Beautiful Redemption (The Maddox Brothers, #2)(41)

I tilted my head to the side, offering an appreciative grin. “It’s only been a few weeks.”

He looked down. “I know.”

“How are your parents?”

“Dad just got over a cold. Mom swore that if I brought you flowers, you’d change your mind.”

I pulled my mouth to the side. “Let’s take a walk.”

Jackson followed me to the elevator. I pushed the button for the first floor, and we rode in silence.

When the doors slid open again, the lobby was bustling with activity. First thing in the morning, agents were either coming in or leaving to conduct interviews, to go to the courthouse, or to do the hundreds of other tasks that fell in the spectrum of our duties. Visitors were getting checked in, and a small group of junior high children were beginning a tour.

We walked together toward the backside of the building, and I pushed open the double doors that led to the courtyard. Nestled between the two buildings was a beautiful sitting area with patio furniture, river rocks, patches of green fescue, and a monument for fallen agents. I’d always wanted to spend a few minutes there to gather my thoughts or just sit in the quiet, but between lunch dates with Val and fitness-room time with Thomas, I hadn’t really found a spare moment.

Jackson sat in one of the cushioned wicker love seats. I stood in front of him, fidgeting. We didn’t speak for nearly a minute, and then I finally took a breath.

“Why didn’t you call first?” I asked.

“You would have told me not to come.” His voice was pitifully sad.

“But you came anyway,” I said, squinting from the bright morning sun.

When Jackson bent over and held his forehead in his hands, I was glad we were alone.

I took a step back, afraid for a second that he might cry.

“I haven’t been handling this well, Liisee. I haven’t been able to sleep or eat. I had a meltdown at work.”

His nickname for me made me cringe. It wasn’t his fault. I’d never told him that I hated it. Seeing him so vulnerable when he was usually in command of his emotions made me uncomfortable, and my guilt compiled it tenfold.

Jackson wasn’t a bad guy. But falling out of love with him had made everything he did grotesque to me, and the harder I’d tried to feel different, the more I couldn’t stand him.

“Jackson, I’m at work. You can’t do this here.”

He looked up at me. “I’m sorry. I just meant to ask you to lunch.”

I sighed and sat next to him. “I hate that you’re hurting. I wish I felt different, but I…just don’t. I gave it a year, like I promised.”

“But maybe if I—”

“It’s nothing you did. It’s not even something you didn’t do. We just don’t work.”

“You work for me.”

I put my hand on his back. “I’m sorry. I really, truly am. But what we had is over.”

“You don’t miss me at all?” he asked.

His body was so much larger than mine that he shaded me from the sun.

I remembered seeing him at training. The other female trainees had thought he was so attractive and sweet. And he was. After all their efforts to catch Jackson Schultz, I’d managed to catch him with no effort at all. He was attracted to confidence and brilliance, he’d said. And I had both.

Here he was, begging me to want him, when he could walk out of here and make a number of women swoon, women who would love him and appreciate his bad habits along with the traits that I’d fallen in love with.

After some hesitation, I decided the truth wasn’t pleasant, but it was necessary. I simply shook my head.

“Holy shit.” He laughed once without humor. “Did you move out here for someone? It’s not my business, I understand that, but I still gotta know.”

“Absolutely not.”

He nodded, satisfied. “Well, my plane doesn’t leave until Wednesday. I guess there are worse places to be stuck.”

“Can you change your flight?” I’d known before I asked that he wouldn’t.

Not only was Jackson terrible at letting go, he was also completely helpless at things like changing a plane ticket, making reservations, or scheduling appointments. I was sure his mother had taken care of his travel arrangements for him to even come here.

“The Top Gun bar is here. You’d really like it,” I said.

“Yeah.” He chuckled. “That sounds pretty great.”

“I’ll walk you out. I’m really…I’m just sorry, Jackson.”

“Yeah. Me, too.”

I guided him across the lawn and back into the main building. He didn’t say a single word as we walked across the lobby and to the entrance.

“I just…I have to say it once…before I leave. I love you.”

I kissed his cheek. “Thank you. I don’t deserve that, but thank you.”

He smirked. “I know you can handle that jerk-off upstairs, but if it gets old, you can always come home.”

I snickered. “He’s not a problem.”

“Good-bye, Liis.” Jackson kissed my forehead and turned, pushing through the door.

I took a deep breath and suddenly felt exhausted.

Trudging back into the elevator, I leaned against the back wall until the chime signaled that I was at my floor, and then I stepped out into the hallway, forcing one foot in front of the other.