crossways: a jack hughes story

chapter 23

you wake up the next morning, and grab your phone laying on the nightstand.

you have a text from jack.

want me to pick you up at 11?

it's 9:47, you still have plenty of time to get ready.

sure that's fine.

he reads your message immediately and responds with a smiley face.

you get out of bed, pass a sleeping chelsea and head to the shower.

after the shower, you wrap your towel around you and look in your closet for something to wear. you decide to wear an outfit to make jack regret what he did even more.

you put on a cream satin backless tank top, paired with mom jeans and black converse. perfect. it shows everything just right.

you put on some makeup and even straighten your hair.

at 10:50, jack texts you that he's waiting in the parking lot outside of your dorm.

you walk down to his car and get in.

"hi-" jack looks you up and down.

"hey."

jack's jaw drops a little. you wave your hand in front of his face and he clicks back into reality.

"sorry. it's just, you look really good. wow."

"thanks."

jack starts to drive, and when he gets on the highway he starts to freak out.

"damn it!"

"what?!"

"i left my wallet at brock's apartment, we gotta go back." jack gets off at a random exit and starts to turn around.

10 minutes later, jack pulls into brock's driveway.

"i'll just wait here."

"no, come in." jack says, getting out of the car.

"why."

"just come inside zoe."

"fine." you roll your eyes and get out of the car.

jack knocks on the front door, but there's no response.

"i guess brock's not home."

"what? how are you gonna get your wallet?"

"hey. calm down. i know the garage key pad."

"calm down? did you really just tell me to calm down?"

"woah. what's going on with you?" jack says as he enters the 4 digit code and the garage opens. jack walks inside, and you follow.

after getting inside the house, jack goes to where he's staying.

"what's going on with me? are you seriously asking me that?"

"um-"

"i think you forgot that you cheated on me!"

"zoe-"

"no. stop. let me yell at you. i just let you come back into my life, i pretended like nothing happened. you kissed her right in front of me! and now i have to live with her for a year! do you know how that feels?! all she does is try to make me feel bad, like she's better than me. and she is; she's skinner, prettier,"

"that's enough! she is not prettier or skinner than you; even if she was i wouldn't care. i'll pick you over her everyday. i was an idiot that night, i regret it. and i'm sorry. you know i'm sorry. i don't know how to make it up to you. but i love you."

"jack i love you too and i want everything to be perfect again, but i still can't get over what you did."

"would yelling at me help?"

"um, yeah, yeah it would."

"go ahead. i deserve it." jack says as he stands straight up and closes his eyes, almost as if he's bracing for the impact about to hit him.

you laugh a little before you start to yell. jack hears your giggles and a smirk forms on his face.

"I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU KISSED THAT UGLY, GROSS, STUPID, DUMB BITCH! HOW COULD YOU?!"

you exhale loudly. jack opens his eyes.

"feel better?"

"not really. it felt forced, didn't feel right."

"slap me then."

"huh?"

"maybe getting your anger out physically will help."

seconds after jack says that, you slap him hard across the face.

jack grabs his cheek and winces.

you grab a pillow off of jack's air mattress, and whack him with that too.

"okay i get it zoe."

"no, you have to feel how i felt."

"that seems a little toxic, how about we just go to lunch now?" jack smiles a little bit.

"you don't get it."

"don't get what?" he asks. 

"i don't want to yell at you anymore, or slap you. i want you to feel how i felt after what you did to me, that will make me feel better. i was in a numb state for a while, jack. i'm just starting to get better. i don't know if you coming here is making it worse or not. chelsea is certainly making it worse. can you believe. she transferred to wisco? out of ALL the colleges in the world, she chose here?! it cannot be a coincidence. she's out to get me."

"looks like you need to yell at chelsea, then, not me."

"for real."

"ah-ha!" jack holds up his wallet.

"let's go then."

"is my face red?"

"just a little." you laugh as you made a mark on jack.

jack groans.

"you deserved it."

"i hate that you're right."

"you know what you did."

"are you feeling the tension i'm feeling." jack smirks. 

"no jack, too soon."

"dang, i tried."

"you did, but you failed."

you both go back to jack's car. he puts the restaurant in maps and starts to back out of the driveway.

he keeps putting his hand on your thigh, and you keep swatting it away. eventually you end up holding hands during the drive, and jack keeps smiling at you the whole time while trying to keep his eyes on the road.

"jack you're gonna kill us, stop looking at me and focus on the road."

"sorry, you're just so pretty. can't help myself."

you blush a bright red and smile. jack does the same.

you finally get to the restaurant. you realize where jack's taken you; the fanciest restaurant in wisconsin.

"you did not."

"oh, i did." jack pulls into the parking garage, finds a spot, and puts the car in park.

"come on let's go." you both get out of the car, and jack grabs your hand, leading you to the restaurant.