Lockwood Creek Book Two - This can be read as a stand-a-lone.
A Why Choose Story.
Maddy Lockwood was the Perfect Daughter and to save the Lockwood family she agreed to a marriage she did not want, but now she will learn the hard way that no matter...
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~ ~ Maddy ~ ~
"I'm good. Just go find Jackson, yeah?" asked Logan.
My stomach turned over on itself, hating that I had to decide which one of them needed me more. Both were in shock at the news of their mama's death and finding out they had a half-sister and I desperately wanted to comfort them both. Jackson storming off was his way of dealing with things, his way of hiding the pain he felt. Logan was the complete opposite. I could read the open emotion on his face. There was anguish there, but hope too. And need. So much need.
It was like being caught between a rock and hard place. Would it always be like this? Wishing I could split myself in two and be there for both?
But then something in Logan's eyes spiked my heart-rate. I couldn't put my finger on it, but they looked haunted by something. Scared even.
That made my decision for me. Pressing a kiss to his forehead, I hightailed after Jackson.
Shutting the door behind me, I tried to get my head around them having a half-sister and their mama just leaving them when they were so young.
Logan, on the face of it, was handling it better than Jackson, that's for sure.
And I understood Jackson's anger towards his mama, and to some extent, Casey. Not that it was right being angry with her.
Shielding my eyes from the sun, which was already throwing out some serious heat this early in the day, I looked for Jackson. Spotting him up head, he was going toward the stables. His foot-fell seemed heavy as dirt and dust kicked up around him.
"Jackson—hold up," I called out, picking up my steps.
He either didn't hear me or he was choosing not to acknowledge me.
Was he angry at me, too? Did he think I was taking Casey's side or Logan's? In truth, I wasn't taking any sides. I didn't know enough about the situation, but sitting next to him when Casey had said their mama was dead, the anger from him had wrapped around me like a heavy blanket.
"Jackson!" I shouted louder and pumped my legs harder to catch up to him.
He didn't even pause or slow his steps
"Jackson, stop!" I panted, grabbing hold of his tee-shirt at the small of his back when I caught up to him.
He stopped then but didn't turn around. His shoulders heaved. They shifted and rippled up and down in a jerky motion and my heart-rate went back to double-tapping.
"Jackson?" I whispered his name again. As a question. A plea for him to turn around for him to see I wasn't the enemy here.
He heard it and finally turned to face me and the pain in his eyes shot right to the heart of me. It was all there, in the lines around his eyes, the set of his jaw, the tilt of his mouth. "Go back inside the house, Maddy. Stay with Logan."
