THE OTHER WOMAN

Chapter 3

The doctor decided I had to stay in the hospital for two days since I had lost some blood and my head was constantly aching terribly. Jack spent all his free time with me, making a fuss over me.

I loved it.

"You should go. I already took too much of your time." I told him the second evening when I overheard him on the phone, making excuses to not attend some meeting. Even as I said the words, I secretly hoped that he would stay with me.

"If you think I'm going to leave you alone at night you are mistaken. I'll feel better knowing you're safe. Your roommate might decide to attack you again." He smiled, and I knew that he was joking about Isabella attacking me in the school hospital.

"What was the fuss all about anyway?" He insisted when I stayed quiet.

Jack stared at me with a mixture of anger, pity and disbelief as I told him the whole story. He skimmed his thumb over my knuckles to calm me down when tears formed in my eyes at the memory of Sam forcing himself on me. By the time I was done, Jack was practically boiling with anger and wrath.

"How dare he do that to you! That bastard! I'm going to skin him alive!" He rose up from the bed but I pulled him back.

"Jack, you really have to calm down. It doesn't help if you attack him. You'll only make Isabella even more angry with me." I tried to reason with him, beseeching him with my eyes.

He took a deep breath then slowly released it. He turned to me once he was calm, his eyes darkening when he realised I was crying. He slowly brushed the tears that streamed down my wounded cheeks and cupped my face with his hands, staring into my eyes. My stomach fluttered wildly, like a million butterflies were doing somersaults all over.

"If he ever touches you again, I'll break his f*****g hands."

I knew he meant it. I was overwhelmed. Not many people cared about me that much. I wasn't the prettiest girl in the town and guys tended to act like I didn't exist. I felt so emotional at the moment; so seen.

Jack wrapped his strong arms around me and pulled me to him, hugging me to his chest. I waited for a beat before I snaked my arms around him, melting into him. We held each other so tight, and it's only when I heard the doorknob turn that I tried pull back.

Jack didn't let me.

He smiled at the nurse when she walked in and said he was just leaving. She didn't seem to believe him, probably because his arms were still wound tight around me, so she turned on her heel and left us alone. Either she rather respected Jack, or she just wasn't paid enough to deal with the students bullshit.

Jack whispered in my ear that he had to go; that I needed some rest. He unwillingly released me and I lay back on the pillows. He smoothed my braided hair with his fingers and kissed my forehead.

Then he was gone.

I couldn't sleep. I couldn't stop smiling like an i***t either. I had never had a boyfriend. Very few boys were interested in me but I never liked any of them. Looking at Sam's relationship with Isabella, I didn't want to be in a s**t-show like theirs. Right now, however, I felt funny. I missed Jack already.

When I eventually drifted off to sleep, I dreamt of a handsome guy with kind eyes and a sexy smile.

That guy was Jack.