Married To A Stranger

Honeymoon Suite

Pippa's POV

"Are you sure you'll be okay alone all day?" Jackson asks, shrugging on a shirt while I watch on from his bed. It's barely seven, I don't know how Jackson got up for his eight am classes after driving across town to rescue me from Jane's, then staying up all night talking to me till the sky lightened. We talked about anything and everything. From my mom kicking me out, to why Cartoon Network was better than Nickelodeon. And not once did he try anything. He's a horny twenty year old guy, yet he never laid a hand on me.

"I'll be okay. I'll go to the library. Maybe crash a freshmen orientation." I yawn. My blonde hair is a nest on top of my head. I need a long shower, and Jackson's dark green hoodie looks like it's swallowing me whole. I look gross, I had one of the worst days of my life yesterday, yet I had the best sleep of my life.

"Please give me an excuse to skip my classes." Jackson groans, collapsing onto his bed by my feet.

"You can't. You could miss something important. Or fall behind. Oh god, what if you miss a pop quiz or something?" I'm suddenly wide awake at all the things that could go wrong if Jackson decides to waste his time on me.

"Okay, okay. I'll go, but I won't like it. Don't worry, Hermione." Jackson says, sitting up and giving my hand a squeeze that sends my heart fluttering.

"If you get bored I'm only a text away." Jackson says, his fingers interlocking with mine. "Please text." He adds, making me smile.

"I will." I promise. "Between classes." I add, earning an eye roll.

"God, you're almost as bad as my parents." He grumbles.

"See you after classes." Jackson leans in, and presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth. Our eyes mirrors each other's shock. That's the first time we've been close to kissing. Just mere inches that feels like miles away, our eyes staring each other down.

"Ugh... See you later, Pippa." Jackson jumps to his feet, and waves as he rushes off.

"Ouch." Warren pipes up from up high on his bunk bed. "You got swerved so hard I think I see tire tracks." Warren winces.

-----

The community showers in Jackson's coed dorm are gross. The water pressure is bad, and there isn't enough hot water to go around. The floors are slimy, and it stinks like mold.

But I'm incredibly grateful for it.

Blonde locks stick to my face as lukewarm water drizzles down on me. It's simple, gross, but the humbleness of these showers gives it charm. Others' singing and humming keeps me company as I wash away my mother's glares from yesterday.

I don't miss my mom's expensive lavender soaps imported from India. Or the hard marble floor that I always slipped on every morning. Or the fancy Egyptian cotton towels I wasn't allowed to use.

Although, I do miss my mom.

-----

My arms ache as I carry a stack of books back to Jackson's dorm. Jackson left me his library card, and I went to town. I have enough encyclopedias to become a living and breathing Goggle.

A yellowing sock with a hole hangs off the doorknob, making my brows knit together. Is this an inside joke between Jackson and one of his friends? Or a dorm tradition? Or did someone really just leave a random sock on the door?

Bracing my tower of books in one arm, I gently push the door open and nearly drop my books at sight on the other side of the door. A shirtless Warren and two other girls in just their bras mack on each other.

"Hey there, Pippa." Warren chuckles, pulling away from one of his ladies. My face goes bright red as my stomach knots up. My mouth opens up to say sorry, but nothing but a weak whimper comes out.

"Up here in college a sock on the door translates to sex." Warren explains casually. I nod dumbly, my hand desperately thumbing around for the doorknob.

"S-s-s-sor-rry." I stutter, snapping the door shut. Breaking out into a brisk walk in a random direction, I try to push the image out of my head.

-----

After hours, and half a can of Lysol disinfect I'm finally back in Jackson's dorm. Hanging upside down over the edge of Jackson's bed like a monkey off a tree I read a textbook passionately.

"Ugh!" Jackson groans, kicking the door open. He dumbs his books on the futon, and massages his temples.

"God, I hate being a pre-med." He groans, collapsing next to me on his bed.

"I'm taking it your classes were a little to informative?" I try, my brown eyes still glued to my book.

"I can't feel my brain." He bitterly grumbles. "Don't make me look at that book. I can't stand looking at books anymore." He pulls the book out of my hands.

"Hey, I was in the middle of a really interesting theory of how the moon landing was faked." I bolt upright for my book, but Jackson tosses it aside with a grimacing thud.

"I can already feel my headache going away without that eyesore." Jackson says, letting his dark eyes shut. I eye my book longingly, mentally repeating the last sentence I read like it is the last I love you from a once great love.

"... Plus I wanted to see your face.... It's a lot prettier than some book..." That gains my attention. My brown eyes lock with his suddenly open eyes, which stare me down. My heart pounds into a unsteady beat under his gaze. The back of my hand grazes his knuckles, should I give in and hold his hand? Should I close the distance between us, and hold him? Every inch between us feels like it's burning like a star.

"How was your first day of college?" Jackson asks, inching away. My heart flatlines, and I try to ignore my bruised feelings. Although, they dully punch the back of my heart like some brute kicking someone while they're already down.

"Interesting." I find my voice, but lost my ability to look him in the eyes.

"Just interesting? I thought you'd fall in love with university." Jackson says. I can feel his eyes lingering on my face.

"The library was great. The showers were gross. The dinning hall wasn't gourmet, which I loved. Everyone here is so driven or free. Although, walking in on Warren getting it on in a threesome wasn't exactly the highlight of my day." I explain. Jackson springs upright to gawk at me.

"You walked in on Warren having sex?!" He exclaims, his eyes wide with horror. "He didn't put a sock on the door?!" He whirls around to glare at the door as if it is responsible. Seems like everyone but me knew about that sock thingy.

"No, no! Warren socked the door. I just didn't know." I explain, sitting up. "And the intercourse didn't happen yet." I add quickly, my cheeks going a deep pink at the word intercourse. Jackson's shocked face slacks, and his hands clutch his heart.

"Oh god, I think I just had a heart attack." He breathes.

"You're the pre-med." I say. I might have gotten an A in anatomy, but I never took a large interest in cardiology besides memorizing all the chambers in the heart. I fan my hot cheeks with my hands to make the obnoxious red to fade. Is smoke coming out of my ears? Because I feel like I'm steaming with humiliation. I thought Jackson would laugh it off, not.... Go boom!

"Come on." Jackson gestures me over.

"What?"

"We have to go get eye drops or something for your poor eyes, Pippa."