288 I Really Am Very Stubborn

"I-"

Without waiting for Ashley to speak, Jackson handed her a helmet and start his motorbike.

Ashley who saw him with Amber didn't have any suspicion of whether he was a good man or not. And since she wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, she didn't speak and just rode behind him.

"This is safer at the same time my shirt wouldn't be ruined," Jackson sighed when she just held unto his shirt.

He pulled her hand and wrapped it around his waist.

Ashley stiffened, not once in her life have she ever been in such close proximity with a person of opposite gender.

Jackson drove and her arms wrapped tighter, she never rode a motorbike before. Not even her brother's nor Amber's. She never tried to ask them for she felt like she was not qualified to do so.

The ride was fast but she didn't feel scared for it was not bumpy either. And before she knew it, they were already in front of the restaurant where she works.

Jackson didn't want to let her know yet that he was under Amber's instruction of watching over her. Not until she herself wants to speak to Amber about the running away.

"Th- Thank you," Ashley speak up in a whisper.

She still felt ashamed for what had happened today and the fact that she followed those people despite only knowing them for a short while.

They were good with words she must admit to make her feel relax around them.

Jackson just nodded and reached out to the helmet she was handing over.

"Uhmmm..."

He looked up to her when she didn't let go and spoke up.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked, still not looking at him.

He was expecting for her to ask why he was there or how did he know that she works here and he already has some answers for those questions.

But he was lost for words when he heard her question.

"Can I ask for your name?"

Ashley who was waiting for his reply finally looked up when she didn't hear any reply or felt any movement from him.

Jackson got a hold of himself after seeing her look up, "Jackson."

After that he took the helmet and drove away.

"Jackson," Ashley repeated.

Of course she wanted to ask why he was there. She wanted to ask why he brought her here.

But at the same time, she already has a few answers for it.

'I really am very stubborn,' she thought before walking back to her apartment.

From time to time for the past few months while she was searching for work and being fired, she would see the shadown of him.

Jackson didn't know for she didn't made it obvious that she would sometimes see him.

At first she just thought of it being coincidence but after staying here for a while, she would see him in a distance looking at his phone.

'It must be Amber, since I saw him in her place. It only means that he was under her. But they still didn't want to tell me anything. I was the one at fault but they still took care of me.'

She looked up in the sky and sighed, she was enjoying her life here despite not graduating from university. The things she's learning are very much helpful for her to grow as a person.

Even the way she was able to stand up a while ago against those people was because of what she had experienced for the past months.

'But who was he? Why did that man reacted in such a way when he appeared? Why was that man so scared? Was that the reason why he only gave me his name?'

These are the questions that she really need answers but she knew he wouldn't answer her. She can tell by the way he interacted with her.

'I guess I'll do my own research for now.'

*****

"So your bodyguards reported that Jackson rushed in to save Ashley?" Amber asked as she and Ashton are sitting in the sofa of her living room facing their own works.

"Yes, they have reported just moments ago."

He just spoke to the young man this morning and his sister already gave him a headache.

When he looekd at Amber he saw her having a wide smile and he was very much familiar with the twinkle in her eyes right now.

He squinted his eyes at her and Amber grinned while moving her eyebrows up and down.

"You tasked him..."

Amber giggled, "Well it is indeed true that he can help her a lot but wouldn't it hurt to have an extra scene for the two of them?"

"They're just sixteen Thalie."

"Oh, well I was sixteen once. You were fourteen yourself," she retorted with a roll of her eyes.

Ashton has no retort, he first fell in love when he was fourteen while he made a move on her when she was sixteen.

"Still-"

"Don't worry, no one will push the two of them. I really needed Jackson to help Ashley. And the lessons she learned somehow were from Jackson while he was using his connections."

"Starting from the bottom you know instead of instantly aiming for the top. Start from the basic before going to advance," she continued.

Ashton could only shake his head. This one is truly a busy body even going for the role of cupid.

"But I can feel it, just a bit more. A bit more and Ashley would finally come. Geez because of this running away of hers, she had to face so much difficulty in the end."

Ashton looked at her dotingly before fixing her hair behind her ear, "Didn't you say this is better for her?"

"Well it is. But there are other ways to learn what she is currently learning about society without it being too hard for her."

"You are the one who wants her to learn the hard way yet look at you now, the one who is most worried about her."

Amber just sighed, this is something that she really couldn't let go. Worrying about those close to her.

"How's your brother?" Ashton finally asked shifting the topic to her brother.

All of them are most worried about Xander after all. He was the only one living in the lion's den.

And with his knowledge of what truly happened in the past, they are worried that he may not be able to control himself once triggered.

"I just had a chat with him this afternoon, it seems he was doing fine. They were watching him closely of course but he just acted the same as before."

"Would go out from time to time to go clubbing and all. Though he told me not to tell Samantha or to tell her that it was part of his acting."

Amber chuckled, clubbing was of course a place where he can meet so many ladies and he was worried that Samantha might end up getting mad at him.

Ashton looked at her without speaking and seeing this Amber smiled, "Fine, I would check on him from time to time. You do know I can't stay that long in the Empire's security system but at least an hour every three days."

"Are you really resting? Tim had been nagging me about you overworking yourself," Ashton sighed.

Timothy who knew his sister was a workaholic was not nagging her but instead was nagging Ashton. Almost everyday that is.

Amber laughed, "His just a worry wart, can't you see that I am full of energy?"

Then the atmosphere suddenly changed, "I see you have a lot of energy."

"!!!"

Before she could say anything, she was suddenly carried and he walked to the bedroom with a different glint in his eyes.

Amber's laughter was heard as the door of her bedroom closed.

*****

"Why-"

"Shhhh, don't tell Amber please. I just want to ask a question."

Russel furrowed her brows, it was Ashley who was calling her.

She was ready to tell her that she was sorry and what they did was wrong that she should return to her family. But Amber's words stopped her.

~"If there comes a time that she would call you and her question was not of her returning or something like that. Don't tell her to return. That only means that she was not yet ready."~

'Was she a prophet or something?' she couldn't help but to think.

"Jackson."

She was then stunned by the name that Ashley first spoke of.

"What about him? And why are you asking me about him?"

Ashley did her research and found out that Russel was already working at Natan and for that she felt relieved that she didn't hinder Russel from pursuing her career.

"That is, I just want to know. Do you know just what kind of person he was?"

Russel's brow were raised, 'For her to ask this only means that she witnessed the power of that young man. But that also means that she has no idea what that power is.'