Fortuitous || Jack Steele [1]

sixty six

Usually an alarm would cause me to react by angrily slamming my fist upon it, yet this time I don't do that and save my phone from a beating. My finger shuts off the ringing without force.

I roll onto my back and stare at the white ceiling with a satisfied sigh, relishing in the moment of stillness before I have to leave this bed for a final time. Jack's hoodie is also protectively clutched against my chest.

I was unbothered as I slept in this bed and this room for a last time. If anything it was the best sleep I've had here which is kind of ironic. Weird how it's the final time but it's the best time.

I step out of the sheets—without getting tangled in them like I did with Jack—and stretch, releasing a yawn. My hands pull apart the curtains which lets a stream of light flow through the room. On the ground floor I can already see a pile of suitcases, equipment and bags forming. I guess it's my time to get started on packing.

Our flight from Brisbane is at 2 so we need to be out of here by about 10 to drive to the airport and check in. It still sinking in that the end has come and home is within reach again.

My suitcase rests in the centre of the lounge room, beckoning to be used again after months of abandonment and neglect. I stare at it in a moment of consideration.

What is the best way to go about this? Where do you begin? Like seriously. I've totally forgotten how to pack a suitcase despite my travels around the country.

After some time procrastinating, I finally figure out what to pack first.

I gather all my clothes into one spot and fold them so I can put each one inside the suitcase easily. Just as I'm about to start doing that, my phone rings on the couch.

"How's it going, Little King?" Ben's voice echos when I answer and put him on speaker.

"Here to make fun of me again?" I say straight away, ignoring his question.

"It's not like you don't do that already. On a daily basis too."

"At least I wouldn't laugh at you if you were hungover—wait. No I totally would."

Ben scoffs on the other end of the line. "Yeah, I know you would. And you never answered my question: how's it going?"

"Well I'm packing everything away and it's kind of rude to disrupt me, Benny," I reprimand jokingly. I begin stacking the first clothes on top of each other.

"My sincerest apologies sis. Didn't know you were already occupied," Ben remarks with humour.

"Apology accepted."

"Good. Now I saw you on the Brownlow broadcast. You really trying to send single guys into cardiac arrest?"

"It wasn't my intention but yeah sure. I'm off the market either way so." I shrug, not that the twin can see though.

"Off the market huh? Does Jack Steele have something to do with that?" He asks. Through his tone I can tell he's intrigued and I can also tell he's leaned closer to the phone by the way his voice raised ever so slightly.

"Yep. We had a chat about what happen and we're all good," I inform him and grit my teeth as I hope he doesn't act out. He was pretty livid at Jack for what he did and I could tell he wanted to give him a black eye, maybe two.