I Wanted to Believe

The California sun cascaded down on Jack's face. His cellphone buzzed beside him but he didn't bother to look away from the ocean in front of him. Shifting his feet in the sand, something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He set his gaze upon a woman. Her light brown streaked hair had a golden tint in the afternoon sun. She was breath taking. Her green eyes flickered toward the man, a shy smile stretching at her lips. Jack sent her his signature smirk causing her knees to grow weak.

Jack wanted to believe that what he was doing wasn't wrong. He pulled a single rose out of his sleeve, offering it to the woman. Her green orbs sparkled. Sophia was the furthest thing from his mind as the pair moved in perfect unison in the dark.

They had spent three days together. Jack glared at the reflection staring back at him. He scolded himself silently. It wasn't his intention to do it again. He pulled his shirt over his head, covering the bite marks that were spread across his collarbones.

As he continued to stare into the mirror, his guilty brown eyes mocked him. He raised his hand, letting it collide with himself. The glass shattered and shards fell to the floor. Jack watched as the blood formed a puddle over the broken mirror.

;

Sophia's features brightened at the sight of her boyfriend. Jack forced a faux happy grin, letting her jump into his arms. He held onto her tightly.

"I missed you so much," she mumbled into the nape of his neck. Breathing in her boyfriend's scent, she realized just how much she missed him in just the weeks time they were apart.

"I missed you too," he spoke coldly. Sophia didn't notice his tone. She was too happy to see him. She pulled away from their embrace, looking into his eyes. This made Jack nervous, so he closed the gap between them. His lips caressed hers sweetly, sending her to the moon.

"What happened to your hand, darling?" Sophia asked, squinting at the bandages. Jack's eyes widened, once again going unnoticed by the girl he was fooling. He played it off with a careless shrug.

"Just got cut with some glass," he explained. After receiving a concerned look, he continued with a smile. "I'm fine babe, promise."

Jack wanted to believe every word he spoke. He didn't want to lie to Sophia anymore but he was just so good at it. After all, it was his job to create illusions. She always fell for every trick he had.

They walked hand in hand down the city sidewalk, bumping each other with every other step. Sophia was just happy to be with her love again. Her heart felt warm in her chest. She knew she loved Jack. Sometimes she wondered if he got the same bubbly feeling when he saw her.

"Looks like I should go make us some lunch money," he threw her a smirk as they neared the docks. A small tourist boat was just boarding. Sophia chuckled lightly and shook her head. She didn't approve of Jack's scams, but she also knew they needed to survive somehow.

Handing her his cellphone and wallet, Jack hurried off to the boat, leaving Sophia to wander towards the shore. She watched as her boyfriend worked the crowed, leaving them awestruck. Just then, Jack's phone let out a loud beep, signaling a text message. Curiosity got the best of her.

Miss you... Wish we could relive vacation over and over!

Sophia felt her heart shatter in her chest. Choosing to not see anymore, she slipped his phone in the back pocket of her jeans.

Jack was out of breath when he got back to Sophia. He pulled a few dollar bills from a wallet before tossing it into the water. He turned his head and smiled at Sophia.

"So what are you hungry for?" He asked slyly, proud of himself. Sophia felt sick to the stomach.

There was a sudden yell. Though Sophia didn't catch what was said, it sounded like "There he is, get him! He has my wallet!"

Grabbing her hand, Jack began to run with Sophia following. Her shoulder collided with a man's body. She turned to apologize, but the hooded figure just continued to walk, not acknowledging her at all. So she just ran with Jack as he laughed heartily.

Jack lived for adrenaline. Maybe that's why he lied and cheated. He thrived off of almost being caught.

They slowed their run to a walk, catching their breath as they walked into a random fast food joint. After ordering, Jack pulled out some cash, something falling to the ground as he did so. Sophia's eyebrow raised as she bent to pick it up. They both looked over the tarot card, confused as they waited for their food.

"Where did this come from?" She questioned. Jack shrugged, taking it from her hand and flipping it over.

"I don't know, but I guess I'll find out in a few days," he replied, reading the information on the card.

"Death, huh," Sophia nudged him with a playful smile. "You better watch out." Jack rolled his eyes at his girlfriend and brushed her long hair from her face. He pressed his lips to her forehead.

"You don't have to worry about that, doll."

;

Sophia stood in her favorite spot. It was her getaway. There was something about the sky that helped her slip from reality. Her thin fingers clutched the cold metal of the railing. It was a beautiful night. The stars shone brightly as far as her eyes could see. The moon was almost non existent, just a sliver of a crescent in the nighttime indigo sky.

Arms snaked around her waist, causing her to go frigid. She wiggled out of Jack's grasp.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her, leaning against the railing a couple feet away. He felt a pang through his chest. He wasn't sure what it was but he did know that he didn't like the feeling.

"You're damn right there is," she muttered under her breath, "but we can't talk about it now." Sophia didn't have her head straight yet. She didn't know how she was going to handle this situation yet. Among her top options were leaving and never looking back. And that was looking pretty good to her right now.

Jack was silent and Sophia was thankful. After all, silence was golden in situations like these. Sophia needed to think. She finally had the proof she needed. She had a reason to leave him. But she also had a handful of reasons to stay.

Neither Sophia or Jack had anyone left. Sophia never asked what happened to his family but she was aware that they hadn't been around for a while. And there had been late night chats about how Sophia's family abandoned her the day she turned eighteen. Jack found her sleeping in the cold behind his apartment building. He did want to help her. It was always his intention to fix her. Jack just wasn't sure what more he could do.

Sophia looked for work. She found a part time job at the coffee shop down the street but they could only offer a few days a week. So Jack started to preform more to con people out of their money. Sometimes he would charge to watch his magic but most of the time he would steal and lie. Sophia hated it. She was a good hearted soul, but she understood they needed to eat somehow.

"I do love you," she spoke again. Jack watched as she moved to face him. He searched her blue eyes. He nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but she stopped him. "What did you do in California, Jack?" He felt his heart race so loudly that they could both hear it clearly.

"I didn't do anything wrong."

"Don't make me ask again," Sophia snapped back. She feared the answer but she had to hear it from his mouth. Those words were essential in her decision to leave. She needed the closure.

"She was beautiful," Jack finally admitted, "but she didn't mean a thing to me." It pained him to be honest with the woman he had grown to care for so much over the past three years. But it was time for her to know the truth. It's hard to be a better man when you're still lying.

Sophia expected to crumple into a ball and sob. She prepared herself to fall apart. That didn't happen though. Instead, she felt empowered. Her eyes returned to the stars. She wanted to be sure of this.

Jack was all she had. Without him, she would likely be dead or maybe even in jail. She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. Trying to picture what her next move would be, she heard him shift behind her.

"Please say something, Soph," he begged, his voice a tone she'd never heard before. She sensed desperation.

"I'm leaving you, Jack."

Jack couldn't find his voice. And if he could, he wouldn't have a clue what to say anyway. He didn't want her to go but he didn't want to stop her either. Jack Wilder did not beg for anything or anyone.

Sophia wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. He held her close, breathing in the scent of her raven black hair. Such a beautiful scent that he wanted to remember forever. He felt tears brim his eyes, and a single drop fell from his eyelashes.

Standing on her toes, she kissed his cheek. Then she turned and walked back into the apartment. Jack stayed on the balcony. He took her spot, and tenderly put his fingers to the exact spot her hands were previously clutched onto.

That was the last time Jack saw Sophia. For now, at least.

So one last touch and then you'll go
and we'll pretend that it meant something so much more
but it was vile, and it was cheap
and you are beautiful but you don't mean a thing to me