crossways: a jack hughes story

chapter 16

you wake up to see jack sitting next to you, he's on his computer.

"morning."

"hi. what are you looking at?" you ask.

"rvs for us to rent." jack turns the screen so you can look too.

"you're cute, but have you started to pack yet? you have a flight today."

"so do you." jack mumbles.

"yeah, but at least i'm packed!" you say as jack laughs.

"fine. i'll start packing." jack says as he gets out of bed, and throws his clothes in a bag. "what time is your flight?"

"3:05."

"okay so is mine."

"what? no. your flight is at 5:15, jack."

"i'm not going home."

"but i thought you were going to new jersey, and i'm going to florida to get my stuff, then i was flying to jersey to do the road trip. wasn't that the plan?"

"yeah. but sometimes plans change." smiles jack.

you give him a look and he puts his head back and laughs.

"i changed my flight from jersey to florida, now i can meet your family and we can do the road trip from florida to michigan."

"oh jack, you don't wanna meet my parents." jack looks up from his packing and gives you a confused look.

"why?"

"because they're my parents."

"i don't get it."

"i just know them enough, and trust me you don't wanna meet them."

"fine. if you don't want me to i won't, i'll just quickly change my flight back." jack says, giving you puppy eyes.

"oh just keep the flight! stop looking at me like that." you laugh.

...

you sit in the window seat as jack takes the middle. he knows you hate sitting next to strangers. you grab his hand before take off, squeezing it lightly. he squeezes your hand back, letting you know he's got you. you have major anxiety about taking off, and jack makes you feel safe. during take off, you squeeze his hand so hard it feels like you're going to break it. jack rubs his thumb against your hand, he's doing his best to comfort you.

four hours later, you land in orlando. your dad is picking you up, but now he's picking you and jack up, but he has no idea. yet.

your parents know you're dating jack, and you never planned for them to meet. so, you're kind of a nervous wreck as you walk to the pick up area with jack. you explain all this to jack, and he's not too worried.

"so what if they don't like me; worse comes to worse the next time i'll have to see them is our wedding." you just smile at him, interlocking hands.

you see your dad's car and tell jack to wait as you prepare him.

"hey." you say, opening the passenger door.

"hi."

"so jack's here too, he decided fly back here with me."

"okay." says your dad, not showing any emotion.

you roll your eyes and motion for jack to come over to the car. he puts all the bags in the trunk, and then gets into the backseat, and you in the front.

"hi, i'm jack. nice to meet you."

"i'm zoe's dad. but you can call me ryan."

you see your dad keep looking at jack through the rear view mirror the whole way home, and jack looks a little nervous. there's not much talk on the way home. your dad just asks you how montreal was. you tell him carly's dating cole now, and he's shocked.