preoccupied. I was 99.9 percent sure that his concern was still directed toward me.
Karina might’ve picked up on his energy because her smile turned into a little smirk. “Well, I have to get going. I don’t want to be late for book club.”
After giving me a quick hug and promising to keep in touch, Karina was off, leaving me alone with Jackson.
He turned toward me; his eyes filled with concern. “I was worried when I couldn’t find you.”
“Sorry. I just needed to get some air. I’m okay now. We can go back in.” If I was going to leave early, we had to pack up and then make the hour and a half drive to Sacramento so I could catch a flight back to JFK.
“We don’t have to go back in now.” He didn’t say, because there are still a shit ton of reporters inside, but I knew that’s what he meant. “Do you want to take a walk or something?”
My grandmother’s words came back to me.
What about Jackson?
I just don’t think you should cut your time short with him.
I could rush home, or I could spend one more night with a man that I knew could take my mind off of my troubles. Our time together was coming to an end, saying goodbye to him now would be like ripping off the Band-Aid instead of prolonging the inevitable. But since the inevitable was going to happen, and one more night with him might be all I had, forever… There were pros and cons to both scenarios—ultimately, my self-protection kicked in.
“No, I just want to pack up and get out of here. I’m going to see if I can get a flight back home tonight.”
I watched as his lips pursed and his jaw ticked. It was clear that he didn’t love my plan, but he didn’t argue with me. “Okay.”
His hand rested on my lower back as we walked back inside. We made it halfway down the hall before we were met with three reporters who came around the corner and spotted me. They began rushing toward me. My heart sank and my stomach churned.
Apparently, word had got out that I was here.
“Josie, have you seen Gio’s interview?”
“Did you release the tape?”
“Did you set Gio up?”
“Was the whole thing a publicity stunt?”
“Is it true that you want Gio back?”
Jackson shielded me by stepping in front of me, his arms blocking the press from getting any closer.
I was once again struck with déjà vu. This exact scene had played out dozens of times when the story first broke ten years ago. I’d never commented on any of it. I’d let my grandmother’s publicist issue statements while I retreated into my shell, kept my head down, and avoided answering questions at all costs.
That might have been the right thing to do then, but it didn’t feel right now. I was older. Wiser. And I was done being the victim. Gio had been the only voice that people had heard, and it was time for me to have a voice.
“It’s okay.” I rested my hand on Jackson’s arm and stepped around him facing the firing squad. If they wanted answers, I would give them answers. And if anyone didn’t like it, fuck ’em.
Chapter 29
Jackson
“Darling, if you never jump, how do you know if you can fly?”
~ Josephine Grace Clarke
“I’m just checking on her,” I mumbled under my breath as I stood in front of Josie’s door. “That’s it.”
I knew I was lying to myself, but that didn’t stop me from doing it.
My phone buzzed and I jumped, feeling like I had when I’d been caught sneaking out after curfew as a teenager. I had to remind myself that I was a grown man and there was nothing wrong with checking on Josie. Also, whoever was calling had no idea that I was about to knock on Josie’s door.
When I looked down, I saw that it was my mom. Maybe she did know what I was doing. Her and the eyes in the back of her head.
I stepped away from the door. “Hey, Mom.”
“Mia just told me about Josie, is she okay?”
“I think so.”
“What do you mean you think so?”
“I mean that right after she spoke to the reporters, we checked into our rooms at the resort and I haven’t seen her since.”
After her badass statement to the press, she’d decided that she wanted to stay at Mountain Ridge, like we’d originally planned. I’d been hoping that our rooms would be connected, but instead