1Lisa awoke with her back, neck, and head aching. She moaned aloud and slid out of bed. Soft moonlight was streaming into her room. She stumbled into the dark kitchen and, figuring Jackson must be asleep on the couch, poured herself a glass of water. She turned around to take her drink back to her room and ran right into Jackson. She screamed and dropped her glass. Jackson pushed his hand over her mouth and used his other hand to grab both of her wrists.
"Lisa, not to be rude, but..." he glanced around the room. "Shut the hell up."
Lisa quieted but still attempted to take herself from his grip. The sweet, human Jackson was no where in sight The monster Jack was here to stay.
"You know, you're lucky Cynthia's an idiot," he whispered to her. "She bought the story of how you made it up to get her off your back."
Lisa flared up in anger at the insult of her friend. She finally got her wrists away from him and slapped him hard across the face.
Jackson laughed. "Lisa, you're not the strongest person in the world. That really does not hurt," he took hold of her again and pushed her into the refrigerator. The magnets cut into her back and she cried out in pain.
She began to cry hard, steady tears. For once, Jackson was unmoved.
"However, Leese, your little act earned you nothing but a lack of trust from me," he sneered. He put his face next to her ear and whispered sharply, "Things aren't going to be easy anymore."
Lisa looked into his eyes, the piercing blue that frightened her so much. They were cold and flickered with fury. Lisa looked closer and saw a shimmer of something flash across. Was it remorse? She didn't know.
"Jackson, please," she choked out.
"What, Lisa? What do you want now?" he practically screamed at her, holding her wrists tightly in his hands. "You've toyed with my emotions, tried to kill me many a time, what else could you possibly want from me?" He slammed her hard against the fridge.
Lisa, who's mind had been gearing up for her heartfelt confession, suddenly switched. Her body hardened in anger.
"I 'toyed' with your emotions, Jack?" she almost muttered. "You come here, after trying to kill ME, might I add, and tell me you love me and since I'm just a little, I mean, god forbid that, confused, I'm...what's the word...toying with your emotions?"
Jackson clenched his jaw and looked away.
"Tell me, Jack, why is I know so little about you, yet you know everything about me? You accuse me of being sheltered, unfriendly, unsocial. What about you, hmm Jackie?" her eyes flickered, finally relieved to be spilling the feelings she'd felt for so long.
"You fuck up my life, and wonder why I'm so unwilling to marry you. How would you feel, Jackson, if I did that to you?" she began to feel brims of tears forming in her eyes. "You threaten to kill everyone in my life, then think you can make me love you by fancy dinners and gowns? Well, Jack, sorry, but things are a little hard to figure out right now."
Jackson released his grip with a yank and wordlessly moved to sit on the couch.
"Oh, so tell me, Jack, how does it feel to be the prey instead of the predator now, hm? Not so hot, huh? This is how I've felt for four fucking years, Jack, most of which was caused by you. Yeah, you, the man who claims to love me. And guess what? I"m not working for your damn company. I will kill myself before I kill anymore innocents."
Jackson sat still on the couch, his face working in weird ways.
"You've never given a damn about anyone but yourself. Even now, the only person you care about is you," Lisa screamed, fighting back tears. There was a long moment of silence until Lisa began screaming at him, "You ruined my life, Jackson! You fucked it all up and I hope you die!" Now the tears fell free-form from her face and Jackson finally muttered something, quietly, in the dark.
"I ruined your life, Lisa?" he murmured. "Then why is it that mine is the name you murmur in the night, mine the only arms you feel safe in? Tell me, Lisa, why?"
Lisa gulped and sank to the ground. "Making assumptions will only make your head hurt," she spat, quoting Dr. Phil as he had on that memorable flight.
"Am I, Leese? Am I assuming? I don't think so," he said almost mockingly.
"Oh, quit it with your fucking mind games," she spat. "They're getting as old as being threatened."
"They're not mind games," Jackson answered her. "They're male-driven, fact-based logic, and you know it. You know it. Why'd you tell Cynthia? That's my question."
"Want to know why I told her, Jack?" Lisa cried. "I told her because I was sick of being manipulated. I told her because, just for once, I wanted to see your face when you realized it was beyond your control." Lisa, suddenly frantic, began beating Jackson as hard as she could with her fists. For once, he didn't fight her. For once, she felt in control. Eventually his unmoving face got the best of her and she finally, exhausted, went back to bed.