Page 48 of Healer’s Betrayal

Jackson- yes

Me- do I have to be there?

Jackson- yes

I sigh and then text again.

Me- when and where?

Jackson- are you done early?

Me- yes

I stare at my phone, waiting for a response. When I don’t see anything, I grab my wallet and head to the front door, waving to several people on the way. When I’m almost to the door, it opens, and Jackson steps inside. His eyes land on me almost immediately, and his eyes meet mine. I force myself to keep walking towards him. He holds the door for me, and I step outside. “My break was going to be now, so I just decided to clock out early.”

He scowls. “You didn’t get a break today?”

“Well, technically, it’s my break now; I just didn’t take it.”

If possible, his scowl deepens. “You need to eat. Come on.”

He starts across the parking lot, and I watch him go a moment. “Uh, Jackson.” He turns back. “I have my car,” I say, pointing over my shoulder.

“We’re going to the same place. I can drive, and we can swing by later and pick your car up.”

“Honestly, I’m exhausted; so if you don’t mind—”

“I don’t,” he says, cutting me off. We walk towards his truck at the edge of the parking lot, and he opens the passenger door for me. I climb up and into the cab, and he shuts the door behind me. “Let’s get you some food.”

“What time do we have to meet your friends?”

“They’re not my friends,” he all but growls at me.

I look over at him with eyebrows raised. “Okaaay. What time do we need to meet the people from last night?”

He glances at the clock. “In about forty minutes.”

“Oh. Is it okay if we head to my apartment instead? I told Noah he could come with.”

His scowl grows. “You need food.” I’m about to argue when my stomach complains loudly. I drop my hand to my stomach, trying to silence it; but it’s too late. “We’re getting you food.” His tone leaves no room for arguing, not that I really want to. I really am hungry. “How about if Ransom picks Noah up and brings him to the hotel?” he asks after a few beats of silence.

I think about it for a moment and then nod. “Okay. Thank you.” I wait a moment and then ask. “Do you need to call him?”

He glances over at me. “Yeah. I’ll call him when we stop. What are you hungry for?”

“Anything. I’m starving. What are you hungry for?”

“I’m fine,” he growls again. “I ate earlier, remember?” I do remember. He and Ransom came in for lunch, but it was really busy. I waited on them but didn’t get to talk to them more than a hi and goodbye. “They should let you eat earlier.”

I shrug. “Most of the time, it’s fine. Today was just a really busy day.”

He pulls into a sandwich shop. “This good?”

It suddenly sounds perfect. “My mouth’s already watering,” I tell him.

We make our way inside, and I order a large sandwich and a drink and pull out my wallet to pay. Jackson steps up and orders a sandwich, then another one, and another one, and another one. I finally realize he’s ordering extra for his friends, or maybe his not friends. My minds starts spiraling while I wait for him to order the entire restaurant. I can’t figure out who those people were last night if he doesn’t want to claim them as friends. A lot of what went down after I passed out is hazy in my mind, and I feel like I’m missing some crucial information. I wonder if I can get more out of Jackson. The whole thing seems so secretive, and I just want to know who they are and what they want. A thought hits me, and I turn to Jackson just in time for the lady to tell him his total. I seriously hope he’s planning on paying because I don’t have that kind of money. Thankfully, he pulls out his card and pays. I rummage through my wallet and find a twenty, which I promptly hand to him once he’s finished. He frowns at it. “What’s that for?”

“My sandwich.”