†𝖜𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖉 ∞ ongoing

chapter 24 ∞ red flags

His words make me laugh. Interesting how he thinks sometimes.

"You're in for a treat then." I smile, crossing my arms across my chest.

Jackson observes my movements and analyzes my response. I can hear the gears turning in his head. He licks the inside of his cheek and shoves his hands in his pockets.

"You're something else, aren't you?"

I dare to step closer and it's almost ridiculous how tempting it is to touch him, "Get in the car and you can find out."

He pauses before speaking. Tilts his head in thought, staring. Then shakes his head from left to right, "Not tonight, love." His expression is hard to read.

"Sorry? Jackson Cadestone rejecting sex?" I nearly sputter over my words.

"I'm not rejecting it," he smiles then suddenly yanks my wrist to whisper into my ear, "I'm delaying it." My hand lies flat on the side of his car and it takes a minute for me to become aware of the space that ceased to exist between our bodies.

"That makes no sense."

"Sure it does," his grip tightening around my forearm, "It'll happen if you want it to, trust me it will. Just not here. Not now."

My eyes dart over to his that have gone dark. I'm not sure if it's because of the sun that had disappeared past the horizon or simply because of the sexual tension coursing through the atmosphere.

"Why?"

My curiosity makes him smirk. His left hand still attached to my right, he naturally reaches out his free hand to the side of my ribs. This isn't the first time he's done this yet my breathing stops again. Staring at me slyly, his fingers trace down the skin of my waistline.

"You're not worth that, Via."

An immensely large pounding starts throbbing in my head, signaling a red flag, waving it around obnoxiously through my mind in alert. My breathing slows when his fingers stop at the string tied to my bikini bottom.

"You really think I'd let us fuck for the first time in my car?"

I stay silent. Because instantaneously, his words seem to have a double meaning.

Finally releasing my wrist, he raises his hand to my cheek and lowers it to my jaw. Glancing at my mouth, he rubs his thumb over my lips.

"Quit frowning."

Quit fucking around with my emotions.

"Am I supposed to feel insulted? Or am I retaining your words differently than you intended them to come out?" Becoming annoyed I push his hand down.

His mouth shifts into a firm line as his eyelids droop nearly halfway down his eyes. Sighing he says, "You deserve a shit ton better."

That's not even close to what I thought he was going to say.

"You're worth a lot more than sex, Nova. You understand that?"

I'm confused.

"Based on what I've heard about you there seems to be some kind of ongoing pattern with you and the guys you fuck around with, yeah?" He removes his hands in a polite manner and crosses his arms.

I scowl, "Where did you hear that?"

He ignores the question, "They fuck and leave, don't they?"

"Jack what are you getting at—"

"You think I'm gonna do the same?"

Silence. I don't want to answer that. I don't even want to think about that. So I stare blankly at my feet.

"Look at me," I hear him say in a quiet, husky voice.

I listen and look at him, "Why do you care? I've known you less than a month."

"I don't know."

And for some reason the answer hurts. It almost sends a burning sensation down my throat.

"But every time I see you I get this overwhelming need to protect you." For the first time in a long time, the phrase makes me feel safe. So incredibly safe that my muscles and everything within me starts to relax involuntarily. Butterflies enter my stomach.

"I don't need you," I lie.

"You saying that isn't gonna make me feel any different."

His presence starts to feel more comfortable by the second and I don't understand, I can't comprehend why my body continues to become less tense.

I take a deep breath and hug the towel closer to my body as a wind breezes past, "Jack I don't want you—"

"Yeah, well I do."

"What?"

Our eyes lock together. And in one swift movement, he gently places his hands back on my cheeks to look at my face only inches away.

"You mean a lot more than you think you do. And I really need you to not take my intentions the wrong way, okay?"

I look back and forth between his eyes and his lips, wanting to lean in more than anything in the world right now. I didn't know it would feel so good to hear those particular words come from him.

Jack lets go of me and instead, lowers his chin to kiss my forehead. I swear to god this man is driving me crazy.

"I wanna take you somewhere."

He doesn't even let me respond before taking my hand and guiding me over to the passenger's seat of his car. He opens the door, holding it for me, "Hop in."

The boy helps me climb in and even places his hand on the entrance of the door to make sure I didn't bump my head.

"Where are we going?" I ask, sensing his sudden rush.

The dimple appears in his left cheek again, "You wanna know?"

I nod.

He comes in close to me, his hand coming down to rest on my upper thigh. I hold my breath.

"Wait and see."

∞

a/n: have a love hate relationship with this chapter so lmk what u think. thank u for the love recently! we're so close to 10k reads and sending hugs to those who are still around <3 where do u think jackson's gonna take nova?