Shattered Then Healed By His Love (by Haley Blanton) novel Chapter 133

Chapter 133 Stop Touching Me, Jackson

Natalie turned at the sound of the door opening and saw Jackson walk in.

Their eyes met for only a brief second before she looked away, her gaze shifting back to the view outside as if he weren’t even there.

Jackson stepped closer, his eyes sweeping over her.

She was wearing a long white dress; the chiffon fabric draped gracefully, making her look effortlessly fresh and elegant.

Natalie had always been striking–her makeup immaculate, her beauty dazzling and impossible to ignore.

But ever since her release from prison, she’d stopped caring much for makeup. Without the layers of color, her face no longer held that sharp brilliance; instead, it carried a softer, more ethereal beauty.

Even her demeanor had changed, cool and distant now, where once there had been warmth.

“About what happened today, I misunderstood you.”

His voice was calm, almost detached; though he spoke words of apology, there was no hint of remorse in his tone.

Natalie didn’t even bother to look at him. Her eyes stayed fixed on the horizon. “There’s nothing to apologize for. In your eyes, I’ve always been an amateur; your apology only makes me uncomfortable.”

“Don’t be ungrateful. I try to speak nicely to you, and you act like it’s nothing?”

Jackson closed the distance between them, stepping behind her; his hands landed on either side of her waist as he spun her around abruptly.

Startled by the sudden movement, Natalie frowned. “Jackson, what the heck is wrong with you

now?”

“If I’m remembering right…” Jackson leaned in, his voice low at her ear, “You were in this very room the night you slept with that other man, weren’t you?”

His words sent flashes of that night through her mind–the scenes with Marcus in the room next door flashing one after another, vivid and unrelenting. Her cheeks grew hot before she could stop it.

Jackson noticed the flush immediately.

His hand shot up, fingers gripping her chin. “Look at you, blushing like that. Guess the memory’s burned pretty deep, huh?”

“Let go.”

Natalie had no intention of engaging; she struggled hard to free herself.

His chest rose and fell sharply with anger. “Tell me–did it feel better with him, or with me?”

“You’re insane.”

She broke free of his grip and lifted her hand, ready to strike him, but his hand shot out, catching her wrist midair.

“Oh, that’s right…” Jackson’s voice dripped with mocking amusement. “It’s been three years since we last touched, hasn’t it? You’ve probably forgotten what it’s like with me. Maybe tonight’s a good time to remind you, what do you

think?”

Once, she would’ve been the one to reach for him first. Now, the mere brush of his touch had her spitting venom.

“What? Don’t tell me…” Jackson’s voice dropped, cold and guttural, “don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for that man. I’ve been searching everywhere, but he’s like a ghost, who the heck is he? Who could make you abandon your husband and your child, just to run to him?”

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