Silent Strings

Chapter 13

The following day, I decided to take myself out. It was my day off, and for once, I didn’t feel like spending it cooped up at home. The restaurant bar we used to frequent after finals popped into my mind—a place that always held a strange mix of nostalgia and calms for me.

It was already 5 PM when I stepped through the familiar doors. The ambiance hit me first—jazz music softly playing in the background, the rich scent of roasted coffee mingling with cocktails, and dark wooden furniture that seemed to hold the weight of memories. This place hadn’t changed one bit.

I glanced around for an empty table, smiling faintly at the sight of the familiar cozy booths. My feet instinctively carried me toward the corner we used to claim for ourselves. Kassian, Jackson, and me—unwinding after exams, laughing at our own exhaustion.

As I turned a corner, scanning the tables, I froze mid-step. A familiar figure came into view.

Jackson.

He was standing by the bar, his phone pressed to his ear. He looked as if he’d walked straight out of a whirlwind—his hair slightly tousled, his dress shirt wrinkled from what must’ve been another grueling day. Yet somehow, he still managed to look... effortlessly put together. How does he even manage that?

I stood there like a deer caught in headlights, debating whether to turn around or walk past him. Before I could make a decision, his gaze snapped to me, and the world seemed to narrow to just the two of us.

“I’ll call you later, Ma,” he said into the phone, his voice taking on a softer tone. He slipped the phone into his pocket and took a step toward me, his eyes wide and filled with something I couldn’t quite place.

“Ines,” he said, his voice low and slightly breathless, like he couldn’t believe I was standing there.

I blinked, trying to process this coincidence. “Jackson? You’re here too?” I managed, my voice betraying my surprise.

He nodded, his gaze lingering on me for a moment too long. “Yeah, I’m with Kassian and my sister. We—” He paused, almost like he was waiting for me to respond.

“Oh,” I said, feeling suddenly self-conscious. I brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear and glanced past him toward the tables. “I didn’t know you’d be here tonight. I just thought I’d stop by for old times’ sake.”

His lips quirked into a small smile. “Funny. Same here.” His eyes drifted back to mine, warm and familiar, and for a second, it felt like no time had passed between us.

Kassian saw me, his face, stoic and sharp as ever. He then flashed a smile and went to us. Athanasia, Jackson’s sister looked up, her eyes looked as if she was tearing up as she spotted me. Is she about to cry?

“Kassie, you’re here!” He stood and gave me a bear hug. He really feels like my adoptive brother. I mean, he, basically is now.

“Care to join us?” Kassian offered casually, gesturing toward the empty seat at their table. “We’ve never gone out together for the longest time.”

A part of me wanted to say yes. It had been years since we’d all sat down together like this, and the weight of nostalgia tugged at me. But I wasn’t sure if I could handle the tension of sitting across from Jackson, pretending everything was fine, pretending I wasn’t hyper-aware of his every move.

“Oh,” I began, forcing a polite smile. “That’s really sweet, but I was just planning to grab a quiet meal on my own tonight. Long week, you know? And I don’t want to disturb your night.”

Jackson turned to me, his brow arching as if he couldn’t believe what I’d just said. “You’re not disturbing and you’re going to sit alone? Here?” His voice held that familiar teasing lilt, but there was something else beneath it—something softer, almost disappointed.

“I like the quiet,” I replied, trying to keep my tone light.

Kassian chuckled. “Well, we’re not exactly quiet, but the offer stands. Your call.”

Jackson, however, wasn’t ready to let it go. “You know,” he said, slipping his hands into his pockets, “Kassian and Athy will be fine without me. I can stay with you. They’ll barely notice I’m gone, right?”

Kassian rolled his eyes, he looked betrayed. “You’re leaving me out?”

“Jackson,” I started, giving him a skeptical look. “That’s not necessary—”

“Necessary?” he interrupted, grinning. “Probably not. But when have I ever let that stop me?”

I opened my mouth to argue, but his expression—mischievous yet strangely earnest—made the words catch in my throat. Before I could say another word, he turned to Kassia.

“You two enjoy yourselves. I’ll see you later,” he said breezily, already moving toward an empty table nearby.

Kassian shot me a knowing look, his smile widening. “Have fun, Kassie.”

I groaned inwardly as I followed Jackson to the table. He pulled out a chair for me with an exaggerated flourish, his teasing grin never faltering. “Your throne, madam,” he said.

“You’re ridiculous,” I muttered, but I couldn’t help the small smile tugging at my lips.

We settled in, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. The jazz music played softly in the background, and the dim lighting cast warm shadows across the room. It felt oddly... intimate.

“Why did you insist on staying?” I asked finally, breaking the silence.

Jackson leaned back in his chair, studying me with a lopsided smile. “Because I wanted to,” he said simply. “Is that such a crime?”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet,” he said, leaning forward slightly, his gaze locking onto mine, “you’re still here.”

I felt my cheeks warm under his scrutiny and quickly reached for the menu to distract myself. “Let’s just order, shall we?”

The evening unfolded with an unexpected ease. Jackson, true to form, managed to draw me out of my shell with his playful banter and easy charm. We talked about everything and nothing—our old college antics, the insane schedules we’d been juggling, and even the jazz music playing in the background.

At some point, he ordered my favorite cocktail without asking, and I shot him a surprised look. “You remember that?”

“Of course,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I remember everything about you, Ines.”

His words hung in the air, heavier than I expected. I looked away, pretending to focus on the drink in front of me.

As the evening wore on, the lightness gave way to something quieter, more reflective. Jackson was uncharacteristically subdued, his gaze lingering on me in a way that made my heart race.

“I missed this,” he said suddenly, his voice soft.

I looked up, startled by the vulnerability in his tone. “Missed what?”

“This. Us. Talking, laughing, just... being around you.”

I swallowed hard, unsure how to respond. The warmth in his eyes was almost too much, and I found myself searching for an escape.

“Jackson—”

“Don’t,” he said, cutting me off gently. “You don’t have to say anything. I just... I missed you.”

The moment stretched between us, charged and unspoken.

The evening breeze brushed against my skin as I sat across from Jackson, my thoughts a tangled mess of him. The way his smile still lit up the room, the way his voice carried a calm warmth—it was maddening how he could have such an effect on me after all this time.

"How have you been?" I finally asked, breaking the comfortable silence between us. I tried to sound casual, but the weight of my concern bled into my voice.

Jackson leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable for a moment before he let out a quiet laugh. "Busy. Non-stop surgeries, rounds, research projects... the usual chaos."

His tone was light, but I could hear the undercurrent of exhaustion. The dark circles under his eyes weren’t something I could ignore.

"You’ve been working too much," I said, unable to hide the concern in my voice. "It’s... it’s not good for you, Jackson."

He met my gaze, and for the first time that night, his easygoing façade cracked. His eyes softened, and he gave me a small, almost self-deprecating smile.