This chapter has been edited, (BUT IS STILL UNEDITED IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN) and there is new stuff so if your and old reader go ahead and reread to catch up! Thanks !
A/N HEY! So I've included a special song to go with this part of the story later on in the chapter, and I feel like it really sets the mood with what's going on. You'll cry, trust me you just might. Just a small warning! SO therefore don't start it until the part where I tell you too, lmao. Btw this is very unedited, but anyways ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!
EBONY
Jerry caught the bullet for me.
But it didn't stop the bullet from getting to me also. It went right through him, and still hit me.
The bullet was lodged in my stomach. The pain unbearable for me as I immediately went down. Jerry on the other hand, clutched his stomach as he also tried to reach for me and catch me.
But I fell to the ground. I couldn't breathe. It was extremely painful for me to breathe.
As I gasped and wheezed, I felt Jerry's hands wrap around my forearm, and I opened my eyes and tried to talk to him. "J-J-Jerry-" I said, spitting up blood as he didn't answer me, but he tried pulling me up and also tried to get me to walk.
I tried to scream at the agonizing pain in my abdomen but only tears left my eyes, and a gasp left my lips. The bullet making sure to stop me from doing any movement, and Jerry himself was struggling as he tried to stop the blood splattering from his wound.
"Ebony, get up." He groaned, trying to hoist me up yet again as I tried to stand up, clutching my side also as he practically ended up dragging me to wherever we were going.
My vision was blackening, with small spots and everything around me was a blur. Then the next thing I knew, I had heard cars, and a busy street. I opened my eyes to see the blur of cars speeding by as Jerry held his hand out, and a car stopped in front of us.
"Hospital." Jerry said, pushing me into the car. And as I got in, noticing that it was a taxi then, I expected for Jerry to get in behind me, but then door closed then and I slowly got up. My vision blurry and my head sweating bullets, as I hadnt felt the pain anymore, but a burning sensation in my stomach as I opened my eyes, seeing that he indeed wasn't in the car, which then worried me.
Then as we began to drive off, and I was about to try and scream at Jerry for not coming with me, I saw him. The guy that shot us walked up to Jerry, and as I wanted to scream at Jerry to look behind him, it was too late as he shot Jerry right through the head.
And then I felt even weaker than I ever did before, as I fell back onto the seat, and my breathing turned into deadly gasps as I couldnt take in any oxygen.
I thought about the blood on my hands, and the man that killed Jerry just then. My head began to spin and my eyes slowly blinked open and close as I just couldnt stay awake anymore.
"Miss, I need you to stay awake." The cab driver said, as I just shook my head, and now wheezed.
"Jackson." I whispered, before closing my eyes and going into a darkness, I wished would swallow me up forever.
—-
My body ached and my mouth was dry. I felt stiff as I tried to open my eyes, and the first time wasn't a success. My eyes felt like they were glued shut, and I felt immobile.
Then I tried once again, and this time they opened slightly. Everything around me was a blur as I tried to look around. When I tried to sit up, a painful ache came to my abdomen and I pushed myself back into the pillows.
"The doctor suggests you don't move." I jumped slightly, as Jackson's voice frightened me.
My heart was beating at an excessive rate as I looked to the right of me and saw Jackson sitting in a chair beside me, his hair a mess and he stared right back at me with rings under his eyes, and no emotion on his face as I gulped.
"W-Why are you here." I whispered, my voice extremely raspy as I looked around and saw that it was a hospital room.
Jackson grabbed a cup of water off the desk beside my bed, and put a straw in it. Bringing it up to my lips, as I turned back to him, and I hesitantly sipped from the cup.
"You were shot Ebony." He bluntly said, as I choked on the water. He pulled the cup away from me and then pulled his chair closer, as I wiped my mouth with my left hand and he seemed to be in a battle with himself as he ran his hand through his hair multiple times, and stared at my hand on the bed.
"I need for you to tell me everything you remember." He said, as I let out a shaky breath and tried to rake my brain for what happened.
But also deep down wondering if I wanted to actually remember.
And as I slowly closed my eyes, I saw it then. Everything reoccurring. That guy firing the gun, as Jerry stepped out in front of me, and it going right through him as I then felt the heat of the bullet enter my stomach.
The feeling of breaking skin, and the agonizing pain I went through still prominent as the wound I had now, ached just thinking about it all over again.
Then I remembered Jerry bringing me to a taxi, and then-
"W-where's Jerry." I asked, quickly opening my eyes as Jackson looked down, before looking up to me and letting out a tense breath.
"He tried to take the bullet for you." He started, as he looked back up to me, his eyes red as he blinked and clenched his jaw. "I found his body, and he was shot in the head." He said, his words leaving a ringing in my ears as I shook my head.
"No, no no no no." I whispered, bringing my hands up to my hair as I pulled at it, feeling the pain from my stomach now transfer to my heart as I shook my head with heavy deep breaths.
This was not happening. This wasnt real this had to be another dream I was having from those boxes. Soon enough I'd wake up and Jerry would be there, to give me breakfast and read another chapter of 'The Secret Life of Bees' to me.
"Ebony, you need to calm down-" Jackson tried to touch me, but I didnt want him to touch me because he was the bad guy in this. He was the one making this dream become a nightmare.
"NO! NOOO!" I pulled my arm away, yanked it away in fact.
"NOOO!" I screamed, then getting out of the bed, as I clutched my abdomen as a brutal burning sensation came across me. I immediately felt hands grab me, as Jackson pulled me to him but I fought against him. "HES NOT DEAD! DONT TOUCH ME YOU MONSTER!" I banged my hands against his chest, crying hysterically as something within me felt that this was all too real to be fake.
I once again lost someone I thought would be there for me forever. Jerry showed me how it felt to be cared for again, and that my strength was in me all along.
He showed me that I was as strong without anyone, than I was with someone there to protect me.
Then the doors opened and nurses rushed into the room. They pulled me from Jackson, as I continued to fight. Jackson stood off to the side, watching the whole scenario as they put me back in the bed and then I felt a sting in my thigh, and I began to feel tired.
"Sleep honey. Everything is going to be okay." The woman said, as I looked up at her, and shook my head at the blurry image of her.
"No it's not." I cried softly, closing my eyes finally as I went into darkness, with the images of Jerry's death on my mind.
—
J A C K S O N
As I closed my eyes, I remembered the way Ebony lashed out when waking up to the realization of Jerry's brutal death. The way she called me a monster, and didnt even want me to touch her, made my heart ache in a painful way. I was glad the nurses intervened to put her to rest, and have her sleeping peacefully.
I continued to tell myself that all I needed from Ebony was a face. How the person looked that killed Jerry, and almost had killed her.
If this was related in anyway to what happened with one of Darwin's men, I'd probably put a bullet in my own skull from the anxiety I had been going through because of it.
I ran my hands down my face, constantly coaching myself to stop these emotions threatening to come to the surface.
The image of Jerry, in that body bag. A hole right through his head and his dark skin an unusual pale, constantly flashed behind my eyelids with every blink I made. And the deadly appearance that Ebony had also, when I saw the blood and followed the trail and after finding Jerry, I came here immediately to hope that she was here.
I haven't slept since that day I came back to the bar, expecting to explain myself to Jerry and even Ebony.
And then this happened.
I looked up at myself in the mirror. My eyes were red, and my face was looking more on the pale side. "Crying is for the weak." I told myself, staring deep into my own eyes as I remembered the words Jerry once told me when I cried to him many years ago about David.
"It's not wrong to cry. Just don't let it become a common thing."
I smacked my hand against my forehead, trying to get his voice out of my mind. His face, his words, everything about him just gone.
Before I knew it, I felt the walls beginning to close in on me. The sound leave my ears as a distant silence was all that I heard. My throat was closing, and I felt myself gasping as I looked into the mirror, as I couldn't believe that this was happening again.
The images and his voice went through my mind. Over and over again, before I just screamed.
"FUCK!" I slammed my hands against the counter, as immediately the voices went away. And the images began to fade with them. I started to be able to breathe again, and the silence was now replaced with the sound of the medical staff walking back and forth outside the bathroom door chatting away.
I opened my eyes then, looking down at my shaking hands as I didn't dare look at my reflection. Fear, for once in my life, taking over.
I couldn't look at myself, because I was scared I'd go back to that. I never wanted to experience that again. Ever. And with those words, I pushed myself away from the sink and walked to the door, opening it and walking back to Ebony's room.
As I looked through the window, I noticed her still asleep and no nurse was in there to bug me with questions.
I was also surprised that the police hadn't come by yet to ask the questions.
I looked behind me, not seeing any nurses or doctors around as I pushed open Ebony's door, and then spread the curtain behind me. She was peacefully asleep, a complete contrast from the way she was earlier.
I looked at her abdomen, and then back up to her face. She seemed to be in a deep sleep as she snored slightly, and although I knew how odd it would look if she woke up while I was looking at her stomach, I knew I had to look at how bad the wound was just for my own sake of not popping my lid with the questions I had.
I slowly pulled the cover away from her, stopping every once in a while to make sure she was still asleep. Finally, I got to the thin hospital gown she had on, and instead of lifting it up and seeing all of her necessities, I ripped it the smallest bit open.
Then I saw the wound. The stitches, and the way her stomach moved up and down with it.
Then she shifted, and before she could awake and see what I was doing, I slid the sheet back over her and sat back in the chair beside her bed. Just as her eyes slightly opened, and she looked over at me with still slightly hazy eyes.
"Hey." I whispered, watching as she gulped and then let out a shaky breath as she turned away from me, and looked towards the window.
Silence drafted over us then, and as I sat in it just watching her, I wondered what was going through her mind. When I heard her sniffle, on instinct I brought my hand up to her face and tried to turn her head to me.
But she resisted, and with a soft voice she said "I cant." As I still tried to turn her face to me, to see the tears that were for a man she had barely known, but had grown to eventually care about.
"Ebony, I need you too look at me." I said, as she stopped resisting then, and finally turned her head to me as she blinked, and I wiped a slowly falling tear from under her eye.
"I know you cared for him a lot." I started, as I saw the way her lip quivered.
"So much that it hurts." She whispered back, as I clenched my jaw as I felt my own eyes burn. "And I did also." I said, blinking as I gulped, and looked away for a second before looking back up to her. "But I know that what Jerry did to protect you, was what he wanted. And it's not your fault. Not one bit." I watched as she let out a shaky breath once again, and blinked, as the crystal like tear drops on her lashes stuck to them.
"Understand?" I whispered, as she nodded softly and I gave her a soft smile, as I then began to get up, knowing if I sat before her any longer that these emotions I tried so hard to hide deep within me, would come to the surface just by her looking at me.
As I walked to the door, my cheeks inevitably wet, Ebony then stopped me with her voice.
(A/N START THE SONG NOW!)
"Jackson." She said, as I stopped in my tracks, and closed my eyes as I let out a deep breath. "Stay." She said, as I somehow felt that meant something far more deeper.
And as I just thought of walking out, I somehow couldn't as I nodded softly, and turned around, walking back to the bed as she scooted herself over. I looked into her eyes, as she looked right back at me without any type of hesitance, as I slid into the bed beside her.
She then lay her head on my chest, and I hesitantly brought my hand up to her curls, as I ran my fingers through them and I felt her heartbeat on my chest, along with her soft breaths on top of my other hand.
"I want to apologize to you." She whispered, looking up at me then from under her lashes as she looked deep within my eyes.
"I said some things I did not at that time-"
"You don't have to take back what you said Ebony. It was the truth-"
"Please don't turn this into another situation like the one at the hotel." She said, her eyes leaving mine as she looked down to my chest and then let out a shaky breath as I knew what she was thinking about.
And I knew I had to clear some things up.
"I was upset that you had told me the truth about myself." I said, as she looked up to me with watered eyes, as I brought my hand to her cheek and ran my finger across it. "That woman- I don't remember how I got into that predicament with her, but it happened and because I was angry with the situation, I just let it." I saw the way she tried to look away from me then, and I gently tilted her chin up to me so she could look at me as I knew I had to reassure her of some things.
"Don't think that I went to that woman just to intentionally hurt you." I said as I found myself staring at her lips, as she blinked at me as a tear slid from her eye.
"I respect you and care about you enough to never force you into anything you don't want to do. Or even disrespect you in front of your face. I never want you to think that what I do, reflects on something you've done or you are." I looked between the both of her eyes, searching through them as I hoped she'd take my words seriously. " And that's why I left when I did, and I did what I did. Understand?" I noticed the battle within herself through her eyes, and as she let out a shaky breath and nodded at my words.
"I always thought, that everything was my fault." She said, laying her head back onto my chest as she let out a shaky breath. "Jerry showed me that there was strength hidden deep within me." She said, as I felt my eyes burn once again, and I gulped down the heavy lump that formed at just the mention of that mans name.
"It's okay to cry." Ebony then said, running her fingers under both of my eyes as I sighed and gave her a soft smile. "Thank you." I whispered, and on instinct I brought her hand to my lips as I kissed it.
As her hand stayed in my own, and we both stared at eachother. My eyes slowly drifted to her lips, as hers did mine. The quiet being a comfortable silence between us as she let out a soft breath.
"Jackson-" She whispered my name, making me hold her tighter, as I noticed the fear laced behind her voice, and in her eyes.
"Yes Ebony." I said as she whispered the words to me I knew would make this all the more real than I'd ever realized.
"I can't handle another heartbreak." She said, as I knew what she meant.
And honestly I myself couldn't handle it either. Losing Jerry was slowly going to eat at me, just as David was doing after nearly five years. And by sealing my words to Ebony with this inevitable kiss, I knew if I ever lost her, the pain would be a multiple of times worse than I'd ever experienced.
"We dont have to do this." I whispered against her lips, as she ran her hand down my cheek, and her thumb across my bottom lip.
"Promise me something." She said, as I nodded, looking from her lips, to her enchanting brown eyes as she closed her eyes, and leaned forward, whispering. "Promise to never blame yourself for my problems." She whispered, as I let out a shaky breath, eyeing her as I didnt know what to say.
"Please promise me." She said, leaning her head on my own as she wrapped her arms around my neck, as I closed my eyes and let out a soft breath then, as I felt liquid drops on my face.
"I dont want you, to be in pain because of me." She cried, as I opened my eyes and pulled her closer as I said the words she wanted to hear.
"I promise to never have you feeling like anything is ever your fault." I said, as she opened her eyes and I swiped away a tear from her cheek. "I promise." I whispered, as she leaned forward and closed the space between us as our lips sealed together.
Her lips, tasting of vanilla and feeling softer than anything I could explain. The emotions whirling through me as my hands came up into her hair, as my fingers danced through her curls.
I felt something new then. That feeling reminded me of the missing part of me that I thought would have never been found. As now, it felt like I was being discovered as one whole again.
That feeling was the feeling of, love. And everything that came with it. The pain, the heartache and torture that it caused.
As I pulled Ebony even closer, and she moaned against my lips I somehow couldn't get enough of this feeling. It was intoxicating, more intoxicating than any drink I had ever tasted, or any drug I had ever indulged in.
And when she pulled away from me, taking in a deep breath as I kept my eyes closed, I knew if I opened them there would sure enough be tears in my eyes, due to this feeling.
That feeling was mind blowing, and overwhelming for me. It was like I was given the cure to this once incurable disease I thought would one day be sure to take my life. It was ecstasy, it was electrifying all in the same.
"Jackson, open your eyes." Ebony whispered, as I felt her warm hand on my cheek, and I slowly opened my eyes as I felt her finger wipe away a tear.
"It's okay." She said yet again as I nodded, and let out a deep breath as I then decided to try it again, to see if this was real.
And as I leaned into her, I realized that before I even touched her, there were the sparks. The excessive beating of my heart, and the pounding of blood in my hands and head it seemed like.
And once our lips touched, I felt it again. This time more intense. So intense that I couldn't resist the tears that came running down my cheeks again.
And as I pulled away, flipping us over, I held Ebony close to my chest as she tried to pull away from me, and look at me. "Just, rest Ebony." I breathed, holding her to my chest as I tried to calm my racing heart. "Please, lets just sleep." I said, as I felt her then relax against my chest as she brought her hand up to my own, and grabbed it.
As I looked down at our intertwined hands, I felt my chest almost ready to explode. I closed my eyes then, to fully calm myself and let out deep breaths as I wiped my eyes and with the feel of her heart against my own, I decided to let myself succumb to the darkness.
With hope that this time I wouldn't dream of the images of Jerry's death, and the terror of David on my mind.
—
HEY HEY HEY! IM HERE WITH ANOTHER UPDATE! AHUUUUAH!
I hope you guys felt the feels in this chapter, as much as I did. (Especially with that song) A part of me doesn't like the chapter because of the jumps and skips, but eh it'll have to do. I really do LOVE that song, and I kind of have been wanting to incorporate it into a story of mine for a while now, and I just threw it in here. I want to start adding music to the chapters, but I really don't have any significant things to add music too. But if this music combo works, best believe you'll be expecting more!
Also, please please leave any comments on what you liked about the chapter, or just any friendly criticism on what I should work on. After almost 30 chapters, Jackson and Ebony are finally on 'good terms' and kind of feeling eachother just a lil bit.
But anyways, questionsssss...
- Do you enjoy this book? And if yes or no, please explain why.
- How do you think Jackson will react to finding out who killed Jerry, and attempted to kill Ebony?
- What can you guys get from the whole 'new bundle of emotions' that Jackson got from that somehow 'mind blowing' kiss - or kisses? 💀
That's all the questions I think...I have for now....please don't be afraid to leave any other questions you have for me involving the story, and I'll be sure to answer them the best way I can without giving out toooooo much details. ;)
Thanks sooo soooo sooo much for reading, and I'll be sure to catch you guys in another chapter.
Much much muchhhhh looooooove,
-Ellipticall ❤️