PHOENIX

27| I APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN

As Jackson walked into Tom’s bar, his senses were immediately assaulted by the familiar sights and sounds of the bustling establishment. The dimly lit room was filled with the hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses, but amidst it all, he spotted something that made his blood boil—Tom, standing behind the bar, chatting amiably with Sue.

His fists clenched at his sides as he made his way through the crowd, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. He had warned Tom to stay away from Sue, to keep his distance from his sister, and yet here he was, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Sue," Jackson called out as he reached the bar, his voice tight with barely contained rage. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Sue looked up, her brow furrowing in confusion at the intensity of his tone. "Jackson, what’s wrong? Is everything okay?"

Before he could respond, Tom stepped in, a cocky smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Hey, man, what’s the problem? Sue and I were just catching up."

Jackson’s jaw clenched as he turned to face Tom, his eyes flashing with anger. "The problem, Tom, is that I specifically told you to stay away from my sister. And yet here you are, cozying up to her like nothing happened."

Tom’s smirk faltered, replaced by a defensive glare. "Look, Jackson, I don’t know what your deal is, but Sue and I are just friends. There’s nothing wrong with us hanging out."

Jackson took a step forward, his fists tightening at his sides. "You don’t get it, do you? You hurt Sue, Tom. You broke her heart, and I won’t stand by and let you do it again."

Sue’s eyes widened in shock as she realized the depth of Jackson’s anger. "Jackson, calm down. It’s not like that."

But Jackson’s rage had reached a boiling point, fueled by months of pent-up frustration and concern for his sister. "No, Sue, you need to see him for who he really is. He’s not worth your time."

Tom bristled at the accusation, his own temper flaring. "You don’t know anything about me, Jackson. And you don’t get to tell me who I can and can’t be friends with."

Before Jackson could respond, a hush fell over the bar, the other patrons sensing the tension in the air. With a deep breath, Jackson forced himself to calm down, realizing that causing a scene wouldn’t solve anything.

Turning to Sue, he spoke in a softer tone, his voice laced with concern. "Sue, I just don’t want to see you get hurt again. You deserve better than someone like him."

Sue met his gaze, her expression torn between frustration and gratitude. "I appreciate your concern, Jackson. But I can take care of myself."

With a heavy heart, Jackson nodded, realizing that he couldn’t force Sue to see things his way. But as he turned to leave the bar, he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the pit of his stomach. Tom may have been right about one thing—this wasn’t over, not by a long shot.

As Jackson walked into Tom’s bar, his senses were immediately assaulted by the familiar sights and sounds of the bustling establishment. The dimly lit room was filled with the hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses, but amidst it all, he spotted something that made his blood boil—Tom, standing behind the bar, chatting amiably with Sue.

His fists clenched at his sides as he made his way through the crowd, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. He had warned Tom to stay away from Sue, to keep his distance from his sister, and yet here he was, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Sue," Jackson called out as he reached the bar, his voice tight with barely contained rage. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Sue looked up, her brow furrowing in confusion at the intensity of his tone. "Jackson, what’s wrong? Is everything okay?"

Before he could respond, Tom stepped in, a cocky smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Hey, man, what’s the problem? Sue and I were just catching up."

Jackson’s jaw clenched as he turned to face Tom, his eyes flashing with anger. "The problem, Tom, is that I specifically told you to stay away from my sister. And yet here you are, cozying up to her like nothing happened."

Tom’s smirk faltered, replaced by a defensive glare. "Look, Jackson, I don’t know what your deal is, but Sue and I are just friends. There’s nothing wrong with us hanging out."

Jackson took a step forward, his fists tightening at his sides. "You don’t get it, do you? You hurt Sue, Tom. You broke her heart, and I won’t stand by and let you do it again."

Sue’s eyes widened in shock as she realized the depth of Jackson’s anger. "Jackson, calm down. It’s not like that."

But Jackson’s rage had reached a boiling point, fueled by months of pent-up frustration and concern for his sister. "No, Sue, you need to see him for who he really is. He’s not worth your time."

Tom bristled at the accusation, his own temper flaring. "You don’t know anything about me, Jackson. And you don’t get to tell me who I can and can’t be friends with."

Before Jackson could respond, a hush fell over the bar, the other patrons sensing the tension in the air. With a deep breath, Jackson forced himself to calm down, realizing that causing a scene wouldn’t solve anything.

Turning to Sue, he spoke in a softer tone, his voice laced with concern. "Sue, I just don’t want to see you get hurt again. You deserve better than someone like him."

Sue met his gaze, her expression torn between frustration and gratitude. "I appreciate your concern, Jackson. But I can take care of myself."

With a heavy heart, Jackson nodded, realizing that he couldn’t force Sue to see things his way. But as he turned to leave the bar, he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the pit of his stomach. Tom may have been right about one thing—this wasn’t over, not by a long shot.

As Jackson walked into Tom’s bar, his senses were immediately assaulted by the familiar sights and sounds of the bustling establishment. The dimly lit room was filled with the hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses, but amidst it all, he spotted something that made his blood boil—Tom, standing behind the bar, chatting amiably with Sue.

His fists clenched at his sides as he made his way through the crowd, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. He had warned Tom to stay away from Sue, to keep his distance from his sister, and yet here he was, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Sue," Jackson called out as he reached the bar, his voice tight with barely contained rage. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Sue looked up, her brow furrowing in confusion at the intensity of his tone. "Jackson, what’s wrong? Is everything okay?"

Before he could respond, Tom stepped in, a cocky smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Hey, man, what’s the problem? Sue and I were just catching up."

Jackson’s jaw clenched as he turned to face Tom, his eyes flashing with anger. "The problem, Tom, is that I specifically told you to stay away from my sister. And yet here you are, cozying up to her like nothing happened."

Tom’s smirk faltered, replaced by a defensive glare. "Look, Jackson, I don’t know what your deal is, but Sue and I are just friends. There’s nothing wrong with us hanging out."

Jackson took a step forward, his fists tightening at his sides. "You don’t get it, do you? You hurt Sue, Tom. You broke her heart, and I won’t stand by and let you do it again."

Sue’s eyes widened in shock as she realized the depth of Jackson’s anger. "Jackson, calm down. It’s not like that."

But Jackson’s rage had reached a boiling point, fueled by months of pent-up frustration and concern for his sister. "No, Sue, you need to see him for who he really is. He’s not worth your time."

Tom bristled at the accusation, his own temper flaring. "You don’t know anything about me, Jackson. And you don’t get to tell me who I can and can’t be friends with."

Before Jackson could respond, a hush fell over the bar, the other patrons sensing the tension in the air. With a deep breath, Jackson forced himself to calm down, realizing that causing a scene wouldn’t solve anything.

Turning to Sue, he spoke in a softer tone, his voice laced with concern. "Sue, I just don’t want to see you get hurt again. You deserve better than someone like him."

Sue met his gaze, her expression torn between frustration and gratitude. "I appreciate your concern, Jackson. But I can take care of myself."

With a heavy heart, Jackson nodded, realizing that he couldn’t force Sue to see things his way. But as he turned to leave the bar, he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the pit of his stomach. Tom may have been right about one thing—this wasn’t over, not by a long shot.As Jackson walked into Tom’s bar, his senses were immediately assaulted by the familiar sights and sounds of the bustling establishment. The dimly lit room was filled with the hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses, but amidst it all, he spotted something that made his blood boil—Tom, standing behind the bar, chatting amiably with Sue.

His fists clenched at his sides as he made his way through the crowd, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. He had warned Tom to stay away from Sue, to keep his distance from his sister, and yet here he was, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Sue," Jackson called out as he reached the bar, his voice tight with barely contained rage. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Sue looked up, her brow furrowing in confusion at the intensity of his tone. "Jackson, what’s wrong? Is everything okay?"

Before he could respond, Tom stepped in, a cocky smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Hey, man, what’s the problem? Sue and I were just catching up."

Jackson’s jaw clenched as he turned to face Tom, his eyes flashing with anger. "The problem, Tom, is that I specifically told you to stay away from my sister. And yet here you are, cozying up to her like nothing happened."

Tom’s smirk faltered, replaced by a defensive glare. "Look, Jackson, I don’t know what your deal is, but Sue and I are just friends. There’s nothing wrong with us hanging out."

Jackson took a step forward, his fists tightening at his sides. "You don’t get it, do you? You hurt Sue, Tom. You broke her heart, and I won’t stand by and let you do it again."

Sue’s eyes widened in shock as she realized the depth of Jackson’s anger. "Jackson, calm down. It’s not like that."

But Jackson’s rage had reached a boiling point, fueled by months of pent-up frustration and concern for his sister. "No, Sue, you need to see him for who he really is. He’s not worth your time."

Tom bristled at the accusation, his own temper flaring. "You don’t know anything about me, Jackson. And you don’t get to tell me who I can and can’t be friends with."

Before Jackson could respond, a hush fell over the bar, the other patrons sensing the tension in the air. With a deep breath, Jackson forced himself to calm down, realizing that causing a scene wouldn’t solve anything.

Turning to Sue, he spoke in a softer tone, his voice laced with concern. "Sue, I just don’t want to see you get hurt again. You deserve better than someone like him."

Sue met his gaze, her expression torn between frustration and gratitude. "I appreciate your concern, Jackson. But I can take care of myself."

With a heavy heart, Jackson nodded, realizing that he couldn’t force Sue to see things his way. But as he turned to leave the bar, he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the pit of his stomach. Tom may have been right about one thing—this wasn’t over, not by a long shot.