19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

L ayla was still dazed when she walked out of the ensuite in Jackson's room.

She had never really read up about schizophrenia because she'd been terrified that she would tick all the boxes. She'd had enough to worry about taking care of her sister. Maybe she should have read up on the first time the school counsellor had mentioned it.

Because she knew for a fact she was not the one who had initiated sex with Jackson.

She stopped when she saw the man himself lying on the bed with one arm behind his back and a drink in his hand, resting on his abs. Jackson's gaze lowered to the towel she had wrapped around herself and flashed red before he looked back at her face.

It was funny how that didn't scare her anymore.

"I've brought your bag in and unpacked," he said.

She saw the suitcase Micah had given her to pack her clothes lying empty next to the dressing room.

"You might want to go and explain to your sister why you've moved into your employer's bedroom. She's not very pleased," Jackson continued.

Her eyes widened. Britney had been the last thing on her mind when Jackson had made her scream his name. Nothing else seemed to matter when that weird thing happened to her body.

"The bedroom is soundproofed, but you still need to tell her about us, Layla. There's no turning back now," Jackson said before he brought his glass to his lips.

He didn't sound excited about the idea, and for some reason, that hurt. She couldn't even blame that on anything else. Jackson had gotten under her skin even when she was in her right mind.

She nodded and quickly walked into the dressing room. Her clothes hung neatly on the rail next to his, and her shoes had been placed on the shelves. She hadn't packed any of her ratty clothes but maybe she should have. Britney's accusation came back to her mind. She'd grown so used to wearing the clothes Jackson had given her, but she knew that wasn't what had changed her.

With a sigh, she picked a dress and flat shoes and dressed quickly. Jackson was still in the same spot when she walked out, and his eyes flashed again. She was beginning to understand what that meant because her body reacted every time she saw him, too.

"Keep your emotions under control," Jackson said. "Your eyes give you away when you're emotional."

Like his eyes did? Had she started doing that, too? That would be very inconvenient when she was walking around town, considering how many times a day someone or something pissed her off.

"When I leave, that will settle down, right?"

His eyes flashed again.

"Of course. Go and see your sister."

She'd heard the pause before he answered. She hated all the secrets Jackson kept from her but he was right. She was supposed to be watching a movie with Brit.

She left the bedroom without another word and walked down the hall towards the spacious lounge area. Britney was still on the sofa, clutching a cushion to her chest, and it was clear she wasn't paying attention to the movie.

"Did I miss much?"

Brit shot to her feet. Her hazel eyes were puffy, and her face was red. Her sister had been crying while she had been grinding up on Jackson in the dressing room.

"Brit..." she said as she rushed forward. Brit stepped back from her, making her stop in her tracks.

"You said you weren't sleeping with him," Britney whispered.

"I said he wasn't forcing me," she said gently. "Is that why you're crying?"

"I just told you that none of them are right," Britney said. "I know they're not because I can feel it. There's something about them... How could you sleep with him?"

Layla regarded her sister for a moment before she came to her decision. She hoped this was the first visit of many, so she wouldn't be able to hide her pregnancy for much longer.

"I'm sorry you're feeling like that," she started, "but Jackson and I are consenting adults. We're not doing anything wrong."

"Wait. Are you saying you're actually in a relationship with that..."

"Yes," she lied. "We're together. He's not bad once you get to know him.

Britney shook her head as if she couldn't deal with what she had said. There must have been another reason why her sister would feel that way. Had she seen more than the glowing eyes or heard more than growls? What would she do?

"I was just coming to tell you to go and get ready. We're going to have dinner together downstairs so you two can get to know each other," she lied.

It would put off the talk that Jackson wanted to have with her but at least it would put her sister at ease. She couldn't worry about Brit while locked away in the packhouse.

"Layla, I don't think—"

"Please. Do it for me. I like him," she cut in.

And she couldn't tell if that part was a lie. Did she like him? Britney's expression changed but she could still see the worry on her face.

"I'll go and change," Britney sighed and then walked towards her bedroom.

When her door was shut, she walked back towards Jackson's bedroom on the other side of the suite and realised she had left the door open. Jackson would have heard that conversation. Heat rushed to her face when she saw him sitting at the edge of the bed, waiting for her.

"You couldn't walk through the lobby earlier," Jackson said. "Do you think you'll make it through dinner?"

Shit. She hadn't thought of that. Everything was muted up here, but she felt as if her head would explode when she had been downstairs.

"I suppose this will be your practice run for when you leave," he said as he stood.

"Because it's not going to stop?" she questioned.

Again, that pause she had sensed before. It made her regret not insisting on the entire story before she had gone out to her sister.

"We'll talk after dinner. I'll get changed."

By the time she and Britney were waiting near the door, her regret had intensified. Was she going to get stuck like this forever? Would she always have to block out all the sounds? Would her eyesight remain sharper and her sense of smell so strong?

"Are you okay?" Britney whispered.

She put away her worries and smiled at her sister before she put her arm around her shoulder.

"Of course," she lied. "And you look beautiful in that dress."

Seeing Brit dressed up was weird, but that was what she had always wanted for her sister. For a change, she wasn't wearing her ill-fitting hand-me-downs or second-hand clothes from a thrift shop. The simple purple skater dress brought out her hazel eyes, and she had even applied some light makeup. Brit didn't look like she had just been crying.

"I agree. You both look stunning. I'll be the envy of everyone there tonight."

Jackson's deep voice had her turning to watch him approach. She disagreed with his statement. He was back in a suit, a blue one that made his eyes more noticeable, and it was probably tailored to fit his huge frame. All eyes would be on him; no one else would shine.

"Shall we head out?"

Jackson opened the door and walked out first. She noticed how he focused on his surroundings as if he was making sure it was alright to step out of their rooms before he turned back to them with a smile.

A smile.

She hadn't seen one of those since she had tried to escape.

Brit's hesitation was obvious, but she coaxed her forward. If her sister was ever going to believe she was with Jackson of her own free will, she had to show her this lie, this facade. Jackson held out his other hand for her and then entwined their fingers.

Like lovers did.

She hadn't touched him for so long that even that felt like sensory overload. Their gazes met, and a thought she didn't want filtered through her mind.

What if this was real?

What if she was just a girl having a baby with her boyfriend, going out to dinner?

But she knew that tonight things would change. She would get her questions answered, and then her life would never be the same again. She'd known that from the first time he'd hesitated to answer her question.

The elevator ride was silent, but as they approached the ground floor, Jackson gently squeezed her hand to reassure her.

"If you get... If you get tired, just let me know. We'll head straight back up," Jackson said.

She knew he meant if she couldn't block out all the noise. Was she ready for that?

The doors opened and Jackson led them out. The noise hit her immediately; no matter how much she tried to block it, it was too much. Cars outside, people talking everywhere as if they were shouting, dogs barking, dishes and glasses twinkling.

She looked up at Jackson as her panic started to rise, but his eyes were calm.

"Focus on one thing," he whispered.

The first thing she latched onto was his heartbeat. Strong and steady. All the noise started to disappear until it became more tolerable.

Jackson seemed to know when she was okay because he started to walk towards the hotel's restaurant. But as they were walking, his heart skipped a beat. And then it beat triple times.

Something was wrong. Again.

Was Costas back?

She looked around the lobby, but she didn't see anyone familiar. Unless she counted Miss Roberts, who had a look of pure hostility on her face. A lot more than she usually had. But she couldn't be the one who had made Jackson's heart skip like that.

"Let's go, ladies. I'm famished," Jackson said.

And he smiled as if nothing had happened. Another secret. Something else that would shake her world; she knew that for sure.