Chapter 109 Only as Smoke
"No, I wanna sleep with Daddy," Sophia clung tightly to Jackson's arm, trying to hold onto this new father figure who had suddenly appeared in her life. She loved the feeling of having a dad. "Can I call you Daddy?"
Jackson glanced at Alison again. It was just a name, but he worried the kids might misunderstand and truly think of him as their dad, which wouldn't be good.
It wasn't that he didn't want to; he just knew no one could replace their real father.
At that moment, Alison nodded gently.
"Alright, but only at home, okay?"
"Yay, Daddy!" The two little ones cheered, celebrating their new dad. Until their real dad showed up, this godfather would do just fine. He was especially good to them.
Jackson wanted to be part of this family, but he knew how hard it would be to truly fit in.
A grown man putting kids to bed for the first time, yet he enjoyed it. Anything related to Alison, he was willing to do.
After tucking the kids in, he walked over to Alison. She gave him an apologetic smile. "Jackson, I'm sorry for the trouble." She had only intended for him to visit and see that she was doing well. She hadn't expected the kids to be so happy to see him, making it hard for her to separate them.
It seemed the kids really wanted a dad.
Having a dad must feel special.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't give them that feeling.
She smiled self-deprecatingly. As a single mom, there wasn't much she could give her kids.
Jackson wheeled her out to the balcony. "Alison, the kids are wonderful. You're really lucky to have them." He meant it. He envied those two kids because they had Alison's most genuine love.
"You should find your own happiness too," she advised, thinking that seeing the kids might make him give up.
He smiled but didn't answer, just gazed into the distance, looking at the stars in the night sky. "Alison, my heart was lost a long time ago. Just let me be part of your and the kids' world, and I'll be content."
What could she say to that? He was so sincere.
That night, they silently watched the stars on the balcony until it got late and the dew dampened their clothes. Then he took her back to her room to rest.
During her recovery, neither Jack nor Aidan called. Alison enjoyed the peace. However, rumors about Aidan were rampant in the city.
Jack's rumors had lessened, probably because he was busy taking care of Aimée and her unborn child.
Thinking about his distrust of her often caused a dull ache in her heart.
When her leg finally healed, she returned to work at YD, feeling a bit anxious. She was still Aidan's secretary, her position unchanged, but Aidan had changed. In the two weeks since she returned, she rarely saw him in the office. He was always busy, dealing with women, or maybe his mother.
Sometimes, Alison wanted to leave, but remembering past pains, she gritted her teeth and stayed.
It was just a job; she had to adapt.
After work, Alison hurried home, eager to see Sophia and Ethan's smiling faces. Thinking of them lightened her mood.
Let the past stay in the past. She didn't want to bring it up anymore.
All she wanted was to clear her name.
On the bus, her phone suddenly rang. Besides her two kids, few people called her. She answered, and it was Jackson.
"Jackson, what's up?"
"Alison, I found Erin. Come to Rebel now."
"Okay." Jackson hung up, leaving Alison feeling excited. This seemed like a good sign. Finding Erin might lead to the person behind everything.
Rebel had just opened, and there weren't many people in the hall, only about a dozen.
Liam saw Alison and asked, "Alison, why are you here so early today?" Then he glanced in Jackson's direction and suddenly slapped his forehead. "Oh, I forgot, you're here for a date, right? Haha, go ahead! Wait, where's Jackson?" He pointed halfway and then put his hand down. Alison noticed Jackson wasn't at the table, but there was a girl—Erin.
Ignoring Liam, Alison walked straight to Erin. "Erin, is that you?"
Erin looked up, her eyes flickering as she sized up Alison. "Who are you? Do I know you?" She then downed another glass of wine, clearly drunk.
Alison frowned, not believing Erin had forgotten her. "I'm Alison Fairchild." She lowered her voice, not wanting others to hear her real name.
"Let me think... who are you..." Erin pondered while refilling her glass. "Haha, I remember now. You're Jackson's woman, right?"
"Where's Jackson?" Erin's tone made Alison uncomfortable. How could Erin be like this?
"I don't know. He was called away and told me to wait here for you. Ask whatever you want." Erin took another drink.
Alison frowned. Erin had drunk so much; what could she possibly get out of her?
But she didn't want to miss this chance. She tried, "Erin, do you remember a few years ago? You lost your wallet at a restaurant, and Jackson helped you out. Who did you meet then?"
"No one, really. I just lost my wallet and called Jackson."
It couldn't be that simple. "Erin, think harder." Alison looked at her expectantly.
"What's there to think about? That's what happened. Anything else? If not, I'm leaving. I need to see... uh..." Erin hiccuped, slurring her words. "I need to see Jackson. Bye."
Alison grabbed Erin's hand. "Erin, think carefully. Jackson will be back. Don't rush to find him."
Erin yanked her hand away. "Get lost! I answered your questions and did what Jackson asked. I don't want to see you again."
With that, Erin, fueled by alcohol, staggered past Alison towards the door. Jackson hadn't returned yet, so Alison told Liam, "Liam, if Jackson comes back, please have him call me."
Alison followed the stumbling Erin out of Rebel. The sky was completely dark, neon lights flashing, beautiful and mysterious.
"Erin, watch out!" Alison warned as Erin nearly walked into a lamppost.
"Get away! I'm going to see Jackson. Don't follow me. Jackson promised me that if I met you, he'd be my boyfriend. I'll protect him. Haha, I have a boyfriend now."
Alison stood stunned on the sidewalk.
Jackson had promised Erin just to get her to meet...
Alison's mind was a mess. What did Erin mean by "I'll protect him"? Was Jackson in trouble?
"Erin, explain. What trouble is Jackson in?"
"Don't touch me. I'm not interested in women." Erin hiccuped again, her mind foggy. Alison couldn't reason with her.
Just as Alison was about to press further, sounds of a fight and shouting came from a nearby alley. The noise snapped Erin out of her daze. "Jackson..." Erin ran towards the commotion.