The Ember In The Storm (undergoing editing)

Part II

     Elizabeth stared at Jackson in confusion. She blinked countlessly and watched as he stood to his feet, combing through his hair for the hundredth time that evening.

He turned his back at her, holding his waist and biting his bottom lip as to what he really needed to say. God, he did not even know what had to be said, so he decided to just speak without thinking for once.

He turned his head back down at her. She only looked up at him like she had seen a ghost. "You need me for what? To pass time when you are bored?"

"Do you ever not belittle yourself?" He raised a brow. "Elizabeth, I need you and I do not even know why. The need to hold you, the need to touch you", he brought his hands in front of himself, showing how he wanted her to be in his arms. "It burns", he breathed. "You left an imprint on my skin and the thirst for you leaves me drowning. The more I resist it, the deeper I fall and if I just accept it, I could feel you reaching out for me", he rambled, a little too fast but enough for Elizabeth to take in every word.

She did not respond. Only looked at him with an expression hard for him to read. Finally, she spoke. "Th-then what are you trying to tell me?"

Oh she knew what he was trying to tell her. It was an elephant in the room she wanted him to speak of first. If he did not cut to the chase, she would be burdened to carry it.

"I am trying to tell you the truth, Elizabeth. Let us be real, why do you think I kissed you whenever I had a chance? Or why I did my very best to keep you safe? You think I just enjoyed having my tongue shoved down you?" He raised a brow. His last sentence had her shifting uncomfortably with blush.

"I thought you only protected me because I was a woman", she admitted shyly.

He huffed. "I did it because you are my woman". She had to lift her head to face him, wondering if she had heard right.

"And I feel like an idiot for denying it all these days. I was scared, I hate love. Even though we never exactly started our path smoothly, I burn for you, I desire you, I can not rest my head for wanting you. Even when I did not like you the most, I lusted for you. It is the most maddening, beguiling, damnable thing, but there it is", he threw his hand in the air as if in surrender. "And maybe all this nonsense is I trying to admit... that I love you, and it hurts but I love it. I never expected it to ever be you, you know? But it is, it is all of you".

Elizabeth pressed her lips inwards, realizing that he had stopped talking. This was the moment she had to say how she felt back or say something, anything. Yet however, the author of her story did not know what to make or let her say. She was silent and just stared like a mannequin.

Eventually, she gathered the courage to speak. "But everyone, everything... you mustn't love me. You are not supposed to. You are a General and—"

"Fuck being a General", he exclaimed, his voice echoing around the room. She gasped at his use of words. "Elizabeth", he muttered walking back to her, kneeling besides her and holding her hands. "I do not care if loving you hurts me, the world has already enough pain to dole out for no reason. And even if this hurts me eventually, I would have gotten those scars from something beautiful".

"But—" she tried to start before he interrupted her.

"I do not need your permission to fall in love with you. You may not love me back and that is understandable, however it will not stop me from making you my first priority in life", he looked at nothing but her eyes as he said these words. The look in his eyes terrified her, this was the most petrifying thing she had ever witnessed. Truly, this man had somehow fallen in love with her. He seemed so assured with his choice.