A Daydream Away

Alex's POV

Ever since Jack was thrown back into the room, I had not let him go. He didn't seem to mind the closeness, though, which made my heart feel light and happy.

What I really wanted to do was ask him what he meant before he was first removed from the room. Did Jack really like me? And why did he say it then, at such an awkward time?

For the time being, though, I wanted to give him some personal space. He had yet to actually tell me what was exchanged between him and Ron, and I had a feeling that it was a lot more serious that a dick being puked on.

I curled up closer to Jack on the lumpy mattress, waiting impatiently for a double tap on the door to alert that Danny was there and ready to go.

"So, you understand what the plan is, right?" I whisper cautiously, leaning against the wood of the door and talking to Danny who sat on the opposite side of the wood.

"Yeah, I call the cops while I am in the bathroom, and then I hide in there with you, and you will pretend like I am also one of his, uh, workers.," he said, a nervous tone leaking into his words.

"And," I said, more confident that him, "You've got to make sure Ron is in the building during the time, too, I want him fucking caught," I hissed, sounding more angry than I thought I would. I heard a chuckle come from Danny.

"I'll make sure. We all typically know when he is in the vicinity or not. He's that obnoxious," Danny laughed, then went quiet, probably meaning someone was walking past. As if on queue, I heard a few voices pass the door, stopping for a moment to chat with Danny, and then leaving a little while after.

"Awesome," I said once I was sure no one could hear, "And I will talk to Jack about getting you a job at the bar."

"Hey, thanks man. Thanks for what you're doin' for me. For me and my kid," Danny whispered, I could hear the gratitude in his voice, and that made me smile. I should be the thankful one, though.

"Not a problem. Can't have you and your daughter being used anymore. I know what it's like to hide in fear. If you're helping me out of this hell hole, it's the least I can do," I said.

"I can't wait for Sarah to meet you," Danny responded after a few minutes of silence.

"I can't wait, either."

Honestly, I was getting worried. What if Danny backed out of the plan? Decided the safety of his daughter was too much at stake if he were to follow through this plan with me? If he did, what would happen to me and Jack? Especially Jack. I would die before I let him be used in the same way I was used in the past.

As we continued to sit, my mind continued to mull over possible outcomes for what was to come about. I was shaken out of thought when I began to feel Jack shift underneath me. At first, I thought maybe I was making him uncomfortable. Upon looking at his face, though, he seemed more distressed than anything.

"Jack?" I whispered, pulling away slightly to give him some room, "You okay?"

Jack looked away at my question. I tried to lean forward to gain eye contact with him, but he kept down casting his eyes.

"Hey, c'mon, is there something else that happened while you were away?" I attempted asking. I had a suspicion that he and Ron had a serious conversation, and maybe I was going to get my answer.

He continued to avoid any eye contact with me, continuously gnawing on his bottom lip.

"I don't think your lip could handle any more damage before you finally bite it off.

"No, I.. I should tell you. Ron. He... he gave me a choice..." he trailed off. From there, I knew what he was going to say.

"Jack..."

"He said you could go free..."

"Jack, no."

"If I stayed."

"For the love of God, no."

"I said yes."

I knew that, if the plan that I had come up with would follow through properly, he wouldn't stay. But, if it didn't, Jack would be here. Even the concept of him giving up his entire life for me didn't sit well with me at all. I knew that, if we ended up fucked and Ron kept this promise, he would pick up shop and move to somewhere where I wouldn't know. I felt sick to my stomach.

"Jack, no, you are not. You are not staying. You are not doing that for me. God, fuck, you've already done way too much. You've given me a job, you've given me a home, you've given me support. You are not going to give your life away for me. Why," I said, feeling my eyes begin to well up.

"You don't understand, Alex," he whispered, moving away from me and turning his back to me.

"Don't understand what, Jack?" I said louder, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to turn around. He was going to fucking look at me right now, "I am not worthy of anything that you give to me. I am not worth it. So why, why do you do this? Why do you do this for me, do anything for me. Why, Jack, why?"

"Because I love you."

My words caught in my throat.

Jack sighed, rubbing his face with his hand, "I've thought it over. And over. And over. And the only solution that I can come up with is that I love you. From the moment I first saw you, my heart skipped a beat. I had no fucking clue that was the universe telling me that you were the one. And yes Alex, you do deserve it. God, I don't know how many times I have to say this but you are the best person I've ever met. Every time I think of you I think of your kindness, how you radiate it. The way your face lights up when you talk about your passion for music. Your emotions literally infect anybody that crosses your path. I don't care that we haven't known each other for long, but, thinking about a future without you in it at all makes me want to cry. I want you to stay in my life. And, why would I want that? Because I love you."

"But my past..." I whispered. He couldn't like me because of it. I wasn't a good person. I was terrible.

"You needed money and a roof over your head. He was the one who took advantage of that. Don't you dare think for a second that it was your fault," he snarled, more at the thought than at me.

He reached his slim arms out, pulling me in and pressing our lips together. I figured he was doing this to make his point seem more clear. And, just like the first time we had kissed, I felt like I was complete. A calming warmth spread throughout my body as our limbs intertwined with each other. Our lips slid and moved in a peaceful rhythm. I could feel Jack's emotions seeping into the kiss, pervading each of my senses. Once again, I felt cared for. This kiss felt true.

I tried to reciprocate the feelings he was emitting, pushing him down onto the bed so that I could push further into him, to become one with him. This moment, while we were trapped in a dark, damp room in an unknown location, was a moment I would never want to forget. Us together, allowing ourselves to see inside of each other, to know what we were truly feeling, was a moment that would remain in my mind for years to come.

This was where we finalized our future.

I pushed away from Jack, placing each of my hands on either side of his head as I stared down at him. His constant drooping eyes, which always made him look sad but held such light, his thick brows that resembled caterpillars happily crawling on his face and deciding to make home above said eyes, his crooked nose that would look awkward and huge on any face but his, and his thin lips that, despite their size, could release such emotion and such words that made me weak. I loved him. I loved him, too.

"Look, I refuse to let you stay in this hell hole because of me," I whispered, lowering my head so his face barely an inch away from mine, letting my hair slightly brush his cheeks.

Then, there was the double knock on the door. Both of our heads snapped to the peeling wood.

"Besides, you won't have to stay, anyway."