The next morning, I woke up with a slight headache, thank you to the trauma I went through last night with all of the self-pity and whatnot. In desperation to rid myself of said headache, I nearly crawled over to the bathroom across the hall and looked in the medicine cabinet, finding some aspirin, much to my relief.

After popping the pills, I returned to my room and rested in bed for a while until there was a light knock on my door.

“Come in.” I called, sitting up in my bed.

“Hey.” Holly chirped, walking into my room. “We’re all going down to this pier with Taylor and her brothers. They said that we can go sailing because they have a boat and stuff, you wanna go?” She asked.

“I don’t think so, I don’t feel good.” I mumbled, proud of myself for not lying. I really didn’t feel good, but I wasn’t going to tell her that I wouldn’t want to go even if I was feeling fine, because social interaction just didn’t seem like my cup of tea right now.

“Okay. Do you want me to ask Harris to make you some tea or something?”

“No, it’s okay, I’ll do it later.” I muttered. “Have fun, though.”

“Are you sure you don’t wanna go? Damon’s going to be there.” She sang teasingly.

I chuckled and forced a small smile. “I’m sure I don’t wanna go, Holls. You have fun, though.”

“Okay, but I’m sure Damon will miss you.”

“I’m sure he won’t.” I sighed, watching as Holly waved a last goodbye and left the room.

Deciding to not just be an unmoving lump all day, I decided that if I was home alone all day, I might as well enjoy it. I got up and got dressed in a t-shirt and short dance shorts before brushing through my hair and going into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

When I returned to my room, I checked my phone and saw that I had a text from my mom, surprisingly enough. I haven’t talked to her in forever, and that was a good thing. I think she still thinks that I’m taking those summer online classes, which kind of amuses me.

How are your classes going?

I rolled my eyes at the text and closed out of it, not even responding- she’s so persistent.

I pulled my laptop out, deciding to check my email and Twitter and such before exploring the large mansion-castle like I had planned. I was in the middle of reading a lengthy email from my father about something I really didn’t care about when there was a knock on my door.

I quickly assumed that it was Harris bringing me the tea that Holly suggested, even though I turned it down, so I got up from the bed and walked over to the door, pulling it open. However, much to my surprise and confusion, I did not see Harris when I opened the door- it was Jackson. A shirtless Jackson Thorne.

“What are you doing here?” I asked with a confused frown, but I couldn’t help but eye his chest- it was a nice chest. I mean, of course it was a nice chest- he was famous for his hot body so it was obviously enjoyable to look at. “I thought everyone went sailing on Taylor’s boat.”

“They did, but I stayed back.” He told me, leaning on the door frame. Yeah, his body is world famous, and he is standing in my doorway just flaunting it around like he owns the place. That’s so unfair.

“Why?” I questioned with a throaty rasp.

“Because I heard that you weren’t going.” He replied easily.

“I’m not following…” I trailed off.

He smirked, his eyes lighting up as they looked down at me because he was so much taller than me. “We have the house to ourselves.”

“You need the whole house clear so we can talk?” I said, barely looking up at his face before my eyes toppled down to his chest and his abs and his arm muscles and his…  well, his everything.

“Talk?” He scoffed with what seemed like a mock hurt expression. “Is that all you want to do?”

“I don’t know what else we would do.” I told him matter of factly with a shaky voice. “Unless you’re talking about that one thing, but I know that that is certainly not why you’re here.”

“And why couldn’t I be here because of that one thing?” He mimicked my innocent avoiding of the S word.

I gaped at him- is he stupid or something? Can’t he see what this was doing to me?! “Because it’s a terrible idea and you know it.” I snapped.

“You’re right, that is a terrible idea.” He agreed with a soft nod and a smug smile. “And I’m not going to pressure you into it or anything because that’s definitely not what I had in mind, I was just stopping by.”

“Really?” I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest with a small frown. “And you forgot your shirt?”

His innocent grin spread wider across his face, but I read right through the innocent façade that he was trying to uphold. “It might have slipped my mind.”

“You’re ridiculous.” I huffed. “Have you learned nothing in the past few weeks?”

He shrugged sheepishly. “You know you want to.” He sang.

“You have an ego.” I stated, grumbling.

“Okay, well if you really don’t want to do it, then we can watch a movie or something.” He suggested, but that weird look in his eyes gave him away and I knew that he knew that I wouldn’t say no.

“But, I mean…” I trailed off, drooling over the sight in front of me, which I’m sure is exactly what he wanted. “we already did it twice, so just one more time really wouldn’t hurt anything.”

Jackson grinned a stupid winning grin and stepped forward. “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.” He said, just before closing the door and pushing himself forward, crashing his lips into mine mercilessly and unexpectedly.

I kissed him back, even though I was a bit surprised at the suddenness of the attack, but it was a nice surprise because Jackson was a really, really good kisser.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Our lives would have been a lot easier if we just did it that one time and then just forgot about it and moved on with our lives.” I huffed once I gained my steady breathing again.

“Probably.” Jackson agreed with a small smirk. “But it wouldn’t be nearly as fun.”

“You seem to have a newfound nonchalant attitude about things.” I muttered.

He chuckled. “I guess. I just think that what we do is our business, and I like what we do. It’s not Holly’s decision and it’s not anybody else’s decision. It’s my decision and it’s your decision. So maybe this vacation would be a lot more enjoyable if you just stopped worrying about what other people think of you or will think of you and just do what you want to do.”

“Well that’s very inspirational of you.” I snorted.

“Yes, I know.” He laughed.

“Well that’s three times now and Holly will surely kill me when she finds out.” I groaned.

“Don’t worry about it, we’re on vacation.” Was his next argument.

“Is that your new motto now?” I asked with raised eyebrows. “Don’t worry about it, we’re on vacation.”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Well it sucks.” I informed him.

“Who says she’s ever even going to find out anyway?” He asked. “Who says that anybody is ever going to find out?”

“Tommy found out.” I pointed out. “And Ryder and Brendon know.”

“Brendon only knows about the first time.” Jackson interrupted. “And it’s not like Ryder or Tommy would say something to Holly.”

“Tommy could slip up while with Andy.”  

“Don’t worry about it, it’s vacation.” He smirked. “She won’t find out, just leave it at that.”

“Okay, so she won’t find out until one of these days we slip up, I do have a big mouth, you know. What if she left her purse and comes back to get it, only to find out that her best friend has been lying behind her back and sneaking around with her brother?”

“We are not part of a soap opera.” Jackson laughed. “Look, we have a relationship. What that relationship is, I have no idea, but my guess is it’s friends with benefits at the moment. Anyway, this relationship consists of two people. Me and you. It sure as hell does not include my sister. I don’t care what she thinks or what she wants because she is not part of this relationship.”

“Friends with benefits?” I echoed with raised eyebrows. “Does that mean you expect this to happen again?”

“Honestly, yes. I mean, I won’t do anything like what I did today, but-“

“Seduce.” I interrupted him. “It’s called seducing.”

“Okay,” Jackson laughed. “I seduced you, but I really didn’t think it was going to work, I was just bored and didn’t feel like going sailing so I figured I’d come over here and ask you to play pool or something. But then you were all eyesie, so I figured why not go for it? But no, I will not do that again because now I realize how truly weak I make you.” He smirked.

“No, it’s not just you, I’m just weak in general.” I defended.

“That’s not true.” He insisted quickly. “Anyway, I really do think that it’s going to happen again because I have no self-control and I’m thinking that you don’t either, based on today’s events.”

“Somewhat true.” I appeased with a small nod. “But that’s not good. That’s really not good at all.”

“And why is that? And if you bring up Holly then your argument doesn’t count.”

“Have you never read about friends with benefits?” I asked incredulously. “Somebody is going to get hurt. That or we fall in love which, I don’t see happening anytime soon.”

“And why not?”

“Because,-“ but I stopped talking when I realized what I was about to say. I was going to start complaining about how he could never love me, I’m a mess. I can hide it pretty damn well, but inside, I’m a mess. I would have brought up the fact that back in his earlier days, he’d hooked up with at least five Victoria Secret Angels, easy, and I was no comparison to them. I could have gone on about how I’m not worth the fight, no relationship with me would work out, Brendon is living proof. I’m a walking disaster.

“Your parents were wrong, Libby.” Jackson told me in all seriousness, as if he could read my mind, and the light from his voice was suddenly gone and replaced with seriousness. “You are nothing that they said you were and still say that you are. They’re stupid and they’re wrong, okay? I don’t know why you ever listened to them.”

“It’s easier said than done, Jackson.” I muttered softly. “It’s easy to just say ‘oh, don’t listen to them, they’re wrong’ but you can’t just not listen to it. It repeats in my head over and over like a nagging hiccup until I succumb to it and I believe everything that they say. You can’t just not believe it or brush it off.”

“They are just two people.” He said. “But you have a countless amount of people that are willing to refute their words, why can’t you believe two hundred people over two people?”

“I’m not talking about my parents with you.” I told him stubbornly, getting out of the bed- I didn’t care that I was giving him a show. I threw on the outfit that I had on previously to cover myself and sat down in one of the white chairs by the window.

“Well, you should talk about it with somebody.” He defended.

“This is why falling in love would never work because I’ve already accepted the fact that nobody can love me like this. I’m damaged and I’m stubborn and I have zero self-confidence and I may sound crazy but you just don’t understand what it’s like when the only voice you hear is telling you that you’re not good enough and that you’re not pretty enough and that your worthless, you just don’t know what that’s like.”

“You’re talking, this is good, it’s improvement.” Jackson said with a small smile.

“No, it’s not good.” I snapped, hugging my knees to my chest. “It’s humiliating.”

“How so?” He asked curiously.

“Because I don’t need you to be my shrink or something, I’m not crazy.”

“I never said you were crazy, Libby.” He told me, still sitting in the bed with the comforter covering his manhood while I curled up in a ball in the chair. “I just think that venting this stuff will help you move on.”

“Move on from what?” I asked incredulously.

“From feeling like shit about yourself all the time.” He told me. “You don’t deserve to feel that way about yourself, you deserve to look in the mirror and feel as gorgeous as you really are. You deserve that, Libby. But you’ll never feel that way if you don’t move on from the past.”

I grunted, very annoyed at our subject of conversation. Not feeling like talking about it anymore, I just clamped my lips together.

“So you’re pouting now?” Jackson asked incredulously.

I nodded. “Yes. And I’m hungry so I’m going to go eat.” I stood up and headed for the door.

“Libby, what are you doing?” He asked as if I didn’t just tell him that I was going to get something to eat. Didn’t I just say that? You heard me say that, right?

So right before I closed the door behind me, I snapped. “Ending this conversation.”

_________________________________

Okay, a few announcements: (sorry if I'm repeating things that I've already announced)

1.) Celebrity Status and When It Rains In Ocala are both available for sale in both print and digital copies on Lulu- the link is on my site, it's that little Lulu button.

2.) When It Rains In Ocala is now available on the iBookstore, but is still pending for Nook.

3.) I have an Instagram (tmariekiller) and if you ask, I'll follow you back.

4.) I love you.

Thanks for reading! <3

P.S. I'm really sorry I haven't been responding to comments lately, I've been so caught up in stuff and it's been crazy, but I really appreciate every comment and I read them all and I'll try my best to be better at replying to them.  

(The cover to the side is by Awesome4evah! :D)