let the light in | jack hughes

Chapter 80

[May 13, 2024]

Beatrice

Since losing our final game Jack hasn't been able to get out of bed. He gets out for a few hours at a time and wants me to stay with him at all times. I'll try prying his arms off my body to go make some breakfast and he'll wake up in an instant wondering what oh what I could be doing leaving his arms. I'll explain what I want to do and he'll slowly nod his head, releasing me. 

Easy to say that he's taking the loss extremely hard.

But today is his Birthday Eve, and we're still in New Jersey. Being here is making him miserable, and I can't stand it, which is why I booked two tickets to Michigan for today a few days after our last game. I even called his friends to see if they could make it to Michigan for his birthday. Luckily most of them can make it the only one that can't come is Alex. 

I brush his hair out of his face, feeling his breath against my arm. I use my thumb to rub his beard that travels down his jaw and underneath his chin. Jack stirs beside me, taking a deep breath from his nose, and rubs his eyes adjusting to the light. I smile watching his blue eyes, blinking over and over again before settling in on me. "Morning, baby." he grumbles, cuddling into my chest, and tickling my neck with his hair.

 "Good Morning, angel." I kiss the top of his head, asking him how he's feeling this morning. He tells me he's feeling a bit better and might want to go do something today. "Really? You want to go do something?" I ask with a smile on my face. He laughs at my enthusiasm and nods. I spring up from our bed and push the covers off my body. I grab my pre-packed suitcase from under my bed and say, "Okay, get up." 

He furrows his brows looking at me and down at my suitcase. "Huh?" he says, rubbing his face over and over again. "We actually have a flight to Michigan in a few hours." I say, looking at the alarm clock on my nightstand. Jack grabs his phone, most likely checking the date. 

"Baby, what?" he asks, moving to the edge of the bed to walk me in between his two legs. I tell him my plan only leaving out the fact that his friends will be there too. He laughs at my rambling, gets out of bed, and heads to the bathroom. I run out of our bedroom to feed Ringo and Bruce, then hurry to make some breakfast with the few groceries I have left. 

Jack comes out in a pair of jeans and a henley with a backward cap on. I hand him an omelet and tell him we have to stop by his apartment to grab the suitcase Luke packed for him and Luke. I pull out two crates for our cats and sit down to eat with my boyfriend. He eats his breakfast with a small smile on his face and even though I know why he's smiling I ask anyway. 

"Why're you smiling like that?" I giggle behind my fork. Jack tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, gently squeezing my chin. "Because I have the sweetest girlfriend in the world, and leaving means we're going to Greece soon." he clears his plate, taking it to the sink and washing it as he tells me everything he's excited to do.

-

From the moment we picked Luke up it's been chaos, on the plane he picked a fight with Jack over who got to sit beside me. I ended the argument by sitting in the middle. Now we're getting picked up by Quinn who has been in Michigan for a few days now. I rub my temples, begging the two brothers to shut up. "I guess the bickering is an off-season thing too, huh?" I say, looking for Quinn's car. 

Luke takes the front seat and I rest my head on Jack's shoulder in the back. He caresses the side of my head, pushing any loose strands of hair away from my face. I close my eyes for the thirty-minute drive and for the first time all day, no one is fighting. It's a peaceful car ride, the windows are rolled down, Zach Bryan is playing, and we're having a good time.