Jack's fists are clenched, his eyes dart to the door and I know where he wants to go. But before he even moves, I slide in front of him and stretch my arms out to block his passage.

I feel like screaming, 'You shall not pass' in a deep voice but I know, now's not the time.

He places his hands on the door on either side of my head as if he's doing a push-up and lowers himself to me. "Move Maggie." His voice is deep and scratchy and he speaks through clenched teeth.

"No." I say confidently and cross my arms.

Then he brings his face an inch from mine and I can almost taste a mixture of metal and mint, my favorite flavor.

"Maggie." He pleads with me now, but I'm not sure if he's pleading with me to move or to kiss him. He takes his lip ring between his teeth and a shiver runs through my spine. His piercing diamond eyes move to my lips and my breath catches after a sharp inhale.

Heat radiates from his body reflecting my own and every fiber of my being longs to reach for him, to pull him into my arms, hold him and never let him go.  Although my body and heart may be weak, my mind is strong and for now, I'm still capable of controlling my actions.

My voice comes out as a whisper. "No."

I clear the lump from my throat and swallow it down.  My voice comes out weaker than I'd anticipated, unconvincing. With every breath, I'm inhaling more of his intoxicating scent and I'm afraid of what is going to happen next.

"Please, don't." I plead as my eyes wander to his lips mere inches from mine. I'm no longer referring to Sam. I'm begging him not to start this up just to break my heart again.

"Fuck!" He shouts.

Jackson pushes away from the wall and begins pacing back and forth angrily as he runs his hand through his soft chocolate-colored hair. The state of shock subsides and the strength I once lost has returned in full force.

"Stop it! You don't get to be angry. You had me, my heart, my body, my world, but you let me go and you destroyed everything in your ravenous wake.  You did this to yourself!" I take a deep breath and almost choke on my anger.  My next words come from deeper inside me, from the hole he's left in my chest that causes me to cry myself to sleep at night. "To us, you did this to us."

Jackson's face softens and his hands move to his pockets as he simply lowers his head in a quiet nod. I expect him to fight back, to add fire to the gasoline I've spread so neatly before him, but he doesn't.

"Maggie, let me explain everything. If you decide to never speak with me again, I'll understand." He calmly responds.

His calm demeanor is throwing me off. Any other argument we've had usually ends in a screaming match, yet here he is standing before me trying his damndest to hold his composure. 

I raise one brow questioning the truthfulness in his statement. He would just give up and accept my decision to never speak with him again? I find it unlikely, after all, it wouldn't be the first time he's lied to me.

"I'll be hurt, gutted even, and I'll never find another soul to replace you. But I'll understand why." He answers my thoughts.

I sit on the creeky bed, cross my arms and legs, then wait for his explanation.

"Bear with me please, I'm a great writer but I'm terrible with words aloud." He pleads.

I just nod and he takes a deep breath while running a shaky hand through his hair and tugging the ends.

"Alex had an idea after we found out I was nominated for the National Book Awards."

I cringe at the sound of that bastard's name but he continues.

"My image was struggling, originally I couldn't give one shit.  Magazines labeled me the Rebel Heartbreaker, in fact, the first article after our photo was taken was labeled, 'The mysterious girl who managed to tame our bad-boy.' When you met me, you asked how I could possibly write such romantic novels when I'd never felt love myself." Jackson paces the room as he speaks and I nervously watch him shuffle from wall to wall. "The perception had to change if I were to win this prestigious award."

"Isn't the award about your book and nothing to do with you as a person?" I ask confused.

He offers me a sad smile, "That would be nice Maggie, but unfortunately that's just not how the entertainment industry works."

I nod my head, accepting his answer and continue listening.

"The idea was to set up a family, a long term relationship and finally give the people what they wanted, an inside look at the infamous J. Porter. I would hire someone to pretend to be my significant other while I continued to live my normal life in secret." He states casually like this is an acceptable plan.

"Your normal life? You mean being a man whore." I say with more venom than I intended.

"Yes." He doesn't even deny it and I feel a twinge of jealousy and anger. "Before I could set the plan in motion, I met you. You were innocent, sweet, classy, and after you yelled at me for not believing in love then called me out for being an ass, I knew you were perfect."

I cringe and look to the floor, but he gently lifts my face to his and kneels in front of me so we're eye to eye.

"I wasn't lying when I said there was some kind of magnetic attraction pulling us together. There was and still is. I tried to deny it, play it off like it was some silly infatuation that I'd be cured of before long. The moment you disappeared after our trip up the mountain I knew you weren't just some fling I could write off. Every second we spent together I fell deeper and deeper in love with you."

My cheeks light up in a fierce blush and I try to look to the floor but he keeps my head in place so I have to keep my eyes on him.

"When Alex told me he went through with the plan and hired those actors to be my parents I tried to tell you. You seemed so infatuated with the idea of me having a proper upbringing and you wanted so badly to be a part of my family. I couldn't break it to you."

I can't stay quiet any longer. "Jackson I didn't want your family, I wanted to be a part of your life. I was excited to finally know you! Or the you that I thought you were."

Tears begin pooling at the corner of my eyes and despite a desperate attempt to control my breathing, I'm afraid I won't be able to stop them from falling.

"I told you about my childhood, I was waiting for signs that you were catching on. In fact, the one bloody book that you haven't read, 'After All' is the story I used to come up with how they met, word for word, line for line." His diamond eyes plead with mine.

My mouth drops, I was searching for answers yet all this time it's been right in front of me. It was the very book Bethany had sitting on the coffee table when she questioned me about Jackson, the manuscript I clenched my teeth on in his office while we-. My face flushes and heat spreads to my cheeks.

"I was throwing out every hint I could, but you are so into this perfect fucking illusion of me that your mind duped you into not seeing it." Jack says in frustration.

"The fact that you think it's okay because you hinted at not being truthful is shocking. You lied." I strongly emphasize lied.

"That's the bottom line here isn't it?" I say as I begin to ball my fists at my side and feel my nails dig into my palms. "You can come up with as many excuses as you'd like but when it comes down to it, you're a damn liar."

He stands back up and begins pacing again. This evening is clearly not going as he's planned and I can tell by the way he's tugging at his hair.

I'm so irritated that he thinks he can stand in front of me feeding me lines and I'll just forgive him. So my words come out like venom. "That's what you do, you spin romantic lies and give off the idea of love but that's all they are, lies."

Jackson stops pacing and twists to face me and I expect his words to be just as cruel so we can get everything in the open and part ways. But in spite of the fact that I've been monologuing him with all of the bitter angry inner turmoil that has plagued me since I found out the truth, his response surprises me.

"What happened to nothing could change the fact that you love me?" His face is serious and he's searching mine for an answer before I can even respond.

"Don't use my words from before against me." I snap, avoiding the question completely.

Jack seems to let out a breath I didn't know he was holding. "So you don't deny it then?"

"That I said it?" I ask with my brows raised, challenging him.

"That you still love me." He says as he takes a few steps closer.

I pull my arms across my chest again and scrunch my brows together in frustration.

"We're getting nowhere." I pout.

"Just say it, baby." He whispers as he kneels in front of me so our faces are level.

Baby. 

There's that damn word again.  That simple nickname that turns me into butter, especially when it's coming from his mouth.

"Of course I love you, despite how much I want to hate you my heart can't be turned so quickly. But that doesn't mean-"

Jackson's mouth crashes into mine and an otherworldly sensation surges through my body. Electric starts where our lips touch, trailing through my fingertips and toes leaving me breathless. My body comes alive for the first time in days.

Our lips move perfectly in sync and his tongue dances with mine as I taste my forbidden fruit, mint and metal. Our boundary lines melt from the heat radiating between our skin as I reach up and thread my fingers through his silky hair like I've been longing to do since he showed up at Sam's doorstep.

Sam.

My mind clears as I think of Sam and where we are and I'm brought back to reality. I release my grip on his hair and gently push his chest away.

When our lips separate I take a moment to catch my breath. I'm reminded of the five-foot rule I had in place when we first met and debate on reinstating it.

"This doesn't mean I forgive you." I say panting with my hand still on his chest. I'm holding him at a safe distance to be sure he can't pull a stunt like that again.

"This is dangerous, we so easily slip back in this pattern and-" I'm cut off when he starts to ramble.

"I'm sorry Maggie, I mean it. I never wanted to hurt you, in fact, I thought I was protecting you in some fucked up way." He says as his nervous hand runs through his hair again.

"Jack-" I protest.

"Let me finish." He says sternly.

"I don't expect you to forgive me right away, and I don't expect us to completely unload everything there is to know about one another right here, right now. And I especially don't want to do it here at Sam's house." He says Sam's name with disdain but straightens his expression.

"But I also don't believe our story will end here." He says as he tucks a hair behind my ear.

"Come home." He pleads.

I have to admit I'm really tempted by his offer, but I'm still not ready to forgive him. I can't let him believe this behavior is okay.

I cover my face with my hands so he doesn't try to read my expression but he grabs my wrists and pulls them down.

"I don't know, I still don't forgive you." I respond, and he gives me a cheeky grin which makes me wonder if he only heard half that sentence.

"Why are you smiling? I just told you I don't forgive you." I say as I cross my arms in front of my chest.

"Just come home as friends then.  I won't try to kiss you, we won't have sex, hell you can even ignore me if you want. I'll answer any questions you have for me even, no filters this time. I'm an open book for you only, but please just come home."

I really want to come home. I was actually starting to consider Jack's house my home until everything blew up in my face. I'm facing serious inner turmoil so insider my options.

I could stay here, without any of my things and live with Sam for a while but I know Sam wants something more than I can give him. My heart belongs to Jackson whether I want to admit it or not.

I could go to my apartment with Bethany, but there's no telling if that would actually keep Jack away. Would I even want him to stay away? No, I don't think I would. I wanted him to chase me the moment I walked away, but Nick is the one who followed.

"Jack, You better not try anything. I'm serious." I say sternly but a huge grin spreads across his face.

"I'd wait forever for you to come around." He smiles and I attempt to suppress one of my own.

"Friends then?" I ask, unwilling to agree to anything further. I need more answers and if he's finally willing to open up to me I can't pass up this opportunity.

"For now." He laughs and I agree subconsciously. I'm not a fool, I know there's no way we could ever be just friends, however, that doesn't mean our only option is to be together.

"Let's go tell Sam and get your shit." Jack says as he stands and I realize my night of tough conversations isn't over.