level increased once it started getting darker in the room. Jackson must have felt it because he reached over and grabbed her hand.
“I’m here. You’re not alone.”
“I know. It means more to me than I could ever say.”
“I know.”
They sat there for a few more minutes before Jackson pulled her up and they walked out of the room. “Come on. I have a surprise for you.”
“I’m not sure if I should be more scared or relieved.”
“I’ll let that one pass. Okay, now I think it’s … ouch … fuck … nope … ahhh … here we go.”
Kat had no idea where they were in the suite. There wasn’t much of a moon so they couldn’t rely on the moonlight to help. She instinctively tensed when she heard the click of a door closing and some shuffling behind her. “Jackson?” She couldn’t keep the fear out of her voice.
“Shhh, I’m right here. Close your eyes.”
“What? We’re in a pitch black room.”
“Exactly, the light is going to blind you.”
“We can’t turn on the lights.”
“Trust me.”
“Fine.” She closed her eyes.
Jackson turned on the light and after a few moments when she was sure the light wasn’t going to hurt her eyes, she opened them. There, in the huge bathroom, was a mattress on the floor all made up with bedding, and everything else they could possibly need for the night.
“What? How?” was all she could say.
“I knew this would be hard for you and I just wanted to make it as easy as possible. It really wasn’t much.” He shrugged.
“How did I miss this?”
“I just made sure we stayed out in the main living area so you wouldn’t come back here. I know it’s still early, but I thought maybe we could watch a movie before going to bed.”
“Together?”
“Well, we’ve done it before. Plus, we’ve been sharing a room at Noah’s.” He turned and gathered her in his arms. “You know where I want to be. Tonight doesn’t have to be anything more than me lying next to you in bed. I know it might be a hard night for you and I don’t want to make things worse, but I also don’t want to be away from you. I need to be there for you.”
Kat looked up at Jackson, and seeing how much he cared for her, she couldn’t deny him. “You really are the best man I’ve ever known. Please tell me you at least brought something else besides action flicks.”
“Oh, come on, I like other kinds of movies.”
“Yeah, sports movies.”
“That’s different from action movies.” When she didn’t say anything, but gave him a look, he continued, “But for you I brought other movies, in fact, I have your favorite.”
“You didn’t.”
“Yep, ready for a night with Spaceballs?”
Kat took a deep breath; thinking tonight just might end up being fine.
Jackson wasn’t sure what woke him, but Kat in his arms was something he hadn’t felt in a long time. He was happy and thought everything was finally starting to fall back into place.
The noise came again and he realized it was coming from Kat. Worried she was having a nightmare, he tried to shake her awake. It was the wrong thing to do. She started thrashing against him and screaming.
“Kat wake up. Kat, come on, wake up.” He dodged her fists while trying to keep ahold of her. “Chelle!”
Her eyes popped open and she started sobbing. Jackson’s heart broke for her; the things that had been done to her and continued to haunt her. “Shhh … it’s okay; I’m right here.” He gathered her up in his arms and started gently rocking her back and forth. He could feel the depth of her sadness as her body violently shook against his.
After what seemed like hours, but was probably only about thirty minutes, she began to calm down. He smoothed her hair back from her face. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No,” she hiccupped, “it was just the usual. Reliving the nightmare that’s Jeremy. Nothing new.”
“Oh baby, I’m so sorry. We should have come up with a different plan.”
She pulled away
“I’m here. You’re not alone.”
“I know. It means more to me than I could ever say.”
“I know.”
They sat there for a few more minutes before Jackson pulled her up and they walked out of the room. “Come on. I have a surprise for you.”
“I’m not sure if I should be more scared or relieved.”
“I’ll let that one pass. Okay, now I think it’s … ouch … fuck … nope … ahhh … here we go.”
Kat had no idea where they were in the suite. There wasn’t much of a moon so they couldn’t rely on the moonlight to help. She instinctively tensed when she heard the click of a door closing and some shuffling behind her. “Jackson?” She couldn’t keep the fear out of her voice.
“Shhh, I’m right here. Close your eyes.”
“What? We’re in a pitch black room.”
“Exactly, the light is going to blind you.”
“We can’t turn on the lights.”
“Trust me.”
“Fine.” She closed her eyes.
Jackson turned on the light and after a few moments when she was sure the light wasn’t going to hurt her eyes, she opened them. There, in the huge bathroom, was a mattress on the floor all made up with bedding, and everything else they could possibly need for the night.
“What? How?” was all she could say.
“I knew this would be hard for you and I just wanted to make it as easy as possible. It really wasn’t much.” He shrugged.
“How did I miss this?”
“I just made sure we stayed out in the main living area so you wouldn’t come back here. I know it’s still early, but I thought maybe we could watch a movie before going to bed.”
“Together?”
“Well, we’ve done it before. Plus, we’ve been sharing a room at Noah’s.” He turned and gathered her in his arms. “You know where I want to be. Tonight doesn’t have to be anything more than me lying next to you in bed. I know it might be a hard night for you and I don’t want to make things worse, but I also don’t want to be away from you. I need to be there for you.”
Kat looked up at Jackson, and seeing how much he cared for her, she couldn’t deny him. “You really are the best man I’ve ever known. Please tell me you at least brought something else besides action flicks.”
“Oh, come on, I like other kinds of movies.”
“Yeah, sports movies.”
“That’s different from action movies.” When she didn’t say anything, but gave him a look, he continued, “But for you I brought other movies, in fact, I have your favorite.”
“You didn’t.”
“Yep, ready for a night with Spaceballs?”
Kat took a deep breath; thinking tonight just might end up being fine.
Jackson wasn’t sure what woke him, but Kat in his arms was something he hadn’t felt in a long time. He was happy and thought everything was finally starting to fall back into place.
The noise came again and he realized it was coming from Kat. Worried she was having a nightmare, he tried to shake her awake. It was the wrong thing to do. She started thrashing against him and screaming.
“Kat wake up. Kat, come on, wake up.” He dodged her fists while trying to keep ahold of her. “Chelle!”
Her eyes popped open and she started sobbing. Jackson’s heart broke for her; the things that had been done to her and continued to haunt her. “Shhh … it’s okay; I’m right here.” He gathered her up in his arms and started gently rocking her back and forth. He could feel the depth of her sadness as her body violently shook against his.
After what seemed like hours, but was probably only about thirty minutes, she began to calm down. He smoothed her hair back from her face. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No,” she hiccupped, “it was just the usual. Reliving the nightmare that’s Jeremy. Nothing new.”
“Oh baby, I’m so sorry. We should have come up with a different plan.”
She pulled away
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