Stay(104)

Jackson rolled over, pulling me on top of him. He kissed the top of my head and held me against him for a minute before we got dressed. After using the bathroom, I cuddled back into Jackson’s arms.

“Why did you say ‘one more day?'” I asked, tracing my fingers over the contours of his bare shoulders.

“I was hoping you’d forget.”

“Not a chance.”

Jackson took a breath. “Nate and Zane are gone. This is as good a time as any for you to escape.”

I pushed myself up so I could look him in the eyes. “And you too, right?”

Jackson frowned. “I don’t know the codes right now. You’ll have to go through a window.”

“So?” I asked, feeling panic rising. “You can come with me.” I shook my head. “Windows are quiet anyway. By the time I get out and the alarm goes off, we can be long gone.”

“As soon as I unlock a window on the first floor, the alarm will go off. The only windows I have access to up here are straight drops. You could fall and hurt yourself, and then you wouldn't be able to run. And you’re forgetting that the ankle bracelet has a GPS tracker. Lou can go after you and find you. I have to distract him.”

“Jackson, no. Please!” My eyes filled with tears, and my palms began to sweat. I desperately shook my head. “No. I can’t leave you. I won’t leave you.”

“You can send help.”

“We both know that’s a load of shit,” I said. I blinked back tears. “You’ll be dead by then.”#p#分页标题#e#

“Adeline,” he whispered and reached up to caress my face. “That’s why I brought you up here. I wanted one more time with you. You’ve given me so much, more than I deserve. Now it’s my turn to give you a chance. You can have your life back, start over. You don’t need me.”

“I don’t want to start over without you.” My voice quivered as tears slid down my face. “I need you. I need your arms around me, holding me, keeping me together. I need your lips to press against mine, to hear your heart beating, to feel the heat of your skin. I need you.”

“You’ll find somebody else, someone who can give you a better life than I could.”

“Stop it!” I cried. “I don’t want anyone else. I want you! I love you, Jackson. No one else.”

“And I love you, Adeline. Enough to sacrifice myself for you. Please, Addie. Let me do this for you. Take this chance. My death will set you free.”

I pushed his hand away. “No. Do not tell me goodbye. It didn’t work last time, and it won’t work now. There has to be another way. There has to be. I won’t let you leave me.”

“If there is, I can’t think of it. Adeline, listen to me. You have to get out. You have to get help. You might not save me.” He pushed my hair over my shoulder. “But you’ll save so many others. Just think of all the girls Nate has now and all the girls he’ll have in the future. He has to be stopped.”

“You’re right,” I agreed, mad at him for being logical. My heart tore into ridged pieces just thinking about leaving him. Then something clicked. “Jackson!” I grabbed his arm. “You’ll pick up Rochelle and Lily again, right?”

“I’m sure I will someday, why?”

“That’s our key. That’s how we will both get out.”

“What are you getting at?”

“The next time you go out, get pulled over, steal from a gas station, I don’t know, just get police attention.”

“No, Addie, they will hurt—”

“No they won’t,” I interrupted. “Not severely at least. I’m too important to Nate right now. Monetarily that is.”

Jackson smiled slightly. “I think you’re right.” His smile widened. “You are right. Nate won’t let anything too bad happen to you. Still, there’s a risk to you.”

“It’s more than worth it, Jackson. If it gets us both out of here, a little pain is more than fine.”

He didn’t look convinced. His eyes scanned mine, and finally he said, “I’d rather see you in a small amount of pain than see you shipped off to the other side of the world. There is a cop parked at a gas station on the way to the truck stop. He’s there almost every Saturday night. I’ll speed past. In a matter of days, we will be free.” He wrapped his arms around me and planted a big kiss on my lips. “You’re a genius.”

“I don’t know about that,” I said and squeezed him back. My excitement started to morph into nerves. “Are we really doing this?”