Page 22 of Big & Bossy

“He wants us to pretend to be engaged. He said it would get the media off our backs for a little bit.”

Even in the dim light of the room, I could see the concern on Mom’s face as she walked toward me. “Honey. I say this because I love you and not because I’m trying to push you to do anything, but if Jackson genuinely thinks it would help, why don’t you want to do it?”

“Because I don’t.”

“Miranda. Doing nothing has to be worse than trying something,” she said. Slowly, she lowered herself onto the sofa, her bones creaking as her age showed a little. “I know you have a right to be angry with him?—”

“My anger is entirely justified,” I interjected.

“I know.”

“Do you?” I snapped, clutching the pillow between my fingers as the image of his face popped up in my mind, his soft expression as he looked down at me this morning when I panicked. Why did he have to be kind to me then? “He spent months building my trust. He knew I was wary of relationships, he knew that I was terrified of being in love because of you and Dad. I trusted him. I gave myself to him. And then he ran before I even woke up.”

“Honey—”

“He hasn’t even had the decency to explain himself!” I laid the pillow down on top of the other to keep myself from trying to tear it in half. “He knows exactly what he did to me and he hasn’t even apologized.”

Mom took a deep breath as she laid back on the couch, shuffling herself under the comforter and pulling it up to her chin. It suddenly felt like the tables were reversed, like I was tucking her in and she was just a child who didn’t understand. “I know that. But he’s trying to help you now. Maybe that’s his way of apologizing.”

“If that’s his way of apologizing, he can shove it up his ass.”

“Mandy.”

“Mom.”

“Just think about it. I can’t always bring you care packages and spend the night. I have my own life,” she chuckled, cracking a smile at me.

“I don’t know. I think maybe the best thing is to just get out of the contract and put as much distance between him and me as possible. I hear Bermuda is nice year-round,” I joked, forcing the smallest smile to my face just to make her feel better.

“If you move to Bermuda I will never forgive you,” Mom laughed. “I’d never see you!”

“Only because you’re scared of flying.” I leaned into the motherly role, placing a little kiss on her forehead. “Go to sleep. You can put on rain sounds or something on your phone if the press is too loud.”

“What a strange sentence to come out of my daughter's mouth.”

I chuckled as I got up. Even though I didn’t like my situation, having her here and talking things through with her made me feel at least a little better about it all. I would get through it, I was sure of that. I’d been through worse.

As I got myself ready for bed, showering, brushing my teeth, and doing my skincare, I couldn’t keep my mind from wandering back to this morning. Jackson had been far too kind to me. I almost wished he hadn’t—at least then I could still be entirely justified in my anger. But he knew before I did that my anxiety was peaking, and he remembered from all those years ago that reassurance was my ticket to calming down. It hadn’t worked, but he’d tried.

And I hated that.

My phone dinged on the countertop as I finished applying my night oil. I’d managed to set up my notifications to only show the things that mattered instead of the litany of pointless ones.

I’ll cut you a deal, Mandy. If you’re willing to go through with this, I’ll ensure you get whatever you want, no strings attached. Name your price.

You know it would help both of us.

I sighed as I picked it up, double checking the number. Definitely Jackson.

I’d finally saved his name in my phone.

Chapter 11

Jackson

Mandy was good at many things: interior design; studying;, dancing; running; and, most annoyingly, stressing me the fuck out.

Six days. For six goddamn days she’s ignored my calls, stayed in her house, and worked from home. If she was attempting to get around the problem with the press by hiding, it was only making them chomp at the bit that much more. Headline after headline stated, ‘Jackson Big’s new girlfriend hides from reporters’. They wanted answers. They wanted a story. And even though she was keeping in contact with the planning committee of J.B. Tech who were under express orders not to speak about her to the media, her silence with me in particular was beginning to drive me insane.

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