He Cares For Her (Part 2)
"Jack..." she whispered.
Suddenly, she broke free from his embrace and landed a fist on his chest. "You bastard... You're so cruel..."
"Don't cry, Alison." Jack stood motionless before her, letting her fists pound against him.
"Why didn't you come find me?" She cried even harder.
"I was incredibly lucky that night. I pushed you down too hard, which caused me to tumble down and hit my head on the rocks. Officer Clark's men didn't find me. They later found a body and thought it was me, but it was Noah. Matthew sent him to hunt me down, but he was shot dead by his own men.” He spoke softly, gently wiping her tears away. "Alison, look—I'm standing right here in front of you, aren't I?"
"Then why did you hide from me?" She pressed.
A complex emotion flickered in Jack's eyes. He silently lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.
"I didn't want you to see me like this. My withdrawal symptoms will kick in soon. So, leave now,” he said coldly.
"But it only makes me suffer more. I'm carrying your child—are you happy?" Her words came out jumbled.
Jack gently lifted her and carried her to a nearby staircase. He laid her down across his warm embrace.
"Aidan already told me. How far along is our child?” he asked softly.
"Over fifty days now," she replied.
"I hesitated about terminating this pregnancy. But now it seems unnecessary."
“Why would you consider terminating it?” Alison stared at him in shock.
"Because I'm a drug addict," he explained.
The words struck her like a blow to the heart.
"Then what about our child?" she asked anxiously.
"Don't worry. While you were unconscious, I had the doctor give the baby a full checkup. The baby is perfectly healthy. I developed the addiction after joining the Polar Bear Alliance." He soothed her. "Do you remember how you looked when you first found out? I was already in recovery by then."
"So when you rescued me, you'd been clean for about three months?" she asked.
"Yes, because I'd only been using for a couple of weeks, and I'd been clean for three months. Our baby is perfectly fine. Don't worry."
Alison exhaled softly, her hand gently resting on her belly. "Let me see your arm. Why are there so many wounds?”
"When I was at YD, Matthew had people deliver drugs to me every day and insisted on watching me inject. That just made my addiction worse," he explained.
"Go to rehab, Jack. We can live there together. They have the best treatment programs,” she suggested.
"Quitting drugs requires sheer willpower. Otherwise, it's useless. Maybe in another two weeks, I won't self-harm anymore." Jack shook his head.
"If you don't want to go to rehab, let me stay with you in the apartment," she pleaded, her eyes imploring.
He nodded softly and lifted her once more, inhaling her scent deeply.
"You're so kind," she murmured, lifting her face in delight. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she closed her eyes.
"Kiss me," she said in a husky, beckoning voice.
Jack slowly lowered his head, his thin lips trembling slightly as they met hers. He gently parted her lips and chased her tender tongue.
Their breaths grew heavier as he drew her moisture into his mouth.
"You're such a little vixen, Alison."
She responded to his kiss with more passion than ever before, her small hands unbuttoning his shirt with growing urgency.
"Alison, you..."
He rose, letting her cling to him, and kissed her while walking toward the stairs.
Her small hand slipped beneath his unbuttoned collar, caressing his skin. The sensation made her gasp.
"Jack, I—" Her face flushed crimson.