PHOENIX

17| HE'S HARMLESS

Jackson was taken aback. He had expected Max or one of Roy’s other guards, but instead, he was face-to-face with Matthew Martins, Melissa’s notorious cousin. The man he had nonchalantly considered following, assuming he was less intimidating than Roy. How wrong he had been.

"Matthew Martins?" Jackson blurted out, unable to mask his surprise.

Matthew's eyes narrowed. "You seem surprised. Did you think you could tail Melissa without catching my attention?"

Jackson struggled to regain his composure. "I wasn't expecting you, that's all."

Matthew's lips curled into a humourless smile. "You’re not very good at this, are you? You've been playing a dangerous game, Mr. Stone. And you're about to find out just how dangerous."

Before Jackson could respond, Melissa appeared, her eyes wide with concern. "Matt, stop. Let him go."

Matthew turned to her, his grip on Jackson's arm relaxing slightly. "Melissa, this guy has been snooping around too much. We need to deal with him."

"Matt," she said, her voice lightening with a playful edge, "leave Zach alone. He's with me."

Matt's expression softened slightly, but he still looked unconvinced. "Cuz, you know I can't just ignore this."

Melissa rolled her eyes, giving Jackson a quick, reassuring smile before turning back to her cousin. "I know, I know. But trust me, Matt. I have it under control. Besides," she added with a wink, "he's harmless."

Jackson couldn't help but feel a bit offended but also relieved by her playful tone. Matt seemed to weigh her words, his eyes shifting between the two of them before he finally sighed and nodded.

"Fine, but if he steps out of line..." Matt warned, his voice trailing off ominously.

"He won't," Melissa said confidently. "Thanks, Matt."

With a reluctant nod, Matt left the room, casting one last warning glance at Jackson before closing the door behind him.

Jackson let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Thanks," he said, turning to Melissa. "For that."

Melissa grinned, a hint of the playful woman he once knew shining through. "Don't mention it. But seriously, Zach, you need to be careful. Matt's not someone you want to mess with."

"I gathered that," Jackson replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. "So, what now?"

"Sorry about him. He’s just overprotective sometimes."

Jackson smiled, relieved by the sudden change in atmosphere. "No worries. I can handle myself."

Melissa grinned, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "I know you can. But it doesn’t hurt to have a little backup, right?" Jackson chuckled, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.

Melissa arched an eyebrow, her gaze fixed on Jackson. "So, why were you following me to the party, Zach?"

Jackson hesitated, weighing his words carefully. "I was worried about you. When I saw Matt following me on your orders, I thought you might be up to something dangerous."

Melissa's brows furrowed in confusion as she processed Jackson's words. "Wait, you thought I sent Matt to follow you?"

Jackson nodded. "Yeah, I thought maybe you were up to something and wanted to keep an eye on me. I... I thought he was your bodyguard or something."

Melissa shook her head, her expression troubled. "No, Matt's not my bodyguard. He's just... overprotective sometimes. But he wouldn't have been following you on my orders."

Jackson's eyes widened in surprise. "But... He said..."

Melissa shook her head, her tone firm. "I don't need someone to watch my back, especially not my cousin. If I have something to say to you, I'll say it to your face."

Jackson felt a pang of guilt wash over him. He had assumed the worst without giving Melissa the benefit of the doubt. "I'm sorry, Melissa. I just... I was worried about you." He decided to lie a bit.

Melissa's expression softened, and she reached out to squeeze his hand gently. "I know, Zach. But you don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself. I know you thought I was going to do something stupid and it's okay."

Jackson's shoulders sagged slightly as Melissa's words sank in. He felt a pang of guilt gnawing at him. Maybe he was judging her harshly. "I... I was just concerned, Melissa. I didn't want you to get into any trouble."

Melissa reached out and placed a hand on his arm, her touch surprisingly gentle. "I know, Zach. And I appreciate it. But sometimes, you worry too much. Especially if the person you're worried about means nothing to you." Melissa said, her voice carrying an edge of frustration.

Jackson looked at her, confusion clouding his features. "What do you mean, Melissa?" He decided to add her name to each sentence to remind himself who he was talking to.

Melissa sighed, withdrawing her hand. "Zach, you should only worry about people you hold dear in your heart, not strangers."

Jackson's brow furrowed. "Strangers? Is that what you think you are to me? A stranger?"

"Well, you sure treated me like one," Melissa shot back. "That kiss back in school... you never mentioned it, never even acknowledged it happened. It made me feel like a stranger who harassed you by doing that."

Jackson's eyes widened in shock. "Melissa, no. It wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like, Zach? Because to me, it felt like you saw me as nothing more than a stranger," she replied, her voice tinged with hurt.

Jackson felt a wave of guilt wash over him as he realized the impact of his actions on Melissa even though he was the victim, not her. "Melissa, I... I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I... I didn't know how to react in that moment. It caught me off guard."

Melissa's expression softened slightly, but her eyes still held a hint of sadness. "I understand, Zach. But you have to understand how it made me feel. It made me question everything."

Jackson reached out, gently grasping her hand in his. "I'm sorry, Melissa. I never meant to hurt you. I just... I didn't know how to handle it. Besides, you were the one who kissed me," he protested, his brow furrowing in confusion.

Melissa's expression softened, her eyes searching his. "I know. But you didn't say anything afterwards, Zachary Stone. It made me feel like I crossed a line like I was the one who initiated something that you didn't want."

Jackson's mind raced as he tried to make sense of Melissa's words. "I... I didn't stop you because... because I didn't want you to. I... I wanted to kiss you too." He didn't even know why he was saying that but he didn't want to deal with her more than he needed to. If he could tell her little lies, maybe she would let him leave.

Melissa's eyes widened in surprise, her lips parting slightly as she processed his words. "You... you did?"

"Yes, I did. But, when we... uh, kissed," Jackson stated, "I want you to know that it wasn't because I'm looking for a relationship."

Melissa's expression softened and was filled with lots of emotions Jackson couldn't place. "I know, Zach. I didn't mean to overstep. It's just... things have been complicated lately. And then you risk your life by following me around. I had to save you before Max brought you to my father."

Jackson felt his heartbeat quicken. "Your father? Why would he be interested in me?" He pretended as if he had no idea her father was a dangerous man.

Melissa sighed, her demeanour growing serious. "It's not about you specifically, Zach. My father is very protective of our family business. Anyone snooping around, especially someone with your history, raises red flags."

"My history?" Jackson echoed, feeling a knot form in his stomach. He wondered if the woman in front of him already knew who he really was.

"Yes," Melissa confirmed, her eyes locking onto his. "Your investigation into our family and our businesses. It hasn't gone unnoticed. My father has eyes everywhere, and he's very cautious."

Jackson's mind raced. He had been careful, or so he thought. "I was just trying to find out the truth, Melissa. To understand what was really going on."

"I know," Melissa said softly. "But sometimes, the truth is more dangerous than you realize. And my father... he's not a forgiving man."

Jackson sighed, his frustration bubbling over. "I understand all of that Melissa but I need answers. Why am I being followed? What’s going on with you? One minute, you’re warm and familiar, the next you’re cold and distant. And now this?" Maybe by playing dumb, he could get some answers.

Melissa's expression softened slightly. "Look, Zachary, I know this is confusing, but my family is involved in things you can’t imagine. Max is just doing his job and Matt is overprotective and as his cousin, he thinks it’s his job to protect me at all times. My job is to keep everything... balanced."

Jackson's eyes narrowed. "Balanced? Is that what you call it? I just want to understand why you’re playing these games."

Melissa sighed, looking away for a moment. "It’s not a game. It's survival. My father—like I said before, is a very dangerous man, and the things he’s involved in are dangerous too. Sometimes I have to act differently to keep people safe, including you."

Jackson shook his head, trying to piece everything together. "Why involve me at all? You could have just ignored me."

Melissa met his gaze, her eyes intense. "You involved yourself in this, I didn't have a choice. The minute you got involved, you became a part of this. I tried to keep you at a distance, but you kept showing up, and I couldn’t just let you get hurt."

Jackson leaned forward, his voice low. "Then help me understand. Tell me what’s really going on. I’m not afraid of your father or his men. I just want the truth."

Melissa hesitated, then nodded. "Alright, but not here. It’s too risky. Meet me tomorrow morning at the park near the old church. We can talk there, away from prying eyes."

Jackson agreed, though he felt a mix of frustration and determination. He needed to get to the bottom of this, for his own sake and for Sue and Ethan.

As he left the mansion, he couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get even more complicated. Melissa's involvement in her family's shady dealings was deeper than he had imagined, and he was caught in the middle of it. She was right about one thing though, he did get himself involved in whatever her family was up to the moment she caught his eye and he decided to act on it.

Back in his hotel room, he thought about the events of the evening. Melissa’s cryptic explanations only made him more determined to uncover the truth. He knew he couldn’t trust her completely, not after everything that had happened, but he couldn’t walk away either. Something in her eyes, in her actions, told him she was caught in a web she couldn’t escape. Whatever it was that she was going to tell him could help him with his revenge. She had used him before, he could return that favour.

The next morning, Jackson arrived at the park near the old church, his mind racing with questions and a growing sense of unease. He spotted Melissa sitting on a bench under a large oak tree, her posture tense and her expression guarded.

He approached her, but before he could say anything, Melissa spoke, her voice cold and resolute. "I'm not going to tell you anything, Zachary. You need to listen to what Matt told you and stay the hell away from me while you still can."

Jackson blinked, taken aback by her abruptness. "What? Melissa, I thought—"

She cut him off, her eyes flashing with a mix of frustration and fear. "No, you don't understand. This isn't a game, and it's not something you can just dig into because you're curious. My family is dangerous, and the more you get involved, the more you're putting yourself at risk."

He clenched his fists, feeling a surge of anger and confusion. "But why? Why am I being followed? Why all these mixed signals?"

Melissa sighed, looking away. "You can't be part of this, Zachary. It's too dangerous. You need to go back to your life and forget about me. Forget about everything you've seen and heard."

Jackson stepped closer, lowering his voice. "And what about you? What are you going to do?"

She looked back at him, her eyes filled with a sadness that made his heart ache. "I'll do what I have to do. You just need to stay out of it."

He shook his head, feeling the frustration boiling over. He should have known that she wasn't going to tell him s**t. "I can't just walk away, Melissa. Not after everything. I need to understand."

She stood up, her expression hardening. "There's nothing to understand. Just go, Zachary. Leave before it's too late."

Back in his hotel room, Jackson tried to make sense of everything. Melissa's abrupt warning only deepened the mystery. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her story, more to the danger she hinted at. With her family, you couldn’t afford to underestimate them.

Jackson sat in his bed, staring at the mirror in front of him, frustration gnawing at him. He blamed himself for expecting Melissa to open up to him, to reveal anything useful. His subconscious mocked him, reminding him how easily he had been drawn back into her orbit. "Back to being wrapped around Melissa's little finger?" it jeered. "You said you were done with her, but one simple stolen kiss, and you're thinking with your lower head instead of your upper one."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I should have known better," he muttered to himself. "She's always been able to get under my skin."

The memory of their kiss still lingered, a bittersweet reminder of a time when things were simpler before the betrayal. His thoughts wandered to the past, to the moments they had shared, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of longing. But he knew better than to trust those feelings. They were a distraction, a way for her to manipulate him.