Chapter 12
WRITER’S POV
They had to reach an agreement and keep copies of the signed documents for future reference, one each, after she reviewed them thoroughly and gave her consent.
"Like I said before, I have my conditions," Vera whispered as she sank into the warm bathwater laced with rose petals.
If she weren't in pain, she might have commented on how massive the bathroom was, almost the exact size of her bedroom and sitting room put together. It was becoming clearer now: this man was loaded. She couldn't help but suspect he was involved in something illegal. No one was this rich and that cautious without a reason.
Jackson crouched beside her, gently massaging her neck and shoulders, his touch careful, his tone remorseful.
"I'm so sorry, Vera," he murmured. "Look at what my fingers did to your delicate skin. I didn’t mean to hurt you again."
"It's pointless saying that now." Her eyes locked on his. "Tell me the truth. What really happened to you? It's not normal to always be this... sex-driven. You’re like a beast in bed."
He took her hand, enveloping it in both of his. Vera stared down at their joined hands and wondered what it might feel like to have him as a normal lover, one who didn’t need to be handled like a ticking time bomb.
"I was in a coma for nine months," he said, voice low. "The only way to come out of the trauma was through a cocktail of antidepressants, fluoxetine and Adderall. I..."
"Wait. Fluoxetine and Adderall?" she asked, curious.
"They're antidepressants," he explained. "But when taken excessively, they can trigger hypersexuality. That’s what happened to me. I lost my wife because of it. It’s my fault. I became a sick man in more ways than one."
His words hung heavy in the air. He looked into her eyes and saw something he didn’t expect, concern, sadness. Was she actually worried about him? No, that couldn’t be. She must be judging him, blaming him like the others did. For being weak. For getting treated like a lab rat. For surviving something he didn’t ask for.
"I'm sorry," Vera said quietly, her voice trembling. "I didn’t know you’d been through that kind of trauma. But don’t blame yourself. You didn’t choose this."
Jackson’s brows furrowed in disbelief. He expected her to flinch, to run, to curse him out like everyone else had. Instead, she was here. Offering him something gentler.
"No," he said firmly, standing and pacing the room. "It is my fault. I nearly fucked my wife to death. J.T.C. went bankrupt. I cut off my own family because I was scared. Afraid of the unknown. I had to rebuild everything from scratch. I revived the company, sure, but how do I revive the trust? Love? The people I pushed away? How do I win them back?"
Vera forced herself out of the tub, her sore body trembling slightly as she walked over and held him.
"Do you regret telling me all this?" she asked, pressing her skin against his.
Their faces were so close, she could feel the heat of his breath on her cheeks. It was intimate, terrifying, and strange, how her instincts screamed run, but her heart whispered stay.
"No. I feel lighter. Better, even, talking to you about it. I’m just not used to people believing me… or pitying me," he said, rubbing the tip of his nose against her forehead.
"I'm only concerned because of Tim, your son. I can't believe how involved I’ve gotten with you. And it doesn’t feel right at all."
"I can’t let you get too attached to me," he said. "I'm no good. I won’t lie, I’m drawn to you, and I know you feel it too. But if this is uncomfortable for you, if this arrangement hurts you, I won’t stop you from walking away."
"I want to leave," she admitted, her voice cracking. "I want to disappear and never see you again. But I can’t. Something’s holding me back. Maybe it’s a pity. Maybe it’s more. You need help. And somehow, I feel like… You might need me. So I’ll stay. Until your doctor comes back."
"You mentioned you had conditions," he said, voice softening. "Whatever they are, name them. I swear, I’ll do it."
"Promise?"
"Yes."
"Then don’t fall in love with me. This is all sex, no strings. And it ends when your doctor returns," she said, her tone flat and final.
He hesitated. Then he nodded.
"I promise I won’t give you a reason to stay," he choked out. "Even if I break every other promise."
Vera thought that was enough, for now.
“We’ll go to your house later. Pick up everything you’ll need while you’re staying here,” he added.
Vera didn’t know if what she just did made her look cheap… or just foolish. What would her friend think? What about Nathan, her neighbour, would he offer to find her another doctor? Would he judge her too?
Jackson seemed to catch the shift in her mood. “I’ve been wondering…” he said, his tone lighter now. “How did you know what happened and get here?”
She rolled her eyes. “Let’s just say I was submitting my resignation letter when your son called Mrs. Briggs.”
“So I should count myself lucky, huh?” he chuckled. “My son turned out to be some kind of lucky charm.”
For the first time, she saw him laugh. A real one. His throat bobbed with it, his eyes softened, and something unfamiliar fluttered in her chest.
“You should laugh more often,” she told him, smiling. “It makes you hotter than you already are.”
He lifted her into his arms again and gently placed her back into the tub. Crouching beside it, he picked up the sponge and soap.
“Let me ease your pain,” he said, splashing water on her breasts.
“You want to ease my pain and you start from my breasts? That’s rich, coming from you,” she scoffed, lifting one wobbly leg and sending a splash of water onto his face.
“Calm down, wild cat,” he grinned. “Let me take care of you. Even if you drown me in this tub, I’d still say I deserved it, just so you wouldn’t get punished in heaven.”
“You actually believe heaven exists?” she asked, arching a brow. “I believe it too. But not in the way people preach. Heaven and hell? They’re right here on earth. They’re the two worlds we really live in, not some fantasy promised in the afterlife.”
“Oh Lord,” Jackson groaned, laughing again. “She’s not a believer!”