Day-to-Day

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye!

Chapter Eight

Lisa nearly had a heart attack when she woke the following morning. Sprawled in the soft bed beside her, snoring lightly, was Jackson Rippner.

"Ugh," she moaned, realizing how sore she was. What had they done to each other last night? She knew they had slept together, but what else had they done?

Bruises and minor cuts covered her body. A glance at Jackson confirmed that he too was wounded. He had dozens of scratches and cuts. He did not seem to have any bruises though. Had they attacked each other? What the hell had happened?

Jackson looked extremely peaceful and calm as he lay sleeping. She absent-mindedly stroked his dark hair, untangling it. She had never seen him this vulnerable before. Sure, he had been living in her apartment with her, but he was always awake before she was and fell asleep after her.

His strong hand suddenly gripped her wrist. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he snapped drowsily.

"Nothing…" she muttered, shaking her head.

Jackson yanked her roughly towards her, causing her to yelp in pain. Her wrists had dark purple marks upon them, mostly likely from his hands. His face was mere inches away from her hers, his frozen blue eyes staring her down. "What have you done, Leese? Huh?" he sneered at her terror-filled face.

"What have I done? Speak for yourself!" she snarled, her bravery returning. "You fucked me, remember? Not the other way around!"

"Are you saying I raped you? Is that what you're saying?"

"No…no…"

"Is that what you want? Do you want me to rape you, Lisa?"

Where was this coming from? Where was the Jackson that she had seen periodically last night? Sure, the sex had been rough—hence the bruises and marks upon them both—but there had been a certain amount of love and kindness to it. There was a give-and-take element to it, but where had it gone? Since when was Jackson in control? Since when had he become a complete bastard?

"No, Jackson! No! That's not what I want!" she cried out, fighting his intensifying grip.

"Then what do you want? What do you want from me, Leese?"

"I don't know," Lisa sobbed. "I don't know anymore…"

Jackson released his harsh grip upon her and pulled her close to him gently. She curled against his scarred chest as tears fell from her worried green eyes. He tried his best to soothe her. What had he done wrong? What had he done to make her cry? Why did she always seem to cry?

The ringing of the telephone interrupted the silence that surrounded them. Lisa jumped and Jackson whispered to her, trying to calm her down. The phone rang five times before the machine picked up and Joe's voice filled the quiet apartment following Lisa's sweet voice on the recording.

"Lisa? Leese, are you there? Lisa, pick up…" Joe said, then sighed. Lisa made no move to answer the phone. "Okay, you must be in the shower then. I just wanted to let you know that I'm on my way—I should be there in about ten or fifteen minutes tops. It's been a while since I've seen you and I want to make sure that you're okay. See you then. Bye, honey."

The machine clicked off and Lisa cursed. Jackson seemed surprised by her reaction to the phone call. Why did she sound angry?

"What's wrong?" he asked her, concerned. She had just cursed her own father!

"If we don't hurry up—he'll find you. He'll find you and he'll kill you."

Jackson suddenly understood. If Joe found out that he was living in Lisa's apartment, even part time—not the mention fucking his daughter—then there would be hell to pay.

"So much for me cooking breakfast, huh?"

"Another time," Lisa sighed. "Right now, we've got to hurry."

"Go jump in the shower. I'll clean up the apartment," Jackson ordered, as he dimly remembered somewhat wrecking the cramped space.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, now go. I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Okay," she murmured softly. Jackson quickly kissed her forehead, just a small display of affection, and patted her cheek.

"Getting moving."

With that, Jackson left the bed and quickly gathered his clothes from all corners of the apartment. Lisa slowly made her way to the bathroom in a daze and hopped into the shower. She could hear Jackson moving about and straightening the mess they had created. She felt slightly guilty for making him clean up. But she knew that if they were to fool Joe, this was how it had to happen.

When she stepped out of the shower, the apartment was spotless and there was a note to her lying on the freshly made bed. She grabbed the note, smiling slightly to herself. Jackson had left it for her.

Leese,

Sorry about having to run. I will come back though. I'll always come back. I promise. I love you.

JR

The note was simple, yet sweet. Almost too sweet to have come from Jackson, but he was so confusing and hard to read. He promised though, and Jackson never lied. He was capable of deceit, but he was not one to tell a bold-faced lie.

She hid the note in her closet and quickly dressed. Long, loose-fitting jeans hid the bruises and cuts upon her legs. A long sleeve tee with a high rounded neck hid most everything else. A touch of make-up covered the hickeys upon her throat, courtesy of Jackson. Her face was fine; left untouched by the previous night's events.

The doorbell rang and Lisa sighed deeply. Now it was time to see her dad, and hopefully Jackson shortly.

Author's Notes:

I think this chapter is kind of choppy and awkward, but it's a moving on point. Next chapter is back to a flash forward (which I really enjoy writing). I just finally figured out exactly what happened to Lisa, so it will all come forward soon. Enjoy until then! Big thanks to all of my reviewers!