Falling For Jackson Again ✓

26| BIG DOGS ARE HEAVY

I really need to keep my composure. "Um," I licked my lips nervously, tucking a few strands of hair behind my ear as I attempted to start a conversation. "I... um, I just wanted to check up on you since I tried calling you and you didn't reply to my text messages." I lowered my head slightly, my voice trailing off towards the end.

He didn't say anything for a moment, and then finally spoke up. "Do you want to head inside?" he asked, sounding a bit odd.

I raised my head, confusion evident on my face. "Huh?"

He smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You must be hungry, and I remember someone telling me how they would love it if I made kimpap for them every Friday." Amusement danced across his features. He raised two fingers to his mouth and let out a sharp whistle, calling the dog over to him.

"I don't know," I glanced at the dog before looking back at him, uncertainty in my voice. "It seems like you have your hands full."

I chuckled as the dog approached me, its eyes fixed on its owner. It panted heavily, its tongue hanging out, drool dripping onto the ground. Its cuteness made me giggle, and my hands instinctively started to play with it, eliciting a louder bark of excitement.

"I think we should take her inside," Jackson intervened, his voice breaking through my amusement.

So it's a girl dog? Who would've guessed.

"Alright," I reluctantly released myself from her and watched as Jackson lured the dog towards his house. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a key, and opened the door. The dog wagged her tail and barked happily. "Ladies first," Jackson said, stepping aside to let her enter. Then he turned to me, a playful glint in his eyes, and made a gesture as if reaching out his hand. "That includes you, Mia," he smirked.

God, I love the way he says my name.

"Fine," I blurted out, ignoring how adorable he looked in that moment. I grabbed my backpack and stepped inside his home.

Once again, we were alone.

"I didn't get a dog, in case you're wondering," he stated, locking the door and heading towards the kitchen. "Sometimes the animal shelter gets overcrowded, so my mom takes care of them from home."

"Oh, she's a vet?" I never knew that.

He looked surprised. "Didn't I tell you?" I shook my head. "Oh," he looked a bit sad. "I just assumed your mom had mentioned it."

That made me laugh. "Maybe she did, but I don't think I would remember."

"Why not?"

"Because the only thing I ever asked about was you." Did I just say that?

"Woah," he said, and I could tell he thought I was strange. "And here I thought I was the only one." Did I just imagine him saying that?

"What?"

He stared at me for a moment but then cleared his throat, heading to the kitchen. "Maybe I should start making the kimpap, and this time you're eating with chopsticks!" He called out the 'chopstick' part as he disappeared into the kitchen.

I wanted to dwell on his response, but a certain dog was bouncing around me, demanding my full attention. I guess she loved being the center of it, and who could blame her?

I made my way to the living room, the dog's tail wagging happily behind me. I dropped my bag next to me and settled onto one of the seats. As I started to relax, the dog hopped onto my lap, stretching her paws and releasing a yawn.

I guess she was tired.

I decided to gently stroke her head, particularly behind her ears as I had heard that pets loved that. Thankfully, it seemed to work. Her eyes grew heavy, and soon enough, she was fast asleep on my lap. It was adorable, until I felt her full weight on my legs, and boy, was she heavy.

"Um, Jackson," I trailed off, calling his name because I didn't have the strength to carry this adorable, big dog. I heard footsteps, and there he was, holding a plate of kimpap, his eyes fixed on the situation. "I need your help."

He burst into laughter.

"It's not funny," I told him, but he continued laughing. Even though his deep laughter was undeniably attractive, it was still annoying that he was laughing at me, which made me a little upset. "Fine, just stand there. I'll do it myself." I decided to nudge the dog, but she just groaned, and honestly, it startled me a bit.

"Don't wake her," he said, setting the plate down and walking towards me. "She rarely gets to sleep at the clinic, so it's a relief that she's finally taking a nap."

I sighed, listening to his explanation. "So, what do you want me to do? Stay here until she wakes up? My legs will go numb," I whined, not caring how it sounded.

"I have an idea," Jackson announced, seemingly realizing how serious I was. He came over and sat down beside me. "Just stay still, okay?" he whispered softly, trying not to disturb the sleeping dog.

I nodded.

I didn't want to say anything because, well, I couldn't think straight with him so close. My eyes were fixed on his hands as he touched my exposed legs, gently shifting them to the side. His grip on my lap was firm, and I felt him tighten it slightly, causing me to bite my lip to stifle a gasp as my legs went numb. He carefully lifted the dog's face and moved my legs away from her. "Okay, now move."

To where? The only option was to shift closer to him, our bodies colliding. I didn't mind, but the thought of him hearing my racing heartbeat bothered me.

I finally gave up on overthinking and shifted my body away from the dog. Instantly, his strong frame enveloped me, and before I could react, I felt his hand circle my waist while the other slid slowly, just like before, and lifted me onto the next seat. I would usually complain and tell him to put me down, but I remembered that we had to be quiet.

His grip on my waist tightenedas he slowly lowered me onto the couch. I hadn't realized that I was holding onto him too until I finally sat down and saw him almost losing his balance, but he managed to steady himself just in time. His face was so close to mine that I couldn't help but gasp at the proximity.

Neither of us wanted to say anything or move away.

As always, something had to ruin the moment, and this time it was my stomach. It growled loudly, catching Jackson's attention. He leaned back slightly, biting his lip to suppress a laugh.

Oh, what I would give to have him kiss me.

"Are you hungry?" he teased, making me look anywhere but at him.

"Yeah," I managed to mutter, my fingers nervously playing with the hem of my skirt. He nodded, getting up and heading towards where he had placed the kimpap.

"Argh, stupid stomach," I mentally cursed.