesn't want to be in the tabloids and on the news because his son is a murderer. That's why he's here. It's not for me."
I hug him. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I'm used to it." He leans down and kisses my head. "Let's go in my room."
"Where is it?"
"Just down the hall." He takes my hand and walks me down to a large bedroom that looks out at the ocean. It's stark like the living room with just a king-sized bed and two bedside tables.
"Does the owner of this place ever live here?" I ask.
"No. He uses it like a hotel. Stays here whenever he's in town, maybe a couple weeks total out of the year. Sometimes he rents it out, like he's doing for me."
We lay on the bed and I snuggle into Jackson's arms. I'd love to have sex with him but maybe later. Right now, I just want to be in his arms. Feel his body next to mine. Listen to him breathe.
Just hours ago I thought I'd lost him. I thought they'd never let him go. It's the most scared I've ever been other than seeing my mom collapse on the floor and never wake up. I knew I'd lost her and I felt that away again when I saw them take Jackson away.
I can't lose him. I can't say goodbye to another person I love.
We have to find the person who did this.
Chapter Eight
We wake up to pounding on the bedroom door.
