Enemy Beloved

15 | no love land

"We should stop, Jackson," I demand, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'm not Chris. I know your true face and it's ugly. No matter how handsome the exterior looks."

He stares at me with a stoic look on his face.

"What did you say?" he asks, taking a step closer.

"I'm not naive enough to be your prey." I take a step back to create an appropriate distance between us. "You think you can seduce me to bed? Is that all you want? Is that the only reason you agreed to help me? 'Cause if it's true, then I'm sorry to say this but it means you have bad intentions."

"I have bad intentions?" he scoffs, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You're one to talk."

"Excuse me?"

"You know what I mean." He moves back, tracing his bottom lip with his tongue. "You're the one who shamelessly proposed to me for this marriage. I might just be flirting with you to make it less strange between us but remember, it was you who started it."

A burst of involuntary laughter takes over me at that.

"Oh wow! You seem pretty offended as if you didn't put the conditions before me." I quote in the air and an amused expression catches his face.

"So what did you expect me to do? Just accept your help and then let you ruin my family's name by throwing yourself at other guys like a whore? After our marriage?" he rages. "That's not the Jackson way, Claire. We respect our women and we want them to respect our name. Get that inside your head."

He is justifying himself like I am the only one to be blamed for this mess. Bullshit!

"It's better to be a whore than a murderer at least." I blurt out and then bite my lip, regretting my words instantly.

Vaughn stares at me agape as I close my eyes shut, pinching the bridge of my nose.

Shit! Shit!

He doesn't say anything, just walks past me and pulls open the cupboard to bring out his suitcase. For a second, I think he is about to leave me here alone but am relieved when he just opens it and searches through his clothes.

"Vaughn, I'm so sorry...I didn't mean that." I walk up to him as he takes out a T-shirt and trousers.

"I don't need your fake apology, Claire," he says as he shuts the suitcase and places it back in the cupboard. "Your lack of filter in your mouth speaks the truth."

"Hey! That's mean," I joke, trying to lighten the mood.

I turn around when I find him unbuttoning his shirt.

Please God...don't ruin this night for us. I'm so sorry.

When I turn around, my eyes come into straight view with hard muscles and a sturdy back. I watch dumbfounded, ogling at his flexing muscles, as he throws his shirt in the cupboard and starts to put on his T-shirt.

"I know you hate me, blondie," he speaks, pulling me back to reality. "That doesn't mean you have a right to judge me for past actions."

"I wasn't judging you!" I move forward and slip my body between his tall frame and the cupboard. He looks startled at my action and stops midway with one hand on his belt buckle. He doesn't move from his place. "I was just upset. I don't think of you as a—" I stop, not wanting to repeat the venomous word.

"Murderer?" he says it for me. "Go on, say what you think of me. I have been hearing that term for four years now and it doesn't make any difference."

"You don't understand..." I press the heels of my hands over my eyes, sighing dejectedly. "I really didn't mean it. It was just on the spur of the moment."

"Why did you say that? Because you had it in your mind, right?"

"No."

"Don't lie to me!" he shouts suddenly, slamming a hand above my head, making me recoil. He brings his face close to mine and I find myself trapped. "Don't fucking lie to me. You said it because that's your opinion of me too. You're just like all the others. Nothing but a girl with major daddy issues."

Furious, I grab the collar of his T-shirt into fists. "Don't you dare mock my Dad!"

"Hurts, doesn't it?" He pulls away, yanking my hands off him. "Hurts me too."

"What do you want me to say then? That you're not the reason my brother is dead today?" I yell. "Your recklessness killed him, Vaughn! I'll never forgive you for that."

He grows silent, a muscle in his jaw ticking as he digs his nails into his palms.

"Do you think I didn't suffer for what happened?" he seethes. "You have no idea what I went through! Your father made sure to destroy my family." His voice rises and turns shaky as he spills the words. "I lost my Dad just after I lost my best friend. Do you know what it did to me? Your father destroyed my family in the name of justice. I was all alone, Claire. My mother started blocking me out, my sister was confused and sick when she heard the story. She felt ashamed of having a brother like me. Our whole family was shattered."

"Shattered?" I mock his words. "You don't look shattered enough to me."

I am pushed against the cupboard and cry softly when his hold on my arms tightens. I am standing on my toes as he presses me harder. His eyes are red with anger and for the first time, I am scared about what he might say next.

"You've no right to speak to me that way." He takes another step to close the minuscule distance between us until I can feel the hard muscles of his body digging against mine. I have lost my voice, perplexity getting the best of me. "It took me every second of my life to build this empire back. The fame you see today is a result of my fucking hard work. Not everyone gets to live a life as privileged as yours."

His words hit me hard and remind me of the look on his mother's face. She looked so happy when I told her that I loved her son and I didn't even stop to think about the reason. I assumed that she was just being grateful to me but it seems like their relationship goes deeper than that.

"I...I'm..." I feel ashamed of my words but my courage to apologize fails when my sight falls on the red liquid dripping out of Vaughn's nose. He is bleeding. "You...you're bleeding," I say instead, pointing at his nose.

He lets go of me and takes a few steps back, putting a hand under his nose and bringing it down to look at the blood covering his fingers. The sight of the thick blood makes my stomach churn.

"Here, let me see—" I reach forward.

"Don't touch me!" he growls, blocking me away.

He rushes to the bathroom and I follow behind him, my heart racing frantically.

Did it happen because of me?

I watch in concern, standing at the bathroom door, as he washes his face, the flow of blood not stopping.

"Vaughn, please let me help," I beg him, sympathy clawing at my heart.

He looks at my reflection in the mirror and I notice the rage in his eyes which is still evident. He silences me when he turns around and slams the door shut on me. I hear the lock being put on and guilt rushes through me.

I hurt him. I hurt Vaughn.

Why did I say those things to him? That was so wrong. We were having so much fun before this and I ruined it all. Now, it feels like he won't forgive me easily.

Why do I feel so bad for hurting him this way?

I don't realize when I start to cry but when I reach the bed and pull my knees to my chest, I feel my cheeks wet with tears that are not even close to a stop.

No wonder my Dad hates me. I always ruin everything.