Ghosts We Carry Home.

I had to tell Jack. It’d hurt him, but he needed to know. I looked at Jack, he was playing guitar, and hadn’t noticed I was standing behind him.

“Jack,” I said. “Can I talk to you, please.”

Jack turned around and looked at me.
“Sure,” he said. He must have seen it already. I was still shaking and it wouldn’t have surprised me if my face was red.
“Do you trust me,” I asked him when he put his guitar away.
“Surprisingly, I do,” he said.

“Do you know I would never lie to you?”

“What’s going on, Melanie?”

“I need to know, Jack,” I whispered.

“Yes, I know you wouldn’t lie to me.”

“Are you stronger than Alex?”

“Melanie, seriously, just tell me want you want to talk about.”

“Are you or are you not stronger than Alex, Jack?”

“Mentally, you mean?” Jack wondered.

“Yes, I guess,” I answered.

“Yes, now tell me what’s going on.”

I was afraid to tell him. I took a deep breath, which wasn’t really necessary and opened my mouth.
“I went to see Chrissy,” I said. “By accident.”

“What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything,” I snapped. “You might want to wonder what she did to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I saw her with another guy.”

There was a pause. It was a short pause, but it felt like it took ages.

“Get out!!” Jack yelled.

“But, Jack...”

“No, I don’t want to hear it. Get out! I mean it, Melanie. Leave.”

Jack turned his back at me, and I did what he asked me to. I left, and I did it walking, not flashing. I looked at Jack one more time, and then walked through the door.
“I trust you, Melanie. I know you’d never lie to me,” I quoted. “Then why don’t you believe me, you stupid cock.”
I started to run, hoping that the irritating feeling I had would go away. It didn’t disappear, no matter how fast I was running.
I couldn’t tell how long I was gone, but when I came back, Jack was still sitting in the same position.

“Jack, you have to believe me, I would never lie to you.”

“I know, Melanie. I know.”

It looked like Jack had cooled down. I slowly walked towards him, and carefully faced him.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Are you really sure?”

“Yes,” I said. “I am.”

“I never trusted Chrissy like I should,” Jack mumbled. “But still. Who’s that heartless?”

I didn’t know the answer, so I didn’t open my mouth.

“I thought she had something to -“

An annoying melody coming out of Jack’s phone had interrupted him.
“It’s Chrissy,” he said. “What should I do?”
He looked at me desperately.
“I don’t know Jack,” I mumbled. Jack sighed and said hello to Chrissy. I didn’t listen to the conversation; I didn’t want to know what lies she would tell him.
Jack threw his phone away and looked at me.

“She’s coming,” he said.

“Does she know that you know?” I wondered.

“No, she pretended everything is fine, as always.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure, but I’ll need your help.”

“What do you want me to do?” I asked.

“Chrissy’s very attached to her phone,” Jack explained. “If I were able to look at it for a second, I’d find everything I need.”

“And what’s my role?”

I wasn’t really sure why he’d need me for it. He could do it alone easily.
“I can’t check her phone, she blocks it.”

“Well, that’s a reason to distrust her,” I mentioned. Jack ignored me.

“If you could just look at the code she uses.”

“Fine,” I said. “No problem. I’d do anything to expose that bitch.”

Jack raised one of his eyebrows and looked me.

“How come you are alive now, and other times you’re absolutely not?” he questioned.

“How do you mean?” I asked unsure.

Jack looked at me an blinked his eyes.

“Sometimes you just sit and stare, you just don’t move at all. You’re not even listening when I talk to you. You don’t even hear me, I think.”

“You’re kidding, right?” I said.

“No,” Jack said. “You have to believe me, Melanie.”

There was a small grin on his face.

“I believe you, Jack,” I smiled.

And I did, I really did.