Ice and Fire novel Chapter 43

A week went by quickly, and the wound on Jackson's back healed.

One morning, he was reading a newspaper in the living room, while Cherry was watering the flowers on the balcony.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Jackson stood up from his seat to open the door, and Cherry also walked into the living room.

After he opened the door, Jackson found that it was Derek.

He looked at Jackson happily, and asked, "How are you? Has your wound recovered after the long rest?"

"I'm not that pampered yet; I'm used to wounds, " answered Jackson while he entered the bedroom, with Derek behind him.

When he saw Cherry, Derek sent his regards to her politely. "Good morning, sister-in-law, " he said.

Cherry nodded, and was prepared to get Derek a glass of water. "Good morning, " she replied.

While he sat on the sofa next to Derek, Jackson asked, "Why have you come to my house today? Are there any new instructions coming from the army base?"

Cherry gave Derek the glass of water. After he took a sip out of it, he said, "Yes, the vacation applied for you by your grandpa has expired, and you should be back at the army base tomorrow. There are a lot of things that you need to handle."

Cherry sat beside Jackson, and remained quiet as the two men talked.

"Can't you handle them?" Jackson leisurely looked at Derek. During this period, he had enjoyed a comfortable time at home alongside Cherry's company, which had made him even forget his identity as a soldier.

"What do you think? You hold the highest commanding power, and our men can't do anything without your approval. Rules are rules. Who dare violate it?" Derek then felt that Jackson said these words just like an idiot would.

All of a sudden, it seemed that something occurred to him, and with a wicked grin, he said, "Do you mean to say that you don't want to go back to the base because you can't leave my sister-in-law anymore?"

Derek then turned his eyes onto Cherry, but she didn't know how to face him and instead only lowered her head, embarrassed.

Jackson was angry, and as he looked at Derek's face, which deserved a hard beating, he said, "Haven't you learned a thing since I taught you better last time?"

When he heard that there was something wrong in Jackson's tone, Derek changed his posture and dropped his dirty smile. He looked at Jackson seriously, and said, "Anyway, I just came to tell you that you should come back to the army base tomorrow, and that I will pick you up at seven o'clock tomorrow morning."

Jackson then coldly turned his sight away, and then said to Derek, "You can go now if you have nothing else to say."

Derek furiously gazed at Jackson but couldn't say a word, and instead kept all of his anger in his heart. He knew that Jackson must have been annoyed by him.

Derek looked at Cherry, and in an injured tone, said, "Sister, just look, he even dares to drive me away!"

Cherry smiled because she knew better than anyone else that Jackson treated all people in this condescending, superior way, and Derek might have been accustomed to it already.

She smiled, and said, "Don't worry, he'll go back to the army base tomorrow; just pick him up on time."

"Sister! You're such a kind soul! You're much better than my brother. I have to find a wife as considerate as you, " said Derek, but before he could finish speaking, Jackson's cold eyes stared at him again.

Derek looked at Jackson and found that his eyes were filled with rage. He then stood up, and immediately said, "Okay, I've passed the words, and now it's time to go back and give feedback on my mission. Jackson, you can enjoy your time at home with my sister-in-law today, I'll come to pick you up on time tomorrow morning."

Jackson remained silent while Cherry saw Derek to the door.

When she came back to the living room, she saw that Jackson was still sitting there, silent. She walked over to him and sat next to him, and said, "It's time for you to go back now, as you've had your rest. Derek was kind enough to come here and tell you all about it, but you got angry on him."

"Do you think that I got angry because of him?" Jackson then turned his eyes to Cherry and suddenly stared at her seriously, as though he would never be able to look at her ever again.

Cherry was now curious about what was happening. Hadn't he got the cold face because of Derek's arrival? Was there anything that she did wrong that provoked him?

Jackson then suddenly stretched out his hand, held it around Cherry's waist, and pulled her into his arms.

The distance between them was very close, and Cherry could feel that her bosom was next to his chest.