Such Great Heights - Sydney Logan Page 0,53
find mine.
“Never mind, she’s home.” Jackson sighs heavily and thanks the person on the line before ending his call. “Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think I’d be gone so long.” I slide my arms around his neck, hoping to ease the tension. Jackson melts against me and holds me tight. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“You went to see her, didn’t you?”
“Yes. And it was a heavy conversation, so I’ve been driving around for a few hours. Just trying to make sense of it all.”
Jackson pulls me over to the patio bench and takes my hand in his.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, she really is sick.”
“Okay . . .”
“At first, she thought it was the flu. It’s not.”
He studies my face, waiting for more. Then realization dawns.
“She’s pregnant.”
I nod.
He laughs darkly. “I bet David’s loving that.”
“He’s not.” I take a deep breath. “Jackson, she has bruises on her face. And a black eye. I went over there to kick her ass for breaking Ryder’s heart. But her fiancé beat me to it.”
“Fiancé?”
“Yes. An abusive fiancé.”
Jackson sighs heavily and closes his eyes.
“I tried to talk to her, Jackson. I tried to make her see reason. The idea of her bringing another baby into the world makes my heart ache. But bringing a baby into an abusive relationship absolutely makes my skin crawl. But she wouldn’t listen. She just kept saying that this baby was her clean slate . . . a chance to get it right this time. And that she basically deserves David’s abuse because she’s difficult to live with.”
“Well, she’s not wrong.”
“Jackson!”
“I mean about the difficult part. She’s a nightmare to live with, no question.”
“That doesn’t mean she deserves to be abused!”
“Of course it doesn’t.” Jackson sighs softly and kisses my temple. “I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant at all. I’m just so tired of her hurting my son.”
“Well, that’s another thing . . . she made me promise to take care of Ryder. She basically gave me her son. She won’t contest the divorce, and she wants you to draw up whatever papers she needs to sign in order to give me legal custody. She wants you and Ryder out of her life, for good, so that she can have a fresh start with her new baby and her abusive husband-to-be. What kind of mother does that?”
Jackson grows quiet.
“I honestly don’t get it,” I continue, since he’s obviously speechless. “Doesn’t she realize that Ryder is the most amazing little boy in the world? How could she just give him away?”
With a soft smile, Jackson wraps his arms around me.
“But she didn’t just give him away. She gave him to you. For the first time in his life, Natasha did the right thing for her son. The best thing. She gave him you.”
Tears fill my eyes at the enormity of his words.
“But you didn’t need her to tell you that,” he says softly. “You realize he’s always been yours, don’t you? Since the day you walked through our door, Ryder has been yours. And honestly, so have I.”
He kisses me then, sweet and tender, under the sparkling stars in the sky. Tears trickle down my cheeks, and I cling to him, letting his sweet scent and strong arms anchor me as my emotions finally bubble over.
“Come here,” he says softly, pulling me into his lap.
I nestle myself in his arms and bury my face against his neck.
“Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“Just overwhelmed, I think. It’s a lot, I know.” Jackson plays with a tendril of my hair. “But I need to ask you something, Olivia. And I need you to be honest with me.”
“I’m always honest with you.”
“I know.” He smiles. “I just want you to be sure.”
“About what?”
“About everything,” he says. “Dana told me about the job offer.”
“She shouldn’t have done that.”
“I know, but she was just worried about you.”
“There’s no reason for her to worry. I turned it down.”
Jackson gazes at me tenderly. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I want to be here. My life is here.”
“We would’ve made it work, Olivia. You should use your degree.”
“I will . . . someday. But Ryder needs me, maybe now more than ever. I have no regrets, Jackson. This is what I want. We’re a family . . . I mean, if you want to be.”
Jackson smiles and kisses me tenderly.
“Of course I want to be. I love you, Olivia, and my son loves you.”
“I love you both, too.”
Jackson reaches for