Amber POV
Waiting for the call that didn't seem like it was ever going to come killed me more with every second that passed. I had calculated the flight time from NY to Australia and when that had passed I couldn't stop the sinking feeling deep within my soul. I called Daniel who assured me that everything would be fine and to go back to sleep. Except I couldn't go back to sleep, I hadn't been asleep in the first place.
I sat there staring at the phone all night, until the sun rose and filled the living room. Finally as if by a miracle the cellphone vibrated, except it wasn't Jackson. It was my Dad.
I picked up the phone and held it to my ear. "Morning Dad." I croaked.
"Where are you?" he asked, his voice was brusque.
The pit of despair pooling in my stomach deepened. Hearing from Dad wasn't unusual, but this was different.
"At the apartment. Why?" I replied, I knew he could hear the fear in my voice, I was doing little to hide it.
"I'm on my way. Don't turn on the TV, I'll be there soon."
I yawned, two nights of no sleep were affecting me, so much so that I was at risk of falling asleep on my feet. I walked toward the TV. "Why Dad." But I knew why, in my heart I knew why. Something had happened.
"Just listen to me Amber. Please."
He hung up and for a full minute I stood in front of the TV with the phone to my ear. His instructions were clearly to save myself hurt, but it was too late, the damage was done. I ignored his request and turned the TV on. A breaking news report was up on the screen, but the volume was down so low I couldn't hear what they were saying. My hands shook as I pressed the volume button.
"The plane landed in the Pacific Ocean and the distress beacon sounded shortly after. We have search and rescue party out, and should have an update soon."
Plane, ocean, crash? My mouth became dry as I walked backward and sat down on the sofa staring at the screen waiting for evidence that they weren't talking about Jacksons plane, evidence I knew wasn't coming. When my parents arrived they knocked a few times, but I didn't move. Scared I would miss something.
Dad knew where I kept the spare key and within a few seconds he and mom were beside me in the apartment. When Dad turned the TV off I knew the truth I was ready for was coming. I knew that he was here because it had been Jackson's plane. I shook my head and stood up, stepping away from my parents worried gazes. "No." I pleaded, for what little good it would do.
"Honey. You should sit down." Dad soothed.
Tears lined my eyes. Not Jackson.
I walked back to the sofa, but only because my legs threatened to give out on me. Dad placed his arm around my shoulders and Mom sniffed back her emotion.
"The plane that crashed was Jacksons. Xavier called earlier this morning."
For a moment it felt like I was boneless, like every part of my being was about to slide into a mush of desperation. I looked at my father and shook my head. "But he's okay right?" I said. He had to be okay. My life without him was meaningless.
Dad's face became stony, he looked down at the floor and then took a deep breath. "We don't know. No one knows anything."
I stood up and distanced myself from my parents again. I closed my eyes and prayed that this was some sick worry induced dream, but when my eyes opened and my parent's faces were still in front of me I broke. I ran for the bathroom and slammed the door behind me. I dry retched, as the fear and shock began to sink in.
I fell against the bathroom wall, its coolness only served to remind me that this was real.
"Amber, Are you alright?" Dad asked, he was on the other side of the bathroom door, but he may as well have been right beside me. I wanted to revert to the teenage angst I hadn't shown my parents. I wanted scream and ask him if he thought I was alright. I wanted to kick the walls and throw things around the room. I wanted to run away from reality I wanted to go back in time and stop Jackson from leaving. But I couldn't. It was done.
Instead I remained silent and slipped my phone from the pocket of Jackson's pajama pants and called Daniel. He answered immediately, less than half a ring and his voice was in my ear.
"I'm on my way." He said, his voice was broken, like my heart. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brushed you off last night."
None of that mattered, he had been trying to alleviate my fears, this wasn't his fault, he had nothing to be sorry for. Right now I just needed his reassurance.
"Daniel." I croaked. "He's okay right."
"What do we have but hope." He replied with the optimism I needed, but still his voice wavered. "Jackson would do anything to get back to you Amber."
The tears rolled down my cheeks like a storm finally breaking, I rolled my arms around my legs and dropped the phone on the ground. I wasn't sure if Daniel was still on the call, but I didn't care anymore. He was right. Jackson would do anything to get back to me, and I to him, but he wasn't superhuman. Even he had his limits and so did I.
Minutes passed before I could even stand, and even then I felt like I wasn't here. My world was suddenly surreal. I placed my hand over the cold bathroom handle and turned it. I opened the door and stepped into the living area. Mom and Dad were on the sofa, holding one another.
Before I could say anything the front door opened and Daniel walked in. His face was awash with worry. I couldn't move, just seeing him made me feel weak again. This was all real. He walked across the floor and pulled me in to his arms. I returned the hug, and broke into sobs once more.
"I'm waiting to wake up." I whispered.
"Me too." He whispered back.
"Where is Hana?" I murmured confused, stepping back. For a couple who had lived in one another's pockets since we'd moved here, not seeing them together was strange.
He looked at me and shrugged. "We broke up, the other day in fact.." He replied as nonchalantly as he could, although I wasn't buying the tough guy routine I let him get away with it considering the circumstances. His jaw clenched. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay." I said releasing him from my grasp. "Um, while we wait for news I might get dressed."
My mom stood up and pointed to the kitchen. "I'll put the coffee on then." she offered.
I nodded and walked toward the bedroom I had shared with Jackson for so many nights. I wasn't prepared for the onslaught of memories when I walked through the door. I wasn't prepared to feel every feeling I had ever felt for him, including anger. I picked up a photo of the two of us off the nightstand and fell into a state of tears once more. Love mixed with worry and rage caused me to throw the photo at the wall and as the sound of smashing glass filled my ears I climbed into my bed and into a ball.
The door opened and Daniel called my name so softly that I barely heard him. He mentioned coffee in the same sentence, but I didn't want anything. I couldn't pretend everything was normal when it wasn't. This kind of shit was just a cruel twist of fate, it was all kinds of unfair.
I felt Daniel's weight shift the balance of the bed. I turned over to face him and shook my head.
"I'm not strong enough for this."
"Yes you are." He replied. "We need to be for him."
"What if I can't?" my ability to deal with heartache was seriously depleted, time hadn't strengthened me it seemed.
Daniel frowned and placed his hand on my shoulder. "You don't have a choice Amber. You have a life that needs to be lived. A child that loves you, a family that supports you and you have me. I know none of us are Jackson, but we all still care about you and we're here."
Alice. Oh crap, in two days she was going to come stay. I wasn't sure I could muster up the energy to focus on her. I shook my head and looked at Daniel. "When did you become so philosophical?"
"Since a bright girl reminded me of who I wanted to be in high school." He replied with a tight smile. "Come on, your mom has made coffee and it's better to be with family than all alone."
Daniel held his hand out and waited for me to take it. I yearned to stay in the bed, to ignore reality, but he was right. I placed my hand in his and let him help me to my feet. We walked from the room and sat back down on the couch. Mom brought the hot coffee over, and the four of us sat in silence while we waited for news. Finally, Dad's phone rung, he held it to his ear and almost instantly his face dropped, the color dissipated, he looked up at me with pure fear in his eyes and then let the caller go.
"I'm sorry..." He started, and it was all I needed to lunge for dad's phone. Whoever had called him had some questions to answer. Daniel's arms caught my waist and he whispered that it was okay, even though we all knew it was anything but.
Jackson POV
The sound of crumpling metal and burning machinery filled my nostrils waking me up, I was at least three meters from where I had been before. Screaming followed and the pilot ran through from the cockpit. "We have to get out before it sinks!"
I pulled at the mask and threw it to the side before following after him. Bevan was unconscious on the ground behind where we had just been sitting, his leg was contorted until it faced the opposite way from the rest of him. I bent down and felt for a pulse but there was nothing. Fear surged, He was gone, just like that.
"It's too late for him Mr. Smith, and if we wait any longer it'll be too late for you too." The pilot called. "We have to go. Now."
I stood and ran to the now open plane door. The pilot and hostess stood huddled in the door as co-pilot grabbed survival boats. He handed one to me. He released the safety and pushed me out the door. I fell into the bottom of the inflatable boat, I looked up at the plane the three survivors still stood there. The co-pilot threw my suitcase down, before readying anyone else. I frowned, confused at the suitcase. Saving the others was more important. I went to call out, but before I could a wave washed over the boat and pulled it from the temporary connections. The boat moved through the water as fast as the current could take it, feet turned into yards, and after a few minutes in the dark treacherous swells I couldn't even see the plane anymore. I was alone, in the middle of a vast ocean, living the epitome of a Tom Hanks movie.
This was karma for leaving Amber behind, for being so unsure about my life, for making a decision I wasn't sure of. Now I was destined to live out the rest of my days in a bright orange inflatable boat in the middle of the sea with my stupid suitcase. Alone.
I didn't move for fear of falling out, and by day break, when the swell had settled down I could see land in my direct path. I pulled my phone from my pocket in the hope the land was Australia, but the even out here I had no signal. Before I could turn off the screen Amber's face caught my attention, my background was a picture of us together. Never seeing her again didn't bear thinking about. Especially when I could see land. Soon enough I would be able to call and see her, soon enough I would be on my way home. Back to her arms, a place I didn't plan on leaving ever again.
To save battery I turned the phone off and slid it into my jeans pocket. As the land grew closer, my hopes faded more and more. The beach was empty and the think dense jungle that bordered it led me to be believe I was headed toward a random desolate island. Meaning my rescue wasn't as certain. I chucked my phone into the bottom of the boat and I stepped out once it was thigh deep. I waded through the crystal like water until I was on the shore.
I called out in hope, but all that returned was the squawk of some birds somewhere behind me in the jungle. In front of me lay nothing but a vast empty blue ocean. The waves crashed against the shore with reckless abandon, just like they did anywhere else, except here I was alone. I picked my phone up out of the boat and looked at it. The service marker was on zero. I was in the middle of nowhere.
I collapsed onto the sand and stared down at the image of Amber and I on the screen. I had to get home to her. There was no other option.
A/N - Hey guys! so a split POV for you. So at least we know that Jackson is alright, but what does everyone else know?
The song for this chapter is Invincible by Muse. Because together Jackson and Amber are invincible, but right now, they're apart and this makes them the opposite of that.
ALSO BIG NEWS!! Letting Go made it to the top 55 of the SYTYCW competition. I need your help to make it to the next stage (the top 25). So please please please go and vote on Part One - The 100 word pitch of Letting Go before the 14th of Oct, when the voting closes. Link is in the comments. Please please please help me make my dreams come true!
Love yas!
Bex