Jackson: What was that?

Madeline stroking through his hair with her fingers: What? You loved me, dint you? You said, you will never bail out on me, ever again.

Jackson sensed the growing tension through the words, as he took some time before he carefully pulled her arms out of his neck.

Jackson: Look, you are tired and overwhelmed. Have some sleep.

Madeline(smiling): Does it matter?

Jackson: It does. When it is you, it does.

Madeline looked away and seized her smile.
Jackson: Get some rest.

Jackson took a deep breath and turned his heel to leave. As, he reached the door of the bedroom.

Madeline: See! I proved you wrong.

Jackson turned back with inquiring eyes.

Madeline looked at him with a sarcastic smile and continued in a quivering voice: You were lying, Claros! Don't come back to my place, if a shoulder and some doughnuts, is all you have to spare. I don't need your, pity, Señor!

Jackson: Madeline! What is that all about?

Madeline: What you heard, is all I said.

Jackson(stern voice): Madeline, I can't do that to you.

Madeline(widening her eyes out of rage): WHY NOT??

Jackson: You are not in your right mind. DAMNIT!!

Madeline: I AM in my right mind.

Jackson(in a softer tone): It doesn't happen, just like that. (Raising his eyebrows) What we had was real? And, that... What happened? Proved, it was never meant to be.

Madeline: Oh! And you are the only one deciding?

Their eyes locked, when Madeline's eyes started to glitter,as she tried harder to hold back her tears. Jackson lets out an exhale and walked up to her and stood as close as he could. Brushing his palm to hers. She swallowed a hard gulp.

Jackson(in a lower tone): That's how you say, you love me?

Madeline(whispering): That's how I say, I never stopped loving you and I can't contain it anymore.

He progressed closer, pinning himself to her. His eyes slowly glided down to her lips with a subtle smirk curling up on his lips, as she parted her lips to some micro inches. He tilted his head slightly to his left and planted a soft kiss on her lips.He parted and they shared a brief glance before they crushed themselves completely into each other.

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The room was deemly lit, as the sun was about to go down the horizon. Jackson rested his back over the white sheet and kept his eyes straight towards the ceiling while Madeline laid beside him, eyes closed.

She opened her eyes to find Jackson lost in his own thoughts. She creased her eyebrows out of inquisitiveness.

Madeline: Hey! What's wrong?

Jackson turned his head towards Madeline to see her awake. He gave a soft smile and raised his hand to shuffle with flowing hair.

Jackson: Are you completely sure about this?

Madeline rolled to face Jackson(slightly annoyed): Really? We just had sex. Don't you think, that's a bit late to ask such a question?

Jackson: What? No! I am not talking about the sex. That's totally fine.

Madeline: You are skeptical about this relationship?
Jackson moved his head in denial: I love you, nothing can change that. But, my life ain't easy. We have our life on line, every fucking hour. It is unpredictable. Even the people we expect to stay with us forever and protect till the last breath, leave us without a warning.

He turned his gaze back to the ceiling as Madeline kept her eyes fixed on him.

Jackson: We lost Emma.

Madeline: Emma?

Jackson: Jeff's wife. Sarah's mother.

Madeline(disbelief): Sarah's mother? She dead?

Jackson: Long back. Yeah. She was used as a bait, to drag Jereff down from his position. We couldn't save her. Apparently, those fuckards were too coward to fight man to man. Emma, was the daughter of the American Mafia Leader. This marriage created an alliance between us, but it diluted. You know, after that incident, Jereff wasn't himself, anymore. He changed, for good. He feared his position is going to risk all of us. He doubted his own potential.

Madeline: And he decided to step down?

Jackson: Hmm. He thought that was best to keep her daughter safe. She was not even an year old, when a merciless gangster was left alone to raise a baby girl into a strong woman. Devastated and clueless. Sarah (chuckles) she is a sweetheart, you know?

Madeline: She is. Wow! (sad) I am sorry..!I never thought, he would have gone through such a dark phase.

Jackson: I don't want to loose you.

Madeline looked up at Jackson with a puzzled look. Jackson turned his face towards her, with a visible concern painted over his face.

Madeline: Hey, I am not going anywhere, okay? I survived, Corvett.

Jackson: Don't ever utter his name. I repeat, never, ever, utter his name, in front of me. *sigh*I want to tell you something and you need to remember this, forever. if you ever feel that something is not right, and you fail to reach me, don't wait. Just do, what you feel would be right at that moment. Run, or kill him. Don't worry about me. I will always find a way back to you. Okay?

Madeline(playfully nodding her head): Agreed!

Jackson(took a brief moment): Maddie!

Madeline: Hmm?

Jackson: Marry me.

Madeline(casting a bored look on her face): Just like that.

Jackson: I don't have any better way to say it.

Madeline(in a playful tone): Nope, that doesn't work.

Jackson: How does it work?

Madeline: You know, a romantic ambience, you on the knees, I'll gasp at the sudden surprise. Just like they do it in the movies.

Jackson: Wow! I never knew you liked that?

Madeline: I am still an aspiring women.

Jackson laughs at her response, rolls to face her and places a moist kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes and fell asleep to the warmth of his kiss, in no time. Jackson seized his smile and kept studying the peacefulness in her sleep like a blank slate.

Maybe, she never slept this peacefully in a long time, now.

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As, she rolled towards her right in her sleep, her stretched hand accidently pushed the glass of water, off the bed table and the clinking sound jerked her out of the sleep. She squeezed her eyes, as she realized that the sun has already crossed the horizon, and now peeping through her curtains. She stretched her neck to take a look at the floor. Broken pieces of broken glass and water were spilled everywhere. She slapped her face and rolled within her sheet to face the ceiling with an annoyed look. She turned towards Jackson's side, stretched her arm but, all she could feel was the empty cold sheet. Her eyes opened wide and her annoyance turned into confusion. He wasn't there. She shot up from the bed at once, and scanned through her room, but she couldn't find him, anywhere. She jumped out of the bed and rushed towards the bathroom. It was empty. She parted a part of her messed up hair to the right and ran to grab her phone, to check if she had received any calls or messages. There wasn't any either.

Every detail of the previous night started to flash through her mind. Her hands started to sweat as she dialed his number. But, to her dismay, there wasn't any response from the either side. She did not stop, she tried to call him several times, but every time, the ringing sound would end with a voice mail note. Her breathing accelerated, as she kept her eyes on the empty screen. She guided herself to collapse on the corner of the bed, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground.

Where is he? Why did he leave, without even acknowledging? Is he in some form of trouble? Or....did he intentionally leave before I wake up? Did....did I hurt him? No, no, no. What I did last night, wasn't right. I shouldn't have pushed him.

She dig her face in her palm.

Maybe, he regrets spending the night. What did I do?

After, meditating for a brief moment, she grabbed her phone and dialed another number. She stood up and started pacing restlessly, as the dial-er tone started to hit her ears. After a few rings, a hoarse voice responded.

Madeline(shuttering): Hey, um Jereff!

Jereff(concerned voice): Madeline, what's up? Is everything all right, down there?

Madeline(stammering, yet trying to stay as stable as she could): Ye...yeah! I am fine. Do...do you know where....I mean is Re.... um....sorry. How's...how's Rex?...shit no...I mean Ja...

Jereff(in a calm tone): You mean Jackson?

Madeline squeezed shut her eyes as her cheeks turned red.

Jereff: No, honey. I don't know, where he is. He did not come home.

The redness in her cheeks vanished as she downcasted her eyes with a subtle frown.

Madeline(in a gloomy voice): He did not come home? Is...um...is this normal?

Jereff(assuring tone): Yes it is completely okay. He must be stuck in some business.

Madeline(in a inquiring tone): Are you sure he is fine?

Jereff(chuckles): If anything goes wrong with him, I am the first person to sense that.

Madeline(disbelief): Wow! Are you guys telepathic or something?

Jereff laughs.

Jereff: No, we are not. Let just say, we have our ways, to be in touch with each other.

Madeline(gloomy): So, he is fine.

Jereff: Okay, something is bothering you. I can sense that. What's wrong?

Madeline(clearing her throat): Nothing you should be worried about. But, if he see him, please tell him to check his phone.

Jereff(confidently): Yup, roger that!

Madeline forces a chuckle: Thank you so much. Have a nice day.

Jereff: You too.

She placed the phone back on the bed table , climbed up the bed and curled herself up, on his side. A tear streamed down her eyes as she failed to waiver off the fact that maybe he genuinely left, and she was the reason.

A few hours later;

Madeline(smiling on the phone): Thank you so much. I owe you.....yup, bye.

Phew! Atleast, they did accept me, after I went AWOL. Stories do work.

She decided to go back to her old job. After a few requests, they finally accepted her. She needed this, to keep herself distracted from the whole devil in the form of "I am alone." She needed to find a tough floor to stand on, until she finally finds some better things to do. Maybe, get a degree like a normal girl.

The rest of the day, went on in a blur. She tried calling him occasionally, but she did not get to hear the familiar voice from the other side.

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The next day, she woke up early, pulled out her old uniform and the memories of her first day with Jackson came rushing into her mind. She kept her gaze fixed on the white t-shirt, for a brief moment, as she ran her hands delicately through the white fabric, unable to contain her smile and tears forming up in her eyes. She shook her head in an attempt to keep her mind out of those thoughts. She dresses up in her old white t-shirt and blue jeans, clutches her bag and stood near her broken mirror, and tries to get at least a glimpse of her reflection through the broken mirror. She lets out a low groan when she failed to figure out anything, after several attempts. She closes her eyes and takes few breaths, before she walks out of the house, locking the door, behind her.

The work that was once a cover, is now a new normal for her.