It's silent in the house when I wake up, the sun is shinning happily through the satin curtains and a dead to the world sammy snores next to me. I smile for a minute and realize how normal and perfectly happy this moment is. No outside influences raining on this moment. I roll onto my side and memorize every centimeter of sammy's face. My eyes catch the left over marks from the bruises on his face. I cringe for a second and close my eyes as I scoot into his chest. Sammy stirs and I feel him yawn above my head.
"We could just stay like this forever." He says, his voice hushed. I smile and look up at him.
"That sounds like a wonderful plan, if we didn't have a crazy cynical genius murderer after us." He chuckles and kisses my forehead.
We sit like that for what felt like two seconds but in reality was another hour. Sammy rubs my lower back as he guides me into the kitchen to grab breakfast. I grab the Orange juice just as Betthany walks in. She meets my eyes for a second and then quickly looks away. My heart aches but I hope she doesn't hate me.
Jack's POV
I watch as Betthany sits at the table, playing with the napkin in her hands.
"Are you going to eat?" I ask her softly trying to not startle her. She just shakes her head. "You can't just not eat." She nods. "And you can't just not talk to me, do you know how much it hurts!" I finally say, this time she looks up at me. Her dark eyes are lit with fury. Everyone trickles out of the kitchen, we don't pay attention.
"Hurt, pain, do you know what any of that feels like!" She says standing up throwing the napkin on the table. I cross my arms.
"Yes I do, do you know what it's like having the love of your life losing control of their emotions and not being able to help them, to feel useless, and then the person you hold dearest to your heart yells at you to get away. Yeah I know what pain feels like, it's like a slap in the face but worse because I love you." I shake my head "CAM WAS THE BAD GUY, I WATCHED HIM SHAKE NEILS HAND, I WAS PROTECTING YOU!" I shout, Betthany winces but I ignore it because she needs to hear it. "You only wanted the one person who you needed to stay away from. Betthany I love you and I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you, that's the same way with grace. I don't think I could possibly live without you." I close my eyes and rub the bridge of my nose.
"Jack, I love you, I truly do, and I'm sorry but I was in fucking shock okay, I just I don't know how to take it." She chokes out, I can tell she's on the verge of tears and God knows I can't stand to see her she'd another tear. I grab her face between my hands.
"Don't cry, please don't, I just, forgive me please, I can't live like this." She nods and I kiss her forehead. I wrap my arms around her as her face lays against my chest.
"I can't lose you ever, I will do anything and everything to keep you safe, I hope you do realize that." I whisper to her.
"I do love you jack." I sigh and rub her back. "I've loved you more and I will always love you longer." She chuckles and it makes me smile, I've gotten her to laugh.
------
Betthany stares at the box laid perfectly on her bed. I push her gently behind me as I slowly open the box. It's a dress. I slowly take it out from the dress.
"Wow it's beautiful." Betthany says from behind me. Then a pair of heels sits under the dress. "Holy hell I don't do heels." Betthany takes them from the box and sits on the bed. A not is at tho bottom. In sloppy hand writing it says
'Wear these tonight, no exceptions.'
I shudder with anger and turn to watch as Betthany holds the dress up to her chest. "It's pretty isn't it, what a shame." She says sorrowfully. I ask her what she means. "They are dressing me up for-" I cover her mouth with my hand.
"No, you're not finishing that sentence, I won't allow it." She frowns and tosses the dress on the bed. "I should, probably go talk to grace, I wonder if she got a dress too...."
----
Thirty minutes later Betthany walks onto the patio where I am sitting. She crawls up in my lap and kisses me.
"Grace got a dress and a necklace and shoes." I roll my eyes. "Of course she did."
"Neil also said if she was any where near sammy he'd kill him on spot." I look down and look her in the eyes.
"That fucking bastard." I curse under my breath. " Betthany tonight, it's going to be crazy, and if anything happens to either on of us." I pause and grab her left hand. "I want you to know that I would do anything to make you happy. And if something does, I want to have a symbol for us, that we weren't just boyfriend and girlfriend." I slide the ring on her hand, I can see her lip trembling behind her hair and her hand shakes.
"Jack I'm not going to let anything happen to you, or grace or sammy-"
"Or yourself, for me, you gotta be okay for me." She nods and I wipe the tears off her cheeks. "Nobody told me the plan, I need to know it." Betthany says getting up from my lap. I nod and decide we need to clarify tonight.
Sammy's pov
I sit at the piano, my fingers feel numb against the keys. It's eight at eight fifteen we will leave and drive to the party. During the party we will start phase one, draw Neil away. That unfortunately and aggravatingly includes grace.
I hear a set of heels clicking against the marble floor, which causes me to look up and pull away from my thoughts. Grace stands at the top of the stair case, her long blonde hair flows in perfect ringlets down past her breast. Her one shoulder dress clings to her curves but fans out when it greets the floor. The slit in the side shows off her long tan leg whenever she walks. Her lips are cherry red and her brown eyes seem to glow beneath the dark makeup. She looks stunning and I want to fall to my knees before her. But I can't. I watch as she makes her way down the steps, I watch her every move. She gives me one longing look and mouths I love you before she walks out the door.
"I love you too." I whisper breathlessly even though I know she can't hear me.
Jack's pov (extremely sorry about throwing y'all around)
Betthany stands I front of me, her dress is on and her silky hair falls around her face. If this had been any other night I'm sure she'd be glowing and she'd have this grin. I'd say she was hot and she would agree with me.
"If we survive this, we're fucking having the biggest wedding ever." Betthany says spraying on some perfume. I laugh.
"Yes Mrs. Gilinsky needs the best of the best and she would need big flowers and no bees though, oh and we definitely need an arcade."
I smile at her ability to remain calm and joke. "Say that again." I say to her as I kiss her neck from behind. She looks at me confused.
"Say what?" Then she blushes. "Mrs. Gilinsky." I nod and she turns to face me.
"Betthany Gilinsky, that's the prettiest and most amazing name I've ever heard." I say as I adjust the top of her dress to cover her shoulders. She smiles.
"We should get going." She says reminding me of the dreadful night ahead. I sigh and grab her hand. The ring rubs against my hand and I can't help but feel my heart smile.
I can never promise life, to anyone. I refuse to promise her we will make it throughout the night without a single scratch. I refuse to believe that everyone will go back home and live normal lives. It is impossible and naïve to think like that. I think Betthany understands that as well, that's why she didn't yell at me for not properly asking for her hand in marriage.
I think we all realize, that someone is going to die, and someone is going to live.
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I am so sorry for the huge gap between chapters, I've been so busy with school and wrestling and I never had a chance to just sit down and write. The book is ending shortly, I'm estimating about two or three more chapters, so be prepared. I don't know when they will be posted but I do hope soon.
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