last summer - jack gilinsky

twenty

2 weeks later

"flight 263 to birmingham is now boarding!" the voice over the speakers sounded, but all i could do was stare at the wall blankly.

45 minutes ago

"babe, if you don't go now you'll be late." jack said, a smile on his face as he looked down at me.

"i don't care. i don't want to leave you." i stated, the tears pouring down my cheeks. i can't do this. i can't leave jack this way.

"i'll come see you. i promise you baby."

i gave him one last kiss before heading to security.

-

i boarded the plane, leaving my carry-on luggage beside my feet. to my advantage, i had the window seat so i was able to have a nice view while i flew.

jack's POV:

"where's sam?" i questioned, walking out onto the back patio. johnson was silent and nate shifted a little in his chair. nash crept by me and walked outside to join them. i had picked up nash on the way back from the airport.

"he uh.. he left." johnson finally said after moments of silence.

"where'd he go?"

"he left at 3 this morning, jack. he flew to alabama."

the amount of rage that began to form inside of me started to cause my vision to go blurry.

"he fucking WHAT?" i yelled, kicking the screen door down. i knew exactly what he was up to and i wasn't about to let it happen. not my rose.

"he flew.. to birmingham. he probably landed already."

-

rose's pov:

when i landed in birmingham, as soon as i was out of the terminal and near the exit of the airport, i pulled up the uber app. i needed an uber out to tuscaloosa, out to my apartment right near the campus. i'd have a roommate, who i've talked to a little bit over text and facetime . she's also on the dance team, so at least i'll have someone to bond with when we start practices. she moved in a couple of days ago and was going to pick me up, but had a job interview.

"uber?" i heard an all too familiar voice. i looked up and saw sam, sitting on a bench near the doors of the airport.

"oh my god, what are you doing here?!" i held my arms out and embraced him, feeling his arms wrap around my body.

"i told you i'd visit!" he laughed, pulling away from me.

"i didnt think you meant so soon!" i breathed, wiping my tears that had started to form.

"come on, our uber's waited for fifteen minutes. you're slow."

-

sam helped me carry my bags to my new apartment, the front door opening to reveal my roommate.

"hey rose and.. friend?"

"this is my friend sam. i'm sorry carly, i didn't know."

"you're fine!" she laughed it off. i had talked to her about sam already when i flew out here for tryouts. she had a slight clue who he was.

"i'll tell you more later." i whispered to her as sam walked in.

"which room is rose's?" he asked carly.

"second door." carly smiled. sam walked in and as soon as he was in, carly gave me the look.

"spill." she whisper-yelled.

"he was just at the airport. he knew i left today and probably left before i did. he didn't tell me." i told her. i headed to my room and set my bags down at the end of the bed. the bed was the only thing in the room right now besides sam and i.

"why'd you come out here?" i asked, crossing my arms.

"because everything's just so hard out in LA.. everyone knows who we are but this is not LA. you can be my girl out here."

i stepped back, confused. "what?"

"i came out here for you." he said as if it was the simplest thing on earth.

"sammy, look.. i'm with jack. i can't be with you, no matter where we are. don't forget that he's also your best friend."

"being with someone didn't stop you before."

before i was aware of my actions, my hand swiped across his face and a loud smack was heard.

"is everything okay?" i heard carly say outside of the door.

"fine." sam said, trying to hide his anger that i could see in his eyes. once carly walked away, sam's eyes turned to me.

"why the hell did you do that?" he hissed.

"i don't know." i mumbled, the blood due to the sharpness of my acrylics beginning to streak down his face.

"i come out here for you, to the deep south, and you smack me?"

"i didn't mean to, it just happened. okay?"

his phone began to ring and i saw jack's name on the screen.

ignore call.

"he probably knows i'm here. come on, rose, just let me show you what you're missing by being with him."

"no." i said firmly. ever since sam kissed me in the foyer, i had been devoted every piece of my time to being loyal to jack. i couldn't handle the guilt.

"i was your first, rose."

"i know." i snapped. "go back to LA, sam. you're wasting your time."

he slammed his lips against mine, his arms sliding quickly around my waist to pull me closer to him.

an image of jack seeing us flashed into my mind and my mind told me to pull away, but my body didn't let me.

i kissed back.