"Emma," Jackson whispered as he walked back to me, his eyes full of regret and longing. "I never cheated on you. You were my world. I could never do that to you."
"I don't know what to say. I spent all these years thinking you had been unfaithful. Now that I know the truth..." I shook my head, unable to continue.
"Christ." Jackson's voice was full of anguish as he reached up, caressing my cheek softly. "All these years apart. All these fucking years apart and we could've been together. The thought that you called me because you wanted me back, just to have Claire tell you those lies...it's almost too much to bear." Jackson brushed his lips against my forehead and I closed my eyes against the pain piercing through my heart. It seemed so tragic and unfair to have been ripped apart for no reason. Jackson gently brushed his lips against my closed eyelids, his breath light against me as he whispered. "You must have hated me."
I opened my eyes, gazing at him with uninhibited love. "I could never hate you," I admitted softly. "Even when I thought you had cheated on me, I could never stop loving you. I cursed myself for being so weak, for wanting you when you had clearly rejected me."
Jackson cradled my head gently between his hands, his green eyes glassy with emotion. "Sweetheart, you're my world. Don't ever believe anything different. I would do anything for you. Be anything for you."
"All I want is you, Jackson. Everyone else can have the image. I just want the man." I paused, my expression darkening. "I'm sorry for believing Claire all those years ago. Hearing your voice in the background...it made me believe that it was true. I should have known you would never do anything like that to me. I should've tried calling you again but I was too hurt."
"Shh, sweetheart," soothed Jackson as he wiped away the tears I hadn't realized were making their way down my face. "It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself. I shouldn't have listened to Claire when she told me you married Sean. I just never thought she was that sick and disturbed." Jackson's mouth twisted with pain.
I leaned up into him, kissing him gently on the lips, my heart filling with love. Enough love to blot out the regret.
"Let's not dwell on the past. We've spent far too much time dwelling on what could have been. We're together now. That's all that matters."
"Do you forgive me for contacting Claire?" Jackson looked vulnerable and unsure, an unfamiliar sight on his normally strong and confident face. "It was stupid of me, even though I didn't know the lies she had told you about us."
I smiled gently at Jackson. "I forgive you for everything, as long as you forgive me for pushing you away all those years ago. I should have never lied to you and broken up with you. Then none of this would have ever happened."
Jackson silenced me with a kiss, grazing his lips over mine reverently. "Like you said, let's not dwell on the past. I love you, Emma Mills. And I'm going to spend the rest of my life proving it to you."
I leaned closer into him, my breath quickening as the kiss deepened. "I'll hold you to that."
Epilogue
"Jackson," I called out with a hint of impatience. "What's taking so long? We're going to be late."
I was worried that we would miss our flight that was scheduled to leave in less than an hour. Jackson had been taking forever to pack and I was starting to get exasperated, tapping my foot as I waited for him in the living room.
"Don't worry, sweetheart," Jackson said with a wink as he carried his suitcase out from the bedroom. "The plane's not going to take off without us. It's one of the advantages of flying privately."
I rolled my eyes although I was relieved that Jackson was ready to go. I stood, grabbing my purse and pulling on my jacket. "Still. It's rude to keep everyone waiting."
Jackson grinned, kissing me lightly as he grabbed my suitcase with his free hand. "It's a good thing I have you around to keep me grounded. Last time we took a private plane, you insisted on bringing your own food."
"All those plates of cheese and fruit aren't free. Their prices are outrageous." I knew it was ridiculous to nickel and dime food on a private plane, but I always felt a little uncomfortable with all the extravagance that Jackson seemed to take for granted. Besides, I had glimpsed a previous bill for a private flight, and Jackson had been charged $300 for the food. A platter of cheese, fruit and crackers did not cost $300. And that didn't even take into account the wine.
"I guess I never have to worry about going broke with you around."
I smiled, wrapping an arm around Jackson's waist and leaning up to kiss him thoroughly. "I'll still love you even if you go broke, as long as you keep me satisfied in other areas," I joked, breathless from the kiss. I stepped back to make my way to the front door when Jackson dropped our suitcases, grabbing me close and wrapping his arms around me.
"I didn't hear any complaints last night," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye. "But I'd be happy to give you another demonstration right now. I aim to please."
"Jackson," I squealed, my laughter ruining the effect of my disapproving look. "Our flight, remember?"
Jackson sighed dramatically, releasing me but not before swatting me on the behind. He grabbed our suitcases again and made his way out the front door. I followed him, locking the door behind us. I had given up my apartment a while ago and we were now living together in Jackson's apartment. The past few months since we found out about Claire's lies had been a whirlwind. It had been a joyous time, but it wasn't without its difficulties. Now that the ghosts of the past had been eradicated, we were forced to focus on the challenges of a relationship with two people that were relearning everything about each other.
Jackson had mellowed out since we had moved in together, but I was still surprised by how autocratic he could be. And Jackson was finding out that I wasn't as pliable as I had been five years ago, when I had been willing to let him make all the decisions. But these were minor issues that were easy to navigate. The real challenge for me was having a relationship with someone who was constantly in the limelight, which consequently meant I was frequently under the microscope as well. The paparazzi hadn't been too bad since we didn't give them much to report on besides being happy and in love. Still, it was a huge adjustment for me to become a semi-public figure.
Despite the challenges, I had never been happier. We had gone to my mother's house for Thanksgiving, and she had been in awe of Jackson, his celebrity status erasing any lingering doubt she had about him. Trisha and Sean had been a little more reserved, willing to accept that Jackson's actions had been misconstrued in the past, but still wary of his intentions. It had been cringe-worthy to listen to Trisha give him the third degree over turkey, questioning how he was going to ensure that we had a healthy relationship when we were based on two different coasts and the challenges I would face dating a celebrity. Jackson had taken the interrogation good-naturedly, and I had to admit that I was as interested in his answers as Trisha was. I wasn't sure how we were going to manage a relationship when Jackson lived in California, never mind all the traveling he had to do while shooting films.