A Lonely September

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye or the song 'A Lonely September'!

Summary: After the flight, Jackson and Lisa went their separate ways. Now, a few years later, Lisa is married but she has a secret… JxL.

Chapter One: Keep Me From Thinking of You

I'm sittin' here all by myself

Just tryin' to think of something to do

Just to keep me from thinking of you

But you know it's not working out

'Cause you're all that's on my mind

One thought of you is all it takes

To leave the rest of the world behind

'A Lonely September' by Plain White T's

For the past two years, almost every waking moment was spent thinking about him. From the moment she woke and until she closed her eyes in the darkness, he was on her mind.

"Lisa, what's wrong?" a sleepy voice muttered from beside her as she stared at the ceiling.

She jumped at the sound, then turn on her right side to face the man lying beside her. A ring sparkled on her left hand as she reached over to touch his cheek. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just thinking."

"About?"

"It doesn't matter," she whispered softly. "Go back to sleep, Alex."

She turned away from him and slipped out from under the covers. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going for a drive. Wanna come?" she offered, casting his half-asleep figure a second glance.

"Nah, I've got a meeting early tomorrow. Just be careful, okay?"

"I will." She bent down and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you."

"Love you too, Lisa."

She slipped off the bed and walked over to the closet. She slipped on some jeans and a worn t-shirt before leaving the bedroom quietly. She grabbed her purse and keys before exiting the small apartment and locking the door behind her.

All that she could see as she unlocked her car and started the engine was brown hair and icy blue eyes. A smirk, not a smile, on a face she knew as well as she knew her own.

Lisa stared at the wedding ring she wore for a moment. Then she pulled the ring off easily—just like she had every time before. She placed the simple piece of jewelry into one of the cup holders before pulling out of her parking space.

She willed herself to re-park her car and head back into the apartment. To climb back into the bed she shared with her husband of a year. But, like every time before, she could not manage it. All she could think of was him.

His voice, steady and calm, as he spoke to her. His full lips kissing hers. His touch as he pulled her closer and held her.

Him—the hired manager that she had met in an airport two years earlier. The one who chased her; matched her fight for fight. The man who tried to kill her. The man she fell in love with and who loved her back. The man who she could never have a life with.

Lisa bit back the tears that threatened to fall. Her heart had been torn in two because of two men—one hidden, and one of them her husband. But he held the bigger piece of her heart.

She reached the quiet house and parked alongside the BMW in the driveway. Her sneaker-clad feet crunched on the gravel as she slowly picked her way to the front door. Trembling slightly, she raised her fist and knocked loudly on the wooden door.

She could hear no sounds in response. But just as she turned to shuffle back to her car—disappointed—she heard the locks sliding back as someone fumbled with the door. It creaked open and she turned to face the man who haunted her dreams and her waking hours.

"Leese?" he called; surprised, yet slightly amused.

"I—I—" she stammered.

She stood frozen in place in front of the door; biting her lip nervously.

"Leese…"

"I shouldn't—"

"Ssh," he whispered, resting a hand on her cheek. "Don't."

Trembling with anticipation, Lisa moved closer to him. He slipped a hand around her waist to pull her body against his. She responded by tentatively leaning forward and kissing him. He deepened the kiss and pulled her inside the house; kicking the door shut behind them.

All at once, their passion overwhelmed them. Hands tore at clothing, lips meshed together and on skin, and they fell onto his bed together. They barely spoke because there was no need for words.

Later, their clothes discarded on the floor; their limbs entwined. They lay together in his bed, both of them sweaty, panting, and spent.

"I love you, Leese," he whispered. That was his nickname for her. The name he only used when they were alone together.

"I know," she said quietly, feeling a twinge of guilt, but no regret for her actions.

"Don't leave."

"I have to. You know—"

"Just—just stay," he pleaded, holding her tighter. "Just for tonight. Let me wake up beside you and know it's real. Let me love you, Lisa."

"I can't, Jackson. You know that I can't. I have to get home before Alex—before my husband misses me. I'm sorry..."

She pulled away from him and climbed out of the bed. Without a backwards glance, she gathered her scattered clothes and disappeared into the adjoining bathroom.

She hated doing this to him, but it was the only way they could be together. She cherished their stolen moments; away from the public eye where no one could judge them. Where no one knew about their love and no one cared.

In the dark, at his house, no one cared about her affair with Jackson Rippner. No one knew except them. It was their dark secret.

When they were together, nothing else mattered. All that mattered was those precious moments—not the future, not reality, not their past—just the here and now. Just each other and their love.

Author's Notes:

So this a short JxL fic that I'm writing for plays-with-stars. She showed me the song and asked me if I wouldn't mind writing a JxL fic based on it. Enjoy! The next chapter should be up in a few days.