*unedited*
Jackson followed Eve around. Watching what she did, examining how she acted and getting her routine down and on paper, while planning the right moment to approach her, again.
He didn't want to startle her or make her run away from him again. Because something deep down told him that if she ever got away again, she'd probably never come back.
"It's pretty much just coffee, her work office, and then back home for her." Jackson told Markus who played with Mesh, completely ignoring what Jackson had said as he put the notepad down, and eyed the two.
"And did she notice you at all?" Markus said, playing peekaboo with Mesh as Jackson clenched his jaw and grabbed the empty can of soda sitting on the dresser as he threw it at the back of his head.
"Ouch!" Markus said, rubbing his neck as he turned around eyeing Jackson as Mesh ran into the bedroom.
"Of course she didn't notice me you idiot." Jackson spit, slamming his notepad on the desk as he went into the kitchen and grabbed a beer.
"I'm sorry man, Mesh just caught my attention because she's so sweet. I mean look at her." Markus watched as she ran around in circles, chasing her tail in the bedroom, before laying down on the floor after a minute because she was tired.
"If you want her so bad, take her home with you." Jackson said, taking a swig from his beer as he went back into the living room and grabbed the notepad, reading over his notes.
"Paris would like that." Markus whispered, considering the thought as Jackson hadn't heard him, as he was too focused on the notes he had written down. "Anyway, did you notice anything out of the ordinary?" Markus sat on the edge of the couch while watching Jackson, as he shrugged and shook his head.
"Not at all. Ebony-"
"Eve mate. Remember we decided on calling her Eve." Markus raised an eyebrow at Jackson as Jackson nodded, and sighed.
"Eve's daily routine consists of doing boring shit. Coffee, work, and then whatever she does in that apartment of hers." He threw the notepad aside out of frustration as he grabbed his beer and took another swig.
"Okay so with that being said, you two have seen eachother in two of the three places she travels too often. Her home, and the coffee shop. And although it could cause some strife to meet her at work, I believe that'll be the only place she wouldn't expect to see you there." Markus shrugged as he grabbed his jacket off the couch.
"Tomorrow?" Jackson asked, walking him to the door as Markus nodded, as he stepped out of the apartment and turned to his friend.
"Remember what we talked about, and just exactly how you plan to approach her. Don't get sappy, and don't get overbearing." Markus sighed as he noticed the battle behind Jackson's eyes. "Let her do most of the talking." Markus said, giving Jackson one final pat on the shoulder as he turned to leave, and Jackson closed the door to his apartment.
Leaning on it he thought about what tomorrow could hold for him, and his future.
——
"We will get out of here. Okay? I'll make sure of it, and I-I'll keep you safe." Ebony's words echoed throughout Eves mind as she sat in the dark cell, curled up in a ball, rocking back and forth.
The sounds of various screams of tortured children surrounded her, but they didn't affect her as much as the sound of her sisters blood curdling scream.
They were abusing her mentally, while Eve was abused physically. Eventually the physical abuse went to her head, and she had forgotten everything about the outside world.
What the sun looked like, and what the grass felt like, how clean water tasted like.
She had become accustomed to this life.
"Eve, what are you thinking about right now?" Jess caught Eve's attention as Eve blinked away her memories, and gulped as she closed her shaking hands.
"N-Nothing, just what I'd be ordering from the cafe later on." She lied, smiling briefly at Jess as she sat back in her seat, and squinted her eyes at the thought of Eve lying to her.
Which she had never done before.
"Milk or cream?" Jess asked, noticing the way Eve clutched her purse as she raised both eyebrows out of confusion first, and then blinked in realization.
"Milk, as always." She answered, keeping eye contact with Jess as she took note of her fidgety being in the back of her mind.
"Has he visited you, anymore?" Jess asked, grabbing her tea off the table as Eve let out a deep breath before shaking her head.
"No actually. Although I do feel like I'm being watched." To tell a successful lie you must hide it with some truth. Eve looked down briefly at the woman's red shoes, and then averted her eyes back to hers quickly.
"Why do you think that is?"
Eve shrugged, as she thought of an answer that would please Jess, as well as confirm what Darwin had told her about Jess spilling details about their meetings.
"Jess, would you ever tell anyone about what I've been telling you, over the years?" Eve examined Jess's expression as she instantly shook her head.
"No, not at all." She breathed, as Eve clenched her jaw and blinked away the emotion hiding behind her eyes.
"Even if you were threatened?" Eve whispered, hoping deep down that Jess would say the words she wished to hear.
But instead Jess said what she knew she would.
"Even if I were threatened, I wouldn't ever tell anyone about our meetings."
——
She lied to me. The one person I could trust and talk too about anything, lied to me. Right in front of my face.
Eve made her way to the coffee shop, checking her watch for the time as she knew she had to hurry if she wanted to make her train back home.
And as she stepped into the cafe, and ordered her normal coffee, she found herself looking over her shoulder at the spot that he was at a couple of days ago.
"Here's your coffee miss." Ebony thanked the barista with a smile and turned to leave the cafe.
Walking to the train station she checked the time on her watch once again, and saw that she definitely was running late. Picking up on her speed, she walked across the walkway and made it to the train station.
She sat on a bench, and checked her watch a third time, seeing that she made it right on time.
But the train wasn't there yet.
"Train number 749 will be arriving in ten minutes." The automated woman over the speaker said, as Eve sighed and let out an exhausted breath as she took a sip from her coffee, and turned to look around the station, still feeling like she was being watched for some reason.
Then she felt someone sit down beside her.
And something about this someone felt oddly familiar. As she turned to look at who it was, his scent caught her attention before his appearance.
He wore a black cap, with one earbud in one of his ears, and all black clothing.
"Is this seat taken?" Jackson asked, turning to Eve as she gulped and went to grab her bag, as she began to get up.
But Jackson gently grabbed her hand, stopping her from leaving as he looked up to her, and she stared down at him with worried eyes.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Please sit and let me explain myself." Jackson practically pleaded, as Eve thought about his request.
Normally she'd run away, not even caring about getting home on time, all she would care about was getting away from him.
As far away as possible.
But it was something about his eyes that were practically begging her to stay. Begging her to sit down and listen to what he had to say.
And as she stepped away slightly, and he dropped his hand from her skin, she sat down at the very end of the bench, staring down at her shaking hands that still held her purse.
And Jackson let out a breath he hadn't realized he was ever holding.
"Seven minutes for me to explain why I've been acting like a nut job, and terrifying someone who doesn't even know me." He softly chuckled as he looked at Eve, noticing how guarded she was.
As well as how she didn't even look him in the eyes.
"I'd first like to, apologize for the way I've been approaching you. First at your home, and then at the cafe. It's just that, you look so much like someone I once cared a lot about, and even-" Jackson got quiet then, as he looked down at the bench and Eve briefly looked up at him, curious as to what else he would say.
But as he looked back up to her she quickly looked away and gulped at his words. "My name is Jackson." He extended his hand to her, as Eve gulped and continued staring down at her hands as she contemplated whether shaking his hand was even alright.
What would Darwin think if he saw her and him together?
"I promise I don't bite." Jackson said, as Eve looked at his hand, as a flashback of Ebony's words came to her mind.
"When you get out of here, please tell him how much I love him. Love him for me the best that you could." Ebony sobbed, as her lip bled and Eve could only listen to her sisters plan, as she wiped away her tears.
Ebony would want for me to accept him. Accept his want to love me because I look like her.
Because I stole her life.
This would be the least I could do.
"Train 749 has arrived." The announcer took Eve out of her thoughts just as she was going to introduce herself to Jackson, and she quickly got up and grabbed her bag to get on the train.
Not realizing that she was holding Jackson's hand.
And as she turned to see Jackson staring at her expectantly, she gulped and released her hand from his as she let out a shaky breath.
"My name is Eve." She said, before turning around and getting onto the train, just as the doors had begun to close.
She took her seat, and stared out the window, staring at Jackson as he did the same to her. Watching her leave as the train sped off, and she felt like she had left something behind.
"Her coffee." Jackson whispered, picking up the cup as he looked at the name scribbled in cursive across it, and sighed.
"Eve." He whispered, as he took the lid off of the cup, and noticed that it was still all the way full.
Wouldn't want to waste free coffee. He told himself, as he tossed the lid and drunk the coffee as he walked back to his apartment with a heart that wasn't as heavy, as it was before.
"Baby steps."
———
Tysm for reading, and being patient with me. I know it's a little confusing with what's going on, just know everything WILL be explained sooner or later, it'll just take time, and I do not want to give any spoilers or hints out so please just chit chat amongst yourselfs with what you think may be happening.
Once again Tysm for reading, I appreciate it so much.
- Ellipticall 🖤