Overtime

Chapter 21

Jackson and I lay in bed with our legs tangled beneath the sheet. My head lays against his shoulder as he runs his fingers through my hair. The action is soothing and I begin to grow tired but I don't want to sleep. This is going to be the last time I see him for a week and I want it to last. Just then, I remember what he did for my mom. "Thank you," I say softly.

"For what?"

"Upgrading my mom to one of the best rooms in the hospital and paying her bills," I say.

"You're welcome. That's not something they need to worry about right now and it's the only way I could help."

"You helped by being here for me. I really appreciate it."

He kisses the top of my head. "How is your mom?"

"Good. She was discharged and she's feeling a lot better. They gave her some medication and told her to take it easy for a while."

"How about your sister?" he asks.

I frown. "We didn't talk."

He takes a deep breath. "I know you're upset with her but let it go. Not just for you but for your parents," he pauses. "You are over Liam right?"

"Of course."

"Then there's no reason to be upset," he says. "You need to let it go before you regret it."

"I know," I say softly.

We lie in silence as his fingers move through my hair. I close my eyes and breathe in his scent - a smell I've fallen in love with. But something keeps me awake and I remember what I was thinking about earlier. When he gave me this ring, he promised to listen and talk to me and this is definitely something we should discuss. "Babe?"

"Hmm?" he hums in response.

"Well, you already know that I'm a virgin and you know that I want to take things slow," I say, looking at him through the darkness. "But we should define slow."

His fingers stop moving in my hair and I hear his arm fall back onto the bed. "I figured it meant whenever you felt you were ready. Is that not it?" he asks.

"Well..." I pause. "I've wanted to save myself for marriage but I feel like that would be hard to do with you."

There's a long moment of silence. "Why do you say that?" he asks.

"Because every time you touch me I don't want you to stop. I love your touch and I'm I afraid I wouldn't stop you."

"When I gave you that ring I promised to respect you. So if that's what you want, I'll respect that."

I groan. "I feel like I'm asking too much. You deserve better."

He holds me tighter against him. "Don't say that. I only want you and I'll do whatever I need to have you."

"Thank you," I say, kissing him.

He begins playing with my hair again and I soon begin falling asleep.

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The next morning I wake up to the feeling of Jackson's lips on mine. It takes me a moment to reciprocate but when I do, the kiss becomes more heated. He pulls away and leans his forehead against mine after a long moment. "I'm going to miss you so much," he sighs, sitting up.

"You're leaving already?" I ask, noticing that he has showered and gotten dressed already. "You should have woke me. I would've had breakfast with you and -"

"Babe, it's fine. I'll be back before you know it and we'll make up for our lost time," he smiles.

"Maybe I would've showered with you if you woke me up," I tease.

He raises his eyebrows. "My plane can wait. I am more than willing to shower again."

I smile. "Maybe when you get back."

He smiles. "I'm looking forward to it."

Leaning down, he kisses me once more before standing. I sit up and push the blankets aside before kneeling at the foot of the bed. I sit back on my heels and watch as he walks to the door. When he looks back, his eyes slowly drift down past my somewhat revealing chest to my bare thighs. Since we're only in his room, I only wore panties and one of his shirts to bed. I can sense his hesitation so I climb off the bed and meet him at the door. "I'll be waiting here for you when you get back. We can talk every day."

He sighs. "I know. But you're determined to find another job and that means you won't be living here soon."

I slip my arms around his waist. "I'll stay with you when you get back. And when I move out, you can stay with me sometimes."

"I know."

Leaning down, his lips meet mine and I kiss him passionately. The kiss is over too soon and his touch is gone. He walks away, closing the door behind him. Sighing, I head into the bathroom where I prepare to take a shower. We have been together ever since we started dating so being apart for a week will be different. But it'll give me the time to get a job and begin my search for an apartment.

After a shower, I look for jobs in the newspaper and online. I take note of a few places before I begin looking up apartments. Nothing really stands out except for someone who needs someone to take over their lease. The only details listed is that it's a one bedroom but there's a phone number. I decide to call it to learn more about the place and see if it's something I'm interested in. "Hello?" a woman answers.

"Hi, my name is Emery. I was calling about the one bedroom you have listed online."

"Okay. I'm Jennifer," she says happily. "It's a large two bedroom house but it's divided by the kitchen, dining room, and living room so you'll have some privacy. Each room has its own bathroom plus there's on just off of the living room for guests. The shared rooms are fully furnished but your welcome to talk changes with your roommate who owns the place. She's very sweet but I'm moving out of state so I promised to find someone else to take over my lease. Rent is only six hundred and fifty dollars a month and that includes everything."

"Wow. That sounds great. When is it available?" I ask.

"It's already move-in ready. And I'm leaving my deposit for the inconvenience so all you need is first months rent," she says. "You're more than welcome to come look at it."

"Okay."

She gives me the address and we agree on noon. I grab the paper with the jobs I found and make my way out the door to my car.

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