I could hear the elevator door opening and my first instinct was to hide, so that’s exactly what I did.  Quickly putting my ice cream down I hit the deck and slip underneath the couch.  Okay, not the best hiding spot, considering the amount of dust that surrounds me, but I panicked.

    The sound of footsteps can be heard echoing through the apartment over the sound of the tv.  Oh crap the tv!  I didn’t turn it off!  And I left my ice cream out, wow, whoever is here will sure know someone is home and I pray that it’s not my parents.

    The footsteps get louder and louder until they stop all together.  I hold my breathe and an abundance of thoughts runs through my head of who could be in the apartment.  All of them are pointing back to my dad, who usually is quiet just like the intruder, but it also means that I am going to get a beating of my life time if he catches me.  While stuck in my thoughts a strong arm grabs mine and drags me out from under the couch.  This is it, this how I die.  At least that’s what I anticipated until I saw the all to familiar mischievous smirk.

    “What are you doing under the couch, princess?”  Jackson is kneeling over me as I lay there probably looking like a child being caught red handed.

    “Oh you know, just checking to see if the couch is up to code.”  I pat the side of the couch, “yup, everything looks good.”  He laughs and I go to get up but fail miserably.  Jackson was still holding on to my arm so when I tried to get up he just pulls me down into his lap.  His arms wrap around my waist and I can see every defined muscle in his arms.  Small, warm breathes can be felt on the back of my neck causing goosebumps to spread across my skin.

    Inside I’m screaming, telling myself to move away, but my body doesn’t.  My shirt rode up when I was being pulled out and is now exposing my hip, and Jackson noticed that too.  His hand makes contact with my bare skin and he starts drawing patterns on my hip, causing a shiver to run down my spine.  He chuckles, clearly aware of how he is affecting me and clearly liking it.  I put my hands on his arms and try to pull them away but I know it’s useless.

    “What are you doing?”  I finally manage to ask but it doesn’t do me any good.  He continues to draw on my hip and buries his head in the crook of my neck, gently grazing his lips against my skin.  A small gasp escapes my mouth and I can feel him smile.  All of a sudden his arms stiffen and he grabs my wrist.

    “You’re not wearing your bracelet.”  I take this as my opportunity to try and break away.  He lets me stand up but doesn’t let go of my wrist.  “Where is it?”  His voice is hard and when I turn around to look at him he is noticeably upset.

    “I told you, I don’t want anything to do with you or the others.”  He stands up and I rip my hand out of his and walk to the kitchen.  I’m still a little shaken from him being so close to me and I need space to try and calm down.

    “That’s not your choice to make.”  He followed me to the kitchen but I was able to create enough space between us that we are now on opposite sides of the kitchen island.  

    “Of course it’s my choice, I’m in control of my life.”  Jackson tries to get closer but I make sure to keep equal distance.

    “No it’s not.  Once you put that bracelet on you became one of us.”  Again he tries to make a move closer but I remain far away from him.

    “As I recall you forced that bracelet on to me, I never put it on, which means I’m not apart of anything.”  I give him a sarcastic smile earning a huff of exasperation from him.  Then he did something that I was not expecting.  He literally jumped over the kitchen island and pinned me in the corner of the countertops.  Grabbing the back of my knees he pushes me up on top of the counter and instinctively I put my hands on his shoulders.

    “Tell me where the bracelet is or I’ll kiss you.”  His mischievous smile is back and he rubs his thumbs on my knees.  I remain speechless and just stare into his eyes for what seems like an hour.  His black eyes have a twinkle in them that is somehow beautiful.  His hands slowly start rising up my legs and I squirm to try and get away.  “I love the way I affect you.”  He leans closer but I try to make as much space as I can.

    “You don’t affect me.”  I try to keep up a strong act but my voice wavers a little.

    “Really, then why are you blushing?”  Those black eyes are looking at me playfully, almost inviting me to lean closer but I don’t.

    “I’m not.”  I mentally face palm myself.  Great argument Seolhyun, you should join the debate team.

    “What ever you say princess.”  He lets out a laugh and then grabs my face with both of his hands.  “Now tell me where the bracelet is or I’ll kiss you.”  The proximity between our faces is slowly decreasing and my mind goes to jelly.  “Unless that’s what you want me to do.”  His smirk grows and almost in slow motion he starts leaning in.

    We are now so close to each other that if either of us so much as hiccuped we would end up kissing. Both his hands are cupping my face while mine are clutching at his chest, either pushing or pulling away my brain hasn’t decided yet.  My legs are slightly wrap around the back of his almost like my body subconsciously is keeping him from leaving me.  Just then my brain decides to finally work and I barely whisper out the sentence.

    “It’s in my backpack.”  Neither of us move, almost as if we are frozen in time.  “Over by the elevator.”  I’m hoping by saying that he will walk over and get it but he doesn’t, he just continues to stare at me.  Then he lets out a frustrated sigh and leisurely backs away, making sure to let his hands roam down my arms.  My body feels somewhat cold after he leaves but I shake it off.  I see him walk over to my backpack and start rummaging through it as I jump down from the counter and almost fall.  My legs feel like pure jelly but I quickly regain my balance and head over to the couch.

    The ice cream as slightly melted but I didn’t mind as I take another big spoonful to try and calm my nerves.  Jackson appears next to me and delicately puts the bracelet back on my wrist.  He sits down and pulls me close to him on the couch but I don’t think my heart can handle anymore so I get up and sit in the chair across the room.

    “Why won’t you let me hold you?”  He sounds annoyed again but I brush it off.

    “Because I don’t want you to.”  I shrug my shoulders and take another bite of my ice cream.

    “You didn’t seem to have a problem with it when we almost kissed.”  His stupid smirk returns on his face and I can feel my cheeks heating up.

    “Yea, well I was trying to figure out which one would be less painful, being kissed my you or putting this dumb bracelet back on.”  Jackson’s eyebrows pulled together in anger.

    “Kissing me would have been the second most enjoyable thing of your life.”  

    “What’s the first?  Kicking you in your sensitive area?  Oh what I already did that, and that was pretty enjoyable.”

    “The most enjoyable would be when I take you to the bedroom, where I deliberately your shirt as you wither below me.  And then…”  Before he can continue with his train of thought I throw my whole ice cream tub at him.  It hits him in the stomach and he lets out a grunt.

    “You’re disgusting.”  Jackson gives me a bewildered look then starts laughing uncontrollably.

    “You just threw ice cream at me.”  He’s now holding his stomach and letting out airless laughs.  I get up and pick the tub off of the floor and return it to the freezer.  When I go back to sit down Jackson is looking at me with a weird expression.  If I didn’t know any better I would have to say it was almost loving.  But this is the guy that is part of a gang who beats up people for the fun of it, there’s no way he is even capable of that feeling.

    We remain like that for a couple hours, him staring at me and me staring at the tv, neither of us saying anything.  Honestly I’m annoyed by the whole situation but I don’t want to provoke him into physical contact.  I’ve had enough of that to last me for a life time.

    Countless shows had past and nothing is exchanged between us but the casual laugh or side glance.  Time was passing and part of me was hoping he would just leave but I guess I should have known better.  “Well, it’s almost dinner time.”  Hoping he would get the hint I stand up and head to the kitchen once again.  I open up the freezer and start figuring out what I want for dinner.  Reaching for the frozen pizza I turn around but I’m faced with the sly smile of Jackson yet again.  His mesmerizing eyes are giving me a knowing look that tells me to run but I can’t.

    “Stop doing that.”  I yell at him and push my way past him.

    “Doing what?”  He asks innocently.

    “Getting close to me.”  I start preheating the oven and take the pizza out of the box.

    “I thought you liked it.”  Jackson spins me around and pulls me close to him.  Our chests are touching and he looks all to happy to be in this position.

    “Cut it out.”  I force him away yet again and he laughs like a giddy school boy.  I grab some plates out of the cupboard and set them next to the oven.

    “You can’t lie to me.”  He circles me and pokes my side, causing me screech out in laughter.

    “Why do you get so hands in the kitchen?”  He pokes my other side causing me to jump and giggle and he is taking a lot of amusement out of teasing me.  “Stop doing that!”  I laugh through the words and my arms swing in all directions as get continues to poke my sides.  My random flailing caused me to knock over a plate hitting the floor with a resonating crack.

    “Oh shoot.”  Letting out an exasperated sigh I go to pick it up, but I find that I’m the one who is actually being picked up.  Jackson is lifting me by the waist and sets me on top of the kitchen island.

    “You’ll get hurt.”  His eyebrows are pulled together in concern.  Oh please, as soon as he turns around I hop down.

    “Like I said, I can take care of myself.”  He angrily looks at me put I ignore it.  I start picking up little pieces and throwing them away.

    “You are so stubborn.”  He shakes his head but at least he doesn’t try to pick me up again.

    “Thank y…”  I inhale sharply as I feel a small cut on my finger.  Within a second Jackson has put me back on the counter and is now examining my cut.

    “See, I told you.  You should really listen to me sometimes.”  He runs to the bathroom and comes back with a first aid kit.  I raise my eyebrow at him.

    “Should I be alarmed that you were able to find my first aid kit in my house?”

    “You should be alarmed that you’re bleeding.”  He says dead seriously while cleaning my wound and putting a band aid on it.  “Don’t move.”  

    “What do you want me to do?  Twiddle my thumbs?”

    “I want you to be safe.”  Jackson almost has everything cleaned up and even puts the pizza in.  I jump down seeing as there is no more ‘life threatening’ pieces left and head to sit on the couch again.  “You should stop being so stubborn.”  He says from the kitchen.

    “You should stop being so stubborn.”  I mimic him only aggravating him even more, but he doesn’t respond.  Before we know it the pizza is done and we both eat in silence.  I have a couple slices and Jackson eats the rest of the pizza, probably in one gulp.  “I think you should leave now.”

    I grab the plates and put them in the dishwasher.  It’s now dangerously close to the time my parents would usually come home and the last thing I want is for them to find Jackson here.  Words cannot even begin to describe what they would do to me if they found out I was home for most of the day with a guy.

    “If you want me to leave so you can sleep I don’t mind.”  Finally!  I smile at him and head for my bedroom but he follows me.

    “What are you doing?”

    “We are going to bed, right?”  My cheeks flame up and I probably look like a lobster.  He is wiggling his eyebrows at me.

    “I’m going to bed, you are going home.”  I poke him in the chest hoping that he will leave now but he still doesn’t.  And he says that I’m too stubborn.

    “You are my home.”  It’s barely above a whisper but I hear it as clear as a bell.  My heart practically jumps out of my chest and I feel like I’m floating.  A million butterflies erupt in my stomach and I’m left speechless.  Jackson smiles the most genuine smile and I can’t help but feel like this is the first time he is showing his true self to me.  In that moment I feel something, something that I have no idea what it is.  I feel important to someone, I feel happy, I feel light, and I don’t know what that feeling is called.

    He grabs my hand and starts playing with my fingers and rubbing is thumb over my knuckles while we just smile at each other, probably looking like complete dorks.  The moment is cut short by the sound of the elevator coming up.  All the previous feelings disappear in a snap and I push Jackson in my room.

    “You have to hide.”  Panic is evident in my voice and I start looking for a place to hide a muscular man.  I can’t shove him under my bed, Lord knows how many water bottles are underneath that thing.  The only place he could possibly fit is in my closet.  “Don’t say anything, I’ll come and get you in five minutes.”  I don’t give him time to respond, just push him in along with all my clothes and shut the door.  If I wasn’t panicking it would have been comical, seeing Jackson stuffed in between all of my girly clothes, but I don’t have time to laugh.

    Running out of my room I quickly see who is home first.  My father is already standing in the kitchen with a disapproving look on his face.  I greet him and bow respectfully and go to grab my bag and head back in my room.  “What is this?”  He holds out a little white shard that can only be from the dish that I broke.

    “I accidentally broke a dish when I was making myself dinner.  I’m sorry.”  Not sure of how he will react, I stupidly approach him to take the shard and throw it away but he doesn’t let me.  Instead he throws it at me and I feel it make contact with my neck.  I flinch and he stares at me emotionless.

    “Do you see how harmful this is if me or your mother would have stepped on it?  Go find it and throw it out.”  With that he leaves the room.  I quickly find the shard and throw it away and decide to take this as an opportunity to get Jackson.  Speaking too soon yet again the elevator door opens revealing my mother.  I bow respectfully and greet her and luckily she doesn’t seem to be in the mood to make conversation.  Taking this as my cue to leave I go back to my room and retrieve Jackson.

    When I walk back into my room I see Jackson rooting through some of my draws.  “What are you doing?  I told you to stay in the closet!”  I half whisper half yell.  If my parents heard anything they would come busting in and I would be in so much trouble.

    “Where do you keep your underwear.”  Seriously, this guy.  My mouth hangs open and I’m trying not to raise my voice.  His face changes from a mischievous one to concern.  “You’re bleeding.”  I reach up and touch my neck where the shard made contact.  Pulling my hand away I see there is bright red blots on the tips of my fingers.

    “I scratched myself a little to hard.”  I know that is the lamest excuse every but it’s the best I can think of on the fly.  Jackson stares at the cut for a while then looks back at me.

    “It’s your parents, is it.  There the ones that hurt you.”  My heart must have stopped beating and all I could do was stare back at him motionless.  Knowing him, he would probably want to get in a fight with them if he knew, and the fact that they are both in the same apartment makes me extremely uncomfortable.

    “You need to leave.”  I check to make sure the coast is clear before I drag Jackson out of the room and with all my might push him towards the fire escape.

    He turns around and looks at me, “this conversation is not over.”  Then he disappears down the stairs.  If I still have any control in my life, this conversation is over, no matter what Jackson says.