She's His Everything (He's My Body Guard Sequel)

(8) Anticipation

"Hey, maybe instead of returning the decorations we could donate them? Maybe it could be therapeutic?" He smiled at my decision nodding his head. "A good deed for the holiday." He approved. Jackson helped me load the decorations back into my car and rode with me to the Salvation Army so we could drop them off. They thanked us gratefully and I was happy knowing I could bring some Christmas cheer to someone.

Jackson turned down the music in the car to talk. "So I hate to prod but why did you go all buy crazy?" I sighed flashing my signal to take a left turn. I wasn't sure if it was the holidays making me emotional, or Rayner not talking to me. "Rayner?" I shrugged stopping at a red light. "Maybe a little bit of everything." I admitted. "Wanna go somewhere with me?" I asked hopefully his eyes twinkled in the now dark car. He licked his full lips nodding his head slowly. "Yea I'd go anywhere with you Tori." He answered making my stomach flutter like it had when I first met him. I felt sort of guilty that I was enjoying the attention he was giving me.

We pulled into a small park that was filled with Christmas lights. It was much colder than it had been when we first left and I was regretting only wearing a sweater and scarf. Jackson must have noticed my shivering because he wrapped his arm around me pulling me into his side. I leaned my head against him staring up at the big light up stars they'd scattered throughout the trees some how lighting up the path we walked on. "I've missed you." I admitted. "When I didn't know where you were I worried endlessly. I'm glad you're okay Jackson." He smiled down at me with that boyish grin. "There's so much I want to ask you..." This had him grimacing.

"Tori, I don't want to tell you. I'm not ready." I nodded in understanding. "We will talk about it but not tonight okay?" He reached into his pocket taking out a pack of cigarettes pausing to light one. A habit of his I had never been a fan of. "Sorry I just get stressed out when I start thinking about that night." I nodded in agreement wondering what kind of torment he had gone through that I hadn't seen. There was hurt behind his eyes and I felt badly I hadn't thought about this before. I wasn't the only one putting up a front everyday."Jack, are you okay though?" His eyes searched mine for something. He nodded his head smiling weakly.

"I'm going to be. Now here," he shrugged off his hooded jacket while holding his cigarette between his lips and slipped it around me encasing me in mint and ash. "your lips are purple." He chuckled leaving himself in a thick long sleeved knit sweater that was of course black.

We wandered around the park gazing at all the lights that twinkled like Jackson's eyes. "Shall we head back home before we turn into icicles?" He proposed holding out his hand. "We shall!" I took his hand allowing him to lead us back to my car. I decided to let him drive us this time while I adjusted the heater and radio. "Jackson?" He looked over at me his face less grim than before. "Thanks for being here." His lips turned upward and for the rest of the car ride home we were silent.

I took Kato out once we were back in the complex much to my displeasure because I was already cold. At least I still had the coverage of Jackson's thick jacket that I had zipped all the way up and one hand shoved in the pocket while the other held a firm grip on Kato's leash. He'd managed to escape from me one too many times. I was a small girl and he was a not so small dog. While I was in the privacy of the moon I fished my phone from my pocket and dialed Rayner for the hundredth time this week. Again it rang to voicemail much to my frustration and he didn't show any sign of calling back. So I shot him a good night text telling him I loved him and that I hoped he'd talk to me soon. Didn't know how well it would do.