You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 694

A thin curtain was never going to block out the noise. Patricia heard everything.

She listened as Jackson grilled Aiden, then turned and fired his questions at Oliver. So when Jackson burst into the room, Patricia’s eyes—cool and steady—settled on Oliver. She was the picture of calm, completely opposite to his anger.

Too calm, really. She looked at him like he was a stranger, like there was nothing between them at all.

She was so composed that she quietly nudged the doctor aside, slid out of bed, and moved to help Jackson up. “You should get checked out.”

Jackson brushed her hand away, his voice even. “I’m fine.”

When they left the hospital, Patricia’s arm hurt so much she couldn’t even get her coat on. She just tossed it over her shoulders and got straight in the car.

She stayed quiet the whole way home, that same unsettling calm wrapped around her like armor. When they pulled up at Cloud Peak, Marian came out to meet them, worry written all over her face. She kept her voice low. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Patricia said, and headed upstairs without another word.

Oliver was right behind her.

Downstairs, Hector rubbed the back of his neck and looked over at Jackson. He hesitated for a second, then let out a sigh and said, “Look, Jackson, between those two, you’re just an outsider. Why get so involved?”

Jackson shot back, “So I’m supposed to just stand by and watch him treat Miss like she’s his property?”

“Does that seem fair to you?”

Honestly, Hector just couldn’t figure out what was going on in Jackson’s head. Defending Patricia? Was any of this really Oliver’s fault? Did Oliver want any of this to happen?

“You’re talking like you’re some righteous bystander, Hector, but from where I stand, I just want what’s best for Miss. If you’re so worried about making things hard for her, ask yourself—if Mr. Padilla really loved her, would he let things get this bad? Even a kid knows that if you love someone, you care about what matters to them. He wants me gone because he can’t let go of his own control issues, not because of anything I’ve done.”

“Don’t tell me everyone has their own side. Miss has always been good to me, and I owe her. My job is to protect her. If Mr. Padilla really loves her, shouldn’t he feel the same? In the end, we both want what’s best for her. How selfish do you have to be to push away someone who honestly cares about the woman you say you love?”

“Jackson, can you really say you have no selfish motives? That you’re totally innocent in all this?”