PHOENIX

1| I LOVE YOU

Jackson lay in bed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, lost in memories of happier times with Melissa before their world took a sharp turn.

Those days were filled with joy, and he couldn't find a single reason to complain about anything.

His love for her knew no bounds, and he dreamt of the day when he would marry her once he felt financially secure. Melissa was his everything, the centre of his universe.

He often marvelled at his luck, blessed to have such an extraordinary soul by his side, with her hazel eyes, blond hair, and skin like spun gold. Her smile had the power to brighten even the darkest of days, and her laughter was music to his ears, a melody he never tired of.

There were moments when he wished he could stay cocooned in their home, away from the demands of work, just to spend every precious moment with her, indulging in all the things they loved together.

"You know, you could always take me with you to work," she would tease, whenever he concocted new excuses to his boss for skipping a day.

"I know, darling, but there's a strange satisfaction in hearing my boss yell at me for my excuses," he would reply with a grin. But the truth was, he never wanted her to lift a finger; he cherished every moment they spent together, and the thought of her being anywhere else pained him.

Those were the good times for him, when every morning brought the promise of another perfect day with Melissa. But an incident years ago changed everything.

He's not the same now, and he doesn’t want to be. Trusting people too easily had led him to where he is today. That trust had been his downfall, plunging him into a life he never imagined—always on the run, never able to settle in one place for fear of exposure.

As he lay in bed, Jackson's thoughts drifted to the moment he confessed his feelings to her. He had been nervous, his heart pounding in his chest. When he finally told her, the look of shock on her face was something he'd never forget. She had taken days to respond, leaving him in a torturous limbo of uncertainty.

Flashback...

"You know, we've been together for a month now. Time really flies," Melissa murmured, her fingers tracing lazy circles on Jackson's chest.

"It really does. Feels like we just met yesterday. Usually, spending more than one night with someone freaks me out. Being a playboy suits me, you know," he replied with a teasing grin.

"You don't seem like a bad boy to me. You're disciplined, and that says a lot. As for me, I never stay in a relationship for more than a month."

"Are you saying you're planning your exit because it's been a month?"

"Not exactly. Jackson, this isn't a relationship. We've been enjoying each other's company and having amazing s*x, but that's it."

"It's not a relationship? Mel, what do you want to call it then? We've been enjoying each other's company. I love being around you, and I know you feel the same. There's great chemistry between us, and you can't deny that."

"We never said we were exclusive. Yes, we clicked from the beginning, but that's all. I don't want a boyfriend. I'm sorry if you thought we were heading towards being a couple. It's just not for me."

"I know we never defined it, but I can't ignore what I feel for you. You coming into my life has changed me in ways I never expected, and I love these changes. I was—" She cut him off.

"Jackson, don't."

"Why? I need to be honest. I want you. I need you. I know I never planned for this, but I love you. I love you so much it hurts. From the first moment I saw you, I knew what I was feeling, but I was too scared to acknowledge it. I'm not scared anymore because I'm certain of my feelings, and they're exactly where they should be."

She was so shocked she couldn't form a single word. Her mind was racing, and the only thought she could latch onto was the need to run. Run for her life. This is what any sane woman would do in such a situation, she told herself over and over, trying to calm the storm of emotions within.

She knew she was only trying to justify her actions, but at that moment, she didn't care. Not long ago, she had been living her carefree life, filled with booze and boys, just like always.

When Jackson had entered the bar she frequented with her friends, she had immediately set her sights on him. She had wanted to spend the night with him, fully expecting it to be just a one-night stand, nothing more.

She never expected that one night to turn into many more nights and even more days together. Being with Jackson had taught her things she never knew existed, feelings she never thought she could experience.

Jackson, left alone, was heartbroken.

Did I do something wrong? I just told her how I feel, nothing else. So why did she just leave without saying anything?

Questions like these swirled in his mind, a relentless torrent he couldn't shut off. Maybe he didn't even want to shut them out. He needed answers. Desperately.

He had never loved anyone in his life, having lost his parents in a car accident when he was only two years old. He never had any siblings, and as a result, never experienced familial love.

He grew up in numerous foster homes, none of which were welcoming. Most of them kept him around for the money his parents had left, enough to cover him until after college.

However, the money was never sufficient after high school because his foster parents usually used it more than necessary. They never cared about his future.

Despite this, he never lost hope. He started applying for scholarships and bursaries to pay for his studies because he was determined not to stay at home and do nothing.

Though he received a bursary, the money was not enough to cover everything; it only paid for his college fees. He had to find ways to cover rent and food.

Once he turned 18, he was expected to be independent, and that's exactly what he set out to do.

He never expected anything from anyone after that. In college, he met friends who changed him. He started attending parties and bars, adopting a new motto: girls and booze every day.

What was the point of a big house if there was no one to share it with?

At least in bars, he could meet girls, spend money on them and booze, and at the end of the day, it was all gone.

That was until he met Robin, an outgoing guy from London. Robin taught him many things, and Jackson was grateful for their friendship.

They became close, even though sometimes Robin's guidance felt overwhelming. He was always trying to get Jackson on the right path.

Still, Jackson kept replaying his conversation with Melissa in his mind. After calling her multiple times with no reply and hoping she would show up, he finally lost hope.

He was sure she didn't love him back and that he had just been imagining things. He wished she would've just told him she never felt the same way instead of running away.

When she showed up at his doorstep after a week of frustration, he didn't know what to say or how to react to her words.

"I came back to say I love you too, Jackson. I'm sorry for being an i***t," she said, still standing by the door, unsure of what to do next.

Like him, she had never loved anyone before, not even her own family, let alone her twin sister Mia. Hearing that Jackson loved her came as a shock, and she thought she was protecting herself when she took off.

"Say something, please. You know it took all my strength to come here," she pleaded.

"Ooooh, sorry, I'm just speechless. I thought you didn't love me when you left. Come in."

"I'm so sorry about that. No one has ever said that to me before, and I was trying to protect myself. I mean, what if you wake up tomorrow and feel like you don't love me anymore?"

He saw the concern in her eyes and wondered who had hurt her before. She was still young to have gone through such heartbreak.

"I'm never going to stop loving you. Stop worrying about things you shouldn't worry about. This guy here is here to stay. Permanently," he said, standing up and approaching her.

He circled her waist with his hands and drew her closer, chest to chest. This was his favourite part whenever he was with her.

He loved placing his hands around her waist, wishing they could stay like that forever because it always gave him peace, something he always felt when he was with her.

"You know I want to kiss you right now. Your lips are so inviting," he remarked.

"Then what are you waiting for? They love being kissed by you," she chuckled.

And that was exactly what he did.

End of Flashback...

Jackson couldn’t wipe the smile from his face as he thought about their time together. Those memories were like precious gems, fragments of happiness he clung to despite everything that had happened. He knew it was in the past, a chapter forever closed, with no hope of reopening.

Melissa had been his everything, but she had also been his downfall. What happens when you discover the one woman you dedicated all your time and hard work to has been lying to you all along?

The realization had shattered him. He was left heartbroken and nearly died in a fire—a fire she had a hand in. He wished she would have told him the truth. It would have hurt less if he had known from the start that she didn’t love him. Why tell someone you love them when you know you don’t?

When he learned of her deception and the reasons behind it, the pain was indescribable. He had trusted her implicitly, built his dreams around her, only to find out she had been playing him the entire time.

“Burn him alive. And everyone in this building. I don’t care if everyone else dies, but we can’t just burn only him. We can’t have the police suspecting foul play now, can we?” The chilling words echoed in his mind, a stark reminder of her betrayal.

Those were the exact words that came out of her mouth the night where everything changed. They were spoken with venom and so much hate and he realized at that moment that the woman he fell in love with was gone, maybe never even existed.

Melissa’s treachery went beyond mere lies; it was a calculated act of cruelty. The fire had been a deliberate attempt to end his life, disguised to look like an accident. He had narrowly escaped with his life, but the scars—both physical and emotional—remained.

He remembered the moments before the fire, the way she had looked at him, the sweetness in her voice as she spoke words of love, even as she planned his demise. The duplicity was staggering. It was like living in a nightmare, one where every cherished memory turned into a blade, cutting deeper into his soul.

After the fire, he had struggled to make sense of it all. The woman he had loved, the one he had trusted with his heart, had been the architect of his destruction. He couldn’t comprehend how someone he adored so completely could harbour such dark intentions.

Melissa had been a master of deception, weaving a web of lies so intricate that he had been completely ensnared. She had manipulated him, used his love as a weapon, and when he was no longer of use, she had tried to discard him in the most brutal way possible.

Now, as he lay in bed facing the ceiling, the memories played like a relentless film. He could still see her face, hear her laugh, feel the warmth of her touch—all tainted by the knowledge of her betrayal. The smile that had once been a sign of happiness now felt like a twisted reminder of what he had lost.

He had to rebuild his life from the ashes, literally and metaphorically. Trust was no longer something he gave easily. The pain had forged a new version of himself, one that was wary and guarded. He was always on the run, unable to settle in one place for fear of being found.

Jackson knew there was no going back to the way things were. The love he had once felt so deeply was now a source of bitterness and regret. But even in the darkest moments, he couldn’t completely erase the memories of the good times, the moments of genuine joy they had shared.

Those memories were a double-edged sword, cutting him with the pain of betrayal while reminding him of what it meant to feel truly alive. He carried them with him, not as a burden, but as a testament to the love he was capable of, even if it had been misplaced.

In the end, Melissa’s betrayal had taught him a harsh lesson about trust and vulnerability. It had shown him the depths of his own resilience, his ability to survive even the most devastating of blows. And while the scars would always remain, they were also a reminder that he had survived. He had endured. And he would continue to do so, no matter what.