let the light in | jack hughes

Chapter 31

[April 7, 2023]

Beatrice 

"Did you get all that, Beatrice?" Lindy asks me as we take a lap around the office. "Yes, sir, I'll have it all done by the end of today so it's ready for tomorrow," I say, with a smile walking in the other direction. As soon as I turn the smile I plastered on my face is gone. Fuck, I have so much to do today to be ready for tomorrow. 

Since Devon wanted to fly out to spend the day with Jamie for his birthday I told her and everyone in the office I would take all the work Devon usually takes on. It's the least I could do for my best friend. I know she was really stressed about not being able to spend the day with him along with the work she has to do. So I told her I had it all under control.

Do I have it under control? No, not right now, but I will soon. 

I run to my car, sliding the stack of paperwork onto my passenger seat. I shift my legs in closing the door before sliding my key in and starting my car. Except my car won't start. The sound of sputtering surrounds me along with my pleas, begging my car to not to do this today. "Please, please, please," I say hoping some force will turn it on.

I open my eyes when someone knocks on my window. I look to my left to see Jack's concerned expression. I open my car door, slide my legs out telling him what happened. "My car broke down," Jack nods his head, "I can see that," he chuckles, stopping when I look up at him with a stressed expression. "No, my car broke down, and I have so much to fucking do today. I have deadlines to meet because I told Devon I could handle it and if I don't she'll be pissed at me and then think I'm unreliable." I rant, before Jack stops me, squatting down to meet my eyes. 

"Hey Devon is not going to be pissed at you, she adores you. But to settle your mind I'll help you out with everything you need to get in today," he says, making the butterflies in my stomach go absolutely wild. He is not allowed to comfort me after confusing the shit out of me. "Okay, I'll accept the help, but only because I absolutely need it," I say, grabbing the paperwork and putting it in Jack's car. 

Jack calls a friend he has who's a mechanic and takes my car away, telling us he'll take a look at it and call us when he figures out what's wrong. I watch my old Jeep Cherokee get pulled away from us. I settle into Jack's passenger seat, putting my seatbelt on as my heart starts racing. If it's something serious I can't even begin to imagine what'd I do if something was seriously wrong. Jeeps are pricey when it comes to fixing them. 

"Okay where are we going first?" he says, putting the car in drive and waiting for me to give him directions. I tell him where we're going, as he hands me the aux cord and lets me play some music. I put on 'The Walters' playing their short discography. He parks in front of the firm I had to go to and turn in some paperwork, before walking out with a separate set of paperwork. 

Only five more places to go, and then to Target because today Lindy asked me if I had experience with other types of cameras. I told him I worked with film and polaroids along with digital, and he loved that. So now I have to go get some film and a new sd card. If they don't have them at Target then we'll go to this expensive camera place.

Just out of curiosity, even though Trevor already told me I ask Jack what he usually does for the summer. I don't think I'll be inviting him to Greece just yet, especially because there's no telling if we'll be friends in the summer or not. Jack is a moody guy, but not according to Twitter. "Uhh, a few of the guys and I head down to Michigan, we grew up there so we like spending our off-season there. Golfing, on the boat, going to bars," he answers.

I nod as he drops me off at the next place. For the next few stops I do the exact same thing. Throw my seatbelt off, run to the backseat, find the proper paperwork run it inside, grab a new folder of paper, and run back to the car. Do I need to be running? No, but I don't want to use up all of Jack's time. I'm afraid I'll use up the rest of my free trial making him take me places.