Either way, I hope this means I get more of him. I will be pushing him over the edge next time.
I throw my Keurig on and send Britt a text.In a matter of minutes, she’s flying through my front door just like I knew she would be.
“Girl, you better tell me everything.”
“I will, I will. But you’re going to need coffee.”
“Am I going to need a shot of Baileys in that coffee?”
I laugh. “Probably! I think we both might. Ugh, I should really watch what they’re putting out about Jackson. What did TMZ release?”
“They’re blasting my brother. But with the video released, I can see why. Jackson turned his back on Nick when Nick approached him, but then he just turned around and swung, Chess! I mean, it shows Nick walking up behind him, but then he just starts pummeling him! Why was he even there?”
I cringe. I knew it would be bad. What I saw when I was coming back from the bathroom was not good. “I don’t know why he was there, but it felt like he was there specifically for us. Jackson said he made some comments about me and that set him off. No one called the cops, but I got us out of there pretty fast. Nick was screaming he was going to sue. I’ll have to see if anything has been filed with the local courts.”
Oh god, this is bad. This is the exact reputation we were trying to disparage.
“Was Jackson hurt? It didn’t look like Nick even touched him.”
“Which is going to make it even worse.”
“Well, no, it just looks like he was defending himself.”
“Not if he swung first!” I groan again, laying my head on the island. I can’t even begin to pick up my phone right now.
“You’re going to help him, right?” Britt asks.
I snap up. “Of course, I will! This is my fault he got into this; I’ll make sure it’s cleaned up. We just have more work to do, that’s all.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it sound like you did this. I just know he was really hoping to get his life straightened out.”
It’s what I promised him and now my drama has just caused more harm.
“He’s your brother, I get it. I’d be upset too. And I am upset for him. I won’t lie, this doesn’t look good, but he made some goodcontacts last night. We just need to put out a statement toning this down immediately and hopefully it will blow over. Though, knowing Nick, he’s going to take it and run with it.”
Britt gets a smirk on her face. “Speaking of running, why did I see my brother sneaking across the street at five in the morning?” She raises a brow, waiting for my explanation.
I smother my smile, but my eyes give me away.
“You fucked!” She slaps the island and I jump.
“Jesus, Britt! Not so loud!”
“It’s about time! I want to shout it to the world!” She’s laughing and so am I, but I want to smother her.
“Stop, it wasn’t like that. It was… it was right. And so good,” I groan. “Britt, I know you don’t want to hear this about your brother, but he is something else.”
She moves around in her seat. “Its fine, I knew he’d be hot in bed, I mean, I am, and we’re related so it’s a given,” she laughs then shrugs. “Trust me, I’ve heard worse, the guys talk openly.”
“I’m not just saying the physical act, but his heart, his mind. Britt, the Jackson I was with last night, was the Jackson I fell in love with as a kid. He was saying all the right things, and we were on the same page. It was so good, but I don’t know now. Today is a new day. Things look different in the daylight after a pot of coffee. The night and champagne have a way of making things happen, but the daylight is when you have to deal with those happenings. I’m afraid of what that light has uncovered for him today.”
She grabs my hand. “No way. I know my brother, and I know what I’ve been seeing since you’ve been back. He’s different. Happy. And even after the mess on TMZ, I don’t think he’s going to run.”
There’s a knock on the door, and I perk up, hoping it’s Jackson.But then I see my brother Tom walk through the door, in uniform.
“Oh no, what’s going on?” I ask.
Toms’ expression is tight. He never gives much away. He’s reserved, but he’d lay down his life for those he loves. His whole life is about what he can do for others, rather than what they can do for him.
