Come One, Come All to This Tragic Affair

I knew I shouldn’t have told her.
I don’t even know why I did it.
“Hey, it’s me. You don’t have to call me, but please just text me and let me know your okay.” I closed my phone after leaving her yet another voicemail.
I was starting to panic.
I could hear her house phone ringing and ringing and I admit it, I’d unlocked her door and looked for her.
Not a trace.
I finally broke down and called Gee, knowing Charlie would be with him.
“Wuhh?” Gee muttered into his phone.
“I can’t find Jaden.” I heard the echo of my voice in the phone and realized how panicked I sounded.
“Huh?” He still wasn’t fully awake.
“Gerard! Jaden’s missing.” I repeated.
“What’s going on?” I heard Charlie say in the background.
“I think Frank’s trying to tell me Jaden’s missing.” There was a lot of clatter and then Charlie got on the phone.
“What happened?” She demanded.
“She ran out of my apartment. I told her I loved her and she bolted.” I raked my hand through my hair.
“Oh shit.” Charlie sighed. “Look, just calm down okay? I think I know where she went.”
“I can’t calm down until I know she’s okay. She’s been gone since one.” I paced back and forth, unable to sit still.
“Jadey’s gonna kill me.” Charlie muttered. She rattled off an address and I scribbled it down quickly. “She’s probably there if she’s not at the gallery.”
“Thanks Charlie.” I hung up and hurried out onto the street.
I had to check the address three times before I was sure I was in the right place.
Having gone to Catholic school, I crossed myself as a knee-jerk reaction.
The only people here were priests, except for a lone curly haired woman sitting in the third row.
I slid into the pew next to her. She had the chain that held her ring clutched tightly in her fist.
Neither of us spoke for a long time.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” I finally said quietly.
“I ran because I was scared.” If I hadn’t been sitting right next to her I wouldn’t have heard her. “I’m scared to fall in love again.” She slipped her hand into mine.
“So what does that mean for us?” I was trying to guide her to the topic I was most concerned about.
“It means that I have to accept that Danny’s gone and it’s okay for me to be with you.” She rested her head against my shoulder and I put my arm around her.
“I love you.” I whispered, kissing her temple.
“I think I love you, underneath all this fear and guilt.” She paused for a moment. “Yeah. I love you Frank.”
--
Jaden apparently had spent the night sitting on a pew so we headed back to our apartment building and into her apartment to find a fuming Charlie and tired Gee on the couch.
“Why the hell do you keep running off?” Charlie demanded.
“Why the hell do you keep showing up when I’m going to bed with Frank?” Jaden leaned against the door and I had a feeling her lack of sleep was hitting her hard.
“Jadey. I’m serious. Quit running off around New York City alone in the middle of the night.” Charlie sighed. “Or at least take that dumbass with you.”
“Hey, that’s my dumbass.” Jaden leaned against me. “Now can you fuckers leave so I can go to sleep?”
“Fine, fine.” Charlie rolled her eyes, leading Gee out of the apartment. “Are you gonna go to work?”
“It’s Tuesday, the gallery’s closed.” Jaden reminded her, yawning again.
“See you later.” The door closed behind them and I lifted Jaden into my arms.
“Thanks, I don’t think I could have made it.” She mumbled, kicking her jeans off and crawling into her bed. I started to leave but she grabbed my hand. “And where do you think you’re going Mister?”
“Home?” Truthfully I wanted nothing more than to join her.
“Get in here.” She opened the covers for me and I yanked off my own jeans before getting in next to her. “And no running off. That’s my job.”
“Okay baby. I love you.”
“I love you too Frankie.” She cuddled in close and I watched her breathing slow down until it reached that rhythm of deep sleep.
She’s mine to protect now.