Staring at my phone I know I have to make the call but I have been procrastinating all morning. I sip on the tea that Jack seemed to have bought and put into the kitchen for me. Honestly, I could be calling the cops right now with the amounts of paperwork I found last night. But here I am holding the phone to call Jack instead.
I set the phone down on the countertop and walk away. I take my tea with me and walk over to the window to look out over Central Park. It is insane that I am in this situation. Tomorrow I told my boss that I will be coming back into rehearsals but I know my head is not in it at all. Calling Jack and getting him to finally be honest with me is the only way for me to actually be able to focus on anything.
I sigh and head over to the phone and click call. It rings and rings, I have no idea what time zone he is in but I have a feeling he will answer.
"Hello? Dawn?" Jack answers, after only a few short rings.
I sigh, here we go, "Jack where are you?"
"I'm still out of the country. Is everything okay? Are you hurt?" I can hear the worry coming through the phone.
"I'm fine and I know you're out of the country, what country?" I push,
Jack seems to pause, "What do you mean?"
"I think that is a pretty simple question Jack," I say bluntly. I hear some rustling, and Jack tells someone that he will be right back.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Jack's voice is muffled lightly as it sounds like he is walking.
"Yes Jack I said I'm fine-" I start, but Jack cuts me off.
"Say something about food, if someone is forcing you to call me." He says randomly
"Huh, what are you talking about?" I question
Jack seems to walk into a room, and I can hear him better, "Dawn just say something about food if someone is holding you against your will."
"No Jack," I pause. There is no way he is serious... right? "No I'm fine really- I'm home alone."
I can hear Jack breathe a sigh of relief, "Jesus Dawn you scared me."
"What the hell was all of that about?" I ask, am I really in that much danger that he is worried I'm going to get kidnapped? I mean I guess that is the reason why I am even at Jack's place isn't it?
I hear Jack start to backtrack, "Nothing I just thought something was wrong..."
"No" I interrupt, "You are gonna tell me the truth now."
"Dawn I don't know what you're talking about." He denies making me madder.
"Yes, Jack yes you do." I start to let the anger come into my voice, " You and Max have been keeping me in the dark this whole time and I know it!!"
"Dawn you already know that we come from rich families- these people can be horrible to each other, and the lengths that they will go-"
"No," I say simply, "Tell me the truth, Jack."
I hear him shuffling on the other end, "I already-"
"No," The anger is starting to show in my voice, "Jack I swear I will walk out that door and into the worst neighborhood I can find if you don't tell me."
"Dawn.." Jack starts to scold me.
"AND" I yell into the phone, "I will lose blondie and the mean face bodyguards you have following me!" This time Jack stays silent, most likely thinking if I will be able to actually lose those bodyguards. Which of course, I obviously can't but he doesn't need to know that. "Jack I'm going to leave if you don't come clean!" I walk over to the door and open it making sure he hears it too.
"Stop!" Jack finally says, "Jesus Dawn why can't you just let things be?" I smile happy that I won that little victory, cause truthfully I am in my socks and his hoodie in his living room.
"Maybe because my best friend is probably across the country or in a different country with you! And you left me here alone with two gang members for bodyguards!"
"What are you talking about?" Jack's voice seems to waver, I knew I was right Jack is running a fucking gang. I flop down onto the couch. What is my life?
"Just admit it already!" I yell at him, if he would just say it himself I would feel so much better than he was at least being honest.
I hear a hard sigh, "We are only trying to protect you.." He seems to be giving up, "You don't understand the world Max and I live in. It's not safe for you."
"Not SAFE for me?" I almost scream over the phone, "Don't you think it's a little late for that?" I sigh at my frustration. I don't understand how he doesn't see how involved I already am. "Don't you realize I was involved since... I don't know what you call them.... Your gang member, your brother, or whatever found us kissing in the woods over a year ago!"
"What... what? How do you know that..?" Jack says completely taken off guard.
"I know I can be naive to things but I can still put the pieces together. Then you decide for me to just shut me out?" I say ignoring Jack's comment.
I can start to hear Jack getting frustrated too, "So you just wanted me to ask you to join my family criminal empire? And that you wouldn't have run away from me?"
"Yes!" I yell back, I start to calm down a bit realizing he just admitted to me what I wanted him to say, "Yes Jack I want you to ask."
"No, no fucking way am I getting you involved Dawn," I can hear him becoming mad now instead of me.
I turn to my left and stare out the window at the dark skies, "I don't know why you are acting like I am not already involved."
You can hear Jack starting to pace back and forth, "That's because you don't even understand what it means to be involved, Dawn. Jesus." I can hear him getting even madder, " Don't you understand I am trying to protect you?"
"Ya I get that Jack, last time I checked I'm living in your apartment with you. How much more safe can you possibly make me?" I sigh audibly not meaning to but it seems to calm Jack down a bit.
"Yes and you stay there too," He seems to start moving out of whatever room he was in, and I could hear voices in the background again.
"Fine but I am going back to work tomorrow morning though." I semi agree with him, it's not like I go anywhere but to work and back normally.
"Get my flight ready," I hear Jack say in the background, in a voice he has never talked to me in. It's rough, low, and dangerous- I shiver away the tingles I feel down my shine, looking over to see if the temperature has gone down. "I'm coming home tonight," He says to me in the same voice.
"To-tonight?" I try not to stutter but fail miserably. No, I'm not stuttering I'm just cold- after I get off the phone I'm going to make it hotter in here.
"Yes." He says simply, and I can hear him moving around in the background, I look at the clock saying 8:30 am. I wonder when he will be back, I stop my thought when he speaks again, "We have a lot to talk about."
"Ok-okay," I clear my throat because I am a strong independent woman and his voice will not affect me! "Yes. Yes, we do." I try to say confidently.
I hear him lightly chuckle, "Good, you have about 10 hours until I will be there." Ten hours?? Where the hell is he? Bora bora- without me??
I try to regain my confidence... yet again, "I will be waiting."
"See you then," you can hear the smile in his voice before the line goes dead. My heart is beating out of my chest.
What just happened?
Did I ask to join his gang? Holy shit he admitted that he is running a criminal empire.
Empire? That's bigger than I thought!
Damn, I should've just asked to be his girlfriend... No, wait no... I'm glad I didn't. Wait did I?
I look back over the cloudy skies, that I am starting to curse. These ten hours are going to be the longest and fastest hours of my life.
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Here we go!! Hang on y'all this about to be a bumpy ride :)
Love you all <3 Mama Em