Page 3 of Jackson's Redemption
She was actually trying to make small talk. I had never done this with a girl before. Most of the girls in high school avoided me. Some because I was a quiet book nerd, others because of my trashy family. Everyone in town, at this point, knew Marco was trouble and that my dad was a drunk.
“Uh, no. I was just trying to get in shape.”
“Oh. Well, that’s good. Dad says physical health is paramount to leading a successful life.”
“Makes sense. You look pretty healthy.”
Shit. Fuck. Did I seriously just tell her she looks healthy?!
She laughed then, and I thought it sounded sexy. A little throaty and dark.
“I think that was a compliment, so I’ll take it. My car is over there.”
She pointed to the shiny, silver Jeep parked along the street. Only twenty feet before I was going to have to let her go.
“Looks new.”
“It was my high-school-graduation gift,” she said.
Of course she got a new car. I would be lucky if anyone from my family bothered to show up at my graduation. Not my mom, because she would most likely be working. Not my father and brother because they didn’t give a shit.
We made it to her car and I helped her to the driver’s side.
“Oh crap. It’s my right ankle. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to drive.”
“I’ll drive you,” I said before I thought about it.
“You would drive me home? But how will you get back here?”
“I don’t have to get back here. I can just take the bus from where you live.”
“You know where I live?”
Of course I knew whereshelived. “Your dad is the Chief of Police. Everybody in town pretty much knows where you live.”
“Oh. Yeah. That makes sense. I didn’t realize you knew who I was. Okay. I guess I have no choice. I don’t want to have to call my dad or one of the officers for something like this. I should at least ask your name though.”
I didn’t want to tell her my name. As soon as I did, she would remember my family. But not saying it seemed stupid, too. I couldn’t avoid who I was. Not in this town.
“Jack Warner.”
“Oh right. Now I remember. You have an older brother who was a year ahead of me before he—”
“Dropped out,” I finished, because I could see she was embarrassed. I wasn’t. “Marco. I’m not like him.”
I watched it all happen on her face. She was putting together everything she knew about my family. That everyone felt super sorry for my mom, that my dad was a drunk, that my brother was a high school drop-out. That we were shit poor.
“No, you’re not like him, are you? You come to the aid of damsels in distress.”
“All the time.”
She laughed again. “Okay, Jack. Help me around the car.”
I did, then gave her a boost into the passenger seat. I walked around the car and as I did, I saw her pull a key from between her boobs that must have been nestled in her tank top.
Oh man. She was going to hand me something that had been touching her tits. I was full-on hard now. Thank god my track shorts were loose enough it wouldn’t be obvious unless she was directly looking at my junk.
She has no reason to look at your junk. Stratosphere, remember?
