Chapter 37 Encountering Him
After hopping out of the cab, she strolled through the back door of Rebel. The midnight breeze playfully lifted the hem of her favorite blue dress. It was a stunning shade.
She wore blue lace-up heels as she made her way down the backstage hallway. Soon, she spotted Liam Thompson not too far off.
Liam was the guy who'd been helping her all along.
He was leaning against the wall outside the dressing room, smoking a cigarette. When he heard her footsteps, he turned his head. Seeing it was her, he casually flicked the cigarette away and stomped it out. Then he walked toward her with a warm smile. "Alison Bruce, you finally made it. Thought you were gonna bail tonight."
"Ha, like I'd miss it," she replied with a light laugh. Until she uncovered the truth from years ago, she couldn't afford to tick off anyone at Rebel. Liam was tight with the manager, so whether she liked him or not, she had to play nice.
"Go get ready. Don't hold up the show," Liam said, knowing the drill. He understood that if he wanted to chat, it would have to wait until after her performance.
Alison nodded. "Thanks, Liam. I'll go get ready."
She had practiced the song she was going to sing tonight countless times. Back in school, she had even won the grand prize in a singing competition. It was this talent that made her think of earning some money at Rebel. At that time, she wanted to start a business with Jackson and needed money urgently, so she thought of the nightclub.
In the dressing room, Alison took off her coat, revealing the aqua blue dress underneath. She applied heavy smoky eye makeup, trying to mask the innocence in her eyes. In this place, a sense of mystery was more fitting than purity. No one needed to know who she really was or think about what kind of place this was. They just needed to lose themselves in it and enjoy the superficial indulgence. But she had to dive deep into it; only by entering the tiger's den could she hope to meet the tiger.
"Miss Bruce, it's your turn," the stage manager called from outside.
"Okay, I'm coming." This was her sixth performance at Rebel. After half a month, she had gotten used to the scene. She had faced bigger crowds before, so she wasn't nervous at all.
She walked out of the dressing room and onto the stage, where the neon lights swayed continuously, casting flickering shadows over the crowd. She only knew the people inside Rebel; she had no interest in anyone else.
The music started, and the performance began.
She sang her favorite song, with lyrics that were deeply moving, telling the story of whether two people could hold hands and grow old together. She especially loved this song. She hoped to have the chance to hold hands with the man she loved for life. But at this moment, she didn't know where he was.
After finishing the song, applause erupted. Alison gracefully bowed and walked off the stage. She expected to see Liam waiting for her, but when she looked up, she saw a familiar face under the flashing neon lights.
She stopped in her tracks, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. But she quickly understood. It wasn't shocking that Jackson would show up here. If he still cared about her and remembered her, he might come looking for her here. After all, she had left him three years ago after coming to this nightclub.
Once, Jackson was the person she wanted to spend her life with. But when she left that rented apartment, everything between them ended. Now, she was a mother of two and couldn't turn back.
Alison paused for just a moment, then smiled and continued walking toward Jackson as if he were a stranger, without greeting him, just silently moving toward him.
As they got closer, Alison could even smell Jackson's scent. Everything seemed to return to the past, as if she were still his girlfriend.
But she knew that was impossible. She was already a mother of two, and Jackson wouldn't accept that. If he knew and still loved her, it would only hurt him more.
So, Alison walked past Jackson without looking at him, as if he were a stranger. Jackson stared at her frail figure, not blinking.
As they walked farther apart, Jackson suddenly rushed up from behind and hugged her waist. His chin rested on her long hair, just like he used to do in school, gently brushing against her hair, and he softly said, "Alison, don't go."
His voice carried a slight tremble and a hint of sadness, making Alison's heart ache. But she steeled herself and said, "I'm sorry, please let go of me. I don't know you."
Jackson, however, insisted, "Alison, it's you. It has to be you. You can't fool me."
Alison felt a bit soft-hearted. She feared that if she called the nightclub staff, they might get rough with Jackson. So she tried to stay calm and said, "Sir, I think you have the wrong person. If you don't let go, I'll have to call someone."
She didn't want to do that, so she gave him a warning in advance.
"Alison, you won't call. If you wanted to, you would have done it the moment I touched you." He had guessed her thoughts, making her heart tremble. She couldn't bear to hurt him, but no matter how much they had loved each other, after everything that had happened, they couldn't go back.
She felt unclean now. She had once wanted to give him the purest version of herself, but he hadn't wanted it. Now, it was too late.
"Please let go of me," she said, trying to sound cold. Although she knew it wasn't his fault, she had to harden her heart.
"No," he said stubbornly, holding her tightly, his body trembling, his heart racing. It had been so long since they last met, and seeing her again filled him with overwhelming emotion. She felt the same, but she couldn't let herself soften.
She called out loudly, "Liam..."
"Alison, what's wrong?" Liam immediately poked his head out from the end of the hallway and saw Jackson behind Alison. "Jackson, let go."
"No," Jackson said, even as he faced Liam and the suddenly appearing Rebel security. He was determined not to let go. At that moment, he was certain the person in front of him was Alison.
Jackson was still the same. The three years seemed to have passed without a trace for him.
His voice, his scent, everything was just like yesterday, as familiar as when she stood in front of him after a shower three years ago.