#* jackson barrett

Where: A restaurant 

When Leyla went out with friends tonight, she had never expected to run into Jackson of all people. It’d been too long since she had enjoyed a girl’s night out with her friends, but tonight she had seized the chance. Thea was home with her favorite babysitter and should be headed to bed soon. Pulling her phone from her purse she texted the babysitter a message to show Thea wishing her a good night with many emojis. Looking up, she realized her friend had ordered another round for the table as they waited on their entrees. Yes, this was exactly the night that Leyla needed. 

Getting up from the table, she headed towards the bathroom but stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her. Directly in her path was a couple getting up from a table. The woman was a stranger to her, but the man she’d recognize anywhere. Jackson. The smile froze on her lips and then fell at the sight of him wrapping his arm around the beautiful woman. Leyla couldn’t say anything, simply stare at her ex clearly on a date with a beautiful woman. 

Where: Asena Bank Basement Gala

When Jackson asked her to go with him to the gala she’d gotten an invitation to, Leyla had been surprised. She hadn’t been expecting him to ask her to anything with him. She’d been giving him more time with Thea since Halloween so maybe this was his way of thanking her. But she didn’t even attend Jude’s store’s opening as his date. Leyla had thought of telling him no, but in the end she saw no harm in it and having him by her side would be helpful. She knew the event was going to be big, many people in the city got invites and at first Leyla had thought about not even going. But her agent at the gallery wanted her to attend, not only was there art that was going to be sold there, but it would offer her a chance to talk to potential customers. So in the end, she agreed. Both to her agent and to Jackson. Standing there in the crowd now, Leyla felt her chest tighten as the crowd seemed to press in on her. She hadn’t been in this big of a party crowd since Halloween and it sparked a feeling of anxiety in her. She gripped her bag tightly, her fingers turning pale and she felt her breath catch in her throat. “Jackson.” She whispered, her voice coming out small and sounding far away in her own ears. Her heartbeat spiked and she stumbled back. “Out - I need to get outside. I need some air.”