where's Iris?

𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕖 𝕞𝕖

Jack parks the car in front of the park.

They both get out and sit down on a bench, waiting for Alex.

Zach leans his head on Jack's shoulder and sighs. Jack wraps his arms around himself, ready to break at any moment.

"Jack, you can cry. I'll be strong this time okay?" Jack nods and tears start falling from his eyes.

Zach hugs Jack tightly and comforts him.

"We'll find our little girl and we're gonna make sure the person who did this is gonna get punished." Zach kisses his head and sways him.

"Who would want our baby? She's just an innocent little girl." Jack sobs onto Zach's chest.

"I don't know."

"Do you think it's our fault? For being divorced?"

"No, of course not. It's not our fault. I don't want you thinking that. Specially if you think it's your fault. It's not. If anything it's my fault for not being able to pick her up after school."

"No, it's not. You have a life besides Iris. You can't stop making money to take care of her." Jack grabs his face. His teary eyes darting from his eyes to his lips several times.

"But I feel like it's my fault. Why didn't I just ask her to wait? Why am I so dumb?"

"You're not dumb baby. Never say that. You're perfect." Jack mutters, his heart aching for his daughter and his ex-lover.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"What happe-"

"Hey guys any news?" Jack quickly wipes his tears and recomposes himself.

"No. She wasn't with her friend, she wasn't with the kid next to her in the bus apparently she wasn't even on the bus." Jack clears his throat.

"She wasn't there since the first break."

"We need to check the cameras at school that'll probably give us a huge help. But I don't want you guys to be alone. They might strike again."

"I'd swap with Iris if I could."

"Well, that's impossible Jack." The curly head opened his mouth.

"Don't." Zach warns, knowing exactly that Jack was about to throw an insult at the man.

"I'm sorry baby."

"It's okay, I understand, I would've done the same." Jack nods.

Alex looks at them confused.

"I didn't know divorced people called their ex-partners baby." The green eyed man retorts.

"Don't question it." Zach defends Jack.

"No need to get aggressive, I though he was the one who cheated on you."

"Look Alex, we're here to find our daughter. I didn't came to the park at eight thirty in the night to discuss the details of my life with Jack." The curly head knew Zach was getting angrier at the minute.

"Zach, baby, calm down... Do it for Iris." Zach closed his eyes.

"Look, it's been a long ass day for the three of us. Let's all go home and rest and in the morning, me and Zach are going to the school. It's getting too dark and people aren't going to be awake or in the mood to answer our questions."Jack tries to calm them down.

"It's been four and a half hours for her missing. We have fourty three and a half hours before the police can do anything." Zach continues.

"Then rest, I'll try to get some people working on your case, if you receive any call, record it. If you get any clue, call me." He hands Zach a card.

"If it gets too hard, I'm still here, you can call me." Alex looks at Jack and gives him a smirk.

Jack is feeling like something's...off.

"Thank you and good night." Jack holds Zach.

"Thanks and good night."

"Good night." Alex walks off to his own car.

"There's something about him that seems off."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, I feel like I can't trust him..."

"Then we don't trust him." Zach simply says. He knows that when Jack feels something's off, he's always correct.

"Thanks for trusting me."

"You are giving me reasons to trust you again, so I'm giving you reasons to trust me." Jack nods.

They both walk to Jack's car in silence and sit down.

"Do you want to stay at my place? I can sleep in the couch, I don't mind." Jack says softly.

"I don't mind sharing a bed with you. I've done it since I was seventeen."

"I'm just fearing that you don't want to sleep next to me after all that."

"I just need to be held by you tonight. I need to be in your arms Jack."

"Even afte-"

"Yes Jack. Even after all that. I still feel the safest in your arms even when I have reasons not to, even when you hurt me badly." Jack nods.

"I need you to promise me something."

"Tell me."

"Promise me you won't leave after I tell you the whole damn story, promise me you'll try to understand my point of view, and promise me you won't blame yourself for slapping me twice and call me a disgusting pig, for kicking me out the house."

"I-I promise Jack."

"I know I've said I'm sorry countless times. I meant every single one of them. I think about you and Iris when I go to bed, you guys the first thought in my mind.

I'd spend the rest of my life fighting for you and Iris... because you guys are worth every millisecond on my time and life." Zach is crying at his beautiful words, completely speechless.