Chapter 622
Jackson threw on some fresh clothes and hustled out of the room with Harry.
As they passed Lillian's room, he shot Harry a look that screamed "zip it," then quietly opened the door.
He'd left a floor lamp on earlier, worried Lillian might have nightmares.
In the soft glow, Lillian looked like she was out cold.
Her meds had a bit of a chill-out effect.
Feeling better, he gently shut the door and hurried downstairs with Harry.
But as soon as the door clicked shut, Lillian's eyes popped open.
She sat up, strolled to the window, and peeked through the curtains.
Outside, three cars with their lights on were creeping away from the villa.
Lillian gripped the curtains tight, a spark of something fierce in her eyes.
Jackson didn't roll back to the villa until around eight or nine the next morning. When he walked into the living room, he was shocked to see Lillian wasn't hiding in her room for once.
She was lounging on a recliner by the big window, soaking up the sun and flipping through a book.
The weather was killer, and the sunlight gave her pale face a nice, healthy glow.
Jackson stopped and stared for a bit before strolling over.
"What you reading?"
He bent down, snagged the book from her hands, and glanced at the cover.
It was "Everything I Never Told You," a story about a girl named Lydia who died, and her family, in their grief, searched for the killer, only to discover that they themselves had pushed her towards death.
Jackson's hand froze for a sec, then he shut the book, something intense flashing in his eyes.
He quickly covered it up and said softly, "Violet said you've been reading for a while. You shouldn't strain your eyes too much while you're getting better."
Lillian looked up and asked, "What else can I do?"
She was stuck here, no internet, no fun, no one to chat with, like a lifeless doll.
Jackson met her icy stare, his breath catching a bit, and said gently, "Right now, just rest. Once you're better, I'll have Shirley come over to hang out with you, okay?"
Lillian didn't answer, thinking his "once you're better" was code for "never."
Seeing her silence, Jackson bent down, scooped her up, and said, "Lying down here too long sucks. Time for your meds."
He carried her upstairs.
Back in her room, lying on the bed, Jackson knelt beside her, stroking her hair. "If you're bored and wanna read, I can read to you, okay?"
Lillian shook her head. "I don't wanna listen."
Jackson was used to her rejections by now. He nodded. "It's cool, I'll read to you when you're up for it."
He stood up. "I've been out, might be dusty. Gonna shower and change, then I'll come back."
As he turned to leave, Lillian suddenly asked, "Where'd you go?"
Jackson almost did a double-take. This was the first time she'd spoken to him since everything went down.
She asked where he went. Did she care?
Jackson felt a bit touched, but the stuff he found out that morning quickly squashed that feeling.
He turned slowly. "I went to the office. Had some urgent papers to sign. Lillian, if you don't want me to go out, I..."
Lillian cut him off, "Just asking."
She shut her eyes, looking beat.
Jackson's face tightened, the light in his eyes fading. He turned and walked out, his steps heavy.
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