Too Consumed by Skyla Madi Page B

stroll into the living room and drop into the armchair, crossing my legs at the ankles. I never ask Jackson what happened. Usually, I wait until he finds the right words.
    “ I think I fucked up…”
    I don’t say anything, not yet.
    “She called me again.”
    My chest tightens and I sit forward in my chair. “Amelia?”
    He nods, taking another large sip at his beer. “She hasn’t called me in months, not since I moved to Portland …I wasn’t expecting her to call me ever again.”
    “What did she want?”
    “I don’t know. I told Selena to check my phone, thinking it was you, and she asked me who Amelia was.”
    He shakes his head. “ I couldn’t tell her, Seth. I don’t ever want her knowing who Amelia is…what she did—what I did.”
    I nod. Amelia was Jackson’s first love. The woman who literally chewed him up and spat him back out. She’s a real piece of work—a sadistic, controlling whore who loves nothing more than to fuck with people’s minds. Feelings, love and sex…to her it’s one big game.
    “Always playing games ,” I scoff, crossing my arms.
    “You should have seen Selena’s face …” Jackson rakes a hand through his hair.
    “She went to bed straight after that?”
    “Yeah …”
    I frown. “And you haven’t gone up yet?”
    He shakes his head, his eyes flicking to his mobile phone. Motherfucker . He’s waiting for Amelia to call back. Fuck no! She’ll never talk to him again, not if I have anything to do with it. I launch myself out of my armchair, grab Jackson’s phone and throw it, sending it crashing against my wall and falling into bits and pieces on the carpet.
    “Fuck that shit, Jacks . What are you doing sitting down here and waiting for her to call you back? Don’t you remember what state you were in the last time you let her sink her claws into you?”
    I do. I remember it clearly. He was fucked up on everything, drugs and alcohol—he was borderlining a trip to the mental hospital, that’s how fucked up he was. No way am I going to let him go through that shit again.
    Jackson barely bats an eyelid as I tower over him.
    “Put the goddamn beer down and get your ass upstairs before you do anymore damage.”
    Jackson may not admit it—ever—(and I can’t believe I’m admitting it) but Selena is good for him. She’s a lot like him in a way and can certainly take a lot of his shit. I thought Jackson was moving on from Amelia, the grown-ass woman who ruined his teenage years.
    Obviously not.
    I can’t say what happened between them exactly because I don’t know. Jackson refuses to tell anyone the full story.
    “I don’t want to go up there.”
    “Why?”
    “Becau se I can’t look her in the face, I can’t explain what just happened.”
    “Then don’t, but don’t sit down here leaving her alone all night upstairs with her own thoughts. You know how girls are, they over-think things.”
    He drops his head.
    “Look at me,” I demand, my voice coming out a lot more aggressive than I really feel. He hesitates before dragging his green gaze to mine. “When you first met Selena I told you to stay away because I didn’t want your fucked up issues to ruin my chances with Olivia and somehow, I get the feeling you not going upstairs right now will do just that. You might be having fun and Selena might not mean much to you, but Olivia means the world to me and I won’t let you fuck it up.”
    He grits his teeth before raking the top row across his bottom lip. “You’re wrong.”
    “What?”
    “Selena means a lot to me …”
    I feel my face straighten out in surprise. There isn’t much that can surprise me anymore, I’ve seen it all…but this I didn’t see coming. “Then prove it.”
    With a heavy sigh, Jackson rises to his feet and slams back the rest of his b eer. He hands the empty bottle to me and I take it.
    “You owe me a phone.”
    “Gladly.”
    I don’t move until he disappears through the kitchen. When he’ s gone, I stroll from the