She's His Everything (He's My Body Guard Sequel)

(21) Old Times Sake

Have you ever had something happen to you and wonder what you'd ever done to deserve something so rotten? For me things like this happen quite frequently and I often wonder which past lifetime I have to thank. You'd think I'd suffered enough losing my parents, my home, my previous life, and Rayner. Of course I'd done some terrible things along the way but I never imagined karma could hurt this bad.

"Tori turn that off and stop torturing yourself." Jackson groaned throwing a pillow at the television set barely missing it. I'd switched it to a celebrity gossip station entirely out of boredom never expecting to see what I was watching. Eliza has found herself a new beau. My heart sank in my gut as I watched the station play back the video paparazzi had gathered of her and Rayner hand  in hand exiting a restaurant. Another camera had a caught Rayner's lips brush her cheek. I couldn't breathe. I completely forget how. "Tori!" Jackson grumbled prying the remote out of my cold dead hand turning the television off. "Fuck him and her. Come on let's go do something that doesn't involve drooling over the tv." He decided for me sitting up, slicking his long hair back, and pushing his feet into his boots. "You're not going to sit around here feeling sorry for yourself you're coming with me. Let's go." He tossed me my coat and shoved his arms into his own leather one placing an unlit cigarette between his lips.

"I don't feel like it Jackson. Besides it's Thursday I need to study." He rolled his eyes at me already knowing I didn't have school tomorrow and that I didn't actually need to study. He nodded his head beckoning me to follow as he grabbed the keys and walked out of the door. I sighed slipping my fuzzy boots on over my leggings and put my warm coat on following him reluctantly after locking the door making sure Kato stayed inside. I cluncked down the stairs in a bit of sorrow finding Jackson at the bottom of them blowing smoke from his lips. Lips that I wanted to devour in revenge. That wouldn't be fair though so I refrained from acting out because of Rayner.

"Where are we going?" I frowned annoyed he'd made me leave the fortress. He squeezed my arm and made some friction by rubbing up and down with his hand. He didn't say anything squinting his eyes as he inhaled more of his cigarette that smelled suspiciously of another substance. He offered me some and I shook my head just watching his eyes dance around in the dimming light. "Jackson tell me what we are doing or I'm going back inside. I'm cold. And sad." He laughed humorlessly stomping the butt of his cigarette out on the ground burying it with dirt. I had told him time and time again to get an ash tray to no avail.

"We are going to play pool for old times sake." He told me as if it were obvious what we should do. I gave him a blank pointed stare showing him my displeasure. "To play pool?" I inquired monotonously not warm to the idea. "Yeah I'm going back inside." I decided but he caught my arm just in time. "Oh no you don't Tori. I know how these things go and you aren't locking yourself in your room to cry. You're going out with me and we are going to hang out with the new guys I met through work. We are going to have fun." He promised confident in his ability to cheer me up despite my failed efforts at ditching him for my pillow and a sad movie.

After a few minutes of driving I was highly confused about where he was taking me. "Jackson why are we going toward the country club? The pool halls are on the opposite side of town." I clutched my aching head annoyed I'd have to be in the car longer than I needed to be. "Shh." He hushed and continued driving us in the wrong direction. I kept my mouth shut and just hoped he knew where he was going. It wasn't long until we were driving through my old neighborhood. I felt my heart begin to pound in my chest. "Jackson we have to turn around please." The panic was evident in my voice and I felt like I was breathing through a straw. I saw the street sign and my eyes bulged but by the grace of God he didn't turn down that road but on the next street instead.