Chapter 36 #2
“The kind where I don’t have to ever wish for anything.
I could have it if I wanted it.” Jackson ran his hands down his face, muffling a groan.
“When I moved here, I was surrounded by people living a lavish lifestyle. Every single person’s personality revolved around money.
Then, I got the courage to meet you. I was so afraid to tell anyone because what if you didn’t even exist?
What if my mom got it wrong this entire time?
Then I found out that just like everyone else I’d been hanging around since I moved here, you were also made of money.
” His voice was laced with heavy distaste.
“So, you wanted to live a life different than the one you grew up in?” I treaded lightly, digging a little deeper.
“Something like that, I guess. I grew up with a struggling single mother when, apparently, I could have been a son to a millionaire. I wanted to reinvent myself. At first, we moved out here and everything was great, until it wasn’t.”
“Jax … why didn’t you feel like you could tell me? I mean … fuck, we told each other everything back then,” Avery chimed in, unable to continue staying silent.
“I didn’t even know if he would accept me.” Jackson shrugged. “And how fucking embarrassing would that of been?”
“So, what then? You decided to do it all in secret and started to reinvent yourself into … a con artist?”
I could sense that Avery’s comment didn’t sit well with Jackson. His body language was becoming more irritable, and the vulnerability had been replaced with agitation.
“Will you guys stop calling me that? I’m not a fucking con artist!” He stood up with a scowl on his face.
“Hey, hey, I got this, okay?” I whispered over my shoulder.
I knew they had a lot they needed to talk about as well, but he seemed to have more anger attached to her right now.
“Jackson, please sit back down. We were making progress, and I’d like to continue. Calmly.” I kept my tone even. “I think Avery just wants to know what went wrong. Why you chose to do to her what you did.”
There was the elephant in the room that I was worried to bring up.
I needed to figure out the best way to mention to Jackson that I knew everything there was to know.
That he was also collecting money from Avery.
Her hard-earned money and even money of my own.
That he took a video and put it on the internet as blackmail.
I knew it all—at least, I hoped I did. I don’t think I’d be able to handle it if another bomb was dropped on me.
“Why I what? Cheated?” He rolled his eyes.
“Jackson, give it a rest. I know everything that you did. Now that it’s out in the open that you didn’t have a gambling problem, and it was all for different reasons, I need to know why you got Avery involved.
You could have asked me for every penny, and I would have worked something out.
But you asked me for money while also collecting from her.
Was there anyone else you were taking money from? ”
Jackson leaned back on the couch, covering his face with his hands. He stayed silent for a beat before finally answering,
“No. Just you two. But you might not want to hear my reason, Dad.” His eyes shifted to Avery.
“At this point, I’m pretty sure I’ve been made aware of everything. So, try me.”
Even if I knew everything, it didn’t mean it wouldn’t be hard to hear about the feelings or past experiences of this life my son and girlfriend used to have.
The silence between us was filled with tension until he finally let out a heavy sigh.
“Avery, remember that night we went out a few weeks after moving here?”
“You mean the night of the video?” she responded, dryly.
“Yeah.” He drummed his fingers against his leg.
“Well, I know we were all wasted, but when I asked you to fuck those guys, and watched it all back the next morning, I fucking hated every minute of it. It gutted me to watch you enjoy it. To watch you come on someone else’s cock.
Like you were eager for the chance to be with anyone who wasn’t me. ”
I inwardly winced at his choice of words, trying my best to hide my emotions.
“So, instead of telling me that, and being honest, you decided to fuck other women without my knowledge and blackmail me for money after I left you? How is any of that fair?”
“You kept asking when we were going to hang out with them again. Like you were already anticipating the next time!” His voice elevated.
“You asked for it, Jax. I never wanted it, but in that moment, I would have done anything to make you happy. Even if I didn’t feel like myself. Maybe in those early days of living here, I was also trying to reinvent myself.”
Avery kept her tone calm, but Jackson still didn’t like what she had to say.
“You took your jealousy way farther than you should have, Jax,” she added.
I wanted to reach out and touch her, graze my thumb along her knee, wrap my arm around the couch so it was closer to her.
Fuck.
It was harder than I thought it would be to hear them talk about their past.
But Avery was strong. She could handle herself.
“You asked me to fool around with those guys. So, I did, not having any idea how far it would actually go. And the further it went, the more I forgot. The more the drugs I drank took over my memory. You wanted to film it, and I assumed it would be for your own pleasure. So, I acted like I enjoyed it. And even though my memory from that night isn’t there without the video to remind me, I know I suffered through every minute of it.
I asked when we’d see them next because I wanted to find a way to get out of it.
I wanted to pick up an extra shift at the pool and do anything I could to make myself unavailable.
You bottled up your jealousy, and to get even, you took it out on me by fucking other women.
You got caught, and then you didn’t want to let go of me—so, you blackmailed me to keep me close.
But guess what, Jax? You wanted to keep me away from other men, yet you shoved me right into their arms. You asked a girl that came from nothing to hand over an amount of money I would never have, and you knew it.
So, I worked it off by acting just like I did that night you took the video. ”
Hearing Avery set Jackson straight fucking tore me up.
“And what is it with you not being able to make up your mind? Jesus Christ, Jax. Some moments you’re acting like I was your one great love, and the next, you’re saying the most hateful things I could ever imagine. You can’t have you’re fucking cake and eat it too.”
After she spilled her thoughts and feelings, she stood up, walking away toward the balcony for some fresh air.
I was under the impression that those feelings were just the tip of the iceberg. Avery had years of pent-up anger, frustration, and hurt she needed to unload—rightfully so.
I held up a finger toward Jackson. “Stay. Give me a minute.”
When I stood to chase Avery, Jackson let out a pent-up breath. If I had to guess, Avery nailed everything she said, leaving him speechless.